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How to Write a Resume Personal Statement

What is a resume personal statement?

A resume personal statement expresses who you are, where you’ve been, and sometimes where you plan to go next right at the top of your resume.

Everyone has different circumstances, so the personal statement helps to orient a potential future boss in terms of what they are about to read in the resume. Think about what you would like to share that matters to you. This space is particularly useful if you are changing industries , coming back in to the employment market or looking for a promotion. Your shop window starts here. The personal statement may be the only thing than an employer reads.

The resume personal statement hooks in a reader, influencing them to read more. So, how do you write a resume personal statement that is both natural and grabs an employer’s attention? Offer them a brief insight into who you are and why you would be a fantastic hire. So what do you write in a personal statement for a job?

This guide will cover:

• The basic formatting of a personal statement: How to tailor your personal statement to give you a competitive advantage
• Personal statement examples you should (and shouldn’t) use
• Practical steps for getting started on your resume personal statement

The personal statement format

The personal statement is a short paragraph that sits right below your contact information at the top of a resume . It sums up your experience, goals and skills with confidence. Think of your resume’s personal statement like an extended tagline for your career. A resume personal statement should include:

• Between 50 and 200 words in 3 - 4 sentences
• Your title or function, for example “Junior developer” or “Passionate hospitality manager”
• An opening hook
• Soft skills and hard skills
• Impressive facts and stats
• Your short and/or long-term goals
• Job-specific slant for the position you’re applying to

This may seem like a lot to cram into 200 words but perfecting your elevator pitch shows that you have a firm grasp of why your experience, goals, and skills make you the perfect fit for the job. Go all out to make this as fitting for each role as possible. Too often candidates come up with what they see as the perfect introduction to them and forget about how a hiring manager for each specific role might read it. Be flexible with the personal statement. It might not present the very best version of you - it should present the best version of you for this particular role.

This brief introduction is only a short piece of text, it is not disruptive and in many cases even serves as a welcome addition to what is otherwise a dry and impersonal document. It should be clear to you by now how we feel about the personal statement: Include it, especially because it allows you that bit of creativity that may make all the difference. Adopt a conversational tone and consider using the first person for these few lines. Third person (past tense) is standard for resumes, but if you want to go personal, this is where to do it.

How do I start my personal statement? How do you not start a personal statement? Even with a personal statement of 3-4 lines, sometimes the first sentence is the hardest. Even the first few words can have a disproportionate effect on how your personal statement is viewed. Your starting "hook" should make your fit with the role clear and specific. Use an example that is as unique to you as possible - you have to make your future employer sit up and pay attention. The first word of your personal statement should never be "I" - a great resume explores the potential of a common partnership and should not be a uni-directional monologue.

Align your resume’s personal statement with the job description

The hiring manager delicately chose every word in their job description. Gather clues from its tone, which skills they highlight, and any hints that point toward their dream employee. One of the top resume tips from HR managers is to include relevant keywords specific to the job posting itself as well as the actual wording of the job title .

What would this job description look like in 3 - 4 sentences? What keywords, skills, and tone would the job description have?

While still sticking to the facts about who you are and your experiences, your resume personal statement should highlight as many similarities with the job description as possible. When the hiring manager reads the first few sentences in your resume, they feel like you are exactly the person they were describing when they wrote the job description.

Position of the personal statement

Recruiters still prefer to see a candidate's personal details at the top (or running along a column on either side) of the resumes that cross their desk. This allows them to quickly search through the resumes that Applicant Tracking Systems have sorted into their virtual “yes” pile. You do not want your (relatively modern) personal statement to get in the way of this tradition. 

The best place to put your statement is after your personal details (if they are at the top) and before your employment history section. Remember that the length of your resume is important. If you have already been very selective and cannot possibly leave out any more information and if adding your personal statement means your resume spills over onto a third page, you may consider not including your statement for the position in question. This ensures you comply with the unwritten rule that a resume should not be longer than two pages.

What is a good personal statement length? 200 words is the maximum suggested length, but if you go with one powerful sentence that you want the hiring manager to remember for the rest of the interview process, then why not? Less is more, but you have to be confident in your application to go with this option.

Plan to write your resume personal statement last

Instead of getting stuck at the beginning trying to write the perfect statement, skip this section and jump right into your employment history first. Once you’ve added your relevant work experiences , take a look at your keywords, phrases and skills from your past positions.

Your complete work history and the job description for the job you want are the foundations for your personal statement. By writing your resume personal statement last, it should be easier to get started once you have the right inspiration.

It might be the case that you leave a certain number of lines for the personal statement on your resume and write an individual statement for each role. You will often have a public version of your resume that is accessible on job boards (etc), so there should still be an "ideal" personal statement version.

How do I write a resume from scratch? While it is good advice to write the resume personal statement after your have written the resume itself (giving your brain a chance to ponder your true highlights), starting writing a resume is a mammoth task in itself. There are many useful pieces of advice when sitting down to write a resume, but for me, the key is to think about the reflecting the combination of what you are good at, what you enjoy and how those things will contribute to the direction of your career. For sure, be honest about your experience, but there has to be a creative flavour of ensuring that your past adequately reflects where you want to go.

Check out resume personal statement examples

Before you dive into writing, get a sense for different rhythms and layouts by checking these resume personal statement examples. How do you write a good personal statement?

Let's start with the basics. Since every person is unique, all personal statements should be unique too. You should, therefore, resist the urge to (largely) copy someone else's existing statement. This is the only spot on your resume to let your voice be heard, so try to write something that would prompt a friend to exclaim, “That sounds like something you’d say!” while, of course, keeping it professional.

Example. Innovative Executive Assistant with 10+ years of experience with global financial firm assisting a team of three C-Level directors. Expertly coordinate travel, manage large-scale expense reports, and streamline communication and calendars across departments..Seeking an Executive Assistant role with the Resume.io team to expand my office management career and thrive in an environment that requires independent problem-solving skills and focus under short deadlines.

The example above does the following things:

• States their title in the first sentence
• Includes specifics such as team size and duties
• Succinctly sums up major responsibilities and skills
• Highlights hard skills —experience arranging travel and expense reports—as well as soft skills —grace under pressure, attention to detail and communication.
• Specifically tailors the final statement with the company and/or job description

Here are a few more resume personal statement examples:

Experienced Digital Marketing Manager with five years of expertise in heading up a global firm. Increased inbound leads by 500% and raised online sales from 100,000 annually to over 2 million in a three-year period. Looking to grow career by applying skills to the Resume.io marketing team.

Straight to the point and accomplishment focused, without the use of “I”. Now let’s look at a less effective example:

I have worked as a Digital Marketing Manager for five years. During this time I have been an important and hard-working member of the team and showed my ability to work under pressure to deliver on company targets. I am looking to bring my skills to a new role in digital marketing.

Generic and ignores accomplishments. Also, too many uses of “I” in a passive voice.

Next is an example of a personal statement that focuses more on career objectives . A career objective can be used as a way to get across your skills and experience, without the personal bit. It’s a good option if you’re an entry-level candidate or college graduate without a lot of experience in the industry you’re applying for. The idea is, because you don’t have the relevant experience to talk about, you pull skills and experience from other areas of your resume so you can show you have what it takes.

Keep your career objective brief — 2-3 sentences max — following the same rules as the personal statement.

Content writer with three years' experience in a large e-commerce company. Delivered content that grew brand social presence to over 700,000 across three channels and improved email open rates by 48%. Looking to further career by joining the Resume.io as an SEO Executive.

See how it uses transferable skills? Combining these with numbers makes them all the more impressive.

And a less effective resume personal statement example:

I am a content writer looking to secure a role as an SEO Executive. While I have no experience in this field and am a dedicated individual and a keen learner. My enjoyment of how search engines work will help me excel in your company.

There’s not enough here to capture attention and it doesn’t sell transferable skills. Whichever type of opening statement you go for, if you have numbers to show, make them count.

Writing your personal profile resume

Always write the first draft of a personal profile resume without editing. Don’t worry about length or word choice in the first pass. Brag about yourself, be proud of your accomplishments , and add in all of your most impressive stats.

Some of the best writing happens without editing too soon, so don’t worry about sounding over the top or egotistical, that’s what editing your personal profile resume is for. If the goal is to get 3 - 4 perfect sentences, it’s likely your first draft will be closer to 6 - 8, maybe even longer. Then consider which parts are closest to helping you get the job and cull the rest. It might seem brutal, but brevity is critical at the top of your personal profile.

Polish your personal statement and experiment

Once you’ve narrowed your focus, use the following questions to help you review your work and edit your statement:

Is my first sentence clear and concise? The opening line should state your position and use strong, enthusiastic language to hook in the reader. It often includes years of experience as well.

Is it direct opposed to passive? A strong sense of self comes through in a personal statement. Instead of sentences that begin with “I believe I am…” or “I enjoy…” be bold. Get right to the point and take ownership of your skills .

Does it include objective information? For this one, try to get inside the hiring manager’s mind. If you were filling this role, what boxes would you need to check off? The second and third sentence often include specific skills, facts or figures to support this need.

Does it read naturally? Even with all these specifics, the statement should still be easy to understand and have a natural rhythm when read aloud. Cut out any jargon that acts as filler or that changes your tone. Formality may vary from company to company, but personal statements should always reflect the type of employee or person you are.

What are three tips for writing a personal statement?

• Make sure that your personality comes across in the writing.
• Quantify any accomplishments and include financials where possible.
• If you are at a moment of career change, don't fail to mention your goals.

Common mistakes in personal statements

When writing your personal statement, beware of platitudes. These are clichéd expressions that have become meaningless from overuse. They induce recruiters to roll their eyes and move on to the next candidate. Think of such terms as “an administrative jack-of-all-trades” or “a cog in the wheel’ and being ready for a “new challenge.”  Definitely avoid this list of human resources’ most hated resume phrases. 

Try to be original in your choice of words and ask a friend or family member to take a critical look at your personal statement when you are done. By the way, you should always have someone proofread your entire resume when you think you are ready to send it.

Some people call their personal statements " resume objectives ." This is something else entirely. A resume objective is required when a candidate needs to project their hopes for their next role that differe from their previous experience a little. This objective can then be used to outline the motivations behind a career change and is also common with early-career professionals. 

Does a personal statement need a title? Some resume templates might call the opening statement a summary and others may exclude a description entirely. Either option is fine as employers are conditioned to expect a few lines at the to of a resume to serve as a headline for your job application.

What do employers expect from your resume opening statement?

Sometimes it is useful to consider job seeking activity from the point of view of the end hiring managers. External recruiters are important people to impress, but it is the employers that will be making the ultimate hiring decision. They will be reading lots of resumes, so what would they want to read in your resume opening statement?

• They will want the resume opening statement to be written for them. When you are on the hunt for a new member of your professional family, an intensely personal connection is vital from the first lines.
• They will expect a quantifiable context to your resume opening statement. Impressive words come easily when you really need a job, but backing them up with numbers to demonstrate their scale is less simple.
• They will expect to be impressed. If you cannot impress a specific employer for a specific role with the first lines of your resume, then the role is almost certainly not for you. Nothing to shout about? Move on.

Key takeaways

Think of your CV personal statement as the first 2 minutes of an interview—whether on the phone or in person. The HR manager asks you to “tell me a little about yourself,” and you have a quick minute to set the tone for the rest of the conversation. Similarly, the CV personal statement should include:

• A natural, yet professional CV tone that reflects your personality
• The top reasons your experience makes you a unique fit for this position
• Why this role aligns with your career plans
• Facts and data on your CV that back up your earlier points

Crafting a personal statement for each role will cause some serious thought. What is your essential fit for the role that will make a hiring manager sit up and think "wow, I need to have them on my team?" What would you want to read if you were in their shoes. You will definitely have lots to say, but keep it simple and powerful.

One more good CV statement example:

Expert SEO copywriter with a decade of B2C and B2B experience across three industries. Versatile in writing social, website and long-form copy to convey each brand’s unique tone and message. I cultivated 15 new clients in two years and grew readership by over 200%. I am now seeking to expand my editing and content creation expertise in a Marketing Manager position.

Once you’ve mastered writing your CV personal statement, this clear sense of who you are and what you want will prepare you to pitch yourself during interviews.

How To Write A Resume Essay

Writing a resume essay is a tricky thing to do. It can be  difficult for even experienced writers  to create an interesting, persuasive piece that appeals to employers. That is why it is so common to use templates or generic resumes with tweaks here and there.  

However, this may not work in every situation! If your career has some major changes coming up (or maybe you just don’t like what you are writing at the moment), then it is worth looking into other types of resumes.

If yours need revamping, there are many ways to go about doing it. The best way depends on your personal style, what messages you want to send, and how you feel about yourself as a person.

Create a good outline for your resume essay

Now that you have done some research, gathered some samples, and organized all of your materials, it is time to start writing!

When writing a resume essay, there are several components that must be established first. These include an introduction, body, and a conclusion.

The introduction should tell who you are and what you want to achieve with your career.  This is followed by the body, which is typically where you describe past experiences. The body can also be used to emphasize why you are qualified for a position and how well you performed during previous jobs. Your conclusion reiterates your goal and describes how you will contribute to the employer’s company as a member of the staff.

With this structure in place, now you can begin writing about yourself and your achievements. Stay focused and try to use examples that relate to the job opening they represent.

Use an eye-catching title

Now that you have addressed the overall structure of your resume essay, it is time to think about what to include in your resume. While some employers may not read beyond the first few lines of your application, they will probably spend several minutes reading through your career highlights and achievements.

As such, it is important to make sure that these things can be seen easily by potential employers. The trick is to pick a strong theme or focus each body paragraph on, then use this focused content as supporting examples.

Your goal should be to create a powerful overall message which inspires action. If possible, refer back to the initial body paragraph or bullet point to reinforce this. Make sure to organize your thoughts and writing process to flow naturally without too much interruption.

General rules apply when proofreading and editing your work, so be careful to stick to them! Avoid using short forms or slang words. Use appropriate grammar and vocabulary to convey messages clearly.

Begin writing

Now that you have done some research, gathered your thoughts, and picked your career goal or career field, it is time to start writing!

Your resume should be a concise document that leaves no room for interpretation. It should grab their attention within the first few lines and show off your skills and achievements clearly.

Do not underestimate how much content matters in a successful resume, so make sure to keep that tip in mind as you write. Make sure to include enough details about yourself and your career goals.

