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Resumes: What You Need to Know

The resume is an opportunity to market yourself to a prospective employer. It should be succinct, target an employer's needs, and distinguish you from your competitors. Before you get started, think about your strengths, weaknesses, personal preferences, and motivations. You should also consider the company's needs, who your competition might be, and your unique skill set. The best way to convince employers that you will add value is to show them that you've done it before.

Alumni Resume Book

Our Alumni Resume Book connects you with organizations looking for talent. Visit 12twenty (our recruiting platform) and upload your resume to get started. You should complete your Profile in 12twenty by updating your Background tab which contains information about your career experience, skills, preferences and more. Ensuring your Background tab is complete and accurate will greatly improve your chance of being contacted by an organization. Looking to connect with fellow HBS alumni? Upload your resume to the Alumni Networking Resume Book to kick start those connections.

Resume Makeover Using VMock and Aspire  

Gain instant feedback on your resume and LinkedIn Profile

VMock is a smart career platform that provides instant personalized feedback on your resume and LinkedIn Profile to help improve aspects like presentation, language, and skills.

VMock Smart Editor tool will enable you to:

• Receive an objective score on your resume based on recruiter criteria
• Review line-for-line targeted feedback on your resume
• Re-upload your resume up to 10 times to track improvement

Sign up using your HBS email address. Account requests are granted within 24 business hours. During holidays and winter break (December 24th – January 1st) turnaround time will be delayed until the CPD office reopens. Please note, we recommend you review your resume before considering it final.

Resumes: Sections, Templates & Examples

• Contact details - Let others know who you are and how to get in touch with you. In addition to your name, you should list your mailing address, phone number, and email address. It is expected to be found at the top of the page. No need to include it on additional pages.
• Professional history - Start with your most recent role and list in descending chronology. For each role, provide a sentence or two that describes the scope of your responsibility. Then in bullet format, provide accomplishment statements. To write an accomplishment statement, state the problem you encountered, the action you took and the result or impact of your actions. For example, "Led team in implementing a new general ledger package by providing expertise and encouragement, which contributed to a successful, on-time project completion."
• Education - Spell out your degree so it will stand out better. It is not necessary to include your GPA or GMAT score. Do not list courses. Do list any leadership roles or study abroad experiences.
• Summary/Profile - A great opportunity to tell the reader exactly what you want them to know. It should be 3-4 sentences in paragraph form following your contact information. Be careful not to load up on overused resume jargon and avoid listing previous jobs/education as it is redundant. Instead, focus on your branding statement, unique themes in your career path, and skills.
• Key skills - Listing your skills is a great way for the reader to quickly evaluate your skill set. List skills that are relevant to your next position. For each skill, you will need a proof statement in the form of an accomplishment stated in the professional experience section. A good way to set up this section is in 2 or 3 columns with 3-4 skills in each column. The heading could be "Key Areas of Expertise" or "Core Competencies".
• Personal/Interests - Only include if it helps tell your story.
• Additional roles - If you participate in organizations outside of your professional employment, you may list these in a separate section. Headings are typically "Volunteer Leadership Roles" or "Community Service".
• Licenses and Professional Certifications - If you possess a license or certification, these should be called out in a separate section.
• Objective - No longer in style. Do not include in your resume.
• References available upon request - No longer in style. Do not include in your resume.
• Zip file of all resume templates (login required)

Chronological - This is the most commonly used layout. Recommended for a mostly consistent record of employment showing progression/growth from position to position. Not recommended for gaps in employment dates, those out of job market for some time, or changing careers.

• Template 1 (login required)
• Template 2 (login required)
• Template 3 (login required)
• Template 4 (login required)
• Sample 1: C-Level Resume (login required)
• Sample 2: Consulting to Operating Company Resume (login required)
• Sample 3: VP with Long Tenure Resume (login required)
• Sample 4: C-Level Biotech resume (login required)
• Sample 5: Exec. Ed. with Long Tenure Resume (login required)
• Sample 6: Financial Services Resume (login required)

Streamlined Chronological - This layout also shows progression from one job to the next, but does not include extra sections such as Summary/Profile or Areas of Expertise. Recommended for recent alumni.

