#Resume

Tag: #Resume

USAJOBS Resume Best Practices (October 2025)


Per the new Federal Merit Hiring Plan, all federal resumes are not to exceed two pages as of October 2025. USAJOBS has created a technical solution that will limit resumes to two pages when submitting applications or using the USAJOBS resume builder. Below are some best practices when navigating these changes and rewriting the federal resume.

Content:
• Prioritize recent work experience that is most relevant to the duties and qualifications listed on the job announcement. “Recent experience” and “relevant experience” are not the same thing. De-prioritize or remove non-relevant and outdated work experience.
• Align any work experience on the resume to qualifications listed on the job announcement.
• Use plain language that is understood by HR specialists and hiring managers. When you apply for a job, an HR Specialist will most likely review your resume first to determine whether you are qualified for the job.
• Use language that is results focused and includes numbers and metrics to quantify your work.
• You can include volunteer work, internships, and other non-paid work; these will still count towards your total years of experience.
• Ask yourself: Can the HR professional reading this, who may not have direct experience in my field, understand my experience in 10-15 seconds?

Formatting:
• USAJOBS recommends using at a minimum of .5 margins, 10-pt size font for main content and 14-pt size for headings.
• Use a font that is easy to read, such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
• Uploading a PDF resume is the best practice to maintain formatting and the number of pages, but many file types are accepted.

Make your resume searchable:
• Recruiters may contact people in their database to apply for jobs not posted on USAJOBS or only available at career fairs.
• Resumes can only be searchable for 18 months, and only 1 resume at a time can be searchable.
• Only 1–2-page resumes will be searchable; all resumes that were previously searchable expired in September 2025, so USAJOBS users will need to go back and update the searchable resume.

To learn more about the changes to federal resumes and other hiring considerations in the federal government, USAJOBS and OPM on LinkedIn.

Key Differences Between a CV & a Resume

Understanding the Differences Between a CV and a Resume

When it comes to job applications, you might have heard of both a CV and a resume. While they might seem similar, they serve different purposes and are used in different contexts. Let’s break down the main differences between these two important documents.

What is a CV?

A CV, or Curriculum Vitae, is a detailed document that outlines your entire academic and professional history. It includes:

  • Personal Information: Your name, contact details, and sometimes a photo.
  • Education: Detailed information about your educational background, including schools attended, degrees earned, and any honors or awards.
  • Work Experience: A comprehensive list of all your jobs, including job titles, responsibilities, and achievements.
  • Skills: A list of your skills, both technical and soft skills.
  • Publications and Research: If applicable, a list of any research papers, articles, or books you have published.
  • Professional Memberships: Any professional organizations you belong to.
  • References: Contact information for people who can vouch for your qualifications and character.

A CV is typically used for academic, research, and scientific positions. It can be several pages long because it includes a lot of detail.

What is a Resume?

A resume is a shorter document that highlights your most relevant skills and experiences for a specific job. It includes:

  • Contact Information: Your name, phone number, email address, and sometimes your LinkedIn profile.
  • Summary or Objective: A brief statement about your career goals and what you bring to the job.
  • Work Experience: A concise list of your most recent and relevant jobs, focusing on your achievements and responsibilities.
  • Education: A brief overview of your educational background.
  • Skills: A list of key skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for.

Resumes are typically one to two pages long and are used for most job applications in the business, industry, and non-profit sectors.

Key Differences

  1. Length: CVs are longer and more detailed, while resumes are shorter and more concise.
  2. Purpose: CVs are used for academic and research positions, while resumes are used for most other job applications.
  3. Content: CVs include a comprehensive history of your academic and professional life, while resumes focus on the most relevant experiences and skills for a specific job.

Understanding these differences can help you choose the right document for your job application and increase your chances of success. Whether you need a detailed CV or a concise resume, make sure to tailor it to the job you are applying for and highlight your most relevant qualifications.

Generated with the help of Copilot.

How to Spend Your Winter Break Productively

Winter break is a great time to relax and recharge after a busy fall term. But it can also be a valuable opportunity to prepare for your future career goals. If you are planning to have an internship next summer, here are some tips on how to spend your winter break productively.

Tip 1: Apply for internships early

Many summer internships have deadlines in January or February, so don’t wait until the last minute to apply. Start researching potential internships that match your interests, skills, and goals. You can use online platforms like Handshake, Glassdoor, Indeed, or LinkedIn to find internships in various fields and locations. You can also ask the Career Center for recommendations or referrals.

Tip 2: Update your resume and cover letter

Your resume and cover letter are the first impressions you make on potential employers, so make sure they are clear, relevant, and professional. Highlight your academic achievements, work experiences, skills, and extracurricular activities that demonstrate your fit for the internship. Use action verbs, quantify your results, and tailor your documents to each internship you apply for. You can also use online tools like VMock to help you create and proofread your resume and cover letter.

Tip 3: Learn new skills or improve existing ones

Winter break is a perfect time to learn new skills or improve existing ones that can boost your resume and prepare you for your internship. You can take online courses on platforms like Coursera, Udemy, or edX that offer a variety of topics and levels. You can also read books, watch videos, listen to podcasts, or join online communities that relate to your field of interest. Learning new skills or improving existing ones can help you stand out from other applicants and show your initiative and curiosity.

Tip 4: Network with professionals and peers

Networking is a powerful way to expand your connections, learn from others, and discover new opportunities. You can network with professionals and peers in your field by attending online events, webinars, or workshops that interest you. You can also reach out to Lawrence alumni, mentors, or contacts from previous internships or jobs and ask them for advice or feedback. Use social media platforms like LinkedIn follow influencers, join groups, or participate in discussions that relate to your field.

