STEMConnect: Technical Resume Sample

Utilize this resource to create a technical resume. Technical Resumes can be used in a variety of situations in navigating a STEM job search. Download the technical resume also available at the bottom of the page and use the section examples below to get started with creating a technical resume.

For general resume formatting tips, review the Resume Formatting and Common Errors page

Once you have a draft, schedule an appointment to meet with a “Quick Question” Advisor for a 15-minute virtual resume review (select Advising Type: Quick Questions) or meet with a Career Advisor for a 30-minute virtual or in-person review.

After you have received feedback from OCS, run your resume through the Big Interview AI Resume Review service.

A note on Applicant Tracking Systems

Resumes are often screened by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) before getting to a recruiter. The tips below will help your application move through the process:

  • Avoid tables, graphic images, or other complex formatting, which an ATS may not read.
  • Use bullet points in your work history.
  • Use ‘Accomplishment Statements’ to explain your experience, highlighting the skills valued for your target position.
    • For each bullet, use the WHO method: What did you do? How did you do it? What was the Outcome? Quantify the outcomes with numbers when possible.
    • Highlight your relevant skills and accomplishments for the targeted job, recognizing that may not include all your accomplishments.
    • In general, provide 3-5 bullets (accomplishment statements) for each experience.
  • Visit the OCS website for more tips on Writing Impactful Resume Bullets

Understanding the sections on the Technical Resume Sample

The STEMConnect Technical Resume is not a prescriptive document, you can utilize this document to meet your needs and add/remove sections as it fits with your goals and experiences. Currently, the following sections are utilized in this document and are explained below: Header, Summary (optional), Education, Technical Skills, Work Experience, and Projects & Leadership Experience. Plus, we’ve included some additional sections you can utilize and switch out to best meet your needs.

Header Section:

The header information is where you will include relevant contact information such as your Name, email (you should use your Yale email), phone, city and state. It is not necessary to include the street address. If you are actively job searching, you should make sure that you utilize a professional voicemail greeting as well as a professional email address (if you decide to not use your Yale email).

Optional in the Header section:

  • If you have LinkedIn, a personal website/portfolio, or GitHub you can include these links to showcase samples of your projects, skills, and abilities.

Summary Section:

The summary statement is an optional section, however you can utilize this section to tell how your skills and experience make you a fit for the position. A summary should be 3-5 lines long and highlight key skills related to the position you are applying to.

Example summary for a technical position:

  • Team-focused software engineering undergraduate student looking for an entry-level job in X industry. Experienced with Python, C++, and MATLAB programming languages. Looking to apply coding skills and creativity in educational software development.
  • Driven and detail-oriented Electrical Engineer with 4+ years of experience with the design and fabrication of integrated circuits. Excellent troubleshooting, problem-solving, and analytical thinking skills. Solved a long-standing testing bug at Company X which increased the average testing time by 17%.

Education Section:

The education section is where you can highlight your education and related accomplishments. You should always list your most recent educational experience first, and then work back to the oldest. If you are a first year or sophomore student, you can add your high school experience. If you study abroad, or have done coursework at other universities you can also list that information in this section.

Optional in the Education section:

  • Relevant Coursework: Add relevant coursework related to your major to showcase your technical skills and content knowledge. In the case of creating a technical resume, it should be advanced courses within your program which compliment your skills and knowledge of your chosen field.
  • Awards: If you have won awards during your time at Yale, you can also highlight these accomplishments in this section. If you have extensive awards/accomplishments, you can consider breaking this into its own section and adding it immediately after your education section.

Technical Skills:

The technical skills section is where you can highlight the hard skills you have developed on your own, through coursework and during internships. You can highlight skills like computer languages, industry-specific tools/machines, research and lab techniques, as well as other areas of expertise. When looking at a job description, you should match your skills in this section to the key skills in the job description.

Work Experience Section:

Your work experience section can include paid and unpaid positions outside of the industry you’re applying to as long as you can highlight the skills you gained in a way that makes them transferrable to that industry. When you have work experience outside of your industry, utilize key competencies keeping in mind those commonly sought out by employers in your specific industry. Industry specific competencies can often be found in the job description for the position you’re applying for.

Like with the order in your education section, you will list your experiences from most recent at the top of the section to oldest. Each of your work experiences should include 3-4 bullets showcasing your duties and impact you brought to the position.

General Tips for Writing About Your Work Experience:

Projects & Leadership Experience:

The projects and leadership experience section is an area that has versatility and flexibility for you to showcase your experiences both in and outside of the classroom. This section is flexible because you can list things like:

  • Final projects from a class (showcase your technical skills and other critical skills like teamwork and problem solving)
  • Student Club/Professional Organization involvement (showcase your leadership and involvement on campus)
  • Independent technical projects

Other Interchangeable Sections:

Research Experience

  • If you conduct research in a lab on campus, you can add a separate section highlighting your work experience in the specific lab you did research in.

Volunteer Experience

  • If you have limited work experience, but have volunteered extensively you can utilize your volunteer experience to count towards work experience. To showcase your volunteer experience, format this section the same as you would for a “Work Experience” section, utilizing your bullets to showcase your contributions and impact you made to the organization while also demonstrating key competencies relevant to your industry like communication, teamwork, project management etc.
Download Technical Resume