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Undergraduate Guide to Creating
Professional Resumes
Undergraduate Academic and Career Development Center
(617) 353-2650
http://questromworld.bu.edu/udc
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Table of Contents
Getting Started
Purpose of this Guide 3
Purpose of a Professional Resume 3
Before you Begin Writing 3
The BU Questrom School of Business- Resume Format and Technical Specifications
General Formatting 4
Capitalization 4
Abbreviations 4
Dates 4
Numbers 4
Fonts 4
Margins 4
Resume Sections 5
Resume Paper 5
The BU Questrom School of Business-Content Guidelines
Contact Information 6
Education 7
Academic Team Projects 8
Experience 8
Develop and Write B-A-R Statements-Background, Action, Result 9-10
Skills 10
Leadership 11
Volunteer 11
Resume Sample 12
Resume Action Verbs 13
FAQ’s 14
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GETTING STARTED
Purpose of this Guide
The purpose of this guide is to help you develop the best possible resume to market yourself with confidence.
Preparing your resume according to this guide and ensure it is in QST format. This guide will teach you:
What to do before you begin writing your resume
How to develop an effective, differentiating resume in the Questrom resume format
How to address common resume concerns
Purpose of a Professional Resume
Your resume is an introduction to a potential employer and an important part of your brand. More often than
not, employers will initially scan your resume and make an assessment very rapidly, often in 6 to 10 seconds.
Your resume should showcase your skills and experiences in order to capture the employer’s interest. The
goal of your resume is to secure you an interview. Keep in mind that the resume you may have used for your
college applications will most likely be VERY different than a professional resume.
A professional resume IS…
…a one-page marketing tool that distinguishes you from the competition by highlighting your skills,
experiences, and accomplishments
…a presentation targeting the potential employer’s needs and emphasizing your contributions and
impact to previous organizations.
Before you begin writing, perform a comprehensive self-inventory by:
Making a list of experiences, activities, and volunteer work
Noting for each activity, job, volunteer work, or school project, the skills and accomplishments you
want to highlight
Writing as many details as possible about all of your experiences (do not worry about length at this
time)
Stop by the Undergraduate Academic and Career Development Center (UDC)
While the information in these pages will get you started in creating your resume, the Career Advisors and
Career Skills Coaches (CSCs) are available to critique your resume, answer questions, or provide additional
information. Developing a quality resume can take time and effort, but it will be well worth it in creating
opportunities along your career path.
**First Resume**- If you’re taking your first pass at a Questrom resume, come for a Walk In Career
Appointment with one of our CSCs. They are M-F 10am-4pm in the UDC.
**Advanced Resumes**- Make an appointment with a career advisor using Handshake.
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The Boston University Questrom School of Business Resume
Format: Grammar Rules and Technical Guidelines
Rules for Capitalization, Abbreviations, Dates, Numbers, and Technical
Guidelines
Capitalization
Capitalize the names of foreign countries, nationalities and specific languages.
Do NOT capitalize industries or disciplines such as marketing, finance, strategy, biotechnology or high
technology.
o Example: Performed market research on high technology and biotechnology firms.
Abbreviations
Abbreviate states for employer locations.
o Use postal abbreviations (e.g. MA for Massachusetts).
o Do not abbreviate states in the body of a job description (e.g. responsible for sales in
Massachusetts).
Spell out the full name for your degrees.
o Bachelor of Science; not: BS
For percentages use the percentage sign.
o Increased sales by 25% over a six-month period.
Avoid using the abbreviations co. or corp. spell them out: Company and Corporation.
Spell out address information.
o 15 Tenth Street; not: 15 Tenth St.
Dates
Write out years completely: 2015-2019; not: 2015-19.
Spell out months: February; not: Feb.
Writing Numbers
Numbers less than ten should be spelled.
o Two; not: 2
Spell numbers when beginning sentences.
o Fourteen students were trained; not: 14 students were trained.
Use figures for large monetary amounts.
o $250,000 in sales
o $14. 5 million (spell million and use lower case “m”)
When referring to monetary amounts from overseas, translate the amount into US dollars and write it as
follows: US$14.5 million
Fonts
It is recommended to use a traditional, easy-to-read font, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri.
