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CSUSM Staff Center

Writing a Strong Résumé

A well-crafted résumé can help your application stand out. It is your opportunity to show how your experience, skills, and accomplishments make you a great candidate for a position. Think of it as a quick snapshot of your professional story, clear, focused, and tailored to the role you want.

Whether you’re applying for an Administrative Coordinator role, a Student Services Assistant position, or looking to grow into a higher-level staff opportunity, your résumé should highlight the experience and strengths that best demonstrate your readiness for that next step.

Quick Highlights

  • Customize for each job. Adjust your résumé to reflect the skills and experience most relevant to the position.
  • Show results, not just tasks. Use action verbs and measurable outcomes.
  • Keep it clean and easy to read. Use simple formatting, consistent spacing, and clear section headers.
  • Focus on your strengths. Highlight your experience and training that align with the job description.
  • Proofread carefully. Even small typos can make a big difference in first impressions.

What to Include

Contact Information
Your name, phone number, professional email, and (if relevant) LinkedIn profile.

Professional Summary
A short, 2–3 sentence section highlighting your experience, key skills, and what you bring to the role.

A professional summary serves as a brief introduction that highlights your skills, experience, and what you bring to a role. It can be an effective way to showcase your accomplishments and transferable strengths right at the top of your résumé.

However, not every résumé needs one. If it doesn’t add clear value or align with the job you’re applying for, it’s okay to leave it out. If you do include a summary, make sure it’s tailored to the position and gives a snapshot of why you’re a strong fit.

Experience
List your current and past roles in reverse chronological order. For each, include your title, department, dates of employment, and a few bullet points summarizing your accomplishments and impact.

Tailor your descriptions to align with the job posting and the department’s goals and keep your bullet points concise and easy to scan. This approach helps hiring committees quickly see your impact and potential fit for the role.

When writing your experience section, focus on telling a clear and results-oriented story. Use the STAR method by describing the Situation, Task, Action, and Result to show how you made a difference. Start each bullet point with a strong action verb like organized, implemented, or supported, and highlight specific outcomes whenever possible.

 For example: “Implemented a new digital filing system (Action) that reduced document retrieval time by 40% (Result), improving team efficiency (Situation/Task).”

For Recurring Tasks
Try not to repeat the same bullet point for each job or time period. Instead, group similar responsibilities together and focus on what you accomplished through them. Emphasize improvements, consistency, or outcomes that show your ongoing impact.

Example:
Instead of listing:

  • Answered student emails
  • Answered phone calls
  • Assisted students with forms

 Try:

  • Responded to an average of 50 student inquiries daily via phone and email, providing accurate information and timely follow-up.
  • Assisted students with enrollment and financial aid forms, improving form completion accuracy through clear communication and guidance.

Highlighting results shows reliability and growth, even in work that may seem routine.

Education and Training
Include degrees, certifications, and relevant workshops or courses. If you’ve completed many workshops, list only those that are most recent or most relevant to the role

Skills: Feature both technical and transferable skills such as Microsoft Office, communication, project coordination, event planning or other software you are experienced with.

Writing Tips

Use action-oriented language
Start each bullet point with a strong action verb like coordinated, implemented, supported, or analyzed, and avoid using first-person language such as “I” to keep your résumé professional and concise.

For example:
“Supported a team of 12 student assistants by creating an efficient scheduling system that reduced conflicts by 30%.”

Highlight achievements, not just duties.
Instead of listing what you were responsible for, describe what you accomplished.

Rather than: “Responsible for front desk operations”
Try: “Streamlined front desk procedures to improve response time to staff and student inquiries.”

Tailor your résumé for the role.
Review the job posting and emphasize the skills and experience that best match what’s being asked. Include important key terms where it might add value.

Résumé Length
For most staff positions, one page is plenty. If you have extensive experience that is relevant to the position, do not be afraid to use more pages. Avoid using smaller fonts or adjusting margins.

Formatting Basics

  • Use a simple, professional layout and avoid unnecessary graphics or fonts.
  • Keep margins around 1 inch and font size between 10–12 points.
  • Be consistent with dates, bullet points, and headings.
  • Save your document as a PDF before submitting, unless the posting requests another format.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Listing every job you’ve ever had. Instead, focus on those that relate to your current goals and those that will add value to the position you are applying for.
  • Using vague phrases like “hard worker” without evidence to back them up.
  • Forgetting to proofread. Typos or inconsistent formatting can distract from your qualifications.
  • Including personal information such as age, marital status, or a photo (not needed for U.S. applications).

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Many employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to organize applications and help hiring teams quickly identify candidates whose experience aligns with the job description. These systems scan résumé s for relevant information before a human reviewer ever sees them, so clear formatting and thoughtful wording are important.

To improve compatibility with ATS, use simple formatting, clear section headers, and standard fonts. Avoid tables, text boxes, or heavy graphics that may not be read correctly. Incorporate keywords from the job posting, such as job titles, required skills, and qualifications, where they naturally reflect your experience.

Designing your résumé with both technology and people in mind helps ensure your qualifications are accurately captured and clearly understood.

More Tips

  • Avoid Canva and other graphic-heavy templates. Résumé created in design tools often don’t translate well across different systems. Stick to Word-based formats when possible.
  • Skip columns, tables, headers, footers, and images. These design elements can disrupt formatting and make your résumé harder to read.
  • PDFs are generally acceptable if the document was originally created in Word and saved as a PDF.
  • When in doubt, use a .docx format to ensure your résumé opens correctly and is easy to review.
  • Keep your design clean and simple. Nearly 40% of résumés are reviewed on a phone, so clear formatting and readable text are essential for smaller screens.

Bringing it All Together

A great résumé isn’t just a list of jobs. It’s a clear story about your professional growth and the value you bring. When you take time to tailor your résumé for each role and highlight your impact, you help hiring committees see how your experience can add value to their team.

If you’d like feedback or guidance, the Staff Center offers one-on-one résumé support to help you polish your materials.