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How To Use The Harvard Resume Format (Example + Template)

3 key takeaways

• Harvard invented a classic and clean resume framework.
• This resume format focuses on sections like education, experience, leadership, and skills. Unlike a standard resume, it prioritizes education above experience.
• You can create a Harvard resume and tailor it to your job application with Teal's Resume Builder .

You’ve probably heard that the Harvard resume format is one of the best templates for recent graduates. After all, it was created and is continually recommended by Harvard recruiters and counselors.

The Harvard resume is clean and professional and highlights education over work experience. Considering the minimal work experience most recent graduates bring, it can be an excellent framework for building your resume. 

But how do you use it to create your resume ? Below, you'll learn how to use the Harvard University resume format, including examples.

Need help to landing interviews with your resume? Sign up for Teal to make a free resume in minutes.

Understanding the Harvard resume format

The Harvard Offices of Career Services, in conjunction with the Career and Academic Resource Center, created the Harvard resume format.

The aim was to help both Harvard students and graduates of other universities create resumes that highlight their education and land them jobs.

Because of its more significant focus on education, leadership, and activities over job experience, this resume format works best for those just entering the job market.

Here’s an overview of the format:

Let's examine each resume section and how they differ from traditional resumes.

Typically, the education section of a resume is at the bottom rather than the top. The Harvard-style resume flips this on its head, listing education just after the resume header.

It’s acceptable for job seekers without experience in the job market to put education details at the top of a resume. Education also tends to carry more weight if you apply for internships or master's programs.

If you’ve gained experience within your projected career path and it’s been a few years since you graduated, move your education details to the bottom of your resume.

Your work history and experiences should make up the bulk of your resume. But if you’re a recent graduate, you might not have as much to show, as you can see in the Harvard resume example.

This is where you see more similarities with the typical resume format. The Harvard resume template holds a standard of four bullet points for each position held. Each bullet point should only be one sentence long.

Follow these rules when formatting each bullet point:

• Beginning with your most recent position, describe your experience, skills, and resulting outcomes in bullet or paragraph form. 
• Begin each line with an action verb and include details to help the reader understand your accomplishments, skills, knowledge, abilities, or achievements. 
• Quantify where possible. 
• Do not use personal pronouns; each line should be a phrase rather than a complete sentence.

This advice is standard across the recruitment and resume writing industries, but it’s still pertinent. 

The leadership and activities section on a resume is acceptable to feature if you’re fresh out of college and the activities are relevant to the position. However, on most resumes, there is little room or need to feature this section. 

It can be a great way to highlight skills, certain responsibilities you’ve held, or outcomes you’ve achieved to supplement a lack of work history. Most potential employers don’t need this information unless those activities can supplement work experience.

The Harvard resume template does something unique with the skills section—breaking the skills down into four categories:

The technical and laboratory skills bullet points are the most nuanced. Technical skills should list any computer skills or coding languages you’ve learned, while the laboratory line asks you to list any specific tools or techniques you’ve used.

Resist the urge to explain every skill. In some cases, you may need to specify your proficiency. However, if you are fluent in languages, list each language you know. You can write them in one line separated by commas, like this: 

Teal’s AI-powered Resume Builder allows you to add all of your technical skills in one easy form and then select and de-select the skills you’d like to feature on your resume.

How you lay out your resume will greatly depend on how much experience you have in your field, your skills, and which university you attended (including your grades and accolades).

But the four sections in the Harvard resume format generally benefit any new grad or student resume.

How to create a Harvard resume using a resume template

When you don’t have much experience on your resume, highlighting your education is a safe bet.

The Harvard format gives you a good launch pad for emphasizing the benefits of your education. If you understand each section and tailor it to the position, you’re much more likely to stand out in a candidate pool.

Consider the position

Your final resume isn’t going to look like a perfect replica of the template. That’s because the position you’re applying for will call for different highlights on your resume. 

For instance, you might apply for a competitive internship that values GPA more heavily than other internships.  In some cases, GPA isn’t just a qualification for admittance. An organization might also have a minimum acceptable standard. Still, it might also be a metric for whether or not you maintain your internship. 

In such a case, you’ll need to feature your GPA on your resume and any other accolades within your education that might give you a competitive advantage.

Fill in the sections of the template

In the previous section, you saw the differences between traditional and Harvard resumes. Here, we’re breaking down how to fill out your resume with those differences in mind. 

Enter your contact information

Filling out the top of your resume is straightforward. Your resume header should contain contact details such as your name, address, and email. You don’t have to include your entire email. Your city and state are enough.

Add your education

If you’re keeping the Harvard format, your education section is at the top, just under your details. Again, this is beneficial if you’re applying to further educational programs, such as a master’s program, an internship, or an entry-level position.

The template offers three possible rows of information within the education section—college, study abroad, and your high school.

Unless the position specifically requests high school information or it's required to enter the program, including it on your resume is unnecessary. This also applies to your study abroad program. While it’s advantageous in an educational program application, it’s not often necessary for employment.

Add your work history

The work experience section of the Harvard resume includes slots for just two places of employment. This is because it’s essentially a student resume.

To fill out this section, start with the company name, position, and period you worked there. 

Add three to four bullet points under your organizational header. The typical job seeker might add their responsibilities within those roles, but this won’t help you stand out among other candidates. 

