A resume or CV is, in many cases, the first document a mentor, admissions officer, or program reviewer sees when evaluating you. For ARPL scholars, who are preparing for university applications, research programs, internships, and scholarships, having a strong, clear, and well-structured resume is essential. While LinkedIn shows your evolving professional identity, your resume/CV is the concise, polished version of your academic story. It highlights your achievements, experiences, skills, and potential in one clean page (or two pages maximum).
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they serve different purposes:
Resume (Recommended for high school students):
A one-page document summarizing your most important experiences, skills, and achievements. It is tailored for specific applications, such as research programs, internships, and scholarships. You can see examples of mentors’ resumes that you can use as templates below. You can either use a PDF editor or convert them to Word files. Please note you are also welcome to use your own template, if available.
Curriculum Vitae (CV):
A longer, more detailed academic document used in universities and research settings. It includes sections like publications, presentations, academic projects, and conferences. For ARPL scholars, a CV becomes useful once you start producing research output.
For most of your current applications, you will use a resume but building it in a CV-style structure helps you prepare for future academic pathways. We encourage you to build a resume, yet if you would like to build both, it is even more encouraged.
Regardless of format, every strong resume/CV follows five core principles:
A clean resume reflects the seriousness and maturity of the applicant.
Your resume should look clean, consistent, and easy to read. Use one readable font throughout, such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Times New Roman is encouraged.
Keep font sizes between 10.5 and 12 for text, and slightly larger for your name. Margins should be balanced, and spacing should give the reader breathing room. Avoid colors, graphics, unnecessary design elements, or overly creative templates unless you’re applying for a design-related field. Stick to a straightforward structure with clear section headings using bold or slightly larger text. The goal of formatting is professionalism, not decoration (at least at this point). A well-formatted resume signals that you pay attention to detail.
Your experience descriptions should communicate impact. Start each bullet point with a strong action verb such as led, designed, assisted, analyzed, organized, mentored, facilitated, created, etc. Describe what you did, how you did it, and the result. For example: “Organized weekly study sessions for Grade 11 students, increasing attendance by 40%” is always more effective than “Held study sessions.” When possible, quantify your impact.