A Peer Career Coach’s Guide to Creating a Standout Resume

By: Emma Butler

When I began college in Fall 2018, I made sure to pack all of my favorite things, pictures of my friends and family, my favorite pillow and my 3-page, green-font filled resume. I made this resume before beginning college and believed that with it I could take on the internship hunt like nobody’s business. It wasn’t until I began my classes at OSU and met many mentors in AMA, did I realize that in order to be noticed by recruiters my resume would need to undergo a major transformation. 

Through the help of others and a lot of research, I was able to take three pages of what seemed to document my entire life, and turn it into a cohesive, ATS-approved, one-page resume. Now as I begin my second year as a Peer Career Coach in Fisher’s Office of Career Management where I spend my time editing other Fisher students’ resumes and cover letters, I want to share some of my favorite tips to help create a resume that will make you stand out.


Formatting

When it comes to formatting, undergrad business students tend to follow specific guidelines.

  • Resume can ONLY be one page

  • Colors and designs are not encouraged

  • No pictures or headshots

  • Use easy to read fonts at 10 point minimum (Times New Roman, Arial Calibri, etc.)

  • Save resume as a PDF named “FirstName_LastName_Resume” (this ensures document consistency across PCs and Macs and when you save your resume as your name, recruiters will be easily able to tell that it is yours)


Contact Information

The top of your resume will include your contact information where recruiters can find what they need at a quick glance.

  • Name should be included as a few font sizes larger

  • Addresses are no longer needed but instead optional; most recruiters will not be needing a physical address until well into the interview process. Feel free to include if you would still like to!

  • Cell Phone Number

  • Email: I recommend using your osu.edu email, but if using a personal one, make sure it is professional!

  • References do not need to be included on your resume and will be asked for during the interview process if needed


Objective Statements

Objective statements are completely optional! If you choose to include one, make sure it is clear and concise and includes the position your seeking, when it is for, and the business function.


Education Section

The education section needs to be at the top of the page after the contact information and objective statement if included.

  • University should be listed as: “The Ohio State University, Max M. Fisher College of Business”

  • Every Fisher student has the same degree, and it should be written out in full: “Bachelor of Science in Business Administration”

  • Include your specialization(s) and any minors

  • GPA should be listed if it is higher than 3.0 (if it is not you can include your specific major GPA if it is over 3.0 instead)

  • List graduation date (month, year)

  • Include any study abroad programs, scholarships, school related honors and awards, and any academic programs (Honors program, Industry Immersion, Scholars cohorts, etc.)

  • High school GPA and graduation should be included until you have an official GPA at Ohio State and can stay on no later than the end of Sophomore year


Experience Sections

This is where your creativity and experiences can shine! The experience sections can be broken up any way you see fit, for example: work experiences, volunteering, clubs and organizations, leadership positions, etc.

  • Each experience must include title of company/org, location (city, state); dates worked, job title

  • Should be written in reverse chronological order: most recent position is listed on top

  • High school activities can be included but should be removed by the end of Sophomore year

  • Each position should include 2-5 bullet points depending on how much responsibility you had

  • Each bullet should begin with an action verb, with present jobs in the present tense and past jobs in the past tense

  • If I can leave you with one thing: QUANTIFY! Quantifying your information with numbers is key to show your impact in the role


Other Resume Sections

You have the option to include other resume sections depending on what is applicable to you. This can include skills, awards and interests

  • Skills can include computer, language or other job-related skills

  • Make sure you are honest with your ability levels (if you put fluent in Spanish would you be able to do an entire interview only speaking Spanish?)


Resume Resources

The Office of Career Management has countless resources to set you up for success, here a few to get you started!


Don’t feel discouraged if you too start with a three-page green-font filled resume or no resume at all, I was once in your shoes and with a little help, you can create a resume that truly captures all of the great things you have achieved!

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