How to write a resume in English

A resume is a short, 1-2-page document tailored to a specific position: an internship, a job, or a program. It is used in the US and Canada for applications to the private sector, technology companies, business, and marketing. No photos, no date of birth, only relevant experience, achievements, and skills.

A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a more comprehensive document with no strict length limit. In the US, it is used exclusively in academia: when applying for master’s/PhD programs, grants, fellowships, and research positions. In Europe, the term CV is used synonymously with resume, meaning it applies to all types of applications, including jobs. In Germany, a CV is traditionally accompanied by a photo and personal information; in France, this is optional.

Rule of thumb: if you are applying to an American university or an internship in the US, a one-page resume is required. If you’re applying to a European university or applying for a scholarship like the DAAD or Erasmus, you’ll need an academic CV with an extensive list of achievements, publications, and academic experience. Always focus on the requirements of the specific program or employer.

A good English-language resume passes the “10-second test”: a recruiter or admissions committee should understand who you are, what you can do, and how you differ from others in 10 seconds. Here are four principles essential for this.
Brevity. For most students and recent graduates, one page is strictly enough. Every word should be in its place.

Specificity through numbers. Numbers are the main language of a resume. “Organized an event” is weak. “Organized a fundraising event for 120 participants, raising $3,500” is strong. Use the following: number of participants, percentage growth, amounts, timeframes, and volumes. Relevance to the objective. A resume for an IT internship and an academic CV for admission to a sociology program are different documents, even if written by the same person. Tailor the content to the specific program or position.

Readability. Use a consistent font, consistent indents, and clear section headings. No “walls of text.” The recruiter (and ATS system) should be able to instantly find the required block.

Below are 10 ready-made bullet points for typical student situations. Adapt to your data:

1. Volunteering: “Volunteered as a literacy tutor for underprivileged children (ages 8–12), conducting weekly sessions for a group of 6 students over 8 months”
2. School project: “Developed a data visualization dashboard for a school economics project using Google Sheets and Canva, presented findings to an audience of 40 peers”
3. Olympiad: “Awarded Bronze Medal, Regional Physics Olympiad — ranked in top 5% of 600 participants, [Region], 2024”
4. Unpaid internship: “Assisted the marketing team at [Company] with competitor analysis and weekly social media reporting, contributing to a 12% increase in post engagement”
5. Leadership in the club: “Founded and led a Model UN club at school, recruiting 18 members and organizing the first inter-school conference with 6 participating schools”
6. Tutoring: “Tutored 5 secondary school students in mathematics, with 4 of 5 improving their exam scores by at least one grade level”
7. Scientific work: “Conducted qualitative research on social media behavior among teenagers as part of a university sociology seminar; paper selected for inclusion in the departmental digest”
8. Event organization: “Organized a cultural awareness week for 150 international students, coordinating a team of 8 volunteers and managing a budget of €600”
9. Own project: “Built a personal finance tracking app using Python and Tkinter as a self-directed project; received 50+ GitHub stars within 2 weeks of publication”
10. Sport with achievement: “Competed in national-level swimming championships, representing [School/Region] and placing in the top 10 in the 100m backstroke event (2023)”

An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is an automated system used by most large employers and a number of university programs for the initial screening of applications. If your resume isn’t “readable” by the system, no human will ever see it.

ATS-friendly formatting guidelines:

• Single column—no tables, columns, or text blocks;
• Simple fonts—Calibri, Arial, Garamond, Georgia (10-12 pt for body text, 14-16 pt for the name);
• Standard section headings—”Experience,” “Education,” “Skills”—not “My Journey” or “What I’ve Done”;
• No icons, graphs, or progress bars for skills—the ATS can’t read them;
• Consistent date formatting – use a consistent style throughout the document: either “Jan 2024 – May 2025” or “01/2024 – 05/2025”;
• Save as PDF (unless otherwise specified) – Word files may appear blurry when opened on another device.

Design templates from Canva or Behance look beautiful, but often fail in ATS. If you’re submitting directly through LinkedIn, Workday, or any HR system, use the simplest possible text format.

Before clicking “Submit,” review each section:

Structure and Length:
✅ No more than 1 page (for most students)
✅ All required sections are present: Header, Education, Experience/Projects, Skills
✅ No empty sections or “fillers”

Content:
✅ Each bullet point begins with an Action Verb
✅ At least 60-70% of bullet points contain a number or specific result
✅ The resume is tailored to the specific program/employer
✅ No photo, date of birth, or marital status (if submitting through the US/UK)

Language and Design:
✅ Checked with Grammarly or a similar service
✅ Consistent date style throughout the document
✅ Consistent font and size
✅ No tables, icons, or multi-column blocks (if submitting through an ATS)

Final Review:
✅ Close the document and ask someone to read it for 10 seconds—can they name your specialization and two key achievements?
✅ The links in the header are working
✅ The email is relevant and professional
✅ The file is saved as a PDF under the name: Firstname_Lastname_Resume.pdf