Make sure to proofread your essay several times to ensure that there are no mistakes.

Ideas about what to write on the main body

Now that you have addressed how to begin, you will want to know what to include in the body of your essay. You should devote at least two paragraphs to this step!

In the first paragraph, you can discuss why you are qualified for a position. It is important to emphasize your strengths, but also note any weaknesses or areas where you feel you do not possess enough knowledge.

You may also mention some experiences or achievements that are related to the job posting. For example, if the advertisement asked whether you had supervised employees before, then you could talk about a project as an intern or assistant manager.

Your second paragraph should be dedicated to discussing how well you fit into the organization’s culture. This includes things such as whether you would be able to handle their current projects, and if there are any opportunities available to you.

If possible, add testimonials and references from past employers or colleagues. These proofs help bolster your confidence and message, while also supporting your case.

Even if you use templates, it is not the same as writing yourself! Your career will depend on how well you represent yourself, so make sure yours says good things about you.

Include examples of achievements that show who you are as a person. Tell stories that emphasize your strengths. Include testimonials and proof of success.

Remember, this essay does not have to be longer than one page, but it should be full of information. Take your time and edit out anything that you do not feel fits.

Good luck with all of your applications! May God bless you richly.

How To Prepare An Effective Resume

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How to answer tell me about yourself as a fresher in 2022

• Resume and Essays

In This Section

• Degree Program Prerequisites
• Application Fee
• Letters of Recommendation
• Academic Transcripts
• Standardized Test Scores
• Reapplying to HKS

All of our master’s degree programs require that you submit your résumé and at least four essays, which vary by program.

A résumé is required of all applicants. This document should highlight the following information: employment, including titles and dates (months and years) for each position, job responsibilities, reason for any gaps in employment history; academic degrees, achievements, and honors; volunteer, public service, and political work; recent leadership experiences; extracurricular activities (months and years) and interests.   

MASTER IN PUBLIC POLICY

The Harvard Kennedy School motto, echoing the President for whom the School is named, is “Ask what you can do.” Please share with the Admissions Committee your plans to create positive change through your public leadership and service. (500 word limit)  

The MPP curriculum is designed to broaden students’ perspective and sharpen skills necessary for a successful career in public service through a rigorous set of courses that draw on the social sciences but are adapted for action. Please describe how the MPP curriculum at HKS would leverage your distinctive abilities and/or fill gaps in your skill set as you equip yourself to achieve your career goals. (500 word limit) 

Personal History Essay  

Harvard Kennedy School believes that academic excellence and personal growth rely on engaging with varied perspectives, embracing our unique differences, and relishing healthy debate. Please share how you would contribute to the vibrant and diverse learning environment that is HKS. (250 word limit) 

adversity Essay 

Describe a time when you faced adversity or a significant challenge to achieving your goals, and how navigating through this shaped your educational or career trajectory. (250 word limit) 

Perspectives Essay 

Describe a time when interactions with others and/or an experience caused you to change your mind or expanded your point of view. (250 word limit)  

Optional Statement 

If you have any concerns about your prior academic, professional, or personal background that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee, please provide an explanation. (250 word limit) 

MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

International development essay.

Discuss your decision to choose international development as your professional career. Also, explain how developing your analytic skills relates to your career in development. (750 word limit) 

Leadership Experience Essay

Describe an event or experience in which you exercised a significant decision-making, management, or leadership role. (750 word limit) 

Public Policy Essay

Describe a public policy or public management problem related to international development and analyze a range of solutions. (750 word limit) 

Personal History Essay

Harvard Kennedy School believes that academic excellence and personal growth rely on engaging with varied perspectives, embracing our unique differences, and relishing healthy debate. Please share how you would contribute to the vibrant and diverse learning environment that is HKS. (250 word limit)

MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Two-year mpa essay.

There are many pathways one can pursue in order to make a difference in the world. Why is the MPA Program at HKS an appropriate pathway to achieving your goals? (500 word limit) 

MID-CAREER MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Career goals essay.

Submit a statement that discusses your career goals, as well as the factors that led you to select the Mid-Career MPA program as a means of furthering your personal and professional goals. Be as specific as possible in describing how your expected course of study will enable you to build on your prior professional experience and achieve those goals. (500 word limit)  

Professional Contribution Essay

The Harvard Kennedy School motto, echoing the President for whom the School is named, is “Ask what you can do.” Please share with the Admissions Committee how you have created positive change thus far in your most substantial professional leadership and/or public service role. (500 word limit)   

JOINT DEGREE AND CONCURRENT DEGREE

An essay response in addition to the program essay prompts is required for those submitting a separate admission application to a joint or combined partner program. If an applicant is applying to both a joint degree program partner school (HBS or HLS) and a combined degree partner school, the text of the essay prompt is the same. 

Applicants should note that only MPP and MPA/ID applicants are eligible to apply to the HBS and HLS joint programs. 

If an applicant is applying to varied joint/concurrent professional programs (e.g. law and business) the prompt will only be displayed once and it is up to the applicant to determine how best to respond. For those applying to different programs, for example law and business, it is wise to address both types of programs, but it would not be necessary to address each individual school.  

Joint or concurrent degree program essay  

Harvard Kennedy School’s mission is to improve public policy and leadership across the United States and around the world, so people can lead safer, freer, and more prosperous lives. How will a joint/concurrent degree enhance your pursuit of this mission? (400 word limit)

How to Write a Resume Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Tips on how to write a resume, how to guide and critique.

A resume is a document showing the skill sets and the background of an individual. The resume document is commonly drafted by an individual mainly to secure a new employment opportunity. A resume is composed of various vital components that help an individual to secure certain job opportunity. Among the elements contained in a resume include concessive information of education and experience related to the targeted job. The document is one of the prior devices developed by an employer together with an application packet of a job and a cover latter. This is basically used to screen the applicants’ potentiality of the given job before conducting an interview. A resume in most of the countries can be compared to curriculum vitae with exception of the United States and Canada among other countries.

Before drafting anything in the name of a resume on a writing sheet, one should consider the job opportunity in question. The writer should target a specific job of great qualification and experience in the career field. However the writer should try as much as possible to shade the truth by simply being honest to his allegations and transparent parse. The employee should not always boost himself in the documented content in the resume instead should give a true picture of whom he is. The employee should strictly maintain the professional posture while presenting the resume so that whatever is written should be entrusted thus earning someone a job (Cortes & Mueller, 2007). The writer should also ensure that, these existing funny titles, email addresses, and fonts never feature in the document when writing. Considering this condition, an individual will always be described as being disciplined and responsible. The final tip on developing a resume is the actual creating of the document. A resume is created with a designed cover letter for the specific kind of the job that is being applied for. At this point, all the relevant details that can earn someone marks are added to the document. For instance, education background and working experience related to the applied job should be clearly stated in the context to enhance effective selection of the qualified applicants to attend an interview.

Guiding and critiquing processes involve the evaluation and analysis of the document to determine the legitimate ability of an individual to perform the specified job. To critique any given content regardless of the mode, the following elements need to be focused: the content of the essay or the resume, one has also to consider the organizational structure of the resume, third element is that, the style and the format used should be the most appropriate and finally consider an element of correctness in the resume. For analysis of the resume, the content should be in line with the topic under discussion. This aspect of topic connectivity with the content should also be linked to the topic development. Considering the organizational structure, one should focus on the way the resume is introduced or if it is an essay, the procedure is the same. One has just to consider how the ideology under discussion is introduced and finally concluded. The style used to present the ideology in terms of resume critique should be looked at. The prese3ntation of one’s true picture should be clearly in focus with regard to the relevant information given about the applicant. Finally the document should be correctly punctuated free from grammatical mistakes (correctness). This does not mean that someone has to know all the grammatical terminologies for him/her to be correct instead, he should just used simple language that can be easily perceive thus driving the point home.

A document is one of the prior devices developed by an employer together with an application packet of a job and a cover latter. This is basically used to screen the applicants’ potentiality of the given job before conducting an interview. Anyone interested in creating one ought to target a specific job, be honesty by giving relevant information; a professional stature should be maintained at all cost whenever creating this document. Finally, a resume should be created with a designed cover letter for the specific kind of the job that is being applied for. At this point, all the relevant details that can earn someone marks are added to the document. For instance, education background and working experience related to the applied job should be clearly stated in the context to enhance effective selection of the qualified applicants to attend an interview.

Cortes, L. & Mueller, K. P. (2007). How to Write a Resume and Get a Job. New York: Simon and Schuster.

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This section offers information on three common résumé styles: skills, chronological, and functional. Each section also contains a sample résumé of the particular style the section discusses.

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Student Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Whether you just graduated college or you’re taking a gap year before continuing your studies, one thing is for sure.

You’re looking for a job.

All that’s standing between you and your next position is a great resume.

But how can you write a resume that stands out from the crowd if all your experience so far is studying?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Creating a compelling resume to help you stand out from the crowd is easy, even if you’re just starting on your career journey.

And in this guide, we’re going to teach you how. 

Here’s what we’re going to cover:

• What Makes a Great Student Resume Example
• 9 Steps to Writing an Amazing Student Resume
• What to Include In Your Student Resume

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Student Resume Example

That’s a great example of a student resume.

Let’s get into the ins and outs of what it does right:

• Keeps everything on one page. Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes daily, so it’s important to stick to a one-page resume so they don’t discard your application straight away.
• Uses a reverse-chronological resume format. This is the favorite resume format for hiring managers worldwide since it puts your most recent achievements and experiences first.
• Includes professional contact details. This section should always contain your full name, a professional email address, phone number, location, and any relevant links to professional websites or social media profiles that might boost your application.
• Starts with an eye-catching resume objective. To grab the hiring manager’s attention, this student resume example starts with a strong resume objective to convey their top skills and their professional goal.
• Lists education first. Since this candidate is a recent graduate, their student resume places their education section at the very top and provides details on the relevant courses they’ve taken.
• Focuses on skills. The student resume example pictured above includes a tailored skills section that aligns with the job and shows what they can do for the employer.
• Organizes text in bullet points. This resume uses bullet points instead of large paragraphs, so the content of the resume is organized and easy to read.
• Includes optional sections. The candidate leverages optional sections such as languages and personal projects to add more value to their resume and stand out from other applicants with similar skills and qualifications.

9 Steps Toward the Perfect Student Resume

Now you know what an excellent student resume looks like.

It’s time to create your own.

First things first, let’s go over all the sections your resume should include .

The essential sections of a student resume are:

• Contact Information
• Resume Headline
• Work Experience

If you have leftover space on your resume, you can also use some of the following sections to make your application stand out:

Extracurricular Activities

• Personal Projects

Hobbies and Interests

• Volunteering
• Certificates

Awards and Recognitions

Publications.

As a student or recent graduate, don’t expect to include all of these sections in your resume. Instead, use them to your advantage. 

For example, you might not have any work experience, in which case you can replace that section with something else, such as an internship that helped you hone some essential skills for the job you're applying to.

We’ve split the process of creating your student resume into easy-to-follow steps, starting with:

#1. Pick the Right Format

Before you can fill out your resume, you need to decide on the best format for your job application.

There are three resume formats you can choose from:

• Reverse-chronological (also known as the chronological format)
• Functional (also known as the skill-based format)
• Combination (a mix of the reverse-chronological and functional formats)

For 99% of cases, we recommend that you choose the reverse-chronological resume format when making your student resume.

The reverse-chronological format is the most practical, since it lists your most recent experience and achievements first, making it the perfect format when you’re applying for a job.

It’s also hiring managers’ favorite format worldwide, so it’s what they expect to see in your application.

Here’s an example of what the reverse-chronological resume format looks like:

#2. Pay Attention to the Layout

Now that you have the formatting out of the way, it’s time to consider your resume’s layout .

Before the hiring manager reads your resume, they’re going to look at it. And if they see a messy, unorganized document, they aren’t going to be impressed.

Follow these tips to make sure your student resume makes a good first impression:

• Keep it on one page. A good resume should never exceed one page, especially if you’re a student with limited experience. Hiring managers only want the most important details about why you’re the right person for the job.
• Set the line spacing. Make sure your text is easy to read by setting appropriate line spacing. Use 1.0 between text and 1.15 between double lines and after subheadings.
• Adjust the page margins. To make your resume look neat, set your resume’s margins to one inch on all sides of the page. Otherwise, you might end up with a stretched-out or empty-looking document.
• Choose a professional font. Another important aspect of your resume is the font. Pick something professional but not overused. Instead of Times New Roman, go for something understated like Roboto, Lora, or Ubuntu.
• Save it to the right file format. Unless the hiring manager asks for another format, your resume should always be saved as a PDF file . This way, your student resume’s layout is going to look the same across any device or software that the hiring manager uses to open it.

Use a Professional Resume Template Instead

Getting the format and layout of your resume just right can sure get tricky. 

You’ll have to spend hours tweaking the margins, adjusting font sizes, and fixing the line spacing – all the while having to make sure nothing spills over to page two. 

What if you could skip all the hassle?

Just use one of our free resume templates and create your student resume in minutes.

Each of our professional templates is designed in cooperation with HR professionals from around the world to make sure your application is ATS-friendly, easy to read, and beautiful to look at.

Not to mention, you can choose a resume template that shows off a bit of your personality while adhering to industry standards. 

Just look at how one of our templates compares to a standard text editor resume:

#3. Add Your Contact Information

Once you’re ready to fill in the contents of your student resume, it’s time to start with your contact information.

This usually goes in a designated resume header , so it’s easy for the hiring manager to find it at a glance.

Here’s what to include:

• Full Name. (E.g.: John Smith )
• Professional Title. We recommend matching the title to the job you’re targeting (E.g.: Paralegal) or specifying your education. (E.g.: Graphic Design Graduate )
• Email Address. Use a professional email address, not a quirky handle from your World of Warcraft days. (E.g.: write down [email protected] , not [email protected] )
• Phone Number. If you’re applying abroad, always include the dialing code in front of your phone number.
• Location. The city and state/country are enough information.
• Relevant Links. Any other information, such as a link to your LinkedIn profile, GitHub, or a portfolio website, is optional and depends on the job you’re applying for.

Ultimately, your contact information section is the easiest, yet most crucial, section of your student resume.

If you make a single typo in your email or phone number, the hiring manager won’t be able to reach you, and you’ll miss out on an opportunity.

So, before submitting your resume, make sure to double-check, and even triple-check that everything in this section is up-to-date and accurate.