• Template: Streamlined Chronological (login required)

Chronological/Functional Hybrid Resume - In this layout, you can highlight your employment history in a straight chronological manner, but also make it immediately clear you have filled a variety of roles that use different but related skill sets. This is useful to provide a few accomplishments in the beginning to show a theme. Each role would also have specific accomplishment statements.

• Template: Chronological/Functional Hybrid (login required)
• Sample: Accomplishment Focus Resume (login required)

Cover Letter Writing

It is essential to send a cover letter with your resume to provide a recruiter with insight into your qualifications, experience, and motivation for seeking a position. The letter also conveys your personal communication style, tone, and professionalism. An effective employment letter should:

• Be targeted and personalized
• State why you are interested in the company
• Explain how you can fill a need
• Convey your enthusiasm about the opportunity
• Suggest next steps for communication and action

Guidelines & Examples

Investigate your target company. What is the company's "breaking news?" What drives their business? What are their greatest challenges and opportunities? How can you contribute? eBaker can help with your research.

Outline your objectives using relevant information that attracts the attention of the reader.

• Salutation Address the letter to a specific person. Capture the reader's attention and briefly introduce yourself. Mention the referral/company contact, if applicable. State the purpose of your letter.
• Body Describe relevant information you discovered about the company. Discuss the position offered or the position you are looking for. Detail how your skills will benefit the company.
• Closing Convey your enthusiasm. Anticipate response.

Pay close attention to sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation. Always print your letter to check for typographical errors. Have a friend, colleague, or family member review your letter whenever possible.

Cover letters are the place to briefly and directly address the gap in your career. For example, "I am returning to the workforce after a period of raising children." Then address your strengths, qualifications and goals. Emphasize your excitement and preparedness to re-enter the workforce now.

Response to Identified Advertisement (pdf)

Branding You

Resume writing tips  , creating visual impact.

A concise, visually appealing resume will make a stronger impression than a dense, text-laden document. Respect page margins and properly space the text. Learn to appreciate the value of "white space." Limit a resume to one or two pages but not one and ¼. Ensure content is balanced on both pages. A CV is typically longer because it includes additional sections such as publications and research.

Use Parallel Construction

Select a consistent order of information, format, and spacing. If one experience starts with a brief overview followed by bullet points, subsequent experiences should follow a similar form. Parallel construction—including the use of action verbs (pdf) (login required) to start all phrases—greatly enhances a resume's readability.

Always Proofread

Pay close attention to margin alignment, spelling, punctuation, and dates. Read your resume backward to check for typographical errors. (You will focus on individual words, rather than the meaning of the text.) Better yet, have a friend, colleague, or family member review your resume.

Use Action Verbs

Action Verbs List (login required)

Improve Your Writing

Common questions, past program resources  .

How to Build a Resume that Stands Above the Competition

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• Cover Letter Builder

Harvard cover letter example

Cover letter header

Cover letter greeting, cover letter introduction, cover letter middle part (body), how to close a harvard cover letter (conclusion and sign-off).

It's the college that needs no introduction. Harvard is the world's most prestigious university, ranking in the top position in the Times Higher Education poll. It's kind of a big deal. So, if you have your sights set on gaining a job at the institute, you need to pull out all the stops.

Your Harvard cover letter doesn’t simply depend on your booksmarts. It's about more than the qualifications you have — although they absolutely matter too. Yes, this is a chance to tell your personal story and win the reader over with your dreams and resilience.

This guide, along with the corresponding Harvard cover letter, is designed to show you create the most effective application possible by:

• Choosing the best cover letter format and including each of the required sections
• Writing with powerful action verbs and examples of your achievements
• Sharing your own journey to convince an admissions officer of your desire to succeed
• Avoiding mistakes often made on cover letter samples.

Resume.io is a resource for job seekers at every stage of their careers. You can find even more insight and valuable writing tips for your desired field of study in our 180+ free cover letter examples.

If you’re looking for more cover letter help as a student, check out these related education cover letter examples:

• Scholarship cover letter example
• University cover letter sample
• Internship cover letter sample
• Student cover letter example
• Graduate cover letter example

Best format for a Harvard cover letter

As with any cover letter, your Harvard one should contain sections that make it easy for the reader to find the information they are looking for. Here are the essential components of your Harvard cover letter sample:

• The cover letter header
• The greeting / salutation
• The cover letter intro
• The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
• The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)

By this point in your high school career, you’ve no doubt written a number of English essays. You’ll likely find that the parts of a cover letter are much the same – the intro is your hook, for example, and the body is the place to present the strongest evidence of your achievements. 