Instead, focus on outcomes you’ve produced, contributions you’ve made, and skills you’ve developed. Here’s what that advice looks like on the resume of an applicant who’s only held a few entry-level roles:

You might not have a lot of experience, and it’s unlikely you were able to have a massive impact on the company in an entry-level or internship position. But you likely gained hard and soft skills by working on something for some time. 

Notice the action verbs in two of the three lines in the above example? Words like increased, improved, and boosted are “active” words to quickly demonstrate that you’ve had impact in your role.

Leadership roles and activities

Leadership and activities are optional on a resume and should only be included if they directly relate to the responsibilities listed in the job description. 

If you add your leadership projects and activities, be sure to include any outcomes that came from those activities.

You don’t need to include all of this detail. One or two lines should be enough to showcase the project unless you’re compensating for lower work experience. 

Relevant skills and interests

Skills and interests are another optional section on your resume. While Harvard offers four opportunities to include such information, you could include one or two and eliminate the rest if they’re pertinent or might increase your chances of getting hired. 

For instance, language skills are in demand across most industries. They may also be a necessary qualification for some roles or may position you in a higher pay grade upon acceptance for a role. In such cases, adding that information to your resume is essential. 

Technical skills are vital for roles in software, IT, or engineering. Laboratory skills will matter if you’re applying for a role in a STEM profession, such as a geneticist or food scientist. 

Proofread for red flags and typos

Certain resume red flags automatically take you out of the candidate pool. These red flags include:

Spelling and grammar errors

• Irrelevant information
• A lack of results-oriented experience

While recruiters and hiring managers aren’t going to examine your resume with a fine-toothed comb, obvious spelling and grammar errors stand out. As does an abundance of those errors. Always check your work before sending it.

Harvard resume example

Here’s an example of the Harvard resume in action.

You see education at the top followed by professional experience and technical skills. The example also shows active and powerful language for the bullet points of each position held. It’s a clear and professional demonstration of this resume format. 

Harvard resume template

If you want to use the Harvard resume template recommended by Harvard recruiters, here’s a template of the sections they use:

Name Location Email address Phone number Education Study abroad Experience Job title 1/ Employer 1 (your most recent employer)(month/ year-month/year) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) Experience Job title 1/ Employer 1 (month/ year-month/year) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) Leadership and activities Skills and interests

Common mistakes to avoid when using the Harvard resume

Your resume should always highlight your most vital assets and qualifications. You'll be in great shape if you focus on outcomes and key skills. 

However, you want to avoid a few common mistakes if you hope to get shortlisted for the position. 

It’s easy to misspell a word here and there, but on a resume, it can be the difference between getting shortlisted or being cut from the candidate pool. 

There are a few ways to avoid the latter:

• Use a tool like Grammarly to catch misspellings and grammar mistakes.
• Run your resume through ChatGPT to catch mistakes.
• Employ an editor to provide more detailed and nuanced feedback.
• Use Teal’s resume builder to catch mistakes and optimize your inputs to highlight your strengths.

Missing contact information

This isn’t a huge misstep, but if you send in your application without contact information, a hiring manager won’t be able to reach you if they’re interested. 

Similarly, the position you’re applying for could be dependent on location. You might face instant rejection if you’re missing, or misspelled, your location. 

Using passive voice

Most job seekers make the mistake of using passive voice on their resume. But sentences like "sales targets were consistently met" will not grab anyone's attention.

Always use active voice on your resume. Active voice requires the use of “I” as a pronoun and the use of power words like “boosted” and “improved”. 

So instead of saying, "Sales targets were consistently met," you'd say, "Exceeded annual sales targets by an average of 15%...". The goal is always to get as specific as possible with your real achievements within a role.

Lack of personalization

Resume personalization isn’t about including information about the company or the hiring manager. It’s about thoroughly understanding the job description and tailoring your resume to match it within reason. 

Teal’s AI-powered Resume Builder analyzes job descriptions to identify the keywords and most important details to include in your resume. 

For more tips on creating an effective resume, check out this post on the best resume format .

How to create your Harvard resume with AI

Harvard has made it easy to follow their resume format by opening their template in Google Docs or Word. However, if you plan to tailor your resume to multiple job applications, using Teal’s AI Resume Builder might be beneficial. 

With Teal, you can add variations of responsibilities, activities, achievements, and more while selecting and deselecting certain details to adapt your resume to the job description. 

Maintaining the Harvard format in Teal is also easy. You can choose from a resume template library and customize your whatever template you choose to mimic Harvard’s.

Customize your achievements

Because you're likely creating a dozen tailored resumes to match various job descriptions, use Teal's AI achievement writer to help you create powerful descriptions. Once you've covered everything, select the achievements most relevant to the job listing.

Find the keywords for every job

Consider the keywords and complex asks of the company. Take a look at the responsibilities section of this job description for a marketing position:

From this job description, you can pull out a few important details:

• There’s a high emphasis on content strategy execution
• There is some level of strategy execution and account management
• You’ll need writing skills
• You’ll be working with freelancers

If you use Teal’s keyword matching tool, you can see which keywords are most important to include in your resume.

This will help you determine the most important keywords and relevant information to include on your resume.

Create an Ivy-level resume

Whether you use Harvard's resume template or the more traditional reverse-chronological order, make sure the final format is compatible with application tracker systems (ATS). Teal offers free and paid templates designed to satisfy ATS requirements and impress hiring managers. Sign up for Teal for free to build a better resume.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pages should a resume to harvard be.