Use the same font type and font size throughout your resume, preferably 11 or 12 point, but never smaller
than 10.
If space allows, you may wish to draw greater attention to your name and increase the font size. Only
increase the font size for your name, not any other contact information.
Margins
All margins should be no less than 0.5 inches. Smaller margins may result in your resume being cut off
when printed by a prospective employer. At a maximum, margins should be no wider than one inch.
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Resume Sections
DO NOT include sections such as Objective Statement, Summary of Qualifications, or References
Available upon Request.
o Objectives are antiquated and can be addressed in a cover letter.
o Summary of qualifications are used only when you have 7+ years of work experience.
o References will be a separate document that is not part of your resume.
Resume section headings should be distinguished and easy to read by use of bold, italics, capital letters
and/or underlining.
Always include the following sections, at a minimum, in your resume: Contact Information, Education,
Experience, Skills
You may also choose to add sections such as: Volunteer Experience, Leadership, Academic Projects,
or Activities.
Resume Paper
Use professional business resume paper when handing a copy of your resume in person. This paper can
be bought at any local office supply store. Acceptable paper colors include white, ivory or light grey.
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The Boston University Questrom School of Business
Resume Format:
Content Guidelines
Contact Information
Name: Put your legal name. International students, or individuals who prefer to go by a nickname, may
put their preferred name in quotes or parentheses, as indicated below.
Address: It is acceptable to incorporate your school and permanent addresses, particularly if you plan to
return to your home area post-graduation (for full-time work) or during the summer (for internships). You
may choose to put only one address on your resume. Often you will want to choose the address that is
closest to the internship/job you are applying to.
Telephone number
o Review your outgoing message on the telephone number you provide on your resume to ensure
that it is professional.
o Limit the number of phone numbers included – preferably you should list just one number; two is
acceptable given certain circumstances. Choose the number that is most likely to reach you.
E-mail address: As with telephone numbers, limit to one email address and be sure it is appropriate
LinkedIn profile URL: Demonstrate your professionalism by displaying your LinkedIn URL on your
resume. When doing this, be sure it is customized to be something different than the one that LinkedIn
automatically provides you. Please search the “Help” menu on LinkedIn for specific instructions.
CHENG-GONG (John) MEI
617-123-4567
http://www.linkedin.com/in/cgjohnmei
Current Address Permanent Address
1234 Commonwealth Avenue Apt.12 123 North Road
Boston, MA 02246 Brookline, MA 02445
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Education
*List your GPA only if it is a 3.0 or above; always ensure it is up to date. Do not round.
Basic
BOSTON UNIVERSITY QUESTROM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS; Boston, MA May 20XX
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Concentration: XXX;
Cumulative GPA 3.XX
Joint Degrees
If you are receiving another degree from Boston University but outside the Questrom School of Business, your
degrees may be listed in the following way:
BOSTON UNIVERSITY; Boston, MA January 20XX
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration; Concentration: XXX
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
Cumulative GPA: 3.XX
Multiple Concentrations
BOSTON UNIVERSITY QUESTROM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS; Boston, MA September 20XX
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Dual Concentrations: Finance and Marketing;
Cumulative GPA: 3.XX
Minor
BOSTON UNIVERSITY QUESTROM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS; Boston, MA September 20XX
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Concentration: Finance
Minor in Economics
Cumulative GPA: 3.XX
Multiple Undergraduate Institutions
If you transferred schools as an undergraduate.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY QUESTROM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS; Boston, MA May 20XX
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Concentration: XXX;
Cumulative GPA: 3.XX
UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND; Kingston, RI September 20XX – May 20XX
Coursework toward Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Cumulative GPA: 3.XX
Study Abroad
BOSTON UNIVERSITY QUESTROM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS; Boston, MA May 20XX
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Concentration: XXX
Cumulative GPA: 3.XX
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN; Dublin, Ireland Spring 20XX
Study Abroad Program
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Academic Team Projects (RECOMMENDED)
Basic
Include those that are most closely connected to the industry you are pursuing.
It is better to profile one or two strong team projects and offer more detailed descriptions than to provide a
brief overview of all of your projects.
Be sure to incorporate the team aspect; however, also highlight any specific area of the assignment
where you took ownership.
