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Harvard University is one of the world’s top institutions of higher learning, known for its rigorous academic programs and exceptional graduates.
Showcasing your time at this historic institution on your resume can help you stand out from the pool of applicants in any industry.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the Harvard resume template and how to use it to craft each section of your resume.
We’ll also provide professionally made Harvard resume examples that can help you highlight how your academic career will bring value to prospective employers.
What is the Harvard resume format?
The Harvard resume format is slightly different from traditional resume formats that follow either a chronological, combination or functional configuration.
A Harvard-format resume organizes your information according to importance and what you want to bring to the attention of a recruiter first, whether it is skills, experience or education.
Harvard’s Mignone Center for Career Success Undergraduate Resource Series features a “Resumes & Cover Letters” guide that includes a bullet-point resume template that is popular among job seekers.
The Harvard resume sample below follows Harvard’s bullet-point template. We’ve called out each section to indicate the crucial components of a compelling Harvard resume that wins interviews.
How to structure a Harvard resume template
Each section of your Harvard University resume plays a vital role in painting a compelling picture of who you are and what you can bring to the table.
By taking the time to carefully craft each section, you can make the most out of your resume and stand out from the competition. Let’s explore how to structure your perfect Harvard resume.
Craft a powerful resume summary
A resume summary is your introduction to the employer. It should pack a strong punch as this is the first section recruiters and hiring managers read.
Take an elevator pitch approach and include your strongest, job-relevant information.
Your Harvard resume’s summary statement should include the following:
- Years of experience
- Strongest job-relevant skills
- Important accomplishments
For example:
Highlight your education
In the Harvard University resume template featured above, the education section is featured prominently at the top of the resume.
Showcase your Crimson education in your Harvard University resume by highlighting your academic achievements, including honors and GPA, if relevant.
Start with the university name. Below the name, write the degree, concentration and GPA (if it is above a 3.5). Keep in mind that your GPA is optional; however, it can help you stand out from other candidates.
Under your school and degree, you should also include:
- Any honors, if applicable
- Job-relevant coursework
- Thesis
- Memberships to sports teams or clubs
For example:
HARVARD UNIVERSITY May 2023
A.B. Honors degree in Bioengineering. GPA 3.89
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Dean’s List
STUDY ABROAD June-July 2022
Study abroad coursework in Revolution in Biomedicine
Imperial College, London
Showcase your experience at Harvard
Highlight what you’ve learned throughout your Harvard academic career, research and internships in your work experience section.
A Harvard resume work experience section focuses on the order of importance, unlike traditional resume formats, which list past roles in reverse-chronological order.
Have considerable experience in a specific field? Use it as a section title on your Harvard resume template to draw recruiters’ eyes to your extensive experience.
For example, if you had a prolific career at The Crimson and have collaborated with other newsrooms and publications, create a Journalism Experience section.
Tailor your resume to your target role by incorporating keywords from the job description throughout the work history section.
Remember to use strong action verbs to describe your accomplishments. When combined with your Harvard resume experience, action verbs will add more impact to your achievements. Combine these verbs with numbers to quantify your achievements.
For example:
Information Systems Intern
Developed an application to aid remote learning using basic systems for children at shelters and hospitals.
Include optional sections
You do not have to limit the experience you detail on your Harvard resume to work. You can also include additional sections to showcase your extensive experience in a particular subject. For example, research experience, leadership experience or performing arts experience.
Format this experience section on your Harvard resume template like you would your work history by including quantifiable achievements to showcase what you accomplished and the skills used.
For example:
Caribbean Connection Group Cambridge, MA
Percussionist
Perform traditional music from the Caribbean, like Puerto Rican Bomba, Dominican Palo and Cuban Rumba. Participated in three major performances per semester and traveled once per year, representing Harvard University.
Feature relevant skills and achievements
Your Harvard resume speaks to your abilities to perform a job and what you’ve achieved in your academic and professional careers.
The skills to put on a resume vary according to the position and employer. Always customize the format of your resume to the job.
It’s important to create a balanced list of hard skills and soft skills.
If you wish to highlight a specific set of skills, separate them into sections: technical skills, languages and laboratory.
For example:
Languages: English, Spanish, Conversational Portuguese, Basic French
Your work experience will also include information regarding your skills and how you used them to achieve your accomplishments.
The education section of your Harvard resume can also include your academic accomplishments. Don’t limit yourself to GPA and honors; you can also include:
- Test scores
- Fellowships
- Research
- Dean’s List
- Leadership positions in organizations
- Membership in sports teams or other organizations
Design tips for your Harvard resume template
The Harvard resume template is easy-to-read and professional. See what to put on a resume to determine what information to include in each section to stand out to hiring managers. Your resume must include the following:
- Name and contact information
- Education with job-relevant accomplishments and projects
- Work experience.
- Skills or competencies.
You can also include additional categories, such as volunteer work, cultural experiences, leadership initiatives and extracurricular activities, to support your skills.
Once you’ve established the order of your sections, start building your Harvard resume.
- Sections are stacked, which helps the recruiter quickly read your resume.
- Don’t use more than two resume fonts and keep the font size between 10-12
- Add information to each section using bullet points or short paragraphs. Stick to one to maintain consistency.
- In each section, add the information in reverse chronological order.
Keep a consistent format throughout your Harvard resume:
- Choose a professional, readable and accessible resume font.
- Select a resume template with stacked sections for an easier read.