According to Harvard, the resume used for a Harvard application should be one to two pages. They stress the importance of not exceeding that page limit.

Is there a proper format for a college resume?

Most resumes will have the same structure: Personal contact information, professional summary, work experience, and education.

You might add skills, relevant coursework, community service efforts, and accomplishment statements to your resume if you lack work experience or have achievements directly related to the role. 

Beyond that, the look and feel of a resume may vary. This is demonstrated in Teal’s library of 100+ resume templates .

Is the Harvard College Bullet Point Resume Template ATS-friendly?

Yes. ATS software is capable of reading resumes in various formats, and the Harvard resume template is simple, easy to read, and classic. Difficulties should only arise with images or specialized formatting.

Sarah Colley

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Crafting an Impressive Harvard Resume: Examples and Tips

Table of contents, introduction:.

Harvard resume examples will help you create amazing resumes. When applying for opportunities at one of the world’s most prestigious universities, having an exceptional resume is crucial. A well-crafted Harvard resume showcases your academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, and leadership experiences, setting you apart from the competition. In this blog post, we will explore examples and offer valuable tips to help you create a standout Harvard resume that catches the attention of admissions officers and potential employers.

Harvard Resume Examples

Example 1: Undergraduate Harvard Resume

[Your Name] [Contact Information: Phone Number, Email Address, LinkedIn Profile] [City, State]

: Motivated and driven undergraduate student seeking an internship opportunity to apply knowledge gained from a rigorous Harvard education. Strong academic background, coupled with exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills. Eager to contribute to a dynamic and innovative organization.

Bachelor of Arts in [Field of Study], Harvard University, Cambridge, MA [Year of Graduation]

[Student Organization/Club Name], Harvard University [Position Held] [Dates]

• Led a team of [number] members in organizing and executing [event/project], resulting in [specific achievement or impact].
• Coordinated [aspect] of [event/project], overseeing [number] of volunteers and ensuring smooth operations.
• Collaborated with [stakeholders] to secure [resources/funding] for the successful execution of [event/project].

[Research Project Title], [Research Institution/Organization] [Dates]

• Conducted extensive research on [topic], analyzing data and presenting findings in [conference/publication].
• Collaborated with a team of researchers to design and implement experiments, ensuring accuracy and reliability of data.
• Assisted in data collection, organization, and statistical analysis using [specific software/tools].
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficient in data analysis and research methodologies
• Strong organizational and time management abilities
• Effective teamwork and collaboration skills
• Proficiency in [relevant software/tools]

Example 2: Graduate Harvard Resume

Highly accomplished graduate student seeking a position in [field/industry] to apply advanced knowledge and skills acquired through a Harvard graduate program. Demonstrated expertise in [specific area] with a proven track record of research excellence. Dedicated to making a positive impact through [field/industry].

Master of Science in [Field of Study], Harvard University, Cambridge, MA [Year of Graduation]

• Conducted groundbreaking research in [area of research], leading to [specific outcome/impact].
• Designed and implemented experiments, collected and analyzed data, and interpreted results.
• Published research findings in [high-impact journal/conference].

[Teaching Position], Harvard University [Dates]

• Developed and delivered engaging lectures on [subject], promoting active student participation and critical thinking.
• Facilitated class discussions, answered student questions, and provided constructive feedback on assignments and projects.
• Mentored and advised students, guiding them in their academic and professional pursuits.
• Advanced knowledge in [field/area of expertise]
• Proficiency in research methodologies and data analysis
• Strong presentation and public speaking skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively in interdisciplinary teams

Tips for Crafting an Impressive Harvard Resume:

• Highlight your academic achievements: Emphasize relevant coursework, research projects, publications, honors, and awards that demonstrate your intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, and dedication to your field of study.
• Showcase your leadership experiences: Include leadership roles you have held in student organizations, clubs, or community initiatives. Highlight your responsibilities, achievements, and the impact you made in those positions.
• Incorporate research experience: If you have been involved in research, highlight your contributions, methodologies used, and any publications or conference presentations resulting from your work.
• Demonstrate your interdisciplinary skills: Harvard values interdisciplinary collaboration. Showcase your ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and fields by highlighting experiences that demonstrate your interdisciplinary approach.
• Focus on relevant skills: Highlight both technical and soft skills that are applicable to the position you are applying for. These may include communication skills, analytical abilities, leadership qualities, or proficiency in specific software or tools.
• Tailor your resume to the opportunity: Use a resume maker to customize your resume for each application to highlight the experiences and skills most relevant to the position or program. Research the organization or program’s values, mission, and requirements to align your resume accordingly.

FAQs about “Harvard Resume Examples”

A Harvard resume refers to a resume that follows the formatting and content guidelines often associated with Harvard University students and alumni. It emphasizes academic achievements, leadership experiences, and skills, and follows a specific structure.

A Harvard resume tends to prioritize academic accomplishments, research projects, and extracurricular involvement. It often includes sections such as “Education,” “Research Experience,” “Leadership and Involvement,” and “Skills” to showcase a well-rounded profile.

A Harvard resume typically includes sections such as “Education,” “Research Experience,” “Leadership and Involvement,” “Skills,” “Awards and Honors,” and “Publications” if applicable. These sections highlight a candidate’s academic prowess, research involvement, leadership, and skills.