Develop “Impact Statements” or “B-A-R statements” that highlight your role and contributions to the team.
Sample
ACADEMIC TEAM PROJECT Semester Taken
Title of Project
Insert “B-A-R Statement-Background, Action, Result”
Experience
The Experience section highlights your skills, accomplishments, and impact on a company and/or
extracurricular activity. Experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order and should include:
Company Name
Job title
Location (s) of where you worked
Dates of employment (months and years); all dates should end at the right margin.
“B-A-R Statements-Background, Action, Result” Always order your statements by starting with
the important and industry relevant information first.
SAMPLES
LEWIS CONSULTING ASSOCIATES; Boston, MA May 20XX – August 20XX
Marketing Intern
Generated market research reports for technology companies through focus groups to provide qualitative
feedback.
Company Name Change if a company you have worked for has changed names, you may indicate
the previous name on your resume.
DIVINE (Previously: OPEN MARKET); Chicago, IL June 20XX – Present
Human Resources Intern
Entrepreneurial Experience/Self Employment If you founded or started a company, detail the
major activities and skills required to launch the business.
ABC SOFTWARE, INCORPORATED; Cambridge, MA June 20XX – Present
Co-Founder and President
Developed business and financial plan to raise capital, securing $1,000 in funding in less than one year
Collaborated with research and development to produce a demonstration website for potential clients
Secured two new clients valued at $800 within the first six months through personal networking
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Company Name: ___________________
Position: __________________________
B= Background
A = Action
R = Result
Completed
What did you do?
How did you do it
Why did you do it (or
what was the
purpose/result)?
Completed B-A-R
statement
Created a database
Used Access to develop
the database,
implemented user input
form, ran reports
The company wanted to
provide targeted sales
approaches for each
client based upon 3-4
dimensions
Created Access
database for over
200 clients to
achieve a more
customized sales
approach
B-A-R Method
Resume Bullet Writing
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Writing Powerful B-A-R Statements, Background, Action, and Result”
Think about ways that you made an impact or achieved an accomplishment.
Before
After
Before I organized the inventory, orders
took three hours to process.
After I organized the inventory, orders
were processed in half the time.
Always start your “B-A-R Statements-Background, Action, Result” with an action verb (please see page
13 for a list). Avoid words or phrases such as aided, assisted, helped, learned, gained, participated,
worked and responsibilities included. These words tend to be passive and do not actively reflect your
role, skills, and accomplishments.
Resulting B-A-R Statement:
Organized inventory through creation of an Excel spreadsheet and reduced order
processing time by half.
OR, for even more of an impact, start with the accomplishment:
Reduced order processing by 50% by organizing inventory on an Excel spreadsheet.
Incorporate numbers, data, facts, percentages and figures that create an impact.
Before
After
A long report
250-page status report
Managed staff
Managed four-person staff
Saved money
Saved department $75,000 annually
Short time
In less than three hours
1. Make sure your statements are clear and verifiable. Can you explain the results in detail to an interviewer?
2. Determine the company’s needs, or utilize the job description, and craft “B-A-R Statements – Background,
Action, Result” to meet those needs and that illustrate competencies the company is looking for.
Incorporate the skills, key words, and capabilities that the employer or industry values for the position;
Be aware that resume readers and recruiters will likely read the first one or two bullets under each job.
Therefore, order the bullets to reflect the skills that the employer finds most pertinent, and not
necessarily those most important in the old job or those that consumed the greatest amount of time.
Skills
Incorporate computer, social media and language skills into this section. Be aware that if you indicate aptitude
or proficiency in a technical skill or language, you should be prepared to discuss or speak it during an
interview. DO NOT list soft skills in this section.
Fluent means that you have the ability to speak, write and read the language with ease
Native speaker means that you are fluent in the language and have been immersed in the culture
Conversational means that you can speak the language with relative ease
SKILLS
Computer: Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Word; basic Adobe Photoshop, Visio; knowledge
of Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr
Language: Fluent in German and French; reading ability in Italian and Portuguese
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Leadership Experience (OPTIONAL)
This section addresses leadership roles in clubs, organizations and athletics. Often these experiences
demonstrate transferrable skills that employers desire. This can include (but is not limited to):
fraternities/sororities, BU or QST clubs, student government, orientation leaders, etc.
