What do your resume, CV, LinkedIn profile, and portfolio have in common? They all involve communicating about your experience — often to a specific audience, for a specific opportunity. Sharing your professional narrative is an essential part of:
- Applying to internships, jobs, graduate schools, and fellowships
- Creating a professional online presence
- Connecting with employers or alumni
In this section, you will find resources to help you to craft your materials to highlight your skills, demonstrate your motivation, show your alignment with the position or organization, and build your professional narrative.
Resumes and CVs
Resumes
Most job or internship applications will require you to submit a resume: a document that highlights your recent experiences, skills, and accomplishments that are relevant to the type of opportunity you’re seeking.
In general, a student or recent graduate should have a one-page resume. It should be formatted consistently and be easy to read. Sections on your resume will include your education, work and internship experiences, extracurricular and leadership activities, volunteer work, research, and anything else that has given you transferable skills for your next role. Use this guide to brainstorm how to get started on your resume.
Craft impactful bullet points for your experiences to demonstrate your accomplishments. Focus on relevant skills, rather than listing all your responsibilities. Start with a strong action verb. State what you did, how you did it, and what was the impact or purpose of your work. Balance being concise with providing details that show substance and depth.
Many organizations use Applicant Tracking Systems (“ATS”) to organize and review applications. Use our ATS guidance to optimize your resume’s content and format for ATS.
Check out sample resumes for tips on how to organize your resume and draft your bullet points. Lastly, use this resume checklist to ensure your resume is ready to submit.
CVs
In the United States, the term “CV” is used to refer to a longer, more detailed document typically used for careers in academia. If you are applying for academic research positions, fellowships, or research-focused graduate programs, you may need to create a CV that tells the story of who you are as a future scholar.
Like your resume, your CV will include your contact information and education. Other sections can focus on your research, publications, academic honors, teaching experience, leadership, and extracurricular activities.
Check out our sample CVs for Science or Humanities for inspiration.
LinkedIn Profiles and Your Online Presence
LinkedIn is an effective tool to build your network and apply for positions. In order to allow employers, alumni, recruiters, and others to find you, you should build a profile that showcases your qualifications and accomplishments. Unlike a resume, your LinkedIn profile will not be limited to one page. That said, your profile content should still be clear, concise, and focused. Follow our profile development tips to make the best use of LinkedIn sections in creating or updating your profile.
Social Media and Other Online Presence
When you apply to a job or connect with someone in your network, the person you’re contacting will likely look you up online.
Your use of social media creates an impression of who you are. Be thoughtful and strategic in deciding where and what you share. Curate your online presence based on your career goals, values, and personality. Review the privacy settings of different platforms and consider which accounts you wish to make public or keep private.
Professional Websites and Portfolios
If you are applying to media, tech, or creative roles, you may need a website or portfolio to display your work. Establishing an online website or portfolio also allows artists, writers, designers, architects, photographers, and filmmakers to maintain their content, ensure visibility, and manage their professional brand.
There are many online resources and platforms for developing a website or portfolio. Research what platforms are popular in your field and most suitable for the type of media you will feature. If you plan to monetize content be sure to build in that functionality when picking a platform.
- Learn about web hosting space for members of the Columbia community. Keep in mind you may want your own domain when you leave the university.
- Creative professionals and visual artists use design-oriented platforms, such as Behance or Adobe Portfolio.
- Investigate free blogging platforms such as Wordpress or Blogger.
- Computer science students often create a portfolio of technical projects on Github.
- Website builders such as Wix, Squarespace, and Google Sites are great places to start your professional website. Be sure to check pricing options; Wix and Google Sites both offer free plans.
Whichever platform you choose, use these tips to make the most of your professional website or portfolio.
- Highlight your key skills: Showcase the work that you want to be hired for and present the best examples of your work. Create mock samples to supplement your past work.
- Make it simple and easy to navigate: Present your projects in a straightforward and consistent format. Use categories to organize different types of material. If you are working with media, consider how best to present your work visually.
- Keep it updated: Add your most recent work and regularly review and reassess your content. Check that all links are current and working.
- Connect it to your other professional materials: Include links to your website and portfolio in your resume and LinkedIn profile. Consider adding portfolio and website links to your email signature and social media as well.