A personal statement is not a standard element of a Harvard resume. However, some Harvard students might choose to include a brief objective or summary statement at the beginning of their resume.

A Harvard resume should have a clean and professional layout. Use clear headings, bullet points for easy readability, and consistent formatting. Utilize a legible font, and ensure that your resume is well-organized and not overly crowded.

Yes, while Harvard resumes typically emphasize academic achievements, they also allow room for showcasing extracurricular involvement, leadership roles, community service, and work experiences that align with your overall profile.

Including your GPA and test scores (SAT, ACT, GRE, etc.) can be valuable on a Harvard resume, especially if they are strong. However, it’s not mandatory and might depend on the context and the job/program you’re applying for.

Be succinct yet informative in describing research experience. Highlight the project’s focus, your role, key findings, and any significant contributions you made. Emphasize skills gained and how the experience relates to the position you’re applying for.

Yes, especially if the coursework or class projects are relevant to the position you’re seeking. Listing advanced or specialized courses can demonstrate your expertise and knowledge in a particular subject.

While you can certainly take inspiration from a Harvard resume format, it’s important to tailor your resume to your own experiences, education, and the specific job or program you’re applying for. Focus on highlighting your strengths and achievements, regardless of the university you attended.

Conclusion:

Harvard resume examples will help you in crafting an impressive Harvard resume requires careful consideration of your academic achievements, leadership experiences, and relevant skills. By following the examples and incorporating the provided tips, you can create a standout resume that effectively showcases your qualifications and sets you apart in the competitive admissions or job market. Remember to proofread your resume carefully and seek feedback from mentors or career advisors to ensure its quality and effectiveness.

BuildFreeResume.com has a consumer rating of 4.83 stars on Sitejabber .

Introducing John Smith: Your Expert Resume Writer, Cover Letter Specialist, and Career Coach. Meet John Smith, your dedicated partner in crafting the perfect resume, compelling cover letter, and charting your career path to success. With a passion for helping individuals reach their professional aspirations, John brings a wealth of expertise to the table as a resume writer, cover letter specialist, and career coach.

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How to Write a Resume That Stands Out

• Paige Cohen

It takes hiring managers less than 10 seconds to decide if you’re qualified.

• PC Paige Cohen (they/them) is a senior editor at Harvard Business Review.

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How to Write a Resume That Stands Out

You finally found it! The perfect job for you. Now, all you have to do to get the process started is to submit your resume. The problem is that hundreds of your peers are probably thinking exactly the same thing. How do you stand out?

You finally found it! The perfect job for you. Now, all you have to do to get the process started is to submit your resume. The problem is that hundreds or even thousands of your peers are probably thinking exactly the same thing about exactly the same job. So how do you create a one-page document that will make you and your accomplishments stand out from the crowd?

Your resume is a key part of the job application process: it is the first document that an employer reviews to determine whether they will interview and eventually employ you. Remember that employers often have very limited time to perform this duty. Crafting a strong resume really matters!

Resumes communicate who you are and what you have accomplished. They may be the only document an employer sees to evaluate your record before making a decision to move forward with your application, or they may be used in conjunction with resources like LinkedIn or professional networking profiles and/or a cover letter. A resume that “stands out” in a positive way is one that has been written thoughtfully, clearly and concisely, effectively communicating your abilities and strengths in a very brief space.

Six basic tips will help you build an outstanding professional resume. Note that resumes may vary by professional field (e.g. engineering vs. non-engineering), by location or by other factors such as professional degree. These tips are designed around some of the most common sections and most useful points for resumes across different types.

Tip 1: How to Write an Education Section that Stands Out

The education section demonstrates that you have the academic qualifications for the position. The key questions you should ask yourself while writing this section is, “Have I clearly communicated the strongest and most relevant aspects of my educational experience?” The next question is, “Is this section organized in a way that is easily readable by the employer?”

The education section is important for all applicants but may be weighted differently depending on how long it has been since you graduated from a degree program. For instance, an employer may have a different level of interest in the educational history of a college senior, compared to someone who has been professionally working for several years after college. Understanding this fact may influence where you choose to place this section on your resume.

In general, you should include all of the higher education that you may have had, including undergraduate, graduate, or professional schooling.  You may also consider including online courses, certificates, and completed programs through companies like Coursera. Most people list their experiences in an order called reverse chronological, meaning that they list the most recent experience first, and work backwards down the page.

For each listed school, provide the full name of the school or online program, the years of your attendance, your major or majors, if applicable, as well as a minor if applicable. Include the type of degree received (e.g. a Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science) and the year of graduation. If you are graduating soon, include the month and year of graduation so employers know when you will be available to work. If you have studied abroad, include the institution, program of study, and any relevant coursework.

You may want to include which semesters you qualified for special academic recognition, if any.  Other special awards, scholarships, or competitive grants can also be listed in this section. If you have non-academic awards, such as for sports or community service, you may choose to create a separate section of your resume for honors and awards.

Tip 2: How to Make the Experience Section Stand Out

Along with education, your experience is one of the most important ways to show that you are qualified for a position. Use this section to clearly convey your strongest professional experiences, whether paid or unpaid. Be sure to give detailed aspects of your roles and responsibilities for each listed position. Emphasize any relationships or similarities between your past experiences and the job you want. You should also include the start and end dates of your involvement with each organization, and any key accomplishments from the role. Don’t forget to include where the company is located, including city and state/province, or even country if different from your home country.