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Boston University First Year Student Outreach Project; Boston, MA August 20XX and August 20XX
Staff Leader
Led a group of 20 incoming freshmen through volunteer activities with non-profit organizations weekly
Facilitated group discussions each day through games, reflection circles, and written activities
Volunteer Experience (OPTIONAL)
This is also a section that can highlight transferrable skills and how you have given back to the community. List
the most current and related volunteer experience.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Habitat for Humanity; Boston, MA Summers 20XX – 20XX
Volunteer
Built homes with a team of 15 students and community members in an area affected by hurricanes
Raised $1,000 by establishing partnerships with local businesses to subsidize transportation for the trip
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SAMPLE RESUME: DO NOT COPY
Plagiarism is a violation of the Academic Conduct Code
Rhett Terrier
595 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
EDUCATION
Boston University Questrom School of Business, Boston, MA May 2018
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Dual Concentrations: Marketing and Operations & Technology Management
Cumulative GPA: 3.3
Activities: Vice President of Student Affairs; Honors Program; LOCK Honor Society; BU Marketing Club
Academic Team Projects Fall 2016
Cross Functional CORE Project
Collaborated with a team of nine to develop a unique service idea and devise an integrated business plan
Led the marketing subsection team to analyze market trends, user target factors, assess market competitors, calculate proper
price points, and create various advertising strategies for social media and print campaigns
Contributed to operations, finance, and quantitative analysis sub-teams to reconcile functional areas
Developed a business plan over 100 pages long that explained in detail the hypothetical business’s positioning and marketing,
operations and supply chain management, financial statements, and risk calculations
WORK EXPERIENCE
Boston University Questrom Undergraduate Development Center, Boston, MA January 2015 – Present
Front Desk Associate
Provide students with information regarding academics and student life and comprehensively answer questions
Schedule meetings between students and advisors; email daily reminders to create a coordinated agenda
Assist with the organization of Open Houses by creating information folders, guiding prospective students, and offering
auxiliary support to advisors
Wanderu, Boston, MA June 2017 – September 2017
Marketing Content & SEO Intern
Perform keyword research using Moz SEO software and Google Trends to gauge user intent, click rates, and time spent on
various pages
Optimize webpages for carriers like Amtrak and Peter Pan to include popular keywords utilized in searches with the goal of
increased organic user traffic to the site
F’real Foods, Boston, MA October 2016 – October 2017
Campus Brand Ambassador
Develop and maintain relationships with key university members, including; Foodservice and/or Retail employees, campus
marketing teams, and student social influencers , to increase awareness of F’real
Create new and unique marketing tactics and social media initiatives to interact with students and create positive buzz about
the brand and increase recognition of brand
Attend monthly online team meetings to discuss challenges, opportunities, and strategies for marketing
LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Delta Sigma Pi – Gamma Chapter, Boston University December 2016 – Present
VP of Fundraising
Coordinate several fundraising events throughout the year and have personally raised over $1200 each year
Manage all chapter budgeting, financials, and arrange all payment plan structuring for members
Boston University Questrom Dean’s Host, Boston University December 2015 – Present
Selected to represent the Questrom School of Business by giving weekly tours and assisting in open house events for
prospective families and students
SKILLS
Computer: Microsoft Office Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
Language: Conversational Spanish
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RESUME ACTION VERBS
Achievement Administrative Communication Creative Financial
accelerated arranged addressed authored allocated
accomplished channeled arbitrated changed analyzed
achieved charted articulated conceived appraised
activated collated briefed constructed audited
attained collected communicated created balanced
competed coordinated conducted developed budgeted
earned dispensed contacted devised calculated
effected distributed conveyed drafted compiled
elicited established corresponded established computed
executed executed delivered formulated controlled
exercised implemented demonstrated founded disbursed
expanded installed edited illustrated estimated
expedited maintained entertained influenced figured
generated offered interviewed introduced financed
improved ordered informed invented forecasted
increased outlined lectured launched projected
insured performed mediated originated reconciled
marketed prepared negotiated revamped tabulated
mastered processed persuaded revised
obtained provided presented staged Technical
produced purchased promoted updated adapted
reduced recorded proposed visualized adjusted
reorganized rendered publicized applied
reproduced served reported built