Tip 5: Prepare for interviews

If you get invited for an interview, congratulations! That means you have passed the first screening and have a chance to impress the employer with your personality and potential. To prepare for the interview, research the company and the role, practice common interview questions and scenarios, dress appropriately, and be punctual. You can use online platforms like Big Interview to help you practice and improve your interview skills.

Conclusion

Winter break is not only a time to rest and have fun, but also a time to plan ahead and get ready for your summer internship. By following these tips, you can spend your winter break productively and increase your chances of landing your dream internship. Good luck!

Start building your résumé using VMock!

Lawrence University has partnered with VMock to help you create a powerful résumé and accelerate your career journey. VMock SMART Résumé platform leverages technologies like data science, machine learning, and natural language processing to provide instant personalized feedback on your résumé and interview based on criteria gathered from employers and global best practices – from anywhere, at any time of the day. 

Simply login into VMock dashboard, upload your résumé, and VMock will: 

  • Give you an aggregate résumé score to assess the strength of your résumé benchmarked against your own community peer group 
  • Provide you with résumé guidelines based on Career Center standards to ensure that you do not miss fine details and establish a great first impression 
  • Assess how well you have marketed your core competencies to showcase the right skill set reflected in academics, experience, service, achievements, etc. 
  • Give you line-by-line suggestions to improve your résumé content in view of your academics and level of experience 

VMock is designed to work with résumé from many different fields across various industries. Once you receive the detailed feedback, make relevant changes to the résumé and re-upload it to see the increased score and associated improvements.  

Don’t have a résumé, yet? No problem. Log into VMock and start creating a résumé from scratch.

Check out the VMock Video to learn more.

Oliver De Croock ’24, Student-Athlete at Lawrence University majoring in Economics and Career Peer Educator. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Resume Tips & Samples

RESUME BASICS – Chronological Resume

  • Header
    • The header is the very top portion of your resume. It will always have your name, phone number and email, and if applicable your Linkedin and website URL. 
    • Your contact info should be listed underneath your name.
      • Ex. (000) 000-0000, sample@lawrence.edu, linkedin.com/in/sam-ple
  • Education
    • This section is where you list the schools you have attended and the degrees obtained. For first year university students, this section may include your high school’s name and any honors awards you’ve obtained while in high school. 
    • List the name of the school, where it is located, and your anticipated or achieved graduation month and year. Underneath this list the degree you obtained and the what you majored/minored in.
      • Your major should always be bolded on the resume
    • Underneath your school information you can list any honors or academic awards. This may include any Deans list achievements or National Honors Societies. 
  • Work Experience 
    • Here is where you list your work experience in REVERSE chronological order (newest positions at the top). 
    • For the job information, list the name of your position, name of company, where it is located, and the month and years you have worked there. 
    • Underneath the job information make 3-5 bulletpoints describing what you did for your position
      • Try to use keywords from a job position you are interested in. 
      • Good action words to start are: “assisted” “managed” “collected” etc. Try to stay away from words like “helped”. 
    • Only list job information that is relevant to what you are applying for. 
  • Additional Experience
    • This section is for any work information you don’t want to or need to describe, unlike your Work Experience section. This often includes clubs, sports teams and other extracurriculars. 
    • For the additional experience section, list the name of your position, name of company (or club/sport), where it is located and the month and years you participated. 
    • In this section you do not need to put bullet points underneath the job experience. 
  • Technological & Language Skills
    • If applicable, in this section you can list any technology programs you are acquainted with or languages you know.
      • Ex. Microsoft word. Fluent in French. 
    • Try to stick to programs and languages you know very well, instead of just putting down ones you are acquainted with. 

RESUME SAMPLES

  • Chronological Resume
    • The most standard form of resume. 
    • Highlights work experience.
  • Combination Resume 
    • This resume highlights your skills and classes rather than your work experience.
    • Use this resume when you may not have much work experience within the field you are applying for.

Resume Suggestions for Careers in Healthcare

When you’re creating your resume, the most important part is customizing it to the job or internship description. However, there are always little things you can do when working on a generic or “grab-bag” resume to help your resume stand out from the rest.

What should I include on my resume if I don’t have a lot of work or internship experience?
It’s not only okay, but normal and common for undergraduate students to include work they’ve done for class on their resume. This can mean highlighting a bit of research you’ve completed or labs you’ve worked on here at Lawrence. Don’t be afraid to experiment with combination resumes if you don’t have a lot of formal work experience — this format can highlight the skills you’ve learned during your time as a student, with less emphasis on prior work/intern experience.

What kinds of skills are good to include?
All kinds, especially the skills listed in the job description! Be sure to include any trainings or certifications you may have received that might be relevant to the position you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying to a research internship, include your familiarity with data analysis/data management software like Excel, R Studio, SPSS, etc.

How do I make my language look more professional?
Bearing in mind that you do want to reference the job description as much as possible for an application resume — including using the specific language they use as much as possible — there are many ways you can rework the items on your resume to fit a more professional style.
For example, avoid phrases like “Worked with…”, “Duties included…” or “Was responsible for…” All of these phrases sort of tell a hiring manager what you did — but they’re quite passive and not very specific! Using strong action verbs in your resume is key, especially if a recruiter is only spending a few seconds reviewing your resume. Here is a list of strong action verbs that you can utilize on your resume to add some specificity to your past experiences.

Remember, even if you’re not planning on applying to a new position, it’s always a good idea to update your “grab-bag” resume so that it’s ready for you to tweak for your next job application.