- Keep a consistent margin of .75 inches on all sides to maintain balanced white spaces in your Harvard resume.
- If you are currently a student, use your Harvard email address, even if you choose to forward your emails to a different account.
- Build your resume in our Resume Builder, which offers expert content suggestions written by Certified Professional Resume Writers.
Whether you’re a recent graduate or have a few years of experience under your belt, start with a summary statement.
Continue your Harvard resume with your education section, including your GPA, awards, accomplishments and, if applicable, capstone project.
Then, include your skills and work experience and move on to the additional optional sections, such as certifications or leadership activities.
See what your resume should look like for additional design tips from career advice experts.
Create a cover letter to match your Harvard resume
A cover letter is a one-page document that introduces you to the employer and expands upon the information provided in your resume.
We recommend using our Cover Letter Builder for job-specific content suggestions and professionally designed templates.
This is your opportunity to connect on a personal level with an employer. Your Harvard resume and cover letter should each showcase the skills and qualifications that make you a great fit for the role. When writing a cover letter, follow the tips below:
- Use a traditional cover letter format (business letter format).
- Do not exceed one page. See our guide on how to write a cover letter for additional details.
- Provide specific examples to expand on your skills and accomplishments.
- End with a call to action that can further the conversation.
- Find a cover letter template that will match your resume design.
Our cover letter examples can help you learn more about creating a document with the right information to advance your career.
Harvard resume examples
Browse the Harvard resume examples below to get a sense of what the final product looks like when you use the Harvard resume template to craft your resume.
See 800+ resume examples for real-world samples of resumes for different jobs, industries and circumstances.
Harvard resume tips
- Always tailor your Harvard resume to the application. Use keywords from the job description if you’re applying for a job. If you’re applying for a Master’s, Ph.D. or other professional studies, include as much pertinent information as possible.
- Choose a resume template that best serves your information. Our Resume Builder allows you to change the layout of your resume and automatically fit your information.
- Perfect grammar is a must for any resume. Use spell-check and another pair of eyes to revise your resume. Use our ATS resume checker to scan your resume for errors.
- Avoid “I” statements. Let your accomplishments speak for you.
- Use action verbs and concise language to convey your academic and professional experiences.
- Use numbers to quantify your achievements and showcase how you’ve used your skills.
- When applicable, include optional categories to help you stand out from other candidates.
FAQ
How should I display Harvard Extension School on my resume?
The Harvard Extension School is an important part of the Harvard lineage. As part of its continuing education division, it provides a flexible education experience with the same access for remote, hybrid and on-site students.
Harvard Extension School should be displayed in your resume as follows:
Harvard University, Extension School
Master School of Liberal Arts, Economics
GPA 3.75
Can I put a Harvard online course on my resume?
Yes! Harvard encourages all its students to include their completed courses, certifications and degrees on a resume and professional profile. You can include a PDF link to the Course Verification Form as proof if you’re so inclined.
Where to include GPA in Harvard resume?
When building a Harvard resume, your GPA, honors and test scores should always be included in the education section under the degree. If you also have an honor designation, include the GPA next to it.
For example:
Harvard University, Extension School
Bachelor of Liberal Arts, Field of Information Technology
Cum Laude, GPA 3.7
How to write a Harvard resume?
Before you start writing your resume, establish why you are building your Harvard resume. Is it for a job application? Internship? Postgraduate studies? Then, you can take a better approach to building your resume.
- For employment, focus on your job-relevant skills, experience and coursework.
- For postgraduate studies, focus on your academic experiences and coursework.
- Choose a Harvard resume template.
Create a contact section with current information. - Build a summary statement to highlight your skills and experiences.
- Create a work section using action verbs to describe your achievements.
- Highlight your Harvard education by including your GPA and any awards.
- Use optional additional sections, like volunteer work and internships, to stand out from other applicants.
What font size should I use in a Harvard-style resume?
The Office of Career Services at Harvard recommends using font sizes 10 to 12. It also recommends keeping the same font and font size between your resume and cover letter to maintain a cohesive document package.
Whichever font size you choose, remember to keep it consistent. Your name should be the largest size, the section titles two points smaller than the name and the section content no smaller than 10 points.
Should I use a CV or a resume?
Choosing a CV vs resume will depend on your career and what the employer is requesting. A CV has unlimited length and provides a comprehensive look into your work, skills and experiences. Meanwhile, a resume is a snapshot of your career in one or two pages.
A CV is mostly used for academic, medical, scientific and international careers and postgraduate studies. If you’re choosing to continue with higher education, confirm the school requirements for a CV or resume.
Our CV examples can help you learn more about creating your own. Once you’re ready, choose a CV template and head on to our CV Maker to build a CV.
How we reviewed this article
Since 2013, we have helped more than 15 million job seekers. We want to make your career journey accessible and manageable through our services and Career Center’s how-to guides and tips. In our commitment to bring you a transparent process, we present our Editorial Process.
Sources
- Harvard University Mignone Center for Career Success. Undergraduate Resource Series. Harvard College Resumes & Cover Letter Guide
- Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Article. How to Write a Resume That Stands Out
- CNBC. Article. Mckissen, Dustin. An example of the perfect resume according to Harvard and career experts
- Harvard Business Review. Article. Gallo, Amy. How to Write a Resume That Stands Out
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Guide to Your Perfect Harvard Resume
Nilda Melissa is a Certified Professional Resume Writer who has written for The Washington Post and Latina Style Magazine. She has a master's in Journalism from Columbia University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
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