STEM Resume Example

After reading this article, you'll feel confident creating a STEM resume that effectively showcases your relevant skills and experience. You'll learn how to show employers you've got the relevant qualities, skills and experience for the job, all presented in a format that employers prefer to see. The article also includes tips for formatting your resume according to your experience and strengths. Read on to access expert insights from Jobseeker that will help you create a winning STEM resume.

Main sections of a STEM professional resume

The key sections to include in a STEM resume are similar to those for any role or profession.

Your resume layout and structure may differ depending on your experience levels, but make sure your resume includes the following:

Resume Header

In your STEM resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Make your resume header clear, concise and as brief and compact as possible. Consider different layouts that spread the information horizontally across the page rather than using a different line for each piece of information.

Opt for a professional-looking email address based on your name. If your email address could be construed as unprofessional or inappropriate because it contains nicknames or unsuitable language, create a new, more professional email address for your job applications. Always check your contact details to make sure they're up-to-date before you send your resume.

Resume Summary

In your resume summary, write a short paragraph that highlights two or three of your key achievements and skills for STEM professional roles. You could also call this section 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. A resume summary covers your career experience to date, while a resume objective focuses more on your ambitions for the future. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.

Alternatively, you could use this section to reference your objectives and ambitions, and how this role would fit into your career journey.

A good resume summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for STEM professional roles, while leaving the reader with an impression of your unique qualities and strengths. The most effective resume summaries also provide evidence to back up the claims made in them. Take a look at some strong examples of how to approach a STEM resume summary in the graphic below.

On the other hand, a resume summary can be ineffective if it lacks specific information about how your skills align with the job description, or fails to paint a picture of your unique qualities and talents. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your STEM resume summary.

Work History

In the next section, list your employment history focusing on the most relevant previous roles and achievements that showcase your STEM professional skills. Include any relevant jobs you've held in reverse-chronological order. Start with your current or most recent roles and work back through previous roles. For each job, list your title, the name of the company, its location and the dates you worked there.

Add some bullet points under each job entry, explaining your achievements in the role, so the reader can see how you contributed towards success for the company. Provide evidence of your impact and make sure each point addresses a requirement listed in the job description.

A successful resume work experience section will always showcase skills and experience relevant to the job description, and how you put each to good use in your previous roles. Offering quantifiable evidence in a STEM professional resume proves you're a strong candidate for the job, such as client feedback, project outcomes, KPIs or financial results. See below for some good examples of what to include in your resume work experience section.

Above, you can see a weaker example of a resume work experience section to best avoid. Poor examples of resume work experience sections tend to be vague and fail to quantify your achievements and the impact you've made in your career to date. They may also focus on responsibilities above relevant skills and how you've used them.

Educational Achievements

Under education, add details of any degrees or professional qualifications relevant to STEM professional roles.

Typically, working as a STEM professional requires a university or college degree, which you'll need to list on your resume. If you're working in this sector, it's usually a good idea to highlight your Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree or other relevant qualifications. Focus on qualifications that showcase your data analysis techniques or programming languages proficiency.

List every relevant qualification, including the name and level of the course, the name of the school, college or university, its location and your graduation date. If you have space, include some bullet points outlining any specialist areas of study, awards or high grades, so the employer can learn more about your unique skill set and knowledge.

Additionally, mentioning any leadership roles or any societies and clubs you participated in while studying shows proactivity and initiative.

Projects and Publications

Resume sections for projects and publications can be a useful way of showing your specialist knowledge, and your standing and reputation within your chosen discipline. Choose projects and publications that mark you out as a thought leader in your field of expertise. Add any key projects you've led or been involved in, particularly if they made a significant contribution to the academic knowledge base. Add published works, such as books, chapters, academic journal articles or articles for newspapers and magazines.

The two most popular citation styles for publications on a resume are the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA). MLA is more widely used for humanities, with APA used more commonly for science and engineering. Both citation styles include the same basic information, such as author name, year of publication, article title (if necessary), publication name, volume, issue, page numbers and publisher. Here's an (APA-style) example publication that you might see included in a STEM professional resume:

Hard and Soft Skills

In your skills section, list any skills you've acquired or developed that are relevant to STEM professional positions. Consider adding machine learning algorithms, critical thinking skills or any other necessary skills for the job. Again, refer to the STEM professional job description for an indication of the types of skills the employer is looking for, and make sure your skills section reflects these.

