How to Build a Winning Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide by UCLA Undergraduate Business Society

Your resume is your first impression to potential employers. With only 15-30 seconds to grab their attention, crafting a clear, concise, and impactful resume is crucial. A well-constructed resume doesn’t just list your experiences – it tells your story and demonstrates how you’re the perfect fit for the job. Here’s how to create a standout resume that markets your skills effectively. 

Key Principles of an Effective Resume:

  • Clarity and Conciseness: Present your information succinctly, ensuring that key details stand out.

  • Relevance: Tailor your resume to align with the specific opportunity or field you’re targeting.

  • Impact: Use strong action verbs and quantify achievements to demonstrate your contributions.

Essential Components of a Resume:

  1. Contact Information

    1. Include your full name, phone number, professional email address, and LinkedIn profile or portfolio link.

  2. Education

    1. List your degree(s), major(s), institution(s), and graduation date(s).

    2. Mention relevant coursework, honors, and academic achievements.

  3. Experience

    1. Detail your work history, internships, volunteer roles, and leadership positions.

    2. For each role, provide your title, organization name, location, and dates of involvement.

    3. Use bullet points to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments, starting each with a strong action verb.

  4. Skills

    1. Highlight relevant skills, such as technical proficiencies, languages, and certifications.

Tips for Crafting Your Resume:

  • Use Strong Action Verbs: Begin each bullet point with a dynamic verb to convey your impact. For example, “Developed”, “Managed”, “Implemented,” etc. 

  • Quantify Achievements: Whenever possible, include numbers to illustrate your accomplishments (ex: “Increased sales by 20%).

  • Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume for each application, emphasizing the experiences and skills most relevant to the position.

  • Maintain Consistency: Ensure uniform formatting, font styles, and sizes throughout your document.

  • Proofread: Carefully review your resume to eliminate any grammatical errors or typos. 

Resume Example

Download Resume Template