Ask yourself: while involved with the company, did I win any awards, get any special recognition, make new discoveries, start a new program? If so, what happened and what were the results? Quantify your experiences when you can! As the expression goes, “Show don’t tell.” In other words, you can more effectively convey a point by giving concrete examples, rather than through vague descriptions. Consider the following examples.

Instead of:

Improved worker productivity significantly, leading to recognition from upper management.

(A resume reader may ask: What does ‘improved’ mean? What does recognition mean? How much have you improved it by?)

Improved quarter returns by 25%, exceeding projections and leading to the Top Manager Award, given to only one manager in the company per year.

When it comes to language, be honest about your job functions while thinking of professional ways to present your experiences.

Sometimes people fall into a trap of thinking that their job or internship experience won’t sound impressive enough to list. The job may have felt like “sitting at a desk, answering the phone.” True, but you may have been performing other responsibilities or developing useful job-related skills without realizing that you were!

When you were at a desk, were you at the FRONT desk? Were you the only person or the main person in this position? Were you overseeing anything while you were sitting there? Were you the sole person responsible for any tasks? Did you have to learn how to deal calmly and confidently with any customer issues? Did people occasionally ask you to take on additional responsibilities, even for a short time?

It is fair to say that a person sitting at a front desk, may have been MANAGING the front desk, or even managing the desk when the person’s boss was away. Time during which an individual is placed in charge of a business or an office, even if for a limited time, can convey responsibility to a prospective employer.

Look at your accomplishment bullet and ask yourself:

• What did I do in the job?
• Using what?
• To what extent or impact?

Sometimes you may need to pare down your list in order to avoid making your resume too lengthy. Try to select the accomplishments based partly on how impressive they are and partly on how well they relate to the position you want. To describe your experience, always use more than one sentence or bullet. That said, word economy in your bulleted descriptions is also important. Try to keep each bulleted description or sentence to one or two lines at most. You can often rephrase a description, eliminating words while keeping the meaning. The more information you can present clearly and concisely within the short resume format, the more the employer will understand what you can do for them.

Remember that by providing relevant details in each statement of your experience, you will give the employer enough information to evaluate you and also provide them with ideas of what they might want to discuss with you in an interview.

Tip 3: How to Create a Leadership and Activities Section that Stands Out

For many people, especially students and recent graduates, a Leadership & Activities section can be a fantastic differentiator for your resume. If you have not been in the workforce for long, or if you have only worked summers and part-time, then you may not have much relevant content to add to your Experience section. A strong Leadership & Activities section can help you fill that gap while also telling an employer something about you as a person.

When creating the section, you should first consider what student organizations and activities you would want to include. Then, you should consider what you would want to write about each one. In general, this section is much like the Experience section, except that it is about what you have done in a personal, rather than professional, setting.

Of course, because student organizations and activities are personal, you should be careful about which ones you choose to list; they should be appropriate to a professional setting. For example, you should probably not choose to share that you were chosen “Top Drinker” of your college’s “Beer Keg of the Day” club. On the other hand, if you volunteered at a food bank, wrote for a school publication, or had a membership in an honor society, those accomplishments would be worth sharing.

Most importantly, you should include student organizations and activities where you have made significant contributions or held leadership positions. Just as you did in the Experience section, you should think about what you did in the organization, any responsibilities you had, any skills you used, and any knowledge you gained. If you made improvements to the student organization or activity, definitely include concrete examples. Make sure to consider if any of your experiences with student organizations and activities could be related to the position you are applying for. Could any of the skills you have learned be useful in the job?

Because student organizations and activities can offer students leadership opportunities and experiences that are often limited to experienced professionals in companies, this section is your chance to show not only that you are qualified for the position but that you have even greater potential. Make the most of this opportunity to show the employer what you can do!

Tip 4: How to Highlight Your Skills

Another important component of what defines an attractive candidate in the modern economy is their skill set. Because employers want people who can quickly start being productive, they care about what skills a job prospect has, particularly in certain technical fields. In most cases, skills are incorporated into the Experience section, if you acquired skills as part of your internship or job, and in the Education section, if you obtained the skills through coursework, research, or projects. Sometimes people with additional skills, such as technical skills, foreign language, or certifications obtained outside of university, will place them into a separate section at the end of the resume. Whichever format you choose, you still need to emphasize the skills you have, so that an employer can easily see how you can help them.

You should ask yourself a few important questions. What skills do I have? What skills are my target employers looking for? Are my skills hard skills (i.e. technical, like computer programming) or soft skills, such as the ability to listen?

Make a list! Separate the skills into hard skills and soft skills. What skills are most in demand (on both lists) for the position you are interested in (One good way to decide this is to look at job listings for many similar positions and note how often a particular skill is listed.)? How can you highlight your proficiency in these skills?

Lead with your strongest skills and/or the ones that seem the most marketable. Let’s say you know the programming language Python. How well do you know it? How many years have you used it? Do you have any specialized knowledge and ability that may set you apart from a competing applicant? Do you have demonstrations of your work anywhere for a prospective employer to see?

Here’s an example of a skills entry that might be included into the Experience section:

Programming: 8 years of experience with Python and similar scripting languages, wrote MyFirstPythonProject software available on GitHub

Useful tip: Artists may have portfolios for their artistic work. Examples of appropriate work, such as for coding, may not be a bad idea to have available in addition to a resume!

