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The Isenberg Resume: A How-To Guide for Undergraduate Students
Your story and your internship or job candidacy begin with your resume. This guide describes how to think about, draft, and design an Isenberg-branded resume that tells your story in bold, confident language and compelling detail. Producing your Isenberg resume is an essential part of your career toolkit. Read on for details, and congratulations for taking this important first step!
Step 1: Start with Headings, Contact Info, and Education
Heading and Contact Information
- Your resume’s heading should include your full name (bolded and 1-2 point sizes larger than the rest of the content in this section), one phone number, one email address, and a customized LinkedIn URL
- Ensure that all information in this section is visually balanced
Visit our resume page for blogs, resources, guides, and LinkedIn Learning courses to help you get started! You can also make an appointment with a Career Peer or Career Coach for help with your resume.
Education
- At the top of your resume, list both the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Isenberg School of Management, along with your year of expected degree completion
- Cite your GPA if it’s 3.0 or higher, as well as any scholarships or academic honors you’ve earned
- If you have an area of focus or any relevant coursework/projects, you may relay that information here as well
- Please follow the same guidelines for your bachelor’s degree
Step 2: Craft Your Experience Section
What is an experience section?
Your experience section should list in reverse chronological order all your work experience, including paid or unpaid internships. Also include job titles, work locations, and dates of service. Make sure to cite these items for every entry in this section.
Use detailed bulleted descriptions to highlight your most relevant skills and emphasize the contributions you made to the organization, not merely the tasks you performed. Bullets should lead with strong action verbs. Use the present tense for current accomplishments and the past tense for completed accomplishments. However, you may use the past tense to describe completed assignments or projects in a current role.
WHO Bullets
Your experiences and activities should be expressed with descriptive bullets that employ the WHO method. WHO bullets reflect:
- W = WHAT did you do? This refers to the specific action or task you performed. It outlines the core responsibility or activity undertaken.
- H = HOW did you do it? This describes the approach or method you used to accomplish the task mentioned in the “What” component. It provides insight into your thought process, problem-solving abilities, and strategies employed.
- O = OUTCOME of the work. This indicates the results or impact of your actions. It quantifies or qualifies the success or effectiveness of your efforts, demonstrating their contributions and achievements.
Answer: Focus on broadly applicable and transferable skills. Understand that much of what we do is relevant. Customer service while working for Target is very much like customer service at EY, Wayfair, or Fidelity. True, the task might be different, but the principle is very much the same. Customer service, communication, teamwork, training, time management all are relevant skills that you should highlight in your bulleted descriptions relevant to my major or future career?
Step 3: List Relevant Skills and Activities
Activities
Cite your extracurricular activities including clubs, sports, volunteerism, community, and civic engagements, along with your titles, and dates of service. However, if you already listed the organization or activity elsewhere, don’t repeat that information here.
Again, use bullets to call attention to transferrable knowledge and skills not addressed elsewhere and be sure to note any leadership positions held.
Move an activity to your Experience section if it shows your leadership ability or significant engagement in a subject that‘s relevant to your target company.
Skills
This section is for computer and language skills only. Don’t list skills such as communication, project management, or customer service. Those are best reflected in your WHO bullets.
Include technical, software, programming, licenses, and certifications. Be sure to indicate if you are highly proficient in one type of software (especially if it’s relevant to the position).
Proficiency or fluency in a second language is highly desirable. Make sure to indicate your level of proficiency (e.g., conversational, proficient, and fluent). Fluency in English is assumed and therefore unnecessary to include.
In certain instances you may want to consider adding a third category to your Skills section. For example, if you have a certification in project management and are pursuing a position to which that certification is relevant, consider adding a “Certifications” category and citing this credential.
Consider expanding your education section by describing relevant coursework, topics studied, and projects completed. Also, explore skills and experiences that are relevant to your future career.
Step 4: Polish Your Resume with Formatting
Isenberg employers have worked with the school to develop a resume organization and format that delivers the most important information as directly and efficiently as possible.
A professionally formatted resume makes the content easy to skim and understand – an essential feature for readers, who typically spend about 5-6 seconds reviewing your resume before deciding if they want to read more.
