Writing Customized Resumes & Curricula Vitae (CVs)

Customizing Resumes - Career Development Session
To help get more interviews, tailor your resume to the specific requirements of the job. To learn how to tailor your resume, attend a session on Customizing Resumes (see Career Sessions schedule). Prepare a revised draft and request an individual resume review.

Resume Models & Curricula Vitae (CVs) Guidelines
Customized resumes and CVs highlight your background and strengths related to specific requirements and criteria of each opportunity (e.g., job posting, admission or grant application). Selectively highlight your most relevant knowledge, skills and abilities, attitudes and other qualifications:

• Closely analyze the requirements and criteria. Sort them into categories and name (headings).
• Use these as headings to create a section such as "Related Knowledge, Skills & Experience" (resume page 1).
• Under each heading, write statements about your related academic, volunteer and/or employment experience. Include some details, statistics and examples, such as titles of a project, lab report, artwork or paper. See customized examples below. 
• Also review resources with examples of knowledge and skills related to different academic programs and specializations:
  1. UR Career Guide
  2. U of R Undergraduate Calendar - Courses (see course descriptions)
  3. U of R Graduate Studies and Research (see course descriptions)
• Other resources for examples of knowledge and skills related to different fields and occupations:
  1. Career Cruising (see Explore Careers)
  2. National Occupational Classification

Customized Resume Examples & Template
Review examples below for ideas on how to tailor your resume to address specific requirements and criteria.

• Arts, Social Sciences, Humanities & Related Fields - Entry-Level Positions (255 KB)
• Business & Administration - Entry-Level Positions (414 KB)
• Education & Teaching Fields - Entry-Level Positions (244 KB)
• Engineering, Technology & Related Fields - Advanced Positions (200 KB)
• Engineering, Technology & Related Fields - Entry-Level Positions (156 KB)
• Kinesiology, Health, Sport, Recreation & Related Fields - Entry-Level Positions (430 KB)
• Media, Art, Performance & Other Creative Fields - Entry-Level Positions (172 KB)
• Nursing & Other Healthcare Applications - Entry-Level Positions (144 KB)
• Science Fields - Entry-Level Positions (425 KB)
• Social Work & Related Human Services - Entry-Level Positions (376 KB

Other Resume Examples & CV Guidelines

• Advanced Career - 1-Page General Model - All Fields(386 KB)
• Short-Term Work - Brief List of Related Skills(164 KB)
• Short-Term Work - Categories of Related Skills(312 KB)
• Short-Term Work - Labour Jobs (672 KB)
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) - Preparation Guidelines (50 KB)

Resume Template (Word)

• Resume Template - Revise this skills-based template to write a resume that highlights your relevant strengths and experience. (30 KB)

Have you already gone to a Custom Resumes workshop and want to have your new resume reviewed in a one-on-one meeting? Schedule a meeting with a staff member at the Centre for Experiential and Service Learning through our booking link (click here).