This structure helps your letter flow from one section to another and keeps an admissions officer interested in what you have to say. Unlike a normal cover letter which discusses much of the experience on your resume, a Harvard cover letter should tell a personal story without needing much detail about your high school clubs or leadership roles (unless that’s part of the story you want to tell, of course!)

Below is a Harvard cover letter example to help you get started in writing your own.

Dear Professor Lockwood,

MY Ph.D. advisor, Professor Caroline Buchanan has suggested I write to enquire about the possibly of conducting my postdoctoral research at your Harvard faculty. I am currently completing my Ph.D. in mathematical sciences and as you have the same academic background as Professor Buchanan, I am interested to explore the possibilities.

My focus on applied mathematics and data science has driven the direction of my academic research and having published 30+ papers and corporate case studies, I am seeking a position with an eminent mathematical mind to help shape my future work. As a keen programmer, I am particularly interested in the intersection of coding and mathematics and how A.I. led programming is able to simplify the manipulation of data.

I can demonstrate that my projects are accessible to undergraduate researchers, and I have considerable experience of working in diverse teams, encompassing both academic and corporate research.

During my Ph.D. studies, I taught undergraduate courses, including calculus and advanced algebra. I would welcome the opportunity to continue this at Harvard and have a track record of improving learner outcomes. My tutoring students enjoyed a 100% pass rate and I have 28 letters of recommendation to share. Modules that I would particularly enjoy teaching include: Precalculus, Calculus, Fundamental Maths, Linear Algebra, Probability and Algebraic Structures.

Enclosed with this letter, please find my CV, research and teaching documents and a selection of recommendation letters. I will be visiting Harvard for the machine learning symposium in February and would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss my application.

Yours sincerely,

Taylor Laughton

The header of your cover letter serves two important roles: the first is to label the document with your name and contact information so the admissions officer knows exactly whose letter they are reading. The second is to create a bit of visual formatting that catches the admissions officers attention and helps them remember your cover letter a bit better than all the others. 

You may be submitting your letter in an online application or another format that doesn’t allow for a header. If that’s the case, make sure your name, phone number, email and other relevant details are included in the appropriate boxes so that there’s never a question of how to contact you.

You can see an attractive and functional header on our Harvard cover letter example.

The aim of the cover letter header: Include the most relevant contact details and create an attractive page layout to make your cover letter sample stand out from the rest.

The cover letter greeting is how you address the person (or people) who will be reading your cover letter. In many other situations, you’d be instructed to address your letter to the name of the recipient in order to make a personal connection and show interest. In the case of Harvard, however, you’ll likely need a more general greeting. 

In certain circumstances, your Harvard cover letter sample won’t need a greeting at all. If you’re asked to paste your letter into a box with limited word count, forgo the greeting to maximize writing space. 

The aim of the cover letter greeting: Use a general greeting that’s appropriate for a Harvard cover letter in order to set a friendly and respectful tone.

Here’s the greeting from our Harvard cover letter example.

The introduction is the hook of your Harvard cover letter. This is the place to draw a reader into the story you have to tell and to give them a reason to read until the very end. The introduction is generally the first paragraph of your cover letter sample. Set the scene, give the details of the characters and offer a sense of what the admissions officer will discover in the rest of your cover letter.

The aim of the cover letter introduction: Begin your cover letter with an interesting set-up that hints at the rest of the letter and encourages the reader to continue.

Check out the introduction from our Harvard cover letter example below.

The body of your cover letter gives you all the space you need to expand on your story and convince the admissions officer that you’re the best choice for one of Harvard’s limited positions. In the body section, you’ll need to explain how the experiences you’re writing about changed you and made you the person you are today.

The aim of the cover letter body: Share more details about your story that explain your outlook and attitude today.

Use the body from our Harvard cover letter example as a model for your own.

Your Harvard cover letter should make a point and wrap up into an easily-digestible conclusion. Generally-speaking, your conclusion should reflect your outlook on the world or describe the ways in which you’d be an asset to Harvard (without directly pleading for a spot.) 

Unless you’ve included a greeting, there’s generally no need to sign-off. Your cover letter should be complete at the final line of the conclusion.

