Sample Resumes

Alright, all this resume talk, and we haven’t yet looked at any!! In this lesson, I’ll show you various options and share some thoughts on each. Don’t look at these as templates (I’ll share a resume-building tool later) – use them to generate ideas for how you would like to present your unique attributes. So, feel free to start scrolling!

Resume 1 – Nursing major without relevant work experience

What I like about this resume:

• Leo clearly states that he is looking for a role as a nurse.
• Leo lists the name of the company he’s applying to in the objective statement, which shows commitment and attention to detail. He also makes it clear he’s a recent grad, which accounts for the lack of professional experience as a nurse. Short, sweet, and to the point.
• Although Leo hasn’t yet worked as a nurse, his volunteer at Beyond the Bedside and Healthy Habits, Healthy Lives more than makes up for it.
• Although the job as a gasoline attendant isn’t in healthcare, it builds credibility based on how it’s presented. Analytical thinking and a commitment to detail and accuracy are skills that translate across every industry.

What I don’t like about this resume:

• Although Leo indicates he wants to be a nurse, I’d prefer a bit more specificity, directly under his name (e.g., Registered Nurse) or in the objective statement.

Resume 2 – Computer science major with relevant experience & internship

What I like about this resume:

• The reader immediately knows who Rowan is professionally and what he wants to do.
• It’s a clean, easy-to-read format with plenty of white space.
• Rowan does a great job of laying out his best attributes and strengths as a candidate from top to bottom.

What I don’t like about this resume:

• I can’t tell exactly when Rowan is scheduled to graduate. Many recruiters will assume that date is too far in the future to consider him for an immediate opening. If you’re still in school, always include your expected graduation date.

Resume 3 – Communications major with outstanding volunteer experience

What I like about this resume:

• Pretty much everything! Maxine’s volunteer experience is phenomenal, and she does an excellent job quantifying her results.
• Maxine highlights her most relevant (and impressive) experience first—even if that’s a volunteer role. Just because a volunteer position comes without pay doesn’t make it a lesser experience – especially for a student.

What I don’t like about this resume:

• This is nitpicking, but I would rather not see Maxine’s courses here. The list blends in with her education (potentially causing the reader to overlook her impressive GPA) and isn’t necessary due to her outstanding experience. While a student with lesser accomplishments would benefit from listing relevant coursework, it isn’t necessary in Maxine’s case.

Resume 4 – Data science master’s degree (but hard to find)

What I like about this resume:

• Everything listed here speaks to Jared’s strengths and his candidacy as a promising data scientist.

What I don’t like about this resume:

• Jared’s education, his most impressive and relevant attribute, is buried at the bottom. Take another look at this resume and scan it from the top down, which is what a recruiter will do. The summary paragraph (which I also don’t like because of its length) will be skipped over, and the reader will assume this candidate hasn’t worked in more than two years…and, in all likelihood, immediately move on. Instead, this resume should tell an entirely different story from the start: Jared’s been busy earning a difficult master’s degree from a top-tier university!
• Jared failed to include a zip code, which means Jared’s resume won’t appear in searches where it’s used instead of the city. Recruiters often prefer to search within a radius of a zip code for accuracy and convenience.
• The bulleted items listed under the internships and projects largely describe tasks instead of achievements. It’s great that Jared did all those things…but did he do them well? It’s a missed opportunity to highlight results.

Resume 5 – Accounting major targeting a specific employer

What I like about this resume:

• Michael beautifully lays out his impressive internship and project work.
• From the top 20%of the resume, I instantly know what this candidate is looking for and why he’s worth considering.

What I don’t like about this resume:

• It appears Michael inadvertently used the word “Accounting” twice in the education section. A small infraction, perhaps, but it could be seen as a significant error, considering he’s in a profession that requires strong attention to detail.
• I’d like to see Michael’s CPA listed above his self-proclaimed skills. Why? It’s much more impressive than knowing he’s adept with Excel!

Resume 6 – Marketing major looking to do…something?

What I like about this resume:

• Between his year-long internship and local SEO project work, it’s clear David has more relevant experience than most recent grads.
• David’s listed skills align perfectly for a career in digital marketing

What I don’t like about this resume:

• It lacks an objective statement. While describing himself as an entry-level marketing analyst indicates his desired role, it’s a missed opportunity to go further. David’s resume would benefit from job-specific keywords and a clearly stated objective.
• David’s list of courses unnecessarily consumes valuable real estate at the top of his resume. I already know he’s a marketing grad, so seeing he took “Intro to Marketing” isn’t helpful.

Resume 7 – Computer science major – nearly perfect, but…

What I like about this resume:

• It’s clean and unambiguous. I can immediately determine that Alex is an impressive new grad with a clear professional objective.

What I don’t like about this resume:

• Alex didn’t include a zip code. If Amazon is hiring locally, and their recruiters are searching for candidates within a zip code radius, this resume will never see the light of day. A small miss with a big impact for an outstanding candidate.
• Alex has a website with a personal portfolio. Ideally, I’d like to see the URL up top, with the project descriptions at the bottom.

Resume 8 – Data science graduate

What I like about this resume: Everything – this is about as good as it gets!

Resume 9 – History major seeking sales position

What I like about this resume:

• It’s clear that Taylor is looking for a job in pharmaceutical sales. Recruiters will appreciate the committed approach.
• Although Taylor’s degree in history may not be ideal preparation for a sales career, the certification more than compensates. Obtaining it shows assertiveness and ambition, which are important skills for a salesperson.

What I don’t like about this resume:

• Taylor’s description of the customer service representative job starts off great with the first bullet but quickly goes from accomplishment to tasks with the other two – it’s a missed opportunity to showcase sales-minded traits.
• The volunteer experience (and achievement-based bullets) should be listed under “Experience”. The tangible results listed are much more impressive than the self-reported skills.
• No zip code, again. Have I drilled that home enough yet?

Resume 10 – Current student seeking internship

What I like about this resume:

• As with the previous resume, this one is nearly flawless….except for the big miss below.

What I don’t like about this resume:

• It’s not immediately clear that Emily is seeking an internship. Since she isn’t graduating until December 2025, she should more clearly state her objective.