John Smith - Graphic Design Graduate

+1 907 446 1234

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/john.smith

Fairbanks, Alaska

90744461234

[email protected]

#4. Write a Resume Headline (Summary or Objective)

Hiring managers have to look at countless resumes daily.

So, they won’t spend more than six seconds on each before deciding if it’s worth reading in detail.

This is where a snappy resume summary or objective can make a difference.

Your resume summary or objective is a brief paragraph at the start of your resume that tells hiring managers who you are and what you bring to the table, in just 2-4 sentences.

Depending on your experience, you can take one of two routes:

• Resume summary. If you've got a bit of professional experience under your belt, write a resume summary. It's your chance to give a quick snapshot of your experience, skills, and what you've accomplished so far.
• Resume objective. If you're just starting, a resume objective is the right choice for you. It outlines your skills, any relevant experiences, and your professional goals.

To paint a clearer picture, here’s what a student’s resume summary with more experience might look like:

Recent college graduate with a B.A. in English from University X seeking an entry-level job as a content writer. Previous experience includes working as an English tutor for 2 years at University X, where I worked with 100+ students, helping them improve their essays. Additionally, I managed a personal blog about tech, publishing over 40 articles in the last 3 years.

But if you’re still a student, you probably don’t have a lot of work experience to rely on for your resume summary.

Don’t worry! You can still write a fantastic resume objective, like so:

Enthusiastic recent graduate with a degree in Environmental Science, aiming to secure an entry-level position at Green Solutions Ltd. Experienced in conducting field research and using GIS software through university projects and internships. With a strong passion for sustainability and environmental advocacy, I’m looking to apply academic knowledge in a practical, impactful way.

This goes to show that even without any work experience to leverage, you can still write a job-winning resume .

#5. List Your Education First

While the work experience section is what your resume would usually start with, the rule is reversed when you’re a student or a recent graduate .

If you’re applying for a job in the same field as your education, you want to emphasize the knowledge and skills you’ve gained so far.

So, the less work experience you have, the more detailed your education section should be.

Here’s the most important information that you should include when listing your education :

• Degree Name. (E.g.: BSc in Business Administration )
• University Name. (E.g.: Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania )
• Location. (E.g.: Philadelphia, PA, USA )
• Years Attended. (E.g.: 09/2018 - 06/2022 )

You should always list your degrees in reverse chronological order, starting with your newest degree (such as a Ph.D. or MBA) and ending with your oldest.

Next, there are a ton of optional details that can look great on your student resume. These include:

• Honors and Awards. Your resume is a great place to show off a little. List any awards or acknowledgments you received during your education. (E.g.: Summa Cum Laude )
• Relevant Coursework. List a few courses that are directly related to the job you’re applying for. (E.g.: Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, Surgical Nursing )
• Thesis or Dissertation. We recommend that graduate and post-graduate students include this, especially if applying to research-heavy fields like data science .
• Minor. If you minored in another field and it’s relevant to the job, include it. (E.g.: BA in Political Science, Minor in Economics )
• Grade Point Average. Include your GPA on your resume if it’s impressive. Anything below 3.5 isn’t worth listing.

Here’s an example of what this looks like on a resume:

There’s no need to list your high school education unless it’s the only degree you have.

#6. Expand on Your Work Experience

The first thing hiring managers usually want to see is your work experience section .

It’s probably the most important section of your whole resume, and it’s where you need to wow the hiring manager. Here’s how to format it correctly:

• List jobs in reverse chronological order. Start with your latest work experience and work your way back to older roles. Just don’t go too far back – your part-time job over summer break probably doesn’t belong on your resume.
• Add your exact job title. Be accurate when describing your previous job, and avoid buzzwords . If you were a babysitter , say that instead of trying to be witty and going with ‘toddler whisperer.’
• Include the company details. All you need to add are the most important details, such as the company’s name and location. If it’s not a well-known business, you can describe what it does.
• Specify the employment period. Use the mm/yyyy format throughout your student resume instead of specifying the exact dates you started and quit.
• Mention your responsibilities and achievements. Use several bullet points, no more than 5-6 for your most recent work experience and 2-3 for older roles.

Here’s an example of what that looks like in practice:

What If My Work Experience Isn’t Relevant?

If you’re applying for a job in the field you’ve been studying for, you might have picked up a part-time job while you were a student.

So, you’re probably wondering - is that summer gig you did worth mentioning in your resume?

The answer is yes.

Even if your only work experience so far seemingly has nothing to do with the job you’re applying for, it’s probably better for you to include it.

For example, if you worked as a cashier at your local supermarket and now you’re applying for a job as an accountant , there are enough similarities between the two jobs for you to make a great resume.

Just focus on the transferable skills from your time as a cashier. Both jobs require working with numbers, being good at mathematics, and attention to detail.

Usually, showing you have some work experience is better than presenting a resume with zero work experience.

What If I Don’t Have Any Work Experience?

If you’re still a student or you just graduated, you probably don’t have any work experience to leverage.

Don’t worry - most college students don’t.

But that doesn’t have to stop you from writing a great resume!

Hiring managers know that most candidates applying for entry-level jobs aren’t super experienced, and that’s okay.

So, instead of work experience, you can focus on any of the following sections:

• Internships. If your program included any internships or hands-on experiences, mention them. Internships can be super useful on your resume, especially if they help you develop skills for the position you’re applying for, and they can look better on your resume than any part-time job in an unrelated field.
• Volunteering. Having a cause that you care about and are willing to work for shows hiring managers that you’d be a dedicated employee, and that’s why volunteer work looks great on a resume. Whether you spent some time at a local soup kitchen or just helped collect trash in the parks, you can always mention it in your application.
• Projects. Any project you’ve participated in can go here, so long as it’s relevant to the job. Your graduation thesis, coursework, or personal projects can all make a difference. For example, if you’re an aspiring animator and you make funny flash animations that you upload on YouTube for your friends, that’s always a great addition to a first-time job application .

Here’s an example of a student resume that focuses on volunteer experience and personal projects instead of work experience:

Do you want to join a cause you’re passionate about? Learn how to write a volunteer resume here.

#7. Emphasize Your Relevant Skills

The skills section of your resume should tell the hiring manager what your expertise is and why you’re the perfect candidate for the job.

There are two types of essential skills you can mention:

• Soft skills. These are a mix of social skills, characteristics, and other personal traits. For example, leadership, critical thinking, time management, and so on.
• Hard skills. These are your measurable abilities. So, anything from baking cupcakes to complex coding skills.

Your resume should aim for a mix of both soft and hard skills.

If written correctly, the skill section can look something like this:

Now, when listing skills on your resume, here are a few essential tips to keep in mind:

• List hard skills with experience levels. For each skill you list, you can mention your proficiency, from beginner to expert. This tells the hiring manager how much training you might need if they hire you.
• Keep it relevant and tailored to the job. You might have some awesome and rare skills, but they’re not always going to be useful. Your Photoshop skills won’t make a difference in an application for a job as a writer .
• Include some universal skills. Some skills can be useful anywhere. These include both soft skills (like communication ) and hard skills (like using Microsoft Office or Google Office Suite).
• Back up your skills. Instead of just listing skills as buzzwords (like “critical thinker” or “problem-solving-master”), make sure you prove what you’re saying. Give examples of when you’ve put those skills to good use, such as in your work experience section.

And for a student resume, here are a few of the top skills almost every single employer will value:

• Verbal and Written Communication
• Adaptability
• Punctuality
• Organizational skills
• Flexibility
• Conflict resolution
• Problem-solving abilities
• Time-management

#8. Leverage Optional Sections

So far, we’ve covered the essential information for your student resume.

But if you have any leftover space, there are a few other sections you can add.

Imagine this: the hiring manager has to decide between you and another candidate, but your resumes are nearly identical. You have very similar experiences, backgrounds, and credentials.

This is where some less essential resume sections can tip the scales in your favor.

Optional sections can help you backup your skills and experience and set you apart from candidates with the same professional background as yours.

These sections include:

Are you fluent in more than one language?

If you’re bilingual or even trilingual, you should always mention that in your resume!

Even if the position you’re applying for doesn’t require any specific language skills, it can still come in handy at some point.

Companies are becoming increasingly international, and you never know when you might end up working on a project or a client where you can put your knowledge to good use.

To list languages in your resume , simply write them down and include your proficiency level:

• Intermediate

Optionally, you can also use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scales.

And remember - you should never lie about your language skills. You never know when the interviewer might turn out to be fluent in the language you claim to know!

As you might remember from your college application , extracurricular activities look great on a resume.

Different after-school projects and clubs can help you gain practical skills and increase your chances of landing a good job right after college. For example, if you were part of a debate team and you’re applying for a job as a lawyer , that could give your resume a boost.

Some activities, like student council responsibilities, show maturity and leadership skills that would translate well to a work environment. 

Here’s an example of how to list extracurricular activities on your resume :

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:

Public Speaking Club

Founder and President

09/2018 - 09/2019

• Founded a club to help fellow students improve at public speaking and promote discussion-based events.
• Organized 5+ public speaking lectures.
• Brought in professors from the university and organized 2 speaking workshops.

But regardless of whether they’re related to the job or not, extracurricular activities still show the hiring manager that you’re hard-working and committed.

If you want the hiring manager to get a more well-rounded idea of you as a person, you can include hobbies and interests on your resume .

While this section isn’t going to get you hired, it could tip the scales in your favor.

When the hiring manager is looking at two near-identical resumes from two equally qualified candidates, the deciding factor might come down to something as minor as your personality and interests.

For example, imagine that the company you’re applying to values teamwork and promotes health amongst its employees. If your resume says your hobbies include team sports like basketball, that could convince the hiring manager that you’d be a good cultural fit for their team.

Certifications

The best investment is always in your future, and hiring managers love candidates who do just that.

If you have any extra qualifications or certificates , add them to your resume.

For example, if you graduated with a BA in Marketing, and you’re applying for a Digital Marketing role, that’s great. But it’s even better if the hiring manager sees that you completed an advanced SEO course and that you’re ready to roll!

Do you have a piece of paper with your name on it that says why you’re so smart and qualified? If so, add it to your resume.

It could be an award from a competition or some other recognition of your excellence - academic or otherwise.

For example, you might have been selected for a very rare scholarship , or your hard work as an illustrator won your project a nomination.

You don’t need to be modest on your resume - if you earned something cool, show it off. Any awards can back up your expertise and show the hiring manager that you’re worth a chance.

Have you worked on your university’s student paper? Maybe you’re a freelance writer or a distinguished academic .

Whatever the case is, publications are always impressive on a resume.

Include them under a designated “Publications” section and provide a URL so the hiring manager can check out your work.

#9. Include a Cover Letter

Cover letters are essential for a successful job search , and your student resume won’t be complete without one.

Forbes reports that 56% of hiring managers prefer that applicants include a cover letter with their resume.

Crafting a great cover letter tells the hiring manager that you have an eye for detail and that you’re ready to go the extra mile to join the team. You’re not just randomly sending out the same resume to every job listing you find.

So, to learn how to write your own , let's explore what makes an effective cover letter:

Here are some straightforward tips to make your cover letter great:

• Check your contact information. The information in your cover letter’s header should be the same as what’s on your resume, so double-check for any mistakes.
• Use the hiring manager’s name. A little research can help you find it, and it helps establish a more personal connection than just writing “To Whom It May Concern.”
• Start with a strong opening. Mention a couple of your best skills or achievements right at the start to grab the hiring manager’s attention.
• Go into more detail in the body. Talk about your accomplishments or skills in more detail, and mention anything you couldn’t fit on your resume, like explaining why you want to work remotely .
• Conclude by asking them to reach out. A good closing paragraph includes a call to action that asks the hiring manager to do something, like contact you or arrange an interview.
• Sing it like a professional. Choose an appropriate closing line, like “Best regards” or “I look forward to hearing from you.”

Here’s a great example of a student cover letter :

5 Student Resume Examples

Looking for more resume inspiration?

Check out the different student resume examples below to see what a job-winning resume might look like.

#1. Recent Graduate Resume

#2. Experienced Student Resume

#3. Internship Student Resume

#4. College Freshman Resume

#5. High School Student Resume

Key Takeaways

And there you go!

That’s how you create a powerful student resume from scratch.

Now, let’s quickly summarize what we’ve learned so far:

• Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes every day, so you want yours to grab their attention immediately. Write a brief paragraph in your resume header to tell them who you are and why you’re perfect for the job.
• Unlike in most resumes, where work experience goes first, if you’re a student, your education should be at the top of your resume.
• Don’t worry if you don’t have any work experience yet - when you’re applying for an entry-level job, hiring managers don’t expect you to.
• Instead of work experience, you can focus on internships, volunteering, personal projects, or extracurricular activities to show off your skills and fill in your resume.
• Your skills could make or break your job application. Research the most in-demand skills for the job you want and list the ones you have in your resume.
• Always add a matching cover letter to your student resume to show the hiring manager you’re ready to go the extra mile for the job.

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10 Personal Statement Essay Examples That Worked

What’s covered:, what is a personal statement.

• Essay 1: Summer Program
• Essay 2: Being Bangladeshi-American
• Essay 3: Why Medicine
• Essay 4: Love of Writing
• Essay 5: Starting a Fire
• Essay 6: Dedicating a Track
• Essay 7: Body Image and Eating Disorders
• Essay 8: Becoming a Coach
• Essay 9: Eritrea
• Essay 10: Journaling
• Is Your Personal Statement Strong Enough?

Your personal statement is any essay that you must write for your main application, such as the Common App Essay , University of California Essays , or Coalition Application Essay . This type of essay focuses on your unique experiences, ideas, or beliefs that may not be discussed throughout the rest of your application. This essay should be an opportunity for the admissions officers to get to know you better and give them a glimpse into who you really are.

In this post, we will share 10 different personal statements that were all written by real students. We will also provide commentary on what each essay did well and where there is room for improvement, so you can make your personal statement as strong as possible!

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Personal Statement Examples

Essay example #1: exchange program.

The twisting roads, ornate mosaics, and fragrant scent of freshly ground spices had been so foreign at first. Now in my fifth week of the SNYI-L summer exchange program in Morocco, I felt more comfortable in the city. With a bag full of pastries from the market, I navigated to a bus stop, paid the fare, and began the trip back to my host family’s house. It was hard to believe that only a few years earlier my mom was worried about letting me travel around my home city on my own, let alone a place that I had only lived in for a few weeks. While I had been on a journey towards self-sufficiency and independence for a few years now, it was Morocco that pushed me to become the confident, self-reflective person that I am today.

