AiC Labs | 10 Resume Tips

This guidance was adapted from an Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Labs event with the AiC Community and special guest Rhona Pierce, Founder & Lead Strategist at HowToLevelUp.com. AiC Community members can watch the full recording of her presentation — How to Tell Your Story with Your Resume — on demand on Vimeo for more insights. 

The NCWIT Aspirations in Computing program hosts several events for the AiC Community throughout the year to build networks and connections, explore ideas and skills, and host meetups with likeminded peers. To join, students in high school and college, as well as early-career professionals, can register to become an AiC Community Member at aspirations.org.

White, blue, and green graphic design featuring the ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing logo, an icon of a star in the center of a focus frame, and text: "Tip. No. 1: Understand the Purpose"
The main goal is to get an invitation for an interview.

Showing your work history and landing a job are related, but a resume is a marketing document designed to quickly catch the attention of an employer or recruiter who will book interviews for a specific role. 

"Everything on your resume should answer the question of why you should be invited to an interview for a particular job or internship."

- Rhona Pierce
White, blue, and green graphic design featuring the ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing logo, an icon of a book with a star on the cover, and text: "Tip. No. 2: Use Your Story"
Use storytelling to show your unique value.

Your resume is a story about your skills, experiences, and achievements. Use storytelling techniques to showcase your Unique Value Proposition (UVP), even if you don’t have a lot of professional experience.

Don’t know your UVP? Ask yourself the following questions:

    1. What are you known for?
    2. What do people ask you for help with?
    3. What skills do you receive compliments on?
    4. What five characteristics best describe you?
    5. Why do you do what you do?
White, blue, and green graphic design featuring the ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing logo, an icon of a page with sections and bullets, and text: "Tip No. 3: Build Sections for Structure"
Organize and showcase your background.

Structure your resume with the following sections:

  1. Highlights
  2. Skills
  3. Experience
  4. Education

Highlights: Contact information, and personal summary statement

Skills: List any and all core competencies that are relevant to the role

Experience: Feature past achievements, and quantify whenever possible

Education: Include degrees and certifications obtained and in progress

White, blue, and green graphic design featuring the ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing logo, an icon of a spotlight shining upward, and text: "Tip No. 4: Showcase Highlights"
Give your highlights priority placement on the page.

Use the top third of your resume to display your:

  1. First and last name
  2. City and state
  3. Contact information
  4. Professional summary

Note: It’s not necessary to include your full address, but contact information should include your email address, phone number, and/or your website. 

White, blue, and green graphic design featuring the ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing logo, an icon of a page with a magnifying glass near the top, and text: "Tip No. 5: Summary Statement"
Tell the reader who you are and what you will bring.

A professional summary statement should be two to three sentences that give a recruiter or employer clear reasons to keep reading. Review the description and call attention to requirements that overlap with your experience.

Remember your UVP here, too. The skills and characteristics you listed can help you identify assets that align with an internship or position.

White, blue, and green graphic design featuring the ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing logo, an icon of a figure inside a circle frame with smaller circles at the four cardinal directions. Text reads: "Tip No. 6: List Your Skills"
Lead with an easy-to-scan list of your relevant skills.

Near the top of your resume, include a list of skills that relate to the type of role you’re applying to. Refer to the description, as well as your UVP, to strategically select skills that are useful or necessary in the position you are seeking.

Caution: This section shouldn’t be a catch-all for every professional skill you possess. Only include skills that connect to the job or internship.

White, blue, and green graphic design featuring the ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing logo, an icon of a check mark above a trio of stars, and text: "Tip No. 7: Emphasize Experience"
Share your experience in chronological order.

As with skills, list both paid and unpaid experiences that are relevant to the the description and requirements. Go in chronological order to show your progression, and use numbers to show your impact whenever possible.

To keep things concise, include 3-5 accomplishments for each experience as bullet points, and start each point with a different action verb. 

White, blue, and green graphic design featuring the ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing logo, an icon of a graduation cap, and text: "Tip No. 8: Include Your Education"
Anchor your resume with your education.

Starting with the highest level of education you’ve achieved — or are currently pursuing, list all degrees and diplomas with the institution name and graduation year. If you haven’t graduated yet, list your expected graduation year.

Optional: Like with your experience section, you can list your GPA, relevant coursework, honors, and awards as bullet points.

White, blue, and green graphic design featuring the ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing logo, an icon of a computer monitor and paint brush, and text: "Tip No. 9: Design Details"
Keep the look simple and accessible to stand out.

Ensure your resume is easy to read by using standard fonts and a basic color scheme that has high enough contrast to be legible on screens and when printed. Avoid yellow, red, and other bright colors that can be challenging.

To prevent formatting conflicts, choose a “web safe” font like Arial, which is available across all operating systems and used widely online and in print.

White, blue, and green graphic design featuring the ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing logo, an icon of a box opening with rays above, and text: "Tip No. 10: Show, Don't Tell"
Let your accomplishments demonstrate your potential.

Throughout your resume, use action verbs and adjectives to illustrate your impact. Rather than telling a recruiter what you can do, a resume should show that you’re a great candidate who is ready for an interview request.

For example: National NCWIT Aspirations in Computing High School Award winners can include details like: “Selected from over 4,000 applications for a national-level recognition.”

Once you have your resume prepared, you’ll be ready to make professional introductions! Keep a working document handy to add milestones and updates as they arise, and upload PDFs to your favorite career finding sites and networks. If you use Linkedin, you can also quickly copy and paste your notable achievements and add skills to match your resume as well.

Special thanks go to Rhona Pierce for sharing her insights and her experience with the AiC Community! All of her advice is greatly appreciated, and wrapped up with one last tip: 

"You don’t need to customize your resume for every job. Choose two or three different types of jobs or internships you are interested in applying to, and create resumes for those."

- Rhona Pierce

For more advice, events, and insights...

The NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Community supports the technological ambitions of thousands of women, genderqueer, and non-binary students in high school, college, and the early-career workforce  by providing opportunities to connect and gain recognition, resources, and skills. To attend future events and receive notifications about upcoming award opportunities, register a Community Member account at aspirations.org. 

White, blue, and green graphic design featuring the ncwit.org | Aspirations in Computing logo, a grayscale photo of Rhona Pierce smiling toward the viewer, and text: AiC Labs, 10 Resume Tips from Rhona Pierce

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