Download a PDF version of the résumé template:
First Name Family Name
Program Name, Academic Level (e.g., 1B), UWaterloo ID# (for co-op résumé only)
name@uwaterloo.ca , 519-222-0000
LinkedIn/Professional Website Address
Summary of Qualifications
Summary of Qualifications bullet points may be structured using the following formula: [Adjective/noun] + [high level description of experience] (e.g., Excellent time management skills as developed through/as gained by working in fast-past work environments as a full-time student)
Experience (consider quantifying if more than one year) in relevant roles (paid, unpaid, academic, extra-curricular) (e.g., 3 years of wet lab experience in biology and chemistry settings)
Relevant technical or transferrable skills
Related technical knowledge, training or certifications (If you have many specialized technical skills, you may want to include a Technical Skills section immediately following your Summary of Qualifications, including links to online projects to showcase your skills)
Relevant transferable skills/accomplishments
Education
Early in your career, your most relevant experiences may come from academic courses or projects. As more relevant work experience is gained, you may want to reorder these sections, moving your Education section further down.
Degree Name - Major/Specialization/Minor Start Date – Present (or Expected Graduation Date)
Institution, City/Town, Province (city/town, country if outside of Canada)
Relevant Projects (Can be included under separate Projects section; use action verbs and accomplishment statements where possible; use keywords from the posting and consider including links to project websites, output etc.)
Relevant Courses: Course Title A, Course Title B, Course Title C, Course Title D
Thesis: Title
Awards: (Can be included under separate Awards section)
Other Diplomas: secondary school optional (most common if in 1st year of post-secondary studies). If including Certificates and/or training, list as above with locations and dates and modify heading to reflect additional training (e.g., Education and Training)
[Relevant Skill or Experience Heading]
Title each skill and experience heading according to a skill or experience that is relevant to the job (e.g., Leadership, Communication, Customer Service, Administrative Support, etc.). Add as many headings as necessary (between 1-5) and order them in terms of relevancy to target job.
Include accomplishment statements taken from each work/volunteer/academic/ other experience you have that is relevant to this skill set; use keywords from the job ad and quantifiable results where possible (e.g., Reorganized the filing system of a local food bank using a colour coding system which saved time for administrative staff at the end of every month)
Experience Summary
Use this section to include the experiences from which the above skills/accomplishments came, in reverse chronological order, without details.
Job/Volunteer Title, Organization, City, Province Month/Year - Month/Year
Job/Volunteer Title, Organization, City, Province Month/Year - Month/Year
Job/Volunteer Title, Organization, City, Province Month/Year - Month/Year
(*if outside Canada include City/Town, Country)
[Other Sections]
Use these optional sections to highlight other skills relevant to the target position and industry norms (e.g., Computer Proficiency; Laboratory Skills; Technical Skills; Scientific Instrumentation; Certifications; Projects; Awards & Scholarships; Languages; Publications)
Activities and Interests [or Additional Information]
This section could include volunteer or extracurricular involvement/roles; relevant conferences/events/seminars attended; professional association memberships; relevant self-directed learning; hobbies/activities (separated by commas without dates)
Title, Club/Organization/Team, City, Province Month/Year - Month/Year
General formatting tips:
Résumés are typically 1-2 pages in length
Ensure your formatting is consistent: font style, text size and spaces between categories. If including a cover letter in your application package, ensure your formatting in consistent across documents.
Decide which sections to include and in which order based on what is most relevant to your target role.
You're encouraged to consult the résumé section for much more detailed information including options and recommendations.