The aim of the cover letter conclusion: Share the moral of the story and end with your final thoughts that show what type of professional you’d be at Harvard.

Here’s the conclusion from our Harvard cover letter example.

Writing psychology: how to tell your story

In order to succeed in writing a Harvard cover letter sample, you’ll first need to reflect on your own life and look for interesting stories to share. Here are some questions to consider:

• What experiences have I had that were particularly memorable?
• Have I lived through any situations that are unusual for people my age?
• Who or what has influenced me the most in life?
• Where do I get my drive and inspiration?
• What are my strongest personality traits and where do they come from?
• What are some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned at this stage in my life?

There are no right or wrong topics for a Harvard cover letter, but make sure to choose one that you are truly passionate about. By weaving a narrative throughout your cover letter and focusing on your authentic experiences and tone of voice, you can be sure the admissions officer will feel your passion and desire to be part of their university.

You are so much more than your grades. While you might have worked years to perfect them, a great GPA doesn’t guarantee a role at Harvard. Many of the applicants you’re up against have also done their best. The cover letter sample can go a long way in making you stand out from other candidates who are also at the top of their class.

Basic mistakes in a Harvard application letter (and how to avoid them)

• Cliches and generic information: The reader has read it all, so it’s important to give them something that stands out. Cover letters about hard work, athletic achievements or tragedies will need to be revised carefully so that they don’t come across as too generic.
• Poor tone: Your tone should be authentic without ever sacrificing professionalism. You don’t need to beg for a shot, but you should also be careful to avoid coming across as entitled or demanding.
• Spelling and grammar mistakes: When the competition is this fierce, any little typo or grammar mistake can be a big deal. Avoid these issues by using spell check and asking a trusted mentor to proofread.
• Formatting issues: If you need to upload a cover letter sample as its own file, you’ll want to make sure that your layout and design is as attractive as possible. A free cover letter template can help you do this quickly.

Key takeaways

• A Harvard cover letter is one of the most important documents to help you get a position at this prestigious institution.
• As seen in our cover letter example, having clear and organized sections makes it easier for the reader to understand your letter.
• Most Harvard cover letters will share a personal story about the applicant and explain what they’ve learned or how it affected them.
• Avoid cliche topics like sports victories, tragedies or difficult coursework and look for unique moments in your life to expand upon.

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• Resumes & Portfolios

There are two documents that you need to write that will usually be your introduction to a potential employer - a resume and a cover letter. 

A resume is often the first document that you will send or hand to a potential employer or even someone who might advise you.  You may (and should) spend time revising it continually, but you should always assume that the person seeing it for the first time may only spend 10-15 seconds looking at it.  Think of the hiring manager who has been given a stack of 100 resumes (which have already been filtered beforehand by someone in HR), who is trying to fill one or two slots. She/he just doesn't have time to go in detail through every resume, so they'll cut it down to a small number of finalists.  You've got one page to catch the hiring manager's attention for one of the few resumes to survive her/his first pass through that stack.

So, what will a hiring manager (who could be an individual engineer, scientist, programmer, etc. or a manager of a group who is hiring a summer intern) look for in that initial pass through the resumes.  This can differ by organization, which is one reason we encourage students to connect to alumni for advice. However, let's boil it down to three big factors:

• They want an indication that you are "smart" - intellectually curious and able to figure out how to solve problems.  The fact that you were admitted to Harvard will count for a lot, but don't ignore putting your GPA on there.  If you don't put it on the resume, the hiring manager will likely assume that it is below whatever cut-off the company has or he/she has. 
• The hiring manager will usually be hiring you to solve a problem during your internship (or a broader set of problems in your post-graduate employment).  She/he will want to know if you have the skills necessary to solve that problem.  So, the skills section of a resume, where you list programming languages, laboratory/machining skills, etc., is important.  It is also important for you to show how you used those skills.  You can do this by listing projects (not homework) from classes, clubs, or other outside activities.  Students often list leadership in such activities, but it is probably more important to show evidence that you actually did the CAD design or programmed the app.
• The people hiring you want students who will be enthusiastic about the job.  The projects on your resume help convey that, as do student organizations in which you are involved. 

If you are submitting a resume to a job posting or company website, you will also include a cover letter.  It is your opportunity to talk about why you are a particularly good match for and interested in the specific company and/or job.  Hiring managers see a lot of resumes, which can start to look the same.  But if you are particularly interested in a specific company or job, you get a chance to convey that in the cover letter.