Formatting Guidelines
| Item | Comment |
|---|---|
| Margins | 1.0″ is standard but you may reduce to 0.5″ as needed |
| Spacing | Be consistent before/after headings, job entries, dashes, and periods |
| Fonts | Use just one: Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, or Tahoma |
| Point Size | 10-12 point main text is standard; headings may be slightly larger |
| Dashes | Be consistent: “—” vs. “–” (note: “-” is a hyphen, not a dash) |
| Bullets | Round bullets are best; do not use sub-bullets |
| Styles | Use bold, italics, underline, ALL CAPS to create a sense of visual hierarchy |
| File Type | Save your resume as a PDF to lock in formatting before submitting it |
Typos, Errors, and Inconsistencies
Your resume must be error-free. Readers generally have many resumes to review. Often these are from candidates who’ve taken similar classes, held similar positions, and have similar qualifications. One way resume readers decide between candidates is by looking at the production value of the resume itself.
If your resume contains typos, errors, or inconsistencies, it may indicate carelessness, lack of focus, or insufficient effort as a candidate. Review both the content and formatting of your resume carefully in order to reduce the risk of rejection.
Appendix: Additional Resources/Resume Samples
Writing Impactful Bullets Exercise
As you reflect on your past and current experiences, think about what you did, how you did it, and what were the associated outcomes. Use descriptive language to illustrate your contributions and accomplishments.
By going through this exercise, you’ll capture the key pieces of information from a specific experience. Record your responses to the questions and prompts below, elaborating on the learning and impact of your experiences. Click on each of the items below for questions, skill examples, and sample language that you can use to draft your impact bullets.
Write down a few of your current and past experiences, then for each, answer the following questions:
- What are you specifically doing?
- Why are you doing it?
- Who is it important to? Why?
- Did you resolve problems? What were they? How did you do that?
- Did you engage with customers? Other teams?
- Were you given additional responsibilities?
- Did you train or supervise anyone?
- Did you lead a project or take initiative on your own?
- Did you do research? Produce a report? Or recommendations?
- Were decisions made?
- What were the results?
- What was the impact of your work?
Considering your recent experiences (job, internship, volunteering, study abroad, research, fellowship, job shadow, etc.), what tasks and responsibilities were you responsible for?
Write down at least 5 examples.
As you write your bullets, you’ll want to be specific and descriptive. This helps tailor your resume to the role you’re applying for and shows why you are uniquely qualified.
Use the following in each of your bullet points:
- Examples
- Details
- Industry terms
- Software/systems
Use measurable results to showcase the positive impact you had. Here are some terms you can use to describe the results you achieved:
| Change | Metrics | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Increased | Numbers | Hourly |
| Decreased | Currency | Daily |
| Maintained | Percentage | Weekly |
| Improved | Fractions | Annually |
Employers want to see that you have the skills needed to succeed in their workplace. Consider the following list and write down specific examples of how you’ve put these skills into action.
- Analytical
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Facilitation
- Innovation
- Leadership
- Organization
- Planning
Different Educational Circumstances
Action Verb Bank
Using clear and descriptive actions verbs is essential to crafting bullets that effectively showcase your skills and experiences. Be sure that you’re using a variety of verbs without repeating too often. Utilize the same or similar action verbs in your resume that you see listed in the description of the internship or job to which you are applying. Click on each of the categories below to find action verbs that are relevant to your experiences and career goals.