Even if your field is not technical, you may still have important hard skills. Do you have experience with popular office software, such as Excel, PowerPoint, or Access? Do you know any foreign languages, even at a basic level? Think about not only what might be required in the day-to-day performance of the job, but what other skills could potentially be useful to the employer.

You will want to include all the relevant skills to demonstrate your qualifications, without including too much less-relevant information which could distract from your message. Think carefully about which skills you want to include, and which could be left out. Remember to choose your words economically to maximize content in a minimum of space. With a little effort, your skills details can transform your resume from a simple list of accomplishments to a document that gets an employer thinking about all the great ways you could contribute!

Tip 5: Formatting and Making the Resume Look Professional

Believe it or not, the appearance and organization of a resume can greatly affect the response. The first hurdle for any resume is to get the employer to read it. An attractively presented, concise resume is easy for a recruiter to pick up. On the other hand, if a resume is 5 pages, written in 6-point font, a prospective employer may not think that it is worth the time to find a magnifying glass and read it. In most cases, a resume should not exceed one page (sometimes two pages, mostly for more experienced candidates, or in scientific and technical fields where publication lists can be lengthy), which has a few key sections that are separated from one another or clearly delineated.

Here are some suggestions to make the format stand out positively:

• Use 10-12-point font or larger. (10 point may even sometimes be too small, and the choice can depend on the chosen font.) Your audience should easily be able to read the size of the writing. Often prospective employers may not have perfect vision, so readability may create problems if the text is too small.
• Use a clean, professional-looking font. Don’t use fonts that are overly artistic and hinder the ability for the reader to understand them. Some find fonts like Times New Roman most clearly readable; others find competing fonts better. The font is just an aspect of the writing; don’t let it overpower the words themselves.
• Use respectable margins. Don’t try to deviate too much from 0.5 margins at either side. Also, don’t make the margins too large, beyond 0.75 or 1 unit on either side. Around 1 unit on the top and bottom should be acceptable.
• Use adequate spacing.
• Abbreviate months of employment.
• Include proper contact information. Most people include full name, address, email address and at least one phone number at the top of the document.

Tip 6: Revision and Review 

One of the most important steps to writing a good resume is having others you trust look it over. A small spelling or grammar error on a resume could cause problems by making it seem like you lack attention to detail.

You can start with standard spelling and grammar checking programs. However, while these programs are very helpful, they are not enough by themselves. For example, the programs may not flag errors with homophones (e.g. hair and hare). They also have difficulty with uncommon, technical, or foreign words that may not be in their dictionaries. In addition, they are not looking for formatting inconsistencies or at the overall appearance of the resume. While computer programs can help with many issues, there is still no substitute for the human eye.

Start by printing a copy of your resume and looking for errors and inconsistencies yourself. Then, present copies to others along with a description of the job or educational opportunity that you are applying for. When presenting your resume to others, consider at least two kinds of people: a peer, and an experienced professional or teacher. Each may identify different issues with the resume.

Ask the reviewers to provide two types of notes: technical revisions and feedback on the writing, organization and effectiveness of the resume.

Once you get feedback, discuss it with them for a few minutes. Remember, don’t take constructive criticism personally! They are trying to help you, and their points of view may be similar to that of the employer. Your goal is to create a resume that most people will appreciate.

Once you obtain proper feedback, you can work on improving your resume. Try to incorporate your reviewers’ suggestions. Their ideas may even make you think of other ways to improve your resume! Most importantly, always remember that once you have made your revisions, review your resume again before you send it out!

The stronger your resume, the better your chance of getting an interview and landing a meaningful job. Just by following these simple tips, you will be well on your way to resume success, creating a clear, detailed, and concise document designed to impress employers. So, get writing and get yourself noticed!

A good resume can help you land an interview, but even minor errors can take you out of the running.  Schedule an appointment with a counselor  to ensure it will be effective.

Quick Resume Tips:

• Use the position description to decide what to include.
• Pick a standard and consistent format.
• Describe your experiences with specificity and strong action verbs.
• Record accomplishments and contributions, not just responsibilities.
• Revise carefully!
• Don’t include personal information about your age, religion, health or marital status.
• Photos are generally not preferred for U.S. resumes.
• Typically, you will not be expected to share past salary information on a resume.
• Employers assume that “references will be available upon request,” so you don’t need to include them on your resume unless asked.
• Employers may use keyword scanning on resumes, so know what words are relevant to the industry and position and ensure they appear in your resume.

Application Toolkit: Resume

On this webpage, you will find our advice and guidance for approaching the resume component of the application., instructions.

We require a resume as part of the application. Please limit your resume to 1 – 2 pages in length.

The following links are sample resumes from successful applicants in prior years. You do not have to follow the formatting used in these resumes, but all three are examples of well-organized, easy-to-read drafts.

Application Insights: Resume

• View All Application Insight Videos

Blog Advice

• Visit the Admissions Blog
• View All Resume Blog Posts

Overrated/Underrated Part 3

Continuing our Overrated/Underrated series, this week, we shift our focus to highlight some of the overrated approaches that we recommend applicants avoid as they craft their applications. 

November 17, 2021

Overrated/Underrated Part 2

This week, we continue our Underrated Approaches to the Application series with some additional advice.