As a child, my parents pressured me to achieve perfect grades, master my swim strokes, and discover interesting hobbies like playing the oboe and learning to pick locks. I felt compelled to live my life according to their wishes. Of course, this pressure was not a wholly negative factor in my life –– you might even call it support. However, the constant presence of my parents’ hopes for me overcame my own sense of desire and led me to become quite dependent on them. I pushed myself to get straight A’s, complied with years of oboe lessons, and dutifully attended hours of swim practice after school. Despite all these achievements, I felt like I had no sense of self beyond my drive for success. I had always been expected to succeed on the path they had defined. However, this path was interrupted seven years after my parents’ divorce when my dad moved across the country to Oregon.

I missed my dad’s close presence, but I loved my new sense of freedom. My parents’ separation allowed me the space to explore my own strengths and interests as each of them became individually busier. As early as middle school, I was riding the light rail train by myself, reading maps to get myself home, and applying to special academic programs without urging from my parents. Even as I took more initiatives on my own, my parents both continued to see me as somewhat immature. All of that changed three years ago, when I applied and was accepted to the SNYI-L summer exchange program in Morocco. I would be studying Arabic and learning my way around the city of Marrakesh. Although I think my parents were a little surprised when I told them my news, the addition of a fully-funded scholarship convinced them to let me go.

I lived with a host family in Marrakesh and learned that they, too, had high expectations for me. I didn’t know a word of Arabic, and although my host parents and one brother spoke good English, they knew I was there to learn. If I messed up, they patiently corrected me but refused to let me fall into the easy pattern of speaking English just as I did at home. Just as I had when I was younger, I felt pressured and stressed about meeting their expectations. However, one day, as I strolled through the bustling market square after successfully bargaining with one of the street vendors, I realized my mistake. My host family wasn’t being unfair by making me fumble through Arabic. I had applied for this trip, and I had committed to the intensive language study. My host family’s rules about speaking Arabic at home had not been to fulfill their expectations for me, but to help me fulfill my expectations for myself. Similarly, the pressure my parents had put on me as a child had come out of love and their hopes for me, not out of a desire to crush my individuality.

As my bus drove through the still-bustling market square and past the medieval Ben-Youssef madrasa, I realized that becoming independent was a process, not an event. I thought that my parents’ separation when I was ten had been the one experience that would transform me into a self-motivated and autonomous person. It did, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t still have room to grow. Now, although I am even more self-sufficient than I was three years ago, I try to approach every experience with the expectation that it will change me. It’s still difficult, but I understand that just because growth can be uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s not important.

What the Essay Did Well

This is a nice essay because it delves into particular character trait of the student and how it has been shaped and matured over time. Although it doesn’t focus the essay around a specific anecdote, the essay is still successful because it is centered around this student’s independence. This is a nice approach for a personal statement: highlight a particular trait of yours and explore how it has grown with you.

The ideas in this essay are universal to growing up—living up to parents’ expectations, yearning for freedom, and coming to terms with reality—but it feels unique to the student because of the inclusion of details specific to them. Including their oboe lessons, the experience of riding the light rail by themselves, and the negotiations with a street vendor helps show the reader what these common tropes of growing up looked like for them personally. 

Another strength of the essay is the level of self-reflection included throughout the piece. Since there is no central anecdote tying everything together, an essay about a character trait is only successful when you deeply reflect on how you felt, where you made mistakes, and how that trait impacts your life. The author includes reflection in sentences like “ I felt like I had no sense of self beyond my drive for success, ” and “ I understand that just because growth can be uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s not important. ” These sentences help us see how the student was impacted and what their point of view is.

What Could Be Improved

The largest change this essay would benefit from is to show not tell. The platitude you have heard a million times no doubt, but for good reason. This essay heavily relies on telling the reader what occurred, making us less engaged as the entire reading experience feels more passive. If the student had shown us what happens though, it keeps the reader tied to the action and makes them feel like they are there with the student, making it much more enjoyable to read. 

For example, they tell us about the pressure to succeed their parents placed on them: “ I pushed myself to get straight A’s, complied with years of oboe lessons, and dutifully attended hours of swim practice after school.”  They could have shown us what that pressure looked like with a sentence like this: “ My stomach turned somersaults as my rattling knee thumped against the desk before every test, scared to get anything less than a 95. For five years the painful squawk of the oboe only reminded me of my parents’ claps and whistles at my concerts. I mastered the butterfly, backstroke, and freestyle, fighting against the anchor of their expectations threatening to pull me down.”

If the student had gone through their essay and applied this exercise of bringing more detail and colorful language to sentences that tell the reader what happened, the essay would be really great. 

Table of Contents

Essay Example #2: Being Bangladeshi-American

Life before was good: verdant forests, sumptuous curries, and a devoted family.

Then, my family abandoned our comfortable life in Bangladesh for a chance at the American dream in Los Angeles. Within our first year, my father was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He lost his battle three weeks before my sixth birthday. Facing a new country without the steady presence of my father, we were vulnerable — prisoners of hardship in the land of the free. We resettled in the Bronx, in my uncle’s renovated basement. It was meant to be our refuge, but I felt more displaced than ever. Gone were the high-rise condos of West L.A.; instead, government projects towered over the neighborhood. Pedestrians no longer smiled and greeted me; the atmosphere was hostile, even toxic. Schoolkids were quick to pick on those they saw as weak or foreign, hurling harsh words I’d never heard before.

Meanwhile, my family began integrating into the local Bangladeshi community. I struggled to understand those who shared my heritage. Bangladeshi mothers stayed home while fathers drove cabs and sold fruit by the roadside — painful societal positions. Riding on crosstown buses or walking home from school, I began to internalize these disparities. During my fleeting encounters with affluent Upper East Siders, I saw kids my age with nannies, parents who wore suits to work, and luxurious apartments with spectacular views. Most took cabs to their destinations: cabs that Bangladeshis drove. I watched the mundane moments of their lives with longing, aching to plant myself in their shoes. Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day. 

As I grappled with my relationship with the Bangladeshi community, I turned my attention to helping my Bronx community by pursuing an internship with Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda. I handled desk work and took calls, spending the bulk of my time actively listening to the hardships constituents faced — everything from a veteran stripped of his benefits to a grandmother unable to support her bedridden grandchild.

I’d never exposed myself to stories like these, and now I was the first to hear them. As an intern, I could only assist in what felt like the small ways — pointing out local job offerings, printing information on free ESL classes, reaching out to non-profits. But to a community facing an onslaught of intense struggles, I realized that something as small as these actions could have vast impacts. Seeing the immediate consequences of my actions inspired me. Throughout that summer, I internalized my community’s daily challenges in a new light. I began to stop seeing the prevalent underemployment and cramped living quarters less as sources of shame. Instead, I saw them as realities that had to be acknowledged, but could ultimately be remedied. I also realized the benefits of the Bangladeshi culture I had been so ashamed of. My Bangla language skills were an asset to the office, and my understanding of Bangladeshi etiquette allowed for smooth communication between office staff and its constituents. As I helped my neighbors navigate city services, I saw my heritage with pride — a perspective I never expected to have.

I can now appreciate the value of my unique culture and background, and of living with less. This perspective offers room for progress, community integration, and a future worth fighting for. My time with Assemblyman Sepulveda’s office taught me that I can be a change agent in enabling this progression. Far from being ashamed of my community, I want to someday return to local politics in the Bronx to continue helping others access the American Dream. I hope to help my community appreciate the opportunity to make progress together. By embracing reality, I learned to live it. Along the way, I discovered one thing: life is good, but we can make it better.

This student’s passion for social justice and civic duty shines through in this essay because of how honest it is. Sharing their personal experience with immigrating, moving around, being an outsider, and finding a community allows us to see the hardships this student has faced and builds empathy towards their situation. However, what really makes it strong is that they go beyond describing the difficulties they faced and explain the mental impact it had on them as a child: Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day. 

The rejection of their culture presented at the beginning of the essay creates a nice juxtaposition with the student’s view in the latter half of the essay and helps demonstrate how they have matured. They use their experience interning as a way to delve into a change in their thought process about their culture and show how their passion for social justice began. Using this experience as a mechanism to explore their thoughts and feelings is an excellent example of how items that are included elsewhere on your application should be incorporated into your essay.

This essay prioritizes emotions and personal views over specific anecdotes. Although there are details and certain moments incorporated throughout to emphasize the author’s points, the main focus remains on the student and how they grapple with their culture and identity.  

One area for improvement is the conclusion. Although the forward-looking approach is a nice way to end an essay focused on social justice, it would be nice to include more details and imagery in the conclusion. How does the student want to help their community? What government position do they see themselves holding one day? 

A more impactful ending might look like the student walking into their office at the New York City Housing Authority in 15 years and looking at the plans to build a new development in the Bronx just blocks away from where the grew up that would provide quality housing to people in their Bangladeshi community. They would smile while thinking about how far they have come from that young kid who used to be ashamed of their culture. 

Essay Example #3: Why Medicine

I took my first trip to China to visit my cousin Anna in July of 2014. Distance had kept us apart, but when we were together, we fell into all of our old inside jokes and caught up on each other’s lives. Her sparkling personality and optimistic attitude always brought a smile to my face. This time, however, my heart broke when I saw the effects of her brain cancer; she had suffered from a stroke that paralyzed her left side. She was still herself in many ways, but I could see that the damage to her brain made things difficult for her. I stayed by her every day, providing the support she needed, whether assisting her with eating and drinking, reading to her, or just watching “Friends.” During my flight back home, sorrow and helplessness overwhelmed me. Would I ever see Anna again? Could I have done more to make Anna comfortable? I wished I could stay in China longer to care for her. As I deplaned, I wondered if I could transform my grief to help other children and teenagers in the US who suffered as Anna did.

The day after I got home, as jet lag dragged me awake a few minutes after midnight, I remembered hearing about the Family Reach Foundation (FRF) and its work with children going through treatments at the local hospital and their families. I began volunteering in the FRF’s Children’s Activity Room, where I play with children battling cancer. Volunteering has both made me appreciate my own health and also cherish the new relationships I build with the children and families. We play sports, make figures out of playdoh, and dress up. When they take on the roles of firefighters or fairies, we all get caught up in the game; for that time, they forget the sanitized, stark, impersonal walls of the pediatric oncology ward. Building close relationships with them and seeing them giggle and laugh is so rewarding — I love watching them grow and get better throughout their course of treatment.

Hearing from the parents about their children’s condition and seeing the children recover inspired me to consider medical research. To get started, I enrolled in a summer collegelevel course in Abnormal Psychology. There I worked with Catelyn, a rising college senior, on a data analysis project regarding Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Together, we examined the neurological etiology of DID by studying four fMRI and PET cases. I fell in love with gathering data and analyzing the results and was amazed by our final product: several stunning brain images showcasing the areas of hyper and hypoactivity in brains affected by DID. Desire quickly followed my amazement — I want to continue this project and study more brains. Their complexity, delicacy, and importance to every aspect of life fascinate me. Successfully completing this research project gave me a sense of hope; I know I am capable of participating in a large scale research project and potentially making a difference in someone else’s life through my research.

Anna’s diagnosis inspired me to begin volunteering at FRF; from there, I discovered my desire to help people further by contributing to medical research. As my research interest blossomed, I realized that it’s no coincidence that I want to study brains—after all, Anna suffered from brain cancer. Reflecting on these experiences this past year and a half, I see that everything I’ve done is connected. Sadly, a few months after I returned from China, Anna passed away. I am still sad, but as I run a toy truck across the floor and watch one of the little patients’ eyes light up, I imagine that she would be proud of my commitment to pursue medicine and study the brain.

This essay has a very strong emotional core that tugs at the heart strings and makes the reader feel invested. Writing about sickness can be difficult and doesn’t always belong in a personal statement, but in this case it works well because the focus is on how this student cared for her cousin and dealt with the grief and emotions surrounding her condition. Writing about the compassion she showed and the doubts and concerns that filled her mind keeps the focus on the author and her personality. 

This continues when she again discusses the activities she did with the kids at FRF and the personal reflection this experience allowed her to have. For example, she writes: Volunteering has both made me appreciate my own health and also cherish the new relationships I build with the children and families. We play sports, make figures out of playdoh, and dress up.

Concluding the essay with the sad story of her cousin’s passing brings the essay full circle and returns to the emotional heart of the piece to once again build a connection with the reader. However, it finishes on a hopeful note and demonstrates how this student has been able to turn a tragic experience into a source of lifelong inspiration. 

One thing this essay should be cognizant of is that personal statements should not read as summaries of your extracurricular resume. Although this essay doesn’t fully fall into that trap, it does describe two key extracurriculars the student participated in. However, the inclusion of such a strong emotional core running throughout the essay helps keep the focus on the student and her thoughts and feelings during these activities.

To avoid making this mistake, make sure you have a common thread running through your essay and the extracurriculars provide support to the story you are trying to tell, rather than crafting a story around your activities. And, as this essay does, make sure there is lots of personal reflection and feelings weaved throughout to focus attention to you rather than your extracurriculars. 

Essay Example #4: Love of Writing

“I want to be a writer.” This had been my answer to every youthful discussion with the adults in my life about what I would do when I grew up. As early as elementary school, I remember reading my writing pieces aloud to an audience at “Author of the Month” ceremonies. Bearing this goal in mind, and hoping to gain some valuable experience, I signed up for a journalism class during my freshman year. Despite my love for writing, I initially found myself uninterested in the subject and I struggled to enjoy the class. When I thought of writing, I imagined lyrical prose, profound poetry, and thrilling plot lines. Journalism required a laconic style and orderly structure, and I found my teacher’s assignments formulaic and dull. That class shook my confidence as a writer. I was uncertain if I should continue in it for the rest of my high school career.

Despite my misgivings, I decided that I couldn’t make a final decision on whether to quit journalism until I had some experience working for a paper outside of the classroom. The following year, I applied to be a staff reporter on our school newspaper. I hoped this would help me become more self-driven and creative, rather than merely writing articles that my teacher assigned. To my surprise, my time on staff was worlds away from what I experienced in the journalism class. Although I was unaccustomed to working in a fast-paced environment and initially found it burdensome to research and complete high-quality stories in a relatively short amount of time, I also found it exciting. I enjoyed learning more about topics and events on campus that I did not know much about; some of my stories that I covered in my first semester concerned a chess tournament, a food drive, and a Spanish immersion party. I relished in the freedom I had to explore and learn, and to write more independently than I could in a classroom.