How to include hard skills on your STEM resume

Under hard skills, add any specialist skills you possess that are specifically required for STEM professional jobs. These tend to be technical skills and industry knowledge essential to the position. Furthermore, these skills are essential for a STEM resume as they showcase your expertise in the field. Add up to five key hard skills that show you're an ideal candidate for the role. It can also be beneficial to add context to each skill, showing how you've used it to positive effect in your career to date.

The best resume hard skills sections focus on specific technical skills necessary for the job, showcasing skills that you have particular expertise in. There are some examples of valuable hard skills for a STEM resume below.

Showcasing your best soft skills

Your soft skills are the core qualities and personal characteristics that make you a good employee. They tend to apply to multiple professions and jobs, though the soft skills you'll require may change as you move from junior to senior positions. Indeed, without soft skills, you may struggle to adapt to STEM professional roles or meet the standards expected of you. So make sure you include several key soft skills on your resume. Think of your best soft skills and add up to five that match the requirements of the job description.

A good soft skills section would include skills that match the job description, and also reflect your key strengths and qualities. See the graphic below for an indication of what to include in a strong soft skills section for a STEM resume.

Licenses and Certifications

Under this section, list any relevant certifications or licenses that are relevant to STEM professional jobs. Add any official certifications or accreditations that increase your level of qualification and suitability for working as a STEM professional. Therefore, list any official licenses and certifications, along with their dates, so employers can assess whether you've got the necessary qualifications to work as a STEM professional.

Below you can find several examples of certifications for a STEM professional resume:

Optional Sections

There are several additional sections you could add to a STEM professional resume, to improve your chances of success. Choose optional sections from the list below, if they help to showcase your relevant skills and experience.

Hobbies and Interests

Hobbies and interests can be a useful way of showing your skills and experience beyond your work and education. They also help to show a different side of your personality, and can help your resume create a more memorable impression on hiring managers. If you're short on real world work experience, hobbies and interests can be a useful way of providing more information about your qualities. Only include hobbies and interests that showcase your personality and personal qualities, and add something different to your application.

Voluntary Work

Listing volunteer work is another useful way to prove your relevant experience for STEM professional roles. Include the title of your volunteer role, who you volunteered for, as well as the dates you carried out the work. Provide brief details of your responsibilities and the impact you made.

References

Standard STEM professional resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Add two or three professional references, and be sure to approach each referee before you include them.

Best action words for your STEM resume

Using strong action words to make your resume resonate with the employer. Choose from the list of words below to make the best possible impression.

Jobseeker's clean, attractive resume formats can help your applications make a strong impression on employers. Check them out for help designing a winning resume, and see our cover letter templates to help win over recruiters and hiring managers.

Sample STEM resume

The STEM resume example below incorporates all the information from above into a full-designed resume template, so you can see how a final resume will look:

Guide to making your resume ATS-friendly

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to streamline their hiring process. They can store and process data, including applications and applicant data, quickly and efficiently. One of the jobs ATS applications are increasingly responsible for is initial candidate screening. The systems can quickly scan and rank resumes based on how closely they match the job description. When drafting your STEM resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.

Follow these simple rules when writing your resume, to make sure it's ATS compliant:

• Opt for an established, traditional resume format such as a reverse-chronological or functional structure. These will ensure your resume includes all the necessary details ATS systems scan for.
• Add keywords throughout your resume that help ATS software match your application to the job description. A higher match means your application is more likely to proceed to be reviewed by human eyes.
• Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
• Utilize a clean, clear resume design that helps make your content more readable. Use simple fonts and subtle color accents and design elements that don't detract from the written content.
• Keep your resume as concise as possible, to make it easier to read, and for ATS software to scan.

Key takeaways for your STEM resume

Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Pick a resume format that matches your experience levels, and tailor the content of your resume to reflect the details of the job description.

Remember, Jobseeker resume templates and other tools make it easy to create a resume and cover letter that leaves a positive impression on hiring managers. Sign up now to start building your perfect resume. To make the best possible impression with your applications, write a cover letter with the help of Jobseeker. You can also find plenty of expert-designed cover letter examples for inspiration.

Sources:

(1) Resumes & Cover Letters for PhD Students, Hardvard University: https://careerservices.fas.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/161/2024/08/2024-GSAS_phd_resume_cover_letters-1.pdf

(2) Guide to Résumés and Curricula Vitae, National Institutes of Health: https://www.training.nih.gov/documents/16/Guide_to_Resumes_and_Curricula_Vitae.pdf