Resume Resources

• Sections of the Resume. As you begin to write your resume, it is important to structure the information included on your resume into meaningful sections.  A well-organized resume will maximize the amount of information they are able to absorb during a quick scan of your resume.
• Resume Formatting Guidelines. The format of your resume is equally as important as the content. Your goal in formatting is to create a resume that allows the reader to absorb the maximum amount of information in a very short period of time (usually less than 20 seconds). The structure of your resume which was covered in the previous screen establishes the framework for categorizing information. The accompanying handout contains formatting guidelines based on employer feedback on how the information should be visually presented in order to make a positive impression. 
• Writing Effective Job Bullets. Writing effective job descriptions for each position listed on your resume is an important task that needs to be approached strategically in order to maximize the impact you will have on the reader. Your job descriptions will include a combination of your overall responsibilities, assigned task and duties and, most important, your overall impact and contribution. 
• Rossier Resume Template. The USC Career Center also has resources on resume writing.

​​​Most students completing a MAT degree and credentials will need to do a major update to their resume in advance of completing their degree.  It is recommended to do so in the first semester or two of courses once you have begun student teaching.  An aspiring teacher’s resume may include prior work history, but unless prior work is teaching related, that portion should be limited.  A resume of an aspiring teacher is generally one, but no more than two pages.  Be sure to include volunteer work, particularly if it is teaching related and list any additional responsibilities you have taken on at your student teaching site that may set you apart (i.e., participation in training or meetings, special projects).

Sample MAT Student Resume

​​​Most students completing an MSC degree and credentials will need to do a major update to their resume in advance of completing their degree.  It is recommended to do so in the first semester or two of courses once you have begun your fieldwork placement.  An aspiring school counselor’s resume may include prior work history, but unless prior work is counseling or youth services related, that portion should be limited.  A resume of an aspiring school counselor is generally one, but no more than two pages.  Be sure to include volunteer work, particularly if it is counseling related and list any additional responsibilities you have taken on at your fieldwork placement site that may set you apart.

Sample School Counseling Resume

For students transitioning to administrative positions in K-12, your resume should only focus on teaching related work history.  Emphasizing work in the community, committees, and/or professional associations can be helpful.  Particular skills that will be important are managing people, budget responsibilities, and experience with assessment, planning, and learning outcomes.

​For students pursuing non-academic positions in higher education, the format would generally be similar.  Quantifying information on your resume is important, particularly for higher level positions.  This includes number of staff supervised, size of budget managed, and quantifying accomplishments around such areas as student retention, learning outcomes, etc.  For emerging administrators, emphasizing work in the community, committees, and/or professional associations can be helpful.  Including sections on selected presentations and publications that are relevant to higher education and the position you are seeking is also useful (see Sections of the Resume for strategies around adding new sections to your resume).  Keep in mind that different segments of higher education use different language so using the appropriate terminology for the sector to which you are applying is important for both your resume and your cover letter.

A CV is very different than a resume.  In the US, a CV is used for documenting and promoting scholarly and professional experiences when applying for academic (faculty), research positions, academic postdoctoral research opportunities, grants, and fellowships.  It includes additional sections such as teaching, honors and awards, presentations, research, and publications.  See the USC Career Center resource with a CV template (p 11-15).  CVs can run long, but typically are 3+ pages for doctoral candidates and 1-3 pages for master’s candidates.
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Samples of CVs are featured in the Rossier Faculty Directory and Rossier PhD Student Directory.  Many faculty directories at higher education institutions also provide links to faculty CVs.

1. Conduct needs assessments to identify gaps and determine the most appropriate instructional solutions for specific target audiences
2. Analyze and assess the learner, the cultural context of the learner, the learning task, and the learning environment to support equitable learning outcomes
3. Apply cultural competence in order to create an equitable design that addresses issues of power, inclusion, and diversity and how they influence learning and motivation
4. Collaborate with SMEs to extract and synthesize relevant content, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and organization
5. Apply learning and motivation principles to create instructional activities for diverse learners in a variety of settings and cultural contexts
6. Design and implement quantitative and qualitative evaluation models and methods, including formative and summative assessments, to measure the effectiveness of instructional materials
7. Articulate and apply multimedia principles that promote learning and motivation
8. Develop multimedia elements, such as audio, video, graphics, and animations, to enhance learning experiences and engage learners effectively
9. Design and develop e-learning materials using authoring tools, learning management systems (LMS), and multimedia software
10. Knowledge of [and ability to work with] various learning technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), learning management systems, and content authoring tools

Here is an example of a resume within the field of learning design and technology.  

Most students completing an MFT degree will need to do a major update to their resume in advance of completing their degree.  It is recommended to do so in the first semester or two of courses once you have begun practicum and/or internship experiences.  An aspiring counselor’s resume may include prior work history, but unless prior work is counseling related, that portion should be limited.  The resume of a student completing their MFT degree is generally one, but no more than two pages.  Be sure to include volunteer work, particularly if it is counseling related.

Here are sample resumes: MFT Student, MFT Recent Grad, MFT Recent Grad (2)