Although I enjoyed many aspects of working for the paper immediately, reporting also pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I am a shy person, and speaking with people I did not know intimidated me. During my first interview, I met with the basketball coach to prepare for a story about the team’s winning streak. As I approached his office, I felt everything from my toes to my tongue freeze into a solid block, and I could hardly get out my opening questions. Fortunately, the coach was very kind and helped me through the conversation. Encouraged, I prepared for my next interview with more confidence. After a few weeks of practice, I even started to look forward to interviewing people on campus. That first journalism class may have bored me, but even if journalism in practice was challenging, it was anything but tedious.

Over the course of that year, I grew to love writing for our school newspaper. Reporting made me aware of my surroundings, and made me want to know more about current events on campus and in the town where I grew up. By interacting with people all over campus, I came to understand the breadth of individuals and communities that make up my high school. I felt far more connected to diverse parts of my school through my work as a journalist, and I realized that journalism gave me a window into seeing beyond my own experiences. The style of news writing may be different from what I used to think “writing” meant, but I learned that I can still derive exciting plots from events that may have gone unnoticed if not for my stories. I no longer struggle to approach others, and truly enjoy getting to know people and recognizing their accomplishments through my writing. Becoming a writer may be a difficult path, but it is as rewarding as I hoped when I was young.

This essay is clearly structured in a manner that makes it flow very nicely and contributes to its success. It starts with a quote to draw in the reader and show this student’s life-long passion for writing. Then it addresses the challenges of facing new, unfamiliar territory and how this student overcame it. Finally, it concludes by reflecting on this eye-opening experience and a nod to their younger self from the introduction. Having a well-thought out and sequential structure with clear transitions makes it extremely easy for the reader to follow along and take away the main idea.

Another positive aspect of the essay is the use of strong and expressive language. Sentences like “ When I thought of writing, I imagined lyrical prose, profound poetry, and thrilling plot lines ” stand out because of the intentional use of words like “lyrical”, “profound”, and “thrilling” to convey the student’s love of writing. The author also uses an active voice to capture the readers’ attention and keep us engaged. They rely on their language and diction to reveal details to the reader, for instance saying “ I felt everything from my toes to my tongue freeze into a solid block ” to describe feeling nervous.

This essay is already very strong, so there isn’t much that needs to be changed. One thing that could take the essay from great to outstanding would be to throw in more quotes, internal dialogue, and sensory descriptors.

It would be nice to see the nerves they felt interviewing the coach by including dialogue like “ Um…I want to interview you about…uh…”.  They could have shown their original distaste for journalism by narrating the thoughts running through their head. The fast-paced environment of their newspaper could have come to life with descriptions about the clacking of keyboards and the whirl of people running around laying out articles.

Essay Example #5: Starting a Fire

Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the garb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire. 

Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family. 

Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt. 

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame. 

In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him. 

Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses. 

That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.

This student is an excellent writer, which allows a simple story to be outstandingly compelling. The author articulates her points beautifully and creatively through her immense use of details and figurative language. Lines like “a rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees,” and “rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers,” create vivid images that draw the reader in. 

The flowery and descriptive prose also contributes to the nice juxtaposition between the old Clara and the new Clara. The latter half of the essay contrasts elements of nature with music and writing to demonstrate how natural these interests are for her now. This sentence perfectly encapsulates the contrast she is trying to build: “It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive.”

In addition to being well-written, this essay is thematically cohesive. It begins with the simple introduction “Fire!” and ends with the following image: “When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.” This full-circle approach leaves readers satisfied and impressed.

There is very little this essay should change, however one thing to be cautious about is having an essay that is overly-descriptive. We know from the essay that this student likes to read and write, and depending on other elements of her application, it might make total sense to have such a flowery and ornate writing style. However, your personal statement needs to reflect your voice as well as your personality. If you would never use language like this in conversation or your writing, don’t put it in your personal statement. Make sure there is a balance between eloquence and your personal voice.

Essay Example #6: Dedicating a Track

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

This essay effectively conveys this student’s compassion for others, initiative, and determination—all great qualities to exemplify in a personal statement!

Although they rely on telling us a lot of what happened up until the board meeting, the use of running a race (their passion) as a metaphor for public speaking provides a lot of insight into the fear that this student overcame to work towards something bigger than themself. Comparing a podium to the starting line, the audience to the track, and silence to the gunshot is a nice way of demonstrating this student’s passion for cross country running without making that the focus of the story.

The essay does a nice job of coming full circle at the end by explaining what the quote from the beginning meant to them after this experience. Without explicitly saying “ I now know that what Stark actually meant is…” they rely on the strength of their argument above to make it obvious to the reader what it means to get beat but not lose. 

One of the biggest areas of improvement in the intro, however, is how the essay tells us Stark’s impact rather than showing us: His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The writer could’ve helped us feel a stronger emotional connection to Stark if they had included examples of Stark’s qualities, rather than explicitly stating them. For example, they could’ve written something like: Stark was the kind of person who would give you gas money if you told him your parents couldn’t afford to pick you up from practice. And he actually did that—several times. At track meets, alumni regularly would come talk to him and tell him how he’d changed their lives. Before Stark, I was ambivalent about running and was on the JV team, but his encouragement motivated me to run longer and harder and eventually make varsity. Because of him, I approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

Essay Example #7: Body Image and Eating Disorders

I press the “discover” button on my Instagram app, hoping to find enticing pictures to satisfy my boredom. Scrolling through, I see funny videos and mouth-watering pictures of food. However, one image stops me immediately. A fit teenage girl with a “perfect body” relaxes in a bikini on a beach. Beneath it, I see a slew of flattering comments. I shake with disapproval over the image’s unrealistic quality. However, part of me still wants to have a body like hers so that others will make similar comments to me.

I would like to resolve a silent issue that harms many teenagers and adults: negative self image and low self-esteem in a world where social media shapes how people view each other. When people see the façades others wear to create an “ideal” image, they can develop poor thought patterns rooted in negative self-talk. The constant comparisons to “perfect” others make people feel small. In this new digital age, it is hard to distinguish authentic from artificial representations.

When I was 11, I developed anorexia nervosa. Though I was already thin, I wanted to be skinny like the models that I saw on the magazine covers on the grocery store stands. Little did I know that those models probably also suffered from disorders, and that photoshop erased their flaws. I preferred being underweight to being healthy. No matter how little I ate or how thin I was, I always thought that I was too fat. I became obsessed with the number on the scale and would try to eat the least that I could without my parents urging me to take more. Fortunately, I stopped engaging in anorexic behaviors before middle school. However, my underlying mental habits did not change. The images that had provoked my disorder in the first place were still a constant presence in my life.

By age 15, I was in recovery from anorexia, but suffered from depression. While I used to only compare myself to models, the growth of social media meant I also compared myself to my friends and acquaintances. I felt left out when I saw my friends’ excitement about lake trips they had taken without me. As I scrolled past endless photos of my flawless, thin classmates with hundreds of likes and affirming comments, I felt my jealousy spiral. I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.” When that didn’t work, I started to feel too anxious to post anything at all.  

Body image insecurities and social media comparisons affect thousands of people – men, women, children, and adults – every day. I am lucky – after a few months of my destructive social media habits, I came across a video that pointed out the illusory nature of social media; many Instagram posts only show off good things while people hide their flaws. I began going to therapy, and recovered from my depression. To address the problem of self-image and social media, we can all focus on what matters on the inside and not what is on the surface. As an effort to become healthy internally, I started a club at my school to promote clean eating and radiating beauty from within. It has helped me grow in my confidence, and today I’m not afraid to show others my struggles by sharing my experience with eating disorders. Someday, I hope to make this club a national organization to help teenagers and adults across the country. I support the idea of body positivity and embracing difference, not “perfection.” After all, how can we be ourselves if we all look the same?

This essay covers the difficult topics of eating disorders and mental health. If you’re thinking about covering similar topics in your essay, we recommend reading our post Should You Talk About Mental Health in College Essays?

The short answer is that, yes, you can talk about mental health, but it can be risky. If you do go that route, it’s important to focus on what you learned from the experience.

The strength of this essay is the student’s vulnerability, in excerpts such as this: I wanted to be admired and loved by other people too. However, I felt that I could never be enough. I began to hate the way that I looked, and felt nothing in my life was good enough. I wanted to be called “perfect” and “body goals,” so I tried to only post at certain times of day to maximize my “likes.”

The student goes on to share how they recovered from their depression through an eye-opening video and therapy sessions, and they’re now helping others find their self-worth as well. It’s great that this essay looks towards the future and shares the writer’s goals of making their club a national organization; we can see their ambition and compassion.

The main weakness of this essay is that it doesn’t focus enough on their recovery process, which is arguably the most important part. They could’ve told us more about the video they watched or the process of starting their club and the interactions they’ve had with other members. Especially when sharing such a vulnerable topic, there should be vulnerability in the recovery process too. That way, the reader can fully appreciate all that this student has overcome.

Essay Example #8: Becoming a Coach

”Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one.

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we competed with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

This essay begins with an in-the-moment narrative that really illustrates the chaos of looking for a coach last-minute. We feel the writer’s emotions, particularly her dejectedness, at not being able to compete. Starting an essay in media res  is a great way to capture the attention of your readers and build anticipation for what comes next.

Through this essay, we can see how gutsy and determined the student is in deciding to become a coach themselves. She shows us these characteristics through their actions, rather than explicitly telling us: To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side.  Also, by discussing the opposition she faced and how it affected her, the student is open and vulnerable about the reality of the situation.

The essay comes full circle as the author recalls the frantic situations in seeking out a coach, but this is no longer a concern for them and their team. Overall, this essay is extremely effective in painting this student as mature, bold, and compassionate.

The biggest thing this essay needs to work on is showing not telling. Throughout the essay, the student tells us that she “emerged with new knowledge and confidence,” she “grew unsure of her own abilities,” and she “refused to give up”. What we really want to know is what this looks like.

Instead of saying she “emerged with new knowledge and confidence” she should have shared how she taught a new move to a fellow team-member without hesitation. Rather than telling us she “grew unsure of her own abilities” she should have shown what that looked like by including her internal dialogue and rhetorical questions that ran through her mind. She could have demonstrated what “refusing to give up” looks like by explaining how she kept learning coaching techniques on her own, turned to a mentor for advice, or devised a plan to win over the trust of parents. 

Essay Example #9: Eritrea

No one knows where Eritrea is.

On the first day of school, for the past nine years, I would pensively stand in front of a class, a teacher, a stranger  waiting for the inevitable question: Where are you from?

I smile politely, my dimples accentuating my ambiguous features. “Eritrea,” I answer promptly and proudly. But I  am always prepared. Before their expression can deepen into confusion, ready to ask “where is that,” I elaborate,  perhaps with a fleeting hint of exasperation, “East Africa, near Ethiopia.”

Sometimes, I single out the key-shaped hermit nation on a map, stunning teachers who have “never had a student  from there!” Grinning, I resist the urge to remark, “You didn’t even know it existed until two minutes ago!”

Eritrea is to the East of Ethiopia, its arid coastline clutches the lucrative Red Sea. Battle scars litter the ancient  streets – the colonial Italian architecture lathered with bullet holes, the mosques mangled with mortar shells.  Originally part of the world’s first Christian kingdom, Eritrea passed through the hands of colonial Italy, Britain, and  Ethiopia for over a century, until a bloody thirty year war of Independence liberated us.

But these are facts that anyone can know with a quick Google search. These are facts that I have memorised and compounded, first from my Grandmother and now from pristine books  borrowed from the library.

No historical narrative, however, can adequately capture what Eritrea is.  No one knows the aroma of bushels of potatoes, tomatoes, and garlic – still covered in dirt – that leads you to the open-air market. No one knows the poignant scent of spices, arranged in orange piles reminiscent of compacted  dunes.  No one knows how to haggle stubborn herders for sheep and roosters for Christmas celebrations as deliberately as my mother. No one can replicate the perfect balance of spices in dorho and tsebhi as well as my grandmother,  her gnarly hands stirring the pot with ancient precision (chastising my clumsy knife work with the potatoes).  It’s impossible to learn when the injera is ready – the exact moment you have to lift the lid of the mogogo. Do it too  early (or too late) and the flatbread becomes mangled and gross. It is a sixth sense passed through matriarchal  lineages.

There are no sources that catalogue the scent of incense that wafts through the sunlit porch on St. Michael’s; no  films that can capture the luminescence of hundreds of flaming bonfires that fluoresce the sidewalks on Kudus  Yohannes, as excited children chant Ge’ez proverbs whose origin has been lost to time.  You cannot learn the familiarity of walking beneath the towering Gothic figure of the Enda Mariam Cathedral, the  crowds undulating to the ringing of the archaic bells.  I have memorized the sound of the rains hounding the metal roof during kiremti , the heat of the sun pounding  against the Toyota’s window as we sped down towards Ghinda , the opulent brilliance of the stars twinkling in a  sky untainted by light pollution, the scent of warm rolls of bani wafting through the streets at precisely 6 o’clock each day…

I fill my flimsy sketchbook with pictures from my memory. My hand remembers the shapes of the hibiscus drifting  in the wind, the outline of my grandmother (affectionately nicknamed a’abaye ) leaning over the garden, the bizarre architecture of the Fiat Tagliero .  I dice the vegetables with movements handed down from generations. My nose remembers the scent of frying garlic, the sourness of the warm tayta , the sharpness of the mit’mt’a …

This knowledge is intrinsic.  “I am Eritrean,” I repeat. “I am proud.”  Within me is an encyclopedia of history, culture, and idealism.

Eritrea is the coffee made from scratch, the spices drying in the sun, the priests and nuns. Eritrea is wise, filled with ambition, and unseen potential.  Eritrea isn’t a place, it’s an identity.

This is an exceptional essay that provides a window into this student’s culture that really makes their love for their country and heritage leap off the page. The sheer level of details and sensory descriptors this student is able to fit in this space makes the essay stand out. From the smells, to the traditions, sounds, and sights, the author encapsulates all the glory of Eritrea for the reader. 