October 21, 2021

Overrated/Underrated Part 1

The J.D. Admissions team recently came together to offer their thoughts on some underrated and overrated approaches that applicants might take towards their HLS application. We hope you’ll find some of these nuggets useful.

September 9, 2021

Real Talk: The Resume

This week’s entry in the Real Talk series covers the resume. 

August 25, 2020

Podcast Advice

Navigating law school admissions with miriam & kristi.

Miriam Ingber (Associate Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Yale Law School) and Kristi Jobson (Assistant Dean for Admissions at Harvard Law School) provide candid, accurate, and straightforward advice about law school admissions — direct from the source. They will be joined by guest stars from other law schools to discuss application timing, letters of recommendation, personal statements, and more.

• View All Episodes

Resume Workshop

Our Resume Workshop provides applicants with straightforward advice on how to craft their resumes with a reflective activity and guiding questions to consider.

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Harvard CV Examples & UK Templates

When you jump into the job market, you want to impress from the start. Choosing the correct information to highlight and exactly how to do it can make all the difference in whether you are granted an interview. A Harvard CV allows you the freedom to organise your data in the best possible manner for you.

When you’re staring at a blank screen and aren’t sure where to start, head over to the experts such as Resume.io. Use our CV guides and CV examples for 65+ professions, and our easy-to-use CV builder to help you get on your way to creating the Harvard style CV that gets you noticed. This CV guide, along with the corresponding Harvard CV example will cover the following topics:

What is a Harvard CV?

• How to write a Hardvard style resume (tips and tricks)
• The best format for a Harvard CV
• Advice on each section of your CV (summary, work history, education, skills)
• Professional CV layout and design hints.

A Harvard style CV gives you the freedom to reorder your information in any way you see fit. A traditional CV begins with a header followed by a summary, work history, skills and education sections, but in this style of CV, you may move those sections around.

If you, for example, went to Harvard or a similarly esteemed university, you may want to place that at the top of your CV. (Perhaps this is where the Harvard CV template got its name.) This is especially true if you are applying for your first job or know that your degree is desired in the position you seek.

How to write a Harvard CV 

Although a Harvard CV may offer flexibility, there are some non-negotiables. You must include certain sections and may add others. The necessary components of your CV are:

• The CV header
• The employment history section
• The CV skills section
• The education section

Most CVs include a summary or professional profile, but a CV in Harvard style may forgo this section to save space for other career highlights.

Additional categories

If you have had a distinguished academic career, you may want to add an honours section that lists all your awards . Another option is an element that lists all your affiliations or academic club memberships, especially if they are related to your career.

In mid-career? Consider adding an awards or accolades section that highlights your highest professional accomplishments.

Choosing the best format for a Harvard CV

Yes, the Harvard CV is a specific format, however, you have options within that format, including the order in which you list your achievements. We recommend reverse chronological order for listing degrees and positions within your sections, no matter how you arrange each element within your document.

The key to the Harvard style CV is deciding what is most impressive and what you want recruiters to notice at their first glance. By prioritising information at the top of your CV, you are telling hiring personnel what you believe are the most important aspects of your career so far. To help you perfect this art, be sure to look at our expertly-written CV example too.

A Harvard CV template starts with a prominent header. The header serves two purposes:

• Provides all the contact information a recruiter needs to schedule your interview
• Allows for a subtle design element that lends a visual image to your otherwise highly structured CV

Choose a design that focuses attention on your name without getting garish. Include your current title or the title of the job you want, your address and your best contact email and phone number. Also add any professional social media accounts you have, such as LinkedIn, if they are up-to-date. Those in creative professions should also add a link to a portfolio, easily accomplished with Resume.io’s CV builder.

CV summary example 

A Harvard CV may begin with a summary, also known as a profile, that offers the best of your career and lets the hiring personnel know why you want the position and what your expertise will bring to the job. This overview sets the tone of your CV.

Because it is the only section written in full sentences, you have the opportunity to give a glimpse of your personality and explain your professional philosophy. You can also address your prospective employer directly by pointing out why the company is appealing to you.

Dedicated, hardworking, and committed to becoming a dependable and valuable team member.

Our additional writing material will give you further inspiration for this freeform section: 

• Student CV sample
• School leaver CV sample
• Engineering CV sample
• Internship CV sample
• Team leader CV example

Employment history sample

One benefit of a Harvard CV is that if you are just beginning your career journey, you can minimise your employment history section by pushing it to the bottom of this one-page document. You can maximise its impact by moving it up and allotting it more space.

For new entrants to the job market, we don’t recommend eliminating your work history even if you list an internship or an afterschool job. Employers want to see that you have worked before and have an understanding of what is expected of an employee.

Begin your bulleted items with strong actions you have taken and follow that up with the results you achieved. Favour details and data and avoid broad generalisations. Keep in mind that the recruiter wants to know what you do with your skills that will enhance the company.

Financial Analyst Intern at Morgan Stanley, New York City  June 2023 - August 2023 

• Supported the equity research team in creating financial models for prospective investments.
• Assisted in the preparation of client presentations and collaborated on a project which evaluated market trends in emerging technologies.
• Conducted competitive analysis, delivering insights which contributed to strategy development.

Research Assistant at Harvard Economics Department , Cambridge, MA  September 2022 - May 2023 

• Collaborated with Prof. Jane Doe on a project analysing the economic impacts of Brexit on UK SMEs.
• Utilized statistical tools to analyse datasets and contributed to a paper which was later published in a renowned economic journal.
• Organized seminars and workshops, coordinating with guest speakers and ensuring smooth logistics.

