GCU Resume & CV Guide for Internships

Resume and CV are not interchangeable. Using the wrong one can lead to rejection.

Resume Definition

A resume is a 1-2 page summary of your skills, experience, and education, tailored to a specific job. It is concise and results-oriented. For 95% of U.S. internships and corporate jobs, you use a resume.

CV Definition

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a long, comprehensive document detailing your entire academic history. It can be 10-20 pages and includes sections resumes omit, like publications, conference presentations, and research experience.

When to use a CV: Apply for academic positions, research-heavy internships, or jobs outside North America. For your GCU internship, a resume is almost always correct.

A modern resume is simple, scannable, and powerful.

Your Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) projects are professional experience. You’ve worked on remote, cross-functional teams to manage projects. This is the modern workforce. List this under “Projects” or “Relevant Experience,” not “Education.”

The STAR Method

To frame your CLC experience, use the STAR Method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for bullet points.

Example: CLC on a Resume

Here is how to transform a class project into a powerful resume entry.

Before:

• “Participated in a CLC group project for MKT-300.”

After:

This version showcases leadership, teamwork, project management, and data analysis. For help with these complex projects, see our case study writing services.

Vague resumes are ignored. Strong resumes use action verbs and quantifiable achievements. Every bullet point must start with a verb.

Use Action Verbs

Never use “Responsible for.” Be direct.

Instead of “Team leader”: Orchestrated, Coordinated, Managed, Led
Instead of “Made”: Developed, Created, Designed, Implemented
Instead of “Helped”: Facilitated, Supported, Assisted, Co-authored
Instead of “Fixed”: Resolved, Streamlined, Optimized, Re-engineered

Quantify Your Impact

Numbers prove your impact. Ask “How much?” or “How many?”

• Weak: “Trained new employees.”
• Strong: “Trained and mentored 5 new baristas, reducing onboarding time by 20%.”
• Weak: “Handled customer complaints.”
• Strong: “Resolved 30+ customer complaints daily, maintaining a 95% customer satisfaction rating.”

Before a human sees your resume, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) scans it for keywords from the job description. Your first job is to beat the bot.

Keyword Matching

Read the job description and mirror its language. If it asks for “financial modeling” and “project management,” you must have those exact phrases. You must tailor your resume for every application. A generic resume will fail. Jobscan offers ATS-friendly resume templates.

ATS-Friendly Formatting

The ATS gets confused by fancy formatting. To ensure it can read your resume:

• Use a simple, single-column layout. Avoid tables, text boxes, and columns.
• Do not put important info in the header or footer.
• Use standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
• Use standard section headings: “Education,” “Experience,” and “Skills.”