The vivid images this student is able to create for the reader, whether it is having the tedious conversation with every teacher or cooking in their grandmother’s kitchen, transports us into the story and makes us feel like we are there in the moment with the student. This is a prime example of an essay that shows , not tells.

Besides the amazing imagery, the use of shorter paragraphs also contributes to how engaging this essay is. Employing this tactic helps break up the text to make it more readable and it isolates ideas so they stick out more than if they were enveloped in a large paragraph.

Overall, this is a really strong essay that brings to life this student’s heritage through its use of vivid imagery. This essay exemplifies what it means to show not tell in your writing, and it is a great example of how you can write an intimate personal statement without making yourself the primary focus of your essay. 

There is very little this essay should improve upon, but one thing the student might consider would be to inject more personal reflection into their response. Although we can clearly take away their deep love and passion for their homeland and culture, the essay would be a bit more personal if they included the emotions and feelings they associate with the various aspects of Eritrea. For example, the way their heart swells with pride when their grandmother praises their ability to cook a flatbread or the feeling of serenity when they hear the bells ring out from the cathedral. Including personal details as well as sensory ones would create a wonderful balance of imagery and reflection.

Essay Example #10: Journaling

Flipping past dozens of colorful entries in my journal, I arrive at the final blank sheet. I press my pen lightly to the page, barely scratching its surface to create a series of loops stringing together into sentences. Emotions spill out, and with their release, I feel lightness in my chest. The stream of thoughts slows as I reach the bottom of the page, and I gently close the cover of the worn book: another journal finished.

I add the journal to the stack of eleven books on my nightstand. Struck by the bittersweet sensation of closing a chapter of my life, I grab the notebook at the bottom of the pile to reminisce.

“I want to make a flying mushen to fly in space and your in it” – October 2008

Pulling back the cover of my first Tinkerbell-themed diary, the prompt “My Hopes and Dreams” captures my attention. Though “machine” is misspelled in my scribbled response, I see the beginnings of my past obsession with outer space. At the age of five, I tore through novels about the solar system, experimented with rockets built from plastic straws, and rented Space Shuttle films from Blockbuster to satisfy my curiosities. While I chased down answers to questions as limitless as the universe, I fell in love with learning. Eight journals later, the same relentless curiosity brought me to an airplane descending on San Francisco Bay.

“I wish I had infinite sunsets” – July 2019

I reach for the charcoal notepad near the top of the pile and open to the first page: my flight to the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes. While I was excited to explore bioengineering, anxiety twisted in my stomach as I imagined my destination, unsure of whether I could overcome my shyness and connect with others.

With each new conversation, the sweat on my palms became less noticeable, and I met students from 23 different countries. Many of the moments where I challenged myself socially revolved around the third story deck of the Jerry house. A strange medley of English, Arabic, and Mandarin filled the summer air as my friends and I gathered there every evening, and dialogues at sunset soon became moments of bliss. In our conversations about cultural differences, the possibility of an afterlife, and the plausibility of far-fetched conspiracy theories, I learned to voice my opinion. As I was introduced to different viewpoints, these moments challenged my understanding of the world around me. In my final entries from California, I find excitement to learn from others and increased confidence, a tool that would later allow me to impact my community.

“The beauty in a tower of cans” – June 2020

Returning my gaze to the stack of journals, I stretch to take the floral-patterned book sitting on top. I flip through, eventually finding the beginnings of the organization I created during the outbreak of COVID-19. Since then, Door-to-Door Deliveries has woven its way through my entries and into reality, allowing me to aid high-risk populations through free grocery delivery.

With the confidence I gained the summer before, I took action when seeing others in need rather than letting my shyness hold me back. I reached out to local churches and senior centers to spread word of our services and interacted with customers through our website and social media pages. To further expand our impact, we held two food drives, and I mustered the courage to ask for donations door-to-door. In a tower of canned donations, I saw the value of reaching out to help others and realized my own potential to impact the world around me.

I delicately close the journal in my hands, smiling softly as the memories reappear, one after another. Reaching under my bed, I pull out a fresh notebook and open to its first sheet. I lightly press my pen to the page, “And so begins the next chapter…”

The structuring of this essay makes it easy and enjoyable to read. The student effectively organizes their various life experiences around their tower of journals, which centers the reader and makes the different stories easy to follow. Additionally, the student engages quotes from their journals—and unique formatting of the quotes—to signal that they are moving in time and show us which memory we should follow them to.

Thematically, the student uses the idea of shyness to connect the different memories they draw out of their journals. As the student describes their experiences overcoming shyness at the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes and Door-to-Door Deliveries, this essay can be read as an Overcoming Obstacles essay.

At the end of this essay, readers are fully convinced that this student is dedicated (they have committed to journaling every day), thoughtful (journaling is a thoughtful process and, in the essay, the student reflects thoughtfully on the past), and motivated (they flew across the country for a summer program and started a business). These are definitely qualities admissions officers are looking for in applicants!

Although this essay is already exceptionally strong as it’s written, the first journal entry feels out of place compared to the other two entries that discuss the author’s shyness and determination. It works well for the essay to have an entry from when the student was younger to add some humor (with misspelled words) and nostalgia, but if the student had either connected the quote they chose to the idea of overcoming a fear present in the other two anecdotes or if they had picked a different quote all together related to their shyness, it would have made the entire essay feel more cohesive.

Where to Get Your Personal Statement Edited

Do you want feedback on your personal statement? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Next Step: Supplemental Essays

Essay Guides for Each School

How to Write a Stellar Extracurricular Activity College Essay

4 Tips for Writing a Diversity College Essay

How to Write the “Why This College” Essay

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

How to Write a Résumé – Practical Guide with Example Résumé

Writing a résumé can be a little intimidating. And the pressure to make it really good and fill in each detail can be tiresome and scary. This is especially true if you're doing it for the first time, because you might not know what to add in or what to leave out.

Before we get into more detail, let me share my experience. I have applied for lots of job that all required a professional résumé. But in the beginning, I had no idea how to write one.

So I would head over to the browser and search for online résumé builders. A list of a bunch of websites offering the services would show, but since am only human I would always choose the ones labeled FREE. I mean, who does not like free services – 'cause I do.

Just as Luther Vandross said: "The best things in life are free."

Then I'd craft my résumé on the site and it was always a good experience with amazing templates – until I reached the downloading point. Then they always asked for cash despite advertising that it would be free.

But don't worry – writing a good professional résumé does not have to be this difficult. Actually it should be easy and fun, because you are putting down your achievements down on paper.

The best way to make résumé writing smooth is to get some guidance on what you should include and what you should leave out. So that's what we will talk about in this article.

We are going to go through the steps of writing a professional résumé so that by the time we are done, you will want to show off your newly crafted résumé to the world. You'll also be ready to apply for that dream job you have always wanted.

Let's get started

What is a résumé?

Your résumé will likely be the first document potential employers request and review when considering hiring you, followed by a cover letter.

Before we get any further, just a quick reminder that a résumé is different from a curriculum vitae (CV) .

Types of Resumes

Most professionals résumé writers argue that there are three different types of résumés: Functional, Chronological and Combination

Functional résumé - This type of résumé focuses on what you've done, and the experience you have gained from multiple projects.

Chronological résumé - This is the most commonly used type of résumé, which focuses more on your work history. In this résumé, you list jobs in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent job back to the oldest.

Combination résumé - Just as the name suggests, this is a combination of both the functional and chronological résumé types.

How to write your résumé

Your résumé should not be the same as anyone else's, because we all have different skills and experiences. But your résumé should still have the following sections and information in common regardless of what template you choose to use:

Header Section

This section is where you should include:

• Phone number
• Email address
• Social links (social media and personal website/portfolio/GitHub)
• A headline that tells who you are as a candidate

Profession Summary Section

This is a brief paragraph at the beginning of the résumé that describes who you are, what you do, and why you are perfect for the job.

This section is not all about what you want, but what your potential employer can expect from you. It can make or break your chances with your recruiters.

Work Experience Section

This is the most important part of your résumé where you get to detail your work history.

This section should include the companies where you've worked, your employment periods, roles and titles you've held, and also the accomplishments you achieved. You'll definitely want to make this section stand out.

First you will need to list your experience from the most recent (top) to the oldest (at the bottom). If you are currently working at a certain company include the "[start month and year - current]"

Under this section, I highly recommend using bullets to list your role/duties from your past and current companies. I think 3-5 bullet points is ideal here.

Use action verbs to describe your tasks and accomplishments, and also remember to write in the past tense.

When listing your duties, include a measurable accomplishment with each role. This will give the recruiter confidence in your abilities.

Skills Section

This section has become more and more important to recruiters as they look for candidates with a specialized background.

When listing down skills you have, make sure to include both hard skills and soft skills.

By hard skills, I mean skills related to your field of study, the ones you have gained through work and study. Soft skills are more personal and related to your character, like being team-player, having integrity, excelling at teamwork, having the ability to focus, and so on.

You will want to balance both types of skills and not to rely on one type alone. Also remember to use keywords here, as companies use Application Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan through your résumé for ideal candidates.

Taleo is a common ATS that recruiters use, and for the top résumé keywords check out this resource

Education Section

Many jobs require a certain level of education. So if you have a degree or have completed a bootcamp or other certificate, it is important to include it on your résumé.

If you have just graduated, then your education section should go above your work experience. You should also include relevant course work and other voluntary work or projects you've done that support your application.

But you might be wondering – what if you don't have formal higher education? What should you include in this case?

Instead of listing a degree, you can highlight the different ways that you have learned and grown in that field. For example, high school education, bootcamps you've participated in, projects you've completed/worked on, and even internships. List them here if you lack a formal degree.

Awards, Certifications, and Accolades Section

You can include this section in your work experience section as achievements if you want. But I think highlighting it in its own section is better.

This section will increase your credibility, assuming you have things to list in it. Some certifications you can include are things like:

• Marketing certifications
• Education, coding bootcamp, and freeCodeCamp certifications
• Online course certificates
• Awards or grants you've received

Résumé Formating Tips

Now that you are done with the first step of building your résumé, you should make sure it's formatted properly.

Double check to make sure you haven't missed anything. A well-polished résumé will make it easy for recruiters to go through it and get the information they need.

✔ Be honest ✔ Use easy to read fonts ✔ Use simple words and action verbs ✔ Include unpaid internships to showcase your skills ✔ Limit your résumé to two pages max (one page if you're early in your career ✔ Write the résumé to suit the position you are applying for ✔ Proofread you résumé ✔ finish crafting and then start editing it

How not to write your résumé

✔ Don't include reasons for leaving your previous job ✔ Don't include references - instead say that references will be provided if requested ✔ Avoid using too many bullet points ✔ Don't save your résumé as a PDF unless asked to ✔ Don't use an inappropriate email address ✔ Avoid including unnecessary information like your age, weight, and so on. ✔ Avoid including your picture in your résumé - just let the recruiter focus on your skills.

Now that we've covered what you need to do to write a professional résumé, you'll probably want to actually make one.

If you're still finding it difficult to format your résumé yourself, don't worry – you're not alone.

There are easy ways to make your résumé look good. You can check out the sites below, but keep in mind that you will have to pay:

Résumé Builder Sites

The sites listed below offer different formats of writing résumés with templates to use. If you check them out they offer guidance on how to write résumés easily.

I would not suggest copying everything you see there, but you can follow their template guidelines and try to create your own résumé to match those templates.

Feel free to check out and try different templates and designs as you decide which one to work with for your résumé:

• Zetty Résumé Builder
• Résumé Genius
• RésuméBuilder
• Résumé Baking

If you really want to improve your chances of getting a certain job, make sure you write your résumé so that it's tailored to each individual job application.

If you have a well-written résumé that matches the job requirements and includes relevant keywords from the job description, it'll help you stand out to recruiters.

This article was quite long, so if you have read this far, thank you!

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Do share your valuable opinion, I appreciate your honest feedback!

Enjoy Coding ❤

I'm a Growing Developer with a keen interest in technology, particularly in the areas of open-source and Python. As a passionate technical writer, I aim to share my knowledge with other developers through informative articles that help them grow and succeed.

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10 Resume Profile Examples (And How to Write Yours)

Imagine you've got everything covered in your resume : You listed your past experiences, included keywords from the job description, and pared it down to design elements an applicant tracking system (ATS) can parse. Now it’s an accurate representation of your professional qualifications—but you still can’t shake the feeling that who you are as a person is getting a bit lost. That’s where a resume profile comes in.

Adding this section to your resume is a good way to show more of your personality while still being professional. Curious? Read on to find out exactly what a resume profile is, and how to write yours—including examples.

What is a resume profile?

A resume profile is a few concise sentences or bullet points that can be placed at the top of your resume (below the header). It “describes who you are as a professional,” says Muse career coach Yolanda Owens , founder of CareerSensei and who also worked as a college corporate recruiter for more than 20 years.

Once you perfect your resume, check out open jobs on The Muse to maximize your chances »

Career professionals don’t all agree on the exact contents of a resume profile, or even on whether it’s different from a resume summary . So you have a bit of flexibility in how you think about yours and what you include in it.

For example, you might think of a resume profile as a way to “tell the reader who you are, what you do, and what you’re looking for,” so that you can grab their attention and “quickly showcase your accomplishments,” says Muse career coach and former recruiter Jennifer Smith , founder of Flourish Careers .

Or you might approach your resume profile like Owens does, as the equivalent to “a dating profile that describes how you see yourself at work, and the type of work environment that makes you feel productive and purposeful.”

What’s the difference between a resume summary and a profile?

While some career coaches may use the terms resume summary and resume profile interchangeably, others treat them differently.

The first is a quick synopsis of the relevant experiences and skills you bring to a role. The latter can do the same, but it can also focus on your traits and achievements, your story as a professional, and your desires for your next role.

At this point, you might be wondering: If a resume profile includes what you’re looking for in your next role , how is it different from a resume objective ? Some people say that resume objectives are outdated at best and a waste of space at worst. If that’s true, why is a resume profile acceptable?

The difference lies in “the additional context that’s included in the profile,” says Smith. A traditional objective merely states what you’re looking for and maybe a vague reason why. But “the profile goes deeper into who you are and what you do” in addition to what you’re looking for next, connecting your past and present to your future.

Is a resume profile necessary? Who should use it?

Resume profiles can be advantageous for all job seekers, Smith says, especially for those “who are changing either their role or industry.” If you’re a career changer , a strong, explicit resume profile will give you space to tell the reader right up front that, no, you didn’t apply to this job by mistake—this is the next step in your career and here’s why.

