Types of Résumés

There are a few different kinds of resumes, and each has a specific purpose. That purpose determines what goes into the resume and the format it takes.

Items with * are usually in list form, without descriptions; others depend on content and purpose.

  • This is an overview of you as an applicant. Always include:

    • Header (name, contact info, website) *

    • Education history, post-secondary *

    • Work history/experience

    • Honors and awards *


    Sometimes, when relevant and space

    allows, you’ll include:

    • Personal statement or objective

    • Skills

    • Relevant courses

    • Leadership and/or service experience

    • Languages you speak

    • Travel experience


    The standard résumés is specially tailored to the job/opportunity and company/firm.

    Limit to 1 page.

  • This document is particularly crafted for grants, museums, residencies, etc. List your prior:

    • Exhibitions (solo, group, could be “selected” or “recent”) *

    • Lectures/teaching you’ve done *

    • Residencies

    • Performances

    • Your publications

    • Interviews (of you)

    • Publicity

    Limit to 1 page.

  • For most of the US and Canada, this term is used for resumes specific to the education field (some other places use “CV” interchangeably with “résumé”). It acts as an archive, containing:

    • Education history

    • Work history

    • Your publications

    • Courses you’ve taught

    • Courses you’ve taken

    • Conferences you’ve attended

    • Your conference presentations

    • Your certifications

    • Workshops you’ve run

    • Awards and honors

    More categories are welcome, as long as they are intentional.

    No page limit (usually at least a few pages, and could be quite long).

 

Designing Your Résumé

  • Use one typeface or type family

  • Simplify your design, consider blank space

  • Match across application documents (resume, letter, portfolio, etc.)

  • Use personal branding with caution (Do you need to demonstrate branding as a skill? Will your brand compete with that of the firm/company you’re applying to?)

  • Limit paragraph length

  • Use columns for space, hierarchy, and readability (except CVs, generally 1 column)