restructured serviced represented Research/ computed
simplified sourced responded Analytical constructed
sold supported suggested assessed designed
solicited translated compared diagnosed
streamlined Lead/Manage wrote critiqued engineered
succeeded acquired defined experimented
upgraded administered derived maintained
approved Plan/Organize detected modified
assigned allocated determined operated
Help/Teach chaired anticipated discovered prescribed
advised contracted arranged evaluated programmed
clarified controlled catalogued examined proved
coached decided categorized explored reinforced
collaborated delegated classified found repaired
consulted directed collected inspected resolved
counseled enlisted consolidated interpreted restored
educated governed convened investigated solved
explained handled edited located specified
facilitated initiated eliminated measured systematized
guided instilled employed observed tested
instructed managed grouped rated
modeled motivated monitored recommended
taught recruited planned reviewed
trained retained regulated searched
tutored reviewed scheduled studied
selected structured surveyed
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
The following is an attempt to address the common questions that students ask about what should be included
on their resumes. The answers to these questions are somewhat generalized, so if you have a specific issue
or question, it is recommended that you schedule an appointment with an UDC career advisor or come by
during walk-in hours to discuss your individual concerns.
When should I include my cumulative GPA on my resume?
The UDC recommends you include your cumulative GPA if it is 3.0 or higher. Your cumulative GPA is
the average of your grades in all courses taken at Boston University toward your undergraduate
degree. GPA should always be carried to two decimal points and should never be rounded up (i.e., 3.47
is not the same as 3.5). Employers can and often will request a copy of your transcript(s) to verify this
information.
You may choose to put your major GPA on your resume. Your major GPA should include all of the
courses you have taken in QST. For more information on how to calculate your major GPA, please see
the UDC website GPA information under “resumes and cover letters” here.
If I don’t include my GPA on my resume, will employers still consider me?
Some employers place a great deal of emphasis on academic achievement. Because your grade point
average is the only quantifiable way to measure this, employers may use the GPA as one criterion for
selecting students for interviews.
However, not all employers place a high value on the GPA. They may place more emphasis on work
experience, leadership, and/or evidence of certain skills (technical or soft). You should be prepared in
case you are asked about your GPA during an interview. If asked, be honest in stating your GPA, and
if you have extenuating circumstances, such as working 30 hours a week while in school or struggled in
a single semester or with a single class, then briefly offer an explanation.
If I transferred into the Questrom School of Business, should I include my GPA from my
previous college?
You may include your GPA from another institution, if it is 3.0 and above. However, once you have a
GPA from Questrom, that GPA should take precedent and be the primary one listed.
Should I include my high school education on my resume?
In general, it is recommended that you eliminate your high school education from your resume.
Freshmen may leave it on for the first year, but it should be removed by sophomore year. However, you
may include your high school longer if you are pursuing work in the area where the school is located or
if you want to leverage your high school’s alumni network or reputation.
Should I have two separate resumes if I have a dual concentration?
If the two concentrations are distinctly different fields and your job search is in two separate areas with
little cross over, it may be in your best interest to craft two resumes with each resume emphasizing the
experience and team projects that you have in each of the two concentrations.
If you plan to focus your job-search efforts in one of the two fields, then you should list the primary
concentration first and highlight the experiences in that field throughout your resume.
Do employers care if I have a job during the school year that is unrelated to the career I am
pursuing?
Employers are interested in information that sets you apart from the competition. If you are able to
maintain a strong GPA and participate in a number of activities as well as work 20 hours a week, you
send a strong message to a prospective employer that you are able to manage your time effectively,
can multi-task, and most likely have good time management skills. While these may not be specific
technical skills required for the job, they are transferable soft skills that you will take into any workplace
at any time.
Can I list unpaid jobs or volunteer experience on my resume, or do employers only want to
see paid experiences?
You should incorporate all recent experience into your resume whether it is paid or not. Especially if it is
an experience that enhances your skillsets or knowledge in a field you are hoping to enter. Whether or
not you were paid is most often not the primary interest of a perspective employer. In fact, some of the
best learning experiences come from unpaid experience.