CV skills example

The whole point of a Harvard CV is to emphasise the best of your career knowledge, expertise and experience. The skills section does just that in a simple listing of the hard and soft skills in demand by your prospective employer.

• Critical Thinking
• Financial Analysis
• Collaboration
• Equity Research
• Economic Analysis
• Statistical Tools
• Market Trends
• Financial Strategy
• Client Presentations

Personalise and prioritise

By personalise and prioritise, we mean make sure you address each job as a unique opportunity by adjusting your summary, reworking your skills section and reorganising your bullet items to highlight the requirements of each position.

This strategy tells recruiters you are not cutting and pasting the same CV into each application, but it may also help you overcome the algorithms of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) since you will be organically inserting keywords and phrases important to the job into your document.

CV education example

Bump your education section up to the top of your Harvard style CV if you had an impressive academic career or are just beginning your professional life. This section should be formatted in reverse order and is a simple listing of your degrees. If you have any professional certifications, you may add them here or create a separate section to give them more emphasis.

Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Harvard University, Cambridge  September 2020 - Present

CV layout and design

A Harvard CV template typically follows a standard format with the header at the top and your name plus job placements, universities and section headings in bold font. It may employ a colour bar along one side to highlight your contact information, but rarely uses more than one hue. Try one of Resume.io’s expertly-designed templates for your Harvard CV to avoid the difficulties of formatting and ease the layout process.

Key takeaways for a Harvard CV

• A Harvard style CV gives you the freedom to organise your career stats for maximum impact.
• You know best what aspect of your professional life to highlight, so choose based on your achievements and your knowledge of what your prospective employer wants.
• Add sections such as honours or affiliations and minimise or eliminate other elements to put your most impressive accomplishments at the forefront.
• Take advantage of the expert resources at Resume.io to make your Harvard CV as strong as possible.

Attractive CV templates at your fingertips

7 Data Science Intern Resume Examples for 2024

Starting a career in data science can be tough. This article offers real examples of data science intern resumes, plus tips to make yours stronger. Learn how to highlight your skills and experience to appeal to hiring managers.

• 12 Sep 2024 - 5 new sections, including 'Positioning education on your resume', added
• 12 Sep 2024 - 5 new resume templates, including Aspiring Data Science Intern with Transferable Skills, added
• 10 Sep 2024 - Article published

  Next update scheduled for 20 Sep 2024

Here's what we see in the strongest data science intern resumes.

Quantifiable Achievements : Best resumes show value with numbers like reduced error rates by 10% , automated 5 processes , enhanced data retrieval speed by 20% , and analyzed 1,000+ data sets .

Relevant Technical Skills : You should include skills from the job description. Examples are Python , SQL , machine learning , R programming , and data visualization . Pick the ones you know.

Industry Tools And Software : Familiarity with tools is a must. Add phrases like proficient in Tableau or experienced with TensorFlow to show you know industry software.

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Data Science Intern Resume Sample

Find out how good your resume is.

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Get a score for your resume

Want to know if your resume stands out for data science internships? Our resume scoring tool gives you a clear picture of where you stand. It checks your resume against key criteria that recruiters in the tech industry look for, helping you understand your strengths and areas for improvement.

Upload your resume now for an unbiased assessment. You'll get instant feedback on how to make your application stronger, increasing your chances of landing that data science internship you want.

Positioning education on your resume

As a hiring manager, you must show your education clearly on your resume. Data science intern candidates are often in the early stages of their careers. If you are a student or a recent graduate, place your education section at the top. It will help hiring managers see your relevant academic background quickly. Focus on your degree subjects, any special projects, or statistics and programming courses that are essential for data science roles.

If you have completed a significant form of further education like a data science bootcamp or a related master's degree, this information should lead your resume. This tells employers that your recent training is your main qualification. As a data science intern, you want to highlight your understanding of data analysis, machine learning, or any specific tools like Python or R that you have studied. This shows you are ready to apply what you have learned in a practical setting.

Showcase relevant projects

For a data science role, showcasing relevant projects can set you apart. Include details about projects that involve data analysis, machine learning, or programming. Mention specific tools and techniques you used.

Consider creating a portfolio of your best work. This can include links to projects on platforms like GitHub or personal websites.

Junior Data Scientist Resume Sample

Keep your resume concise.

As an intern in data science, you should aim for a resume that is one page long. You are likely starting out or have limited professional experience. Show you can prioritize by including only the most relevant information. Focus on your strongest projects, technical skills, and any academic or extracurricular activities that highlight your abilities in data handling and analysis.

Do not worry about a one-page limit making you seem inexperienced. It shows you understand the importance of clear and relevant detail. Make sure the skills and experiences you choose to include reflect your understanding of data science tools and concepts that are vital in the field, such as programming languages, data visualization, and statistical analysis.

Senior Data Scientist Resume Sample

Highlight technical skills.

Technical skills are very important in data science roles. Make sure to list skills such as Python, R, SQL, and machine learning techniques. Mention any software or tools you're comfortable with like TensorFlow or Tableau.

Include any relevant certifications or courses you've completed. This shows your commitment to learning and growth in the field.

Data Science Intern with NLP Specialization Resume Sample

Aspiring data science intern with transferable skills resume sample.

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