There are multiple resources available to guide you in writing a resume. The Office of Career Services(OCS) has several excellent resources including a tutorial and some technical resume templates. 

If you are just starting out, use those resources to write a first draft. Then, attend one of the many OCS resume workshops scheduled during first term, attend one of their drop-in sessions, or schedule a meeting with me.

Portfolios and Github

Let's say that the hiring manager has put your resume into the small group of resumes to be examined in more depth.  At this point, if you have an online portfolio or github, they may be willing to spend the extra time to look at your accomplishments and work/project history in more depth. 

If you are applying for a back-end programming job, have a well-organized github account that the hiring manager can search.  Don't put anything online that you don't want the outside world to see.  Obviously, if you did some work for a company, they will likely consider that proprietary.  But this caution may also hold for research work under a professor, as he/she may want to keep it secret until published.

For most other types of jobs - front-end programming, engineering, design, etc. - a portfolio is a better choice for demonstrating your skills and activities in a format that is much more extensive than a resume. 

Most students use templates provided commercial website companies such as Squarespace, WIX, Wordpress, Start Bootstrap, etc. - there are many out there.  A free alternative available to Harvard students is OpenScholar .

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How To Use The Harvard Resume Format (Example + Template)

3 key takeaways

• Harvard invented a classic and clean resume framework.
• This resume format focuses on sections like education, experience, leadership, and skills. Unlike a standard resume, it prioritizes education above experience.
• You can create a Harvard resume and tailor it to your job application with Teal's Resume Builder .

You’ve probably heard that the Harvard resume format is one of the best templates for recent graduates. After all, it was created and is continually recommended by Harvard recruiters and counselors.

The Harvard resume is clean and professional and highlights education over work experience. Considering the minimal work experience most recent graduates bring, it can be an excellent framework for building your resume. 

But how do you use it to create your resume ? Below, you'll learn how to use the Harvard University resume format, including examples.

Need help to landing interviews with your resume? Sign up for Teal to make a free resume in minutes.

Understanding the Harvard resume format

The Harvard Offices of Career Services, in conjunction with the Career and Academic Resource Center, created the Harvard resume format.

The aim was to help both Harvard students and graduates of other universities create resumes that highlight their education and land them jobs.

Because of its more significant focus on education, leadership, and activities over job experience, this resume format works best for those just entering the job market.

Here’s an overview of the format:

Let's examine each resume section and how they differ from traditional resumes.

Typically, the education section of a resume is at the bottom rather than the top. The Harvard-style resume flips this on its head, listing education just after the resume header.

It’s acceptable for job seekers without experience in the job market to put education details at the top of a resume. Education also tends to carry more weight if you apply for internships or master's programs.

If you’ve gained experience within your projected career path and it’s been a few years since you graduated, move your education details to the bottom of your resume.

Your work history and experiences should make up the bulk of your resume. But if you’re a recent graduate, you might not have as much to show, as you can see in the Harvard resume example.

This is where you see more similarities with the typical resume format. The Harvard resume template holds a standard of four bullet points for each position held. Each bullet point should only be one sentence long.

Follow these rules when formatting each bullet point:

• Beginning with your most recent position, describe your experience, skills, and resulting outcomes in bullet or paragraph form. 
• Begin each line with an action verb and include details to help the reader understand your accomplishments, skills, knowledge, abilities, or achievements. 
• Quantify where possible. 
• Do not use personal pronouns; each line should be a phrase rather than a complete sentence.

This advice is standard across the recruitment and resume writing industries, but it’s still pertinent. 

The leadership and activities section on a resume is acceptable to feature if you’re fresh out of college and the activities are relevant to the position. However, on most resumes, there is little room or need to feature this section. 

It can be a great way to highlight skills, certain responsibilities you’ve held, or outcomes you’ve achieved to supplement a lack of work history. Most potential employers don’t need this information unless those activities can supplement work experience.

The Harvard resume template does something unique with the skills section—breaking the skills down into four categories:

The technical and laboratory skills bullet points are the most nuanced. Technical skills should list any computer skills or coding languages you’ve learned, while the laboratory line asks you to list any specific tools or techniques you’ve used.