Resume profiles are also particularly useful for entry-level job seekers who may need to tie their education and other experiences together more explicitly. If a candidate is writing an entry-level resume , Owens suggests that they “use the profile section to explain what they’re looking for in terms of challenges and learning, and the skills they possess that could potentially add value.”

What to include in a resume profile

Think about what you’d want the person reading your resume to know first. Is it something about your qualifications or your biggest accomplishment? Is it how well you work with others or what your personality adds to a team? This is what should go into your resume profile. You have a few sentences (or bullets) to work with, so don’t restrict yourself to highlighting just one thing.

Here are a few types of information that you can include in a resume profile, according to our coaches:

• Relevant skills and experiences
• Relevant achievements and accomplishments
• Years of experience
• Strengths as a professional (both soft and hard skills )
• Signature traits related to the job
• Personal traits that contribute to your work
• Qualities you’re looking for in your next role, team, or company
• Willingness to relocate (if you’re applying to a job not near the location listed on your resume)

What are recruiters looking for in a resume profile?

Don’t underestimate the power of a good first impression to get someone to keep reading the rest of your resume with interest. “The resume profile has an ability to quickly convince a recruiter that the person is a strong, qualified candidate,” says recruiter and Muse career coach Steven Davis , founder and CEO of Renaissance Solutions .

But recruiting isn’t just about making sure candidates have the right skills, Owens says. Recruiters also need to get a feel for whether the team and work environment will be a good match for the candidate long term.

Candidates’ skills and experiences should be well represented throughout their resumes, so as a recruiter, Owens most often “looked at the profile as a way to get a sense of their work persona and gauge environment fit for the role.”

How to write a profile for a resume : 5 steps

Once you know what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for in your resume profile and what you’d like to portray, you can follow these tips as you write your own:

1. Keep it concise

Your resume profile should be no more than four sentences or bullet points, and should not have more than 500 characters. Remember recruiters read dozens of resumes daily, so you don't want yours to be unnecessarily long and tiring.

2. Find the format the suits you best

Decide if you want to use either bullet points or paragraph form. Your resume profile can be written as bullet points, but keep in mind that bullet points often take up more space than a paragraph. “To preserve real estate on the resume and attempt to keep it to one to two pages , I always recommend using paragraph format,” Owens says.

3. Consider the position you're applying for

Tailor your profile to the job, but not so much that it’s not true to who you are. If your resume profile is closer to a summary that highlights your key qualifications and accomplishments as they relate to a given job, you should be tailoring it very carefully for each application and incorporating keywords from the job description.

Read more: What it Really Means to "Tailor Your Resume"

However, if your resume profile is more of a personal (but still professionally appropriate) description of yourself, Owens recommends against tailoring it to match each job: “What you don’t want to do is try to tell employers what you think they want to hear,” she says, if it doesn’t reflect who you are. “That’s how you end up in positions where you’re ultimately unhappy.”

4. Quantify your experiences and accomplishments

Whenever possible, quantify your experiences and accomplishments by adding numbers, percentages, and other metrics to your resume profile. Keep in mind that recruiters nowadays not only want to know what you did, but also what you achieved and the exact results of your work.

5. Show some personality

While the rest of your resume won’t let much of your personality shine through, your profile gives you an opportunity for creativity. If you’re applying to a casual company, you can add a splash of personality, but if you’re applying to a more formal organization, it’s best to keep things more buttoned up.

Resume profile: Examples

Want to know what all this advice looks like in action? Check out these 10 resume profile examples for different types of job seekers and professions.

Career changer

Quality-control team lead with 10+ years experience who specializes in making thorough business decisions and leading others through day-to-day operations to achieve excellence. Decided to transition to the outdoor recreation industry during the COVID-19 pandemic after realizing that people, especially children, spend too much time indoors behind computer screens. Excited to bring experience in quality assurance and operations to a management position at an outdoor recreation facility to help people of all ages get outside and enjoy themselves safely.

Recent college graduate or entry-level candidate

Recent magna cum laude animal sciences graduate with a focus on small animal care excited to bring passion and knowledge to a position with an animal shelter or animal-focused nonprofit and learn more about programs that protect animals from euthanasia. As president of the University of Georgia chapter of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians, planned, organized, advertised, and managed a fundraiser that brought in over $20,000 in donations to a local shelter while also placing 43 cats and dogs with adoptive families. Proud dog mom of two former shelter pets, Dakota and Miley (pictures available upon request).

Account Executive (Sales)

Account executive who has been making deals since my first lemonade stand at age four for a total of $20+ million in sales. I love the rush of being on a sales team working toward goals—both in exceeding my own targets and in cheering on my teammates and celebrating their wins. In my current role, I’ve discovered that the most satisfying feeling of all was teaching a few of our SDRs to close deals. Seeing how proud they were of themselves as they got better motivated me to seek out a sales training role at a highly collaborative company.

Find account executives jobs on The Muse

A detail-oriented accountant with experience preparing tax and financial reports for charities to be posted publicly online. Evaluated budget (including payroll) for inefficiencies and suggested cost-cutting and time-saving measures that ultimately allowed the nonprofit to put an additional 5% of yearly donations directly into charitable programs. Excited to bring accounting skills to a nonprofit in the public health sector after spending over five years volunteering for public health charities such as the Red Cross and Project N95.

Find accountant jobs on The Muse

Customer Service Representative

An empathetic customer service representative who loves getting to talk to new people every day and help them solve problems. Crafted service approach of finding out what customers’ goals are and what their level of expertise in the product was rather than automatically giving boilerplate advice, leading to a 92% customer satisfaction rating. Avid video game player and designer looking to bring this passion to a customer service role for a gaming company.

Find customer service representative jobs on The Muse

Human Resources Manager

Human resources generalist who oversaw the transition of a 100+ employee company to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adept at dealing with the issues facing fully remote or hybrid workforces, including in hiring, professional development, and conflict resolution. Conceived of and instituted DEI programs for employees working from home. Looking for a position with a company that has a fully distributed or hybrid workforce and is committed to increasing diversity in its hiring pool.

Find human resources manager jobs on The Muse

Marketing Manager

Email marketer with 6+ years of experience gathering data-driven insights to make decisions about marketing campaigns. Conceived, proposed, and executed a campaign for a new headphone line across all marketing channels including email, social, content marketing, and print ads, with a total reach of 30 million impressions leading to over $1 million in sales. A team player who has taken the time to learn what each teammate in 10-person marketing department does and even filled in for them when needed. Excited to find a position in a collaborative work environment that oversees marketing campaigns across multiple channels.

Find marketing manager jobs on The Muse

Office Administrator

• Friendly, organized, and proactive administrative assistant with four years of experience looking to move into an office administrator role
• Saved office over $3,000 per quarter in supplies by creating new inventory tracking document on Google Sheets, showing other employees how to check supply levels and request orders, and comparing the supply sheet to inventory every two weeks to stop duplicate supply orders
• Spent four months filling in for office manager during maternity leave

Find office administrator jobs on The Muse

Project Manager

Looking for a project manager who can save at-risk initiatives and projects and make sure they come in on time and under budget and are fully functional at launch? I’ve held positions in customer care, engineering, product, and communications, so I know how to work with employees in all departments and see a project from multiple angles, ensuring each piece is on track and communicating with stakeholders along the way. I work best in environments where innovation is encouraged and no one expects to wear just one hat.

Find project manager jobs on The Muse

Web Developer

• Back-end web developer with experience using Java, Python, and SQL to develop features for online databases
• Go-to debugger on team of seven engineers
• Developed a site (link) that uses television shows you’ve watched to suggest new shows based on the ratings and recommendations of users with similar watch histories, bringing in an average of 10,000 visitors monthly

Find web developer jobs on The Muse

How to Write a Simple, Effective Resume (+20 Examples)

Updated: August 20, 2024

Published: October 04, 2023

A great resume can help get you noticed by prospective employers. But what makes a resume “great”? How do you catch recruiters’ attention, encourage them to read your resume, and ultimately call you for an interview?

Two words: Simple and effective.

In this piece, we’ll offer a step-by-step guide to writing a simple, effective resume . Then, we’ll showcase 20 examples of what this looks like in practice. Ready to level up your resume-writing technique? Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

How to Write a Simple Resume

20 simple resume examples.

While resume specifics vary depending on the type of job you’re looking for and the experience required, there are seven steps that apply in any circumstance to help your resume stand out.

1. Pick a format.

Before you start writing, pick a format that suits both your personal style and works for the position being offered.

For example, if you’re applying for a graphic design position, it may be worth including images on your resume that help highlight your skills.

If the job you’re after is a highly technical engineering role, meanwhile, you may want something more straightforward.

Regardless of the format you choose, the goal is simplicity. Don’t clutter the resume with extraneous information or conflicting colors. Instead, let your experience and interest speak for themselves.

2. Start with your contact information.

No surprise here — prospective employers need to know how they can contact you. Despite the necessity of this contact data, however, it’s not uncommon to see it missed on resumes or left until the bottom of the page.

Best bet? Put your details — including name, phone number, and email address — at the top of the page as a header.

3. Include an overview.

Next is an overview of your professional profile . This may include details about your current position along with any titles or degrees you hold.

Depending on the role, you may also want to include links to digital portfolios or work you’ve published online.

4. List your education and experience.

Education and experience are up next.

This should be a simple list of your educational history, including any degrees or certificates you’ve earned and when you earned them, followed by a list of your previous work experience.

Bullet points work well here: Each bullet point represents a different job and includes details such as job title, responsibilities, and how long you were employed.

5. Speak to your skills.

Now it’s time to talk about your skills as they relate to the job being offered.

Wherever possible, use keywords from the job advertisement itself. This is because many companies now use automated resume analysis and tracking systems that may prioritize these keywords.

6. Highlight any relevant certifications.

Make sure to mention any relevant qualifications or certifications.

For example, if you’re applying with an IT security firm, you could highlight certifications such as CompTIA Security+ or Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) qualification.

7. Add any relevant details.

Finally, add any other details that are relevant to the job, such as volunteer experience in a related field or any professional accolades for your work.

Simple, effective resumes offer the best chance of getting noticed, but there’s no one-size-fits-all template when it comes to design.

Here are 20 simple resume examples .

1. Modern Initials (Word)

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• College essay
• College Essay Examples | What Works and What Doesn’t

College Essay Examples | What Works and What Doesn't

Published on November 8, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on August 14, 2023.

One effective method for improving your college essay is to read example essays . Here are three sample essays, each with a bad and good version to help you improve your own essay.

Table of contents

Essay 1: sharing an identity or background through a montage, essay 2: overcoming a challenge, a sports injury narrative, essay 3: showing the influence of an important person or thing, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

This essay uses a montage structure to show snapshots of a student’s identity and background. The writer builds her essay around the theme of the five senses, sharing memories she associates with sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste.

In the weak rough draft, there is little connection between the individual anecdotes, and they do not robustly demonstrate the student’s qualities.

In the final version, the student uses an extended metaphor of a museum to create a strong connection among her stories, each showcasing a different part of her identity. She draws a specific personal insight from each memory and uses the stories to demonstrate her qualities and values.

How My Five Senses Record My Life

Throughout my life, I have kept a record of my life’s journey with my five senses. This collection of memories matters a great deal because I experience life every day through the lens of my identity.

“Chinese! Japanese!”

My classmate pulls one eye up and the other down.

“Look what my parents did to me!”

No matter how many times he repeats it, the other kids keep laughing. I focus my almond-shaped eyes on the ground, careful not to attract attention to my discomfort, anger, and shame. How could he say such a mean thing about me? What did I do to him? Joseph’s words would engrave themselves into my memory, making me question my appearance every time I saw my eyes in the mirror.

Soaking in overflowing bubble baths with Andrew Lloyd Webber belting from the boombox.

Listening to “Cell Block Tango” with my grandparents while eating filet mignon at a dine-in show in Ashland.

Singing “The Worst Pies in London” at a Korean karaoke club while laughing hysterically with my brother, who can do an eerily spot-on rendition of Sweeney Todd.

Taking car rides with Mom in the Toyota Sequoia as we compete to hit the high note in “Think of Me” from The Phantom of the Opera . Neither of us stands a chance!

The sweet scent of vegetables, Chinese noodles, and sushi wafts through the room as we sit around the table. My grandma presents a good-smelling mixture of international cuisine for our Thanksgiving feast. My favorite is the Chinese food that she cooks. Only the family prayer stands between me and the chance to indulge in these delicious morsels, comforting me with their familiar savory scents.

I rinse a faded plastic plate decorated by my younger sister at the Waterworks Art Center. I wear yellow rubber gloves to protect my hands at Mom’s insistence, but I can still feel the warm water that offers a bit of comfort as I finish the task at hand. The crusted casserole dish with stubborn remnants from my dad’s five-layer lasagna requires extra effort, so I fill it with Dawn and scalding water, setting it aside to soak. I actually don’t mind this daily chore.

I taste sweat on my upper lip as I fight to continue pedaling on a stationary bike. Ava’s next to me and tells me to go up a level. We’re biking buddies, dieting buddies, and Saturday morning carbo-load buddies. After the bike display hits 30 minutes, we do a five-minute cool down, drink Gatorade, and put our legs up to rest.

My five senses are always gathering new memories of my identity. I’m excited to expand my collection.

Word count: 455

College essay checklist

Topic and structure

• I’ve selected a topic that’s meaningful to me.
• My essay reveals something different from the rest of my application.
• I have a clear and well-structured narrative.
• I’ve concluded with an insight or a creative ending.

Writing style and tone

• I’ve crafted an introduction containing vivid imagery or an intriguing hook that grabs the reader’s attention.
• I’ve written my essay in a way that shows instead of tells.
• I’ve used appropriate style and tone for a college essay.
• I’ve used specific, vivid personal stories that would be hard to replicate.
• I’ve demonstrated my positive traits and values in my essay.
• My essay is focused on me, not another person or thing.
• I’ve included self-reflection and insight in my essay.
• I’ve respected the word count , remaining within 10% of the upper word limit.

Making Sense of My Identity

Welcome to The Rose Arimoto Museum. You are about to enter the “Making Sense of My Identity” collection. Allow me to guide you through select exhibits, carefully curated memories from Rose’s sensory experiences.

First, the Sight Exhibit.

“Chinese! Japanese!”

“Look what my parents did to me!”