Administered
Assigned
Analyzed
Appointed
Approved
Assigned
Attained
Authorized
Chaired
Considered
Contracted
Consolidated
Controlled
Converted
Coordinated
Decided
Delegated
Developed
Directed
Eliminated
Emphasized
Enforced
Enhanced
Established
Executed
Generated
Handled
Headed
Hired
Hosted
Implemented
Improved
Incorporated
Increased
Initiated
Inspected
Instituted
Led
Managed
Merged
Motivated
Navigated
Operated
Organized
Originated
Overhauled
Oversaw
Participated
Persuaded
Planned
Presided
Prioritized
Promoted
Publicized
Recommended
Recruited
Reorganized
Replaced
Restored
Reviewed
Scheduled
Secured
Selected
Streamlined
Strengthened
Supervised
Terminated
Appointed
Chaired
Clarified
Coached
Conceived
Conceptualized
Convinced
Created
Delegated
Designed
Developed
Directed
Empowered
Energized
Envisioned
Established
Executed
Expanded
Founded
Ignited
Influenced
Initiated
Innovated
Inspired
Introduced
Invented
Mentored
Modernized
Motivated
Optimized
Pioneered
Planned
Revolutionized
Spearheaded
Sponsored
Stimulated
Strengthened
Transformed
Adjusted
Administered
Allocated
Analyzed
Appraised
Assessed
Audited
Balanced
Budgeted
Calculated
Computed
Conserved
Corrected
Determined
Developed
Estimated
Forecasted
Managed
Marketed
Measured
Netted
Planned
Prepared
Produced
Programmed
Projected
Qualified
Reconciled
Reduced
Researched
Clarified
Decided
Evaluated
Investigated
Recommended
Resolved
Solved
Surveyed
Administered
Developed
Directed
Generated
Improved
Increased
Initiated
Reduced
Adapted
Advised
Clarified
Coached
Communicated
Conducted
Coordinated
Critiqued
Developed
Enabled
Encouraged
Evaluated
Explained
Facilitated
Focused
Guided
Individualized
Informed
Initiated
Instilled
Instructed
Motivated
Persuaded
Set goals
Simulated
Stimulated
Taught
Tested
Trained
Transmitted
Accomplished
Achieved
Administered
Applied
Approved
Arranged
Arranged
Assigned
Attained
Catalogued
Categorized
Charted
Classified
Coded
Collaborated
Collected
Communicated
Compiled
Consolidated
Controlled
Coordinated
Corrected
Corresponded
Cultivated
Delegated
Demonstrated
Dispatched
Distributed
Encouraged
Ensured
Executed
Expanded
Facilitated
Filed
Formalized
Generated
Guided
Handled
Implemented
Incorporated
Inspected
Integrated
Launched
Logged
Maintained
Monitored
Obtained
Operated
Orchestrated
Ordered
Organized
Overhauled
Persuaded
Planned
Prepared
Prioritized
Processed
Provided
Purchased
Recorded
Registered
Reserved
Reshaped
Responded
Retrieved
Reviewed
Revitalized
Routed
Scheduled
Screened
Secured
Specified
Standardized
Streamlined
Submitted
Supplied
Surpassed
Synchronized
Systematized
Tabulated
Targeted
Transformed
Updated
Upgraded
Validated
Applied
Assembled
Built
Calculated
Computed
Conserved
Constructed
Converted
Debugged
Designed
Determined
Devised
Developed
Engineered
Fabricated
Fortified
Installed
Maintained
Operated
Overhauled
Printed
Programmed
Reconciled
Rectified
Regulated
Remodeled
Repaired
Replaced
Restored
Solved
Specialized
Standardized
Trained
Translated
Upgraded
Utilized
Adapted
Advised
Assisted
Communicated
Explained
Facilitated
Informed
Instructed
Analyzed
Clarified
Collected
Compared
Conducted
Critiqued
Detected
Determined
Diagnosed
Evaluated
Examined
Experimented
Explored
Extracted
Formulated
Gathered
Identified
Inspected
Interpreted
Interviewed
Invented
Investigated
Located
Measured
Organized
Researched
Reviewed
Searched
Solved
Studied
Summarized
Surveyed
Systematized
Tested
Accelerated
Advanced
Advised
Amplified
Augmented
Capitalized
Charted
Conducted
Constructed
Consulted
Demonstrated
Earned
Enforced
Enriched
Exceeded
Expedited
Fashioned
Fostered
Generated
Identified
Installed
Interfaced
Negotiated
Operated
Originated
Performed
Produced
Promoted
Reinforced
Rescued
Revamped
Safeguarded
Supplemented
Synthesized
Trained
Transformed
Translated
Tutored
Volunteered
Clubs, Certifications, and Software
| Major | UMass Club/Organization | Certifications/Licensure | Software/Tech |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | • Accounting Association • Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) • Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) • Accounting Association • National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) | • CFSA • CFE • CISA • CMA • CPA • Certified Tax Preparer • Certified Financial Forensics • Certified Financial Analyst • Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) | • ACCUCert • MS Dynamics • NetSuite • PeopleSoft • Quickbooks • Sage 50cloud • SAP • Advanced MS Excel • Power BI • Tableau • Zero • Freshbooks • FactSet |