Resist the urge to explain every skill. In some cases, you may need to specify your proficiency. However, if you are fluent in languages, list each language you know. You can write them in one line separated by commas, like this: 

Teal’s AI-powered Resume Builder allows you to add all of your technical skills in one easy form and then select and de-select the skills you’d like to feature on your resume.

How you lay out your resume will greatly depend on how much experience you have in your field, your skills, and which university you attended (including your grades and accolades).

But the four sections in the Harvard resume format generally benefit any new grad or student resume.

How to create a Harvard resume using a resume template

When you don’t have much experience on your resume, highlighting your education is a safe bet.

The Harvard format gives you a good launch pad for emphasizing the benefits of your education. If you understand each section and tailor it to the position, you’re much more likely to stand out in a candidate pool.

Consider the position

Your final resume isn’t going to look like a perfect replica of the template. That’s because the position you’re applying for will call for different highlights on your resume. 

For instance, you might apply for a competitive internship that values GPA more heavily than other internships.  In some cases, GPA isn’t just a qualification for admittance. An organization might also have a minimum acceptable standard. Still, it might also be a metric for whether or not you maintain your internship. 

In such a case, you’ll need to feature your GPA on your resume and any other accolades within your education that might give you a competitive advantage.

Fill in the sections of the template

In the previous section, you saw the differences between traditional and Harvard resumes. Here, we’re breaking down how to fill out your resume with those differences in mind. 

Enter your contact information

Filling out the top of your resume is straightforward. Your resume header should contain contact details such as your name, address, and email. You don’t have to include your entire email. Your city and state are enough.

Add your education

If you’re keeping the Harvard format, your education section is at the top, just under your details. Again, this is beneficial if you’re applying to further educational programs, such as a master’s program, an internship, or an entry-level position.

The template offers three possible rows of information within the education section—college, study abroad, and your high school.

Unless the position specifically requests high school information or it's required to enter the program, including it on your resume is unnecessary. This also applies to your study abroad program. While it’s advantageous in an educational program application, it’s not often necessary for employment.

Add your work history

The work experience section of the Harvard resume includes slots for just two places of employment. This is because it’s essentially a student resume.

To fill out this section, start with the company name, position, and period you worked there. 

Add three to four bullet points under your organizational header. The typical job seeker might add their responsibilities within those roles, but this won’t help you stand out among other candidates. 

Instead, focus on outcomes you’ve produced, contributions you’ve made, and skills you’ve developed. Here’s what that advice looks like on the resume of an applicant who’s only held a few entry-level roles:

You might not have a lot of experience, and it’s unlikely you were able to have a massive impact on the company in an entry-level or internship position. But you likely gained hard and soft skills by working on something for some time. 

Notice the action verbs in two of the three lines in the above example? Words like increased, improved, and boosted are “active” words to quickly demonstrate that you’ve had impact in your role.

Leadership roles and activities

Leadership and activities are optional on a resume and should only be included if they directly relate to the responsibilities listed in the job description. 

If you add your leadership projects and activities, be sure to include any outcomes that came from those activities.

You don’t need to include all of this detail. One or two lines should be enough to showcase the project unless you’re compensating for lower work experience. 

Relevant skills and interests

Skills and interests are another optional section on your resume. While Harvard offers four opportunities to include such information, you could include one or two and eliminate the rest if they’re pertinent or might increase your chances of getting hired. 

For instance, language skills are in demand across most industries. They may also be a necessary qualification for some roles or may position you in a higher pay grade upon acceptance for a role. In such cases, adding that information to your resume is essential. 

Technical skills are vital for roles in software, IT, or engineering. Laboratory skills will matter if you’re applying for a role in a STEM profession, such as a geneticist or food scientist. 

Proofread for red flags and typos

Certain resume red flags automatically take you out of the candidate pool. These red flags include:

Spelling and grammar errors

• Irrelevant information
• A lack of results-oriented experience

While recruiters and hiring managers aren’t going to examine your resume with a fine-toothed comb, obvious spelling and grammar errors stand out. As does an abundance of those errors. Always check your work before sending it.

Harvard resume example

Here’s an example of the Harvard resume in action.

You see education at the top followed by professional experience and technical skills. The example also shows active and powerful language for the bullet points of each position held. It’s a clear and professional demonstration of this resume format. 