No matter how many times he repeats it, the other kids keep laughing. I focus my almond-shaped eyes on the ground, careful not to attract attention as my lip trembles and palms sweat. Joseph couldn’t have known how his words would engrave themselves into my memory, making me question my appearance every time I saw my eyes in the mirror.

Ten years later, these same eyes now fixate on an InDesign layout sheet, searching for grammar errors while my friend Selena proofreads our feature piece on racial discrimination in our hometown. As we’re the school newspaper editors, our journalism teacher Ms. Riley allows us to stay until midnight to meet tomorrow’s deadline. She commends our work ethic, which for me is fueled by writing一my new weapon of choice.

Next, you’ll encounter the Sound Exhibit.

Still, the world is my Broadway as I find my voice on stage.

Just below, enter the Smell Exhibit.

While I help my Pau Pau prepare dinner, she divulges her recipe for cha siu bau, with its soft, pillowy white exterior hiding the fragrant filling of braised barbecue pork inside. The sweet scent of candied yams, fun see , and Spam musubi wafts through the room as we gather around our Thankgsiving feast. After our family prayer, we indulge in these delicious morsels until our bellies say stop. These savory scents of my family’s cultural heritage linger long after I’ve finished the last bite.

Next up, the Touch Exhibit.

I rinse a handmade mug that I had painstakingly molded and painted in ceramics class. I wear yellow rubber gloves to protect my hands at Mom’s insistence, but I can still feel the warm water that offers a bit of comfort as I finish the task at hand. The crusted casserole dish with stubborn remnants from my dad’s five-layer lasagna requires extra effort, so I fill it with Dawn and scalding water, setting it aside to soak. For a few fleeting moments, as I continue my nightly chore, the pressure of my weekend job, tomorrow’s calculus exam, and next week’s track meet are washed away.

Finally, we end with the Taste Exhibit.

My legs fight to keep pace with the stationary bike as the salty taste of sweat seeps into corners of my mouth. Ava challenges me to take it up a level. We always train together一even keeping each other accountable on our strict protein diet of chicken breasts, broccoli, and Muscle Milk. We occasionally splurge on Saturday mornings after interval training, relishing the decadence of everything bagels smeared with raspberry walnut cream cheese. But this is Wednesday, so I push myself. I know that once the digital display hits 30:00, we’ll allow our legs to relax into a five-minute cool down, followed by the fiery tang of Fruit Punch Gatorade to rehydrate.

Thank you for your attention. This completes our tour. I invite you to rejoin us for next fall’s College Experience collection, which will exhibit Rose’s continual search for identity and learning.

Word count: 649

• I’ve crafted an essay introduction containing vivid imagery or an intriguing hook that grabs the reader’s attention.

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This essay uses a narrative structure to recount how a student overcame a challenge, specifically a sports injury. Since this topic is often overused, the essay requires vivid description, a memorable introduction and conclusion , and interesting insight.

The weak rough draft contains an interesting narrative, insight, and vivid imagery, but it has an overly formal tone that distracts the reader from the story. The student’s use of elaborate vocabulary in every sentence makes the essay sound inauthentic and stilted.

The final essay uses a more natural, conversational tone and chooses words that are vivid and specific without being pretentious. This allows the reader to focus on the narrative and appreciate the student’s unique insight.

One fateful evening some months ago, a defensive linebacker mauled me, his 212 pounds indisputably alighting upon my ankle. Ergo, an abhorrent cracking of calcified tissue. At first light the next day, I awoke cognizant of a new paradigm—one sans football—promulgated by a stabbing sensation that would continue to haunt me every morning of this semester.

It’s been an exceedingly taxing semester not being able to engage in football, but I am nonetheless excelling in school. That twist of fate never would have come to pass if I hadn’t broken my ankle. I still limp down the halls at school, but I’m feeling less maudlin these days. My friends don’t steer clear anymore, and I have a lot more of them. My teachers, emboldened by my newfound interest in learning, continually invite me to learn more and do my best. Football is still on hold, but I feel like I’m finally playing a game that matters.

Five months ago, right after my ill-fated injury, my friends’ demeanor became icy and remote, although I couldn’t fathom why. My teachers, in contrast, beckoned me close and invited me on a new learning journey. But despite their indubitably kind advances, even they recoiled when I drew near.

A few weeks later, I started to change my attitude vis-à-vis my newfound situation and determined to put my energy toward productive ends (i.e., homework). I wasn’t enamored with school. I never had been. Nevertheless, I didn’t abhor it either. I just preferred football.

My true turn of fate came when I started studying more and participating in class. I started to enjoy history class, and I grew interested in reading more. I discovered a volume of poems written by a fellow adventurer on the road of life, and I loved it. I ravenously devoured everything in the writer’s oeuvre .

As the weeks flitted past, I found myself spending my time with a group of people who were quite different from me. They participated in theater and played instruments in marching band. They raised their hands in class when the teacher posed a question. Because of their auspicious influence, I started raising my hand too. I am no longer vapid, and I now have something to say.

I am certain that your school would benefit from my miraculous academic transformation, and I entreat you to consider my application to your fine institution. Accepting me to your university would be an unequivocally righteous decision.

Word count: 408

• I’ve chosen a college essay topic that’s meaningful to me.
• I’ve respected the essay word count , remaining within 10% of the upper word limit.

As I step out of bed, the pain shoots through my foot and up my leg like it has every morning since “the game.” That night, a defensive linebacker tackled me, his 212 pounds landing decidedly on my ankle. I heard the sound before I felt it. The next morning, I awoke to a new reality—one without football—announced by a stabbing sensation that would continue to haunt me every morning of this semester.

My broken ankle broke my spirit.

My friends steered clear of me as I hobbled down the halls at school. My teachers tried to find the delicate balance between giving me space and offering me help. I was as unsure how to deal with myself as they were.

In time, I figured out how to redirect some of my frustration, anger, and pent-up energy toward my studies. I had never not liked school, but I had never really liked it either. In my mind, football practice was my real-life classroom, where I could learn all I ever needed to know.

Then there was that day in Mrs. Brady’s history class. We sang a ridiculous-sounding mnemonic song to memorize all the Chinese dynasties from Shang to Qing. I mumbled the words at first, but I got caught up in the middle of the laughter and began singing along. Starting that day, I began browsing YouTube videos about history, curious to learn more. I had started learning something new, and, to my surprise, I liked it.

With my afternoons free from burpees and scrimmages, I dared to crack open a few more of my books to see what was in them. That’s when my English poetry book, Paint Me Like I Am , caught my attention. It was full of poems written by students my age from WritersCorps. I couldn’t get enough.

I wasn’t the only one who was taken with the poems. Previously, I’d only been vaguely aware of Christina as one of the weird kids I avoided. Crammed in the margins of her high-top Chuck Taylors were scribbled lines of her own poetry and infinite doodles. Beyond her punk rock persona was a sensitive artist, puppy-lover, and environmental activist that a wide receiver like me would have never noticed before.

With Christina, I started making friends with people who once would have been invisible to me: drama geeks, teachers’ pets, band nerds. Most were college bound but not to play a sport. They were smart and talented, and they cared about people and politics and all sorts of issues that I hadn’t considered before. Strangely, they also seemed to care about me.

I still limp down the halls at school, but I don’t seem to mind as much these days. My friends don’t steer clear anymore, and I have a lot more of them. My teachers, excited by my newfound interest in learning, continually invite me to learn more and do my best. Football is still on hold, but I feel like I’m finally playing a game that matters.

My broken ankle broke my spirit. Then, it broke my ignorance.

Word count: 512

This essay uses a narrative structure to show how a pet positively influenced the student’s values and character.

In the weak draft, the student doesn’t focus on himself, instead delving into too much detail about his dog’s positive traits and his grandma’s illness. The essay’s structure is meandering, with tangents and details that don’t communicate any specific insight.

In the improved version, the student keeps the focus on himself, not his pet. He chooses the most relevant stories to demonstrate specific qualities, and the structure more clearly builds up to an insightful conclusion.

Man’s Best Friend

I desperately wanted a cat. I begged my parents for one, but once again, my sisters overruled me, so we drove up the Thompson Valley Canyon from Loveland to Estes Park to meet our newest family member. My sisters had already hatched their master plan, complete with a Finding Nemo blanket to entice the pups. The blanket was a hit with all of them, except for one—the one who walked over and sat in my lap. That was the day that Francisco became a Villanova.

Maybe I should say he was mine because I got stuck with all the chores. As expected, my dog-loving sisters were nowhere to be found! My mom was “extra” with all the doggy gear. Cisco even had to wear these silly little puppy shoes outside so that when he came back in, he wouldn’t get the carpets dirty. If it was raining, my mother insisted I dress Cisco in a ridiculous yellow raincoat, but, in my opinion, it was an unnecessary source of humiliation for poor Cisco. It didn’t take long for Cisco to decide that his outerwear could be used as toys in a game of Keep Away. As soon as I took off one of his shoes, he would run away with it, hiding under the bed where I couldn’t reach him. But, he seemed to appreciate his ensemble more when we had to walk through snowdrifts to get his job done.

When my abuela was dying from cancer, we went in the middle of the night to see her before she passed. I was sad and scared. But, my dad let me take Cisco in the car, so Cisco cuddled with me and made me feel much better. It’s like he could read my mind. Once we arrived at the hospital, the fluorescent lighting made the entire scene seem unreal, as if I was watching the scene unfold through someone else’s eyes. My grandma lay calmly on her bed, smiling at us even through her last moments of pain. I disliked seeing the tubes and machines hooked up to her. It was unnatural to see her like this一it was so unlike the way I usually saw her beautiful in her flowery dress, whistling a Billie Holiday tune and baking snickerdoodle cookies in the kitchen. The hospital didn’t usually allow dogs, but they made a special exception to respect my grandma’s last wishes that the whole family be together. Cisco remained at the foot of the bed, intently watching abuela with a silence that seemed more effective at communicating comfort and compassion than the rest of us who attempted to offer up words of comfort that just seemed hollow and insincere. It was then that I truly appreciated Cisco’s empathy for others.

As I accompanied my dad to pick up our dry cleaner’s from Ms. Chapman, a family friend asked, “How’s Cisco?” before even asking about my sisters or me. Cisco is the Villanova family mascot, a Goldendoodle better recognized by strangers throughout Loveland than the individual members of my family.

On our summer trip to Boyd Lake State Park, we stayed at the Cottonwood campground for a breathtaking view of the lake. Cisco was allowed to come, but we had to keep him on a leash at all times. After a satisfying meal of fish, our entire family walked along the beach. Cisco and I led the way while my mom and sisters shuffled behind. Cisco always stopped and refused to move, looking back to make sure the others were still following. Once satisfied that everyone was together, he would turn back around and continue prancing with his golden boy curly locks waving in the chilly wind.

On the beach, Cisco “accidentally” got let off his leash and went running maniacally around the sand, unfettered and free. His pure joy as he raced through the sand made me forget about my AP Chem exam or my student council responsibilities. He brings a smile not only to my family members but everyone around him.

Cisco won’t live forever, but without words, he has impressed upon me life lessons of responsibility, compassion, loyalty, and joy. I can’t imagine life without him.

Word count: 701

I quickly figured out that as “the chosen one,” I had been enlisted by Cisco to oversee all aspects of his “business.” I learned to put on Cisco’s doggie shoes to keep the carpet clean before taking him out一no matter the weather. Soon after, Cisco decided that his shoes could be used as toys in a game of Keep Away. As soon as I removed one of his shoes, he would run away with it, hiding under the bed where I couldn’t reach him. But, he seemed to appreciate his footwear more after I’d gear him up and we’d tread through the snow for his daily walks.

One morning, it was 7:15 a.m., and Alejandro was late again to pick me up. “Cisco, you don’t think he overslept again, do you?” Cisco barked, as if saying, “Of course he did!” A text message would never do, so I called his dad, even if it was going to get him in trouble. There was no use in both of us getting another tardy during our first-period class, especially since I was ready on time after taking Cisco for his morning outing. Alejandro was mad at me but not too much. He knew I had helped him out, even if he had to endure his dad’s lecture on punctuality.

Another early morning, I heard my sister yell, “Mom! Where are my good ballet flats? I can’t find them anywhere!” I hesitated and then confessed, “I moved them.” She shrieked at me in disbelief, but I continued, “I put them in your closet, so Cisco wouldn’t chew them up.” More disbelief. However, this time, there was silence instead of shrieking.

Last spring, Cisco and I were fast asleep when the phone rang at midnight. Abuela would not make it through the night after a long year of chemo, but she was in Pueblo, almost three hours away. Sitting next to me for that long car ride on I-25 in pitch-black darkness, Cisco knew exactly what I needed and snuggled right next to me as I petted his coat in a rhythm while tears streamed down my face. The hospital didn’t usually allow dogs, but they made a special exception to respect my grandma’s last wishes that the whole family be together. Cisco remained sitting at the foot of the hospital bed, intently watching abuela with a silence that communicated more comfort than our hollow words. Since then, whenever I sense someone is upset, I sit in silence with them or listen to their words, just like Cisco did.

The other day, one of my friends told me, “You’re a strange one, Josue. You’re not like everybody else but in a good way.” I didn’t know what he meant at first. “You know, you’re super responsible and grown-up. You look out for us instead of yourself. Nobody else does that.” I was a bit surprised because I wasn’t trying to do anything different. I was just being me. But then I realized who had taught me: a fluffy little puppy who I had wished was a cat! I didn’t choose Cisco, but he certainly chose me and, unexpectedly, became my teacher, mentor, and friend.

Word count: 617

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

There are no set rules for how to structure a college application essay , but these are two common structures that work:

• A montage structure, a series of vignettes with a common theme.
• A narrative structure, a single story that shows your personal growth or how you overcame a challenge.

Avoid the five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in high school.

Though admissions officers are interested in hearing your story, they’re also interested in how you tell it. An exceptionally written essay will differentiate you from other applicants, meaning that admissions officers will spend more time reading it.

You can use literary devices to catch your reader’s attention and enrich your storytelling; however, focus on using just a few devices well, rather than trying to use as many as possible.

Most importantly, your essay should be about you , not another person or thing. An insightful college admissions essay requires deep self-reflection, authenticity, and a balance between confidence and vulnerability.

Your essay shouldn’t be a résumé of your experiences but instead should tell a story that demonstrates your most important values and qualities.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding message, flow, tone, style , and clarity. Then, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

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