| Finance | • Finance Society • UMass Investment Club • Minutemen Alternative Investment Fund • Minutemen Equity Fund • Minutemen Fixed Income Fund • Smart Woman Securities • UMass Blockchain Club • UMass Investment Banking Club • Isenberg Real Estate Advisors • UMass Real Estate Club | • CAIA • CFA • CFP • FRM • CMA • CIMA • PRM • CCP | • Bloomberg Terminal • FactSet • MATLAB • MS Excel • Eikon • Python • R • Risk Metrics • SAP ERP • Tableau |
| HTM | • American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) • National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) • HTM Career Day Committee • Club Management Association of America (CMAA) | • TIPPS Certification • ServSafe Certification • Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS) • Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) • Certified Hospitality Sales Professional (CHSP) | • POS Systems (Toast, Square, Upserve, TouchBistro) • Hospitality Software Systems (Agilysys, Frontdesk Anywhere) • Inventory Management Systems (Simple Order) • RMS/PMS Systems (Hotelogix, Maestro) • Operations Management Software Systems (Jolt) • CRM Systems (Salesforce) |
| Management | • Isenberg Management Association (IMA) • UMass Entrepreneurship Club • 180 Degree Consulting, UMass Branch • Isenberg Undergraduate Consulting Group (IUCG) • Advancement of Diversity in Business (ADB) • Jewish Leaders in Business & Entrepreneurship (JLBE) • Isenberg Women in Business (WiB) • Delta Sigma Pi (DSP) | • Agile Certification • SHRM-CP • SHRM-SCP • Six Sigma (color of belt, e.g., Green Belt) • Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) • Project Management Professional (PMP) | • Data Analysis and Mining (Python, Tableau) • ERP Systems (Oracle, Netsuite, SAP) • CRM Systems (Salesforce) • Accounting and Invoice Management Software (Sage) • Coding/Programming (Delphi) • Project Management Software • Workforce Management Software |
| Marketing | • American Marketing Association (AMA) • Isenberg Marketing Club • Sales Club • The Militia • UMass AdLab • Public Relations Student Society of America, UMass Chapter • UMass Public Relations Club • Protect Our Breasts, UMass Chapter | • Google AdWords • Hubspot Inbound • Meta Blueprint • Hootsuite Social Media • Content Marketing Institute • Marketo • Qualtrics Fundamentals | • Adobe Acrobat, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop • Buffer • Google AdWords • Google Analytics • Hootsuite • HTML, CSS • HubSpot • MailChimp • Piktochart • SalesForce |
| OIM | • Council of Supply Chain Management (CSCM) • Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) • Operations and Information Management Club | • APICS S&OP Certification • APICS RMC (Indicate level, e.g., RMC1, RMC4, etc.) | • SAP, SAP ERP, SAP SCM • Microsoft Access • Microsoft Excel • Tableau • Minitab • C++ • Java • SQL |
| Sport Management | • Association of Diversity in Sport (ADS) • McCormack Student Leaders Club • Student Athletic Advisory Council (SAAC) • The Militia • UMass Sports Analytics Club • Women in Sport Management (WISM) | • Google AdWords • Google Analytics | • Adobe After Effects • Adobe Photoshop • Archtics • CRM: DigiDeck, Salesforce • Dartfish • Nacsport • Performa Sports • Python • R • Tableau |
| All Majors | • Advancement for Diversity in Business • Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) • Delta Sigma Pi • Eta Sigma Delta • Isenberg Business Law Club • Isenberg Citizens First (ICF) • Isenberg Honors Council (IHC) • Isenberg Real Estate Association • Isenberg Undergraduate Consulting Group (IUCG) • Isenberg Women in Business (WIB) • Jewish Leaders in Business (JLB) • Net Impact • Protect Our Breasts • Student Athletic Advisory Council (SAAC) • The Militia • UMass Entrepreneurship Club • 180 Degree Consulting, UMass Branch | • MS Office (Word, Excel, • PowerPoint, Access) • Outlook • PC/Mac proficient |
Customize Your Resume
A Resume’s Development from First Year through Senior Year
How to Beat the ATS
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used by recruiters and employers to track a candidate’s job application throughout the recruiting and hiring process, making it easy for businesses of any size to filter, manage, and analyze potential candidates. Learn how to ensure your resume is successfully received and processed by employers.
Sample Resumes
Click below to preview and download sample resumes that will show you the appropriate formatting, bullet point structure, and tailoring for a variety of focus areas.
*Note: ALWAYS tailor resumes to your experiences, skills, and the position/company you’re applying for.