Harvard resume template

If you want to use the Harvard resume template recommended by Harvard recruiters, here’s a template of the sections they use:

Name Location Email address Phone number Education Study abroad Experience Job title 1/ Employer 1 (your most recent employer)(month/ year-month/year) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) Experience Job title 1/ Employer 1 (month/ year-month/year) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) (Action verb) (Accomplishment with quantification) Leadership and activities Skills and interests

Common mistakes to avoid when using the Harvard resume

Your resume should always highlight your most vital assets and qualifications. You'll be in great shape if you focus on outcomes and key skills. 

However, you want to avoid a few common mistakes if you hope to get shortlisted for the position. 

It’s easy to misspell a word here and there, but on a resume, it can be the difference between getting shortlisted or being cut from the candidate pool. 

There are a few ways to avoid the latter:

• Use a tool like Grammarly to catch misspellings and grammar mistakes.
• Run your resume through ChatGPT to catch mistakes.
• Employ an editor to provide more detailed and nuanced feedback.
• Use Teal’s resume builder to catch mistakes and optimize your inputs to highlight your strengths.

Missing contact information

This isn’t a huge misstep, but if you send in your application without contact information, a hiring manager won’t be able to reach you if they’re interested. 

Similarly, the position you’re applying for could be dependent on location. You might face instant rejection if you’re missing, or misspelled, your location. 

Using passive voice

Most job seekers make the mistake of using passive voice on their resume. But sentences like "sales targets were consistently met" will not grab anyone's attention.

Always use active voice on your resume. Active voice requires the use of “I” as a pronoun and the use of power words like “boosted” and “improved”. 

So instead of saying, "Sales targets were consistently met," you'd say, "Exceeded annual sales targets by an average of 15%...". The goal is always to get as specific as possible with your real achievements within a role.

Lack of personalization

Resume personalization isn’t about including information about the company or the hiring manager. It’s about thoroughly understanding the job description and tailoring your resume to match it within reason. 

Teal’s AI-powered Resume Builder analyzes job descriptions to identify the keywords and most important details to include in your resume. 

For more tips on creating an effective resume, check out this post on the best resume format .

How to create your Harvard resume with AI

Harvard has made it easy to follow their resume format by opening their template in Google Docs or Word. However, if you plan to tailor your resume to multiple job applications, using Teal’s AI Resume Builder might be beneficial. 

With Teal, you can add variations of responsibilities, activities, achievements, and more while selecting and deselecting certain details to adapt your resume to the job description. 

Maintaining the Harvard format in Teal is also easy. You can choose from a resume template library and customize your whatever template you choose to mimic Harvard’s.

Customize your achievements

Because you're likely creating a dozen tailored resumes to match various job descriptions, use Teal's AI achievement writer to help you create powerful descriptions. Once you've covered everything, select the achievements most relevant to the job listing.

Find the keywords for every job

Consider the keywords and complex asks of the company. Take a look at the responsibilities section of this job description for a marketing position:

From this job description, you can pull out a few important details:

• There’s a high emphasis on content strategy execution
• There is some level of strategy execution and account management
• You’ll need writing skills
• You’ll be working with freelancers

If you use Teal’s keyword matching tool, you can see which keywords are most important to include in your resume.

This will help you determine the most important keywords and relevant information to include on your resume.

Create an Ivy-level resume

Whether you use Harvard's resume template or the more traditional reverse-chronological order, make sure the final format is compatible with application tracker systems (ATS). Teal offers free and paid templates designed to satisfy ATS requirements and impress hiring managers. Sign up for Teal for free to build a better resume.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pages should a resume to harvard be.

According to Harvard, the resume used for a Harvard application should be one to two pages. They stress the importance of not exceeding that page limit.

Is there a proper format for a college resume?

Most resumes will have the same structure: Personal contact information, professional summary, work experience, and education.

You might add skills, relevant coursework, community service efforts, and accomplishment statements to your resume if you lack work experience or have achievements directly related to the role. 

Beyond that, the look and feel of a resume may vary. This is demonstrated in Teal’s library of 100+ resume templates .

Is the Harvard College Bullet Point Resume Template ATS-friendly?

Yes. ATS software is capable of reading resumes in various formats, and the Harvard resume template is simple, easy to read, and classic. Difficulties should only arise with images or specialized formatting.

Sarah Colley

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