Resume Guide

Use this checklist to get your resume draft ready for feedback:

1. Use a template: Choose from our collection built for Engineering Master’s students. Not starting from scratch? Copy content from your Duke application resume into the template.  
2. Choose your sections: Include Contact Info, Education, Experience, and Skills. Add Project Experience, Leadership Experience, or other customized sections to align with the role.
3. Write impact sentences (bullet points): Start each with a strong action verb. Use the framework: What you did (action) + how you did it (task) + why it matters (result/impact). Use AI to brainstorm but edit to keep your voice.
4. Align with the role & organization: Analyze a job description. Adjust keywords, section titles and content to align with the posting.  Don’t obsess over perfect keywords—ATS systems use normalization (Quinncia, 2024). Focus on clearly stating your skills in BOTH the skills and experience sections.
5. Keep it concise and easy to read: 1 page for early career roles; use 10–12 pt font, 0.5–1” margins.
6. Format for ATS and human readers: Maintain consistency in formatting, alignment, and tone. ATS systems read Word or Google Docs best—avoid resume builder apps or helper tools (unless submitting directly to a person) and prioritize clean code.
7. Understand US-specific norms. US resumes don’t include photos, birthdates, marital status or gender. (Indeed, 2024)

If you already have a resume:

• Compare it with a GSPS template and/or example
• Upload your resume to Quinncia, review the analysis, and edit.
• Get feedback from a career coach.
• Create specific versions —
  
  • Position specific (ex. Machine Learning Engineer vs. Data Scientist) if you’re targeting multiple roles or industries
  • Align with job description (use JobScan to check alignment).
• Build a “base resume”  to store all your experience, skills, and education in one place. Use this as a starting point, cutting irrelevant information for a more efficient and effective customization process.
• Partner with your favorite GenAI to analyze job descriptions for you.
  
  • Suggested prompts:
    
    • “Analyze this job description and tell me the top behaviors, attitudes, skills, and knowledge the employer is emphasizing.”
    • “What connection do you seen between this and the BASK I present.”

Go further:

• Review LinkedIn profiles of industry professionals. Notice how they talk about their impact for specific roles of interest to you.
• After establishing relationships with industry professionals ask for feedback on tone and clarity.
• Learn more about how ATS work, including keyword strategies. (lndeed, 2025)

• Anatomy of a Resume video | learn about foundational components of a resume
• GSPS resume templates 
• Pratt student and alumni resume samples [under development]
• Impact sentences framework 
• Action Verbs for Engineering Graduate Students