How to Write an English Resume: What Employers Are Looking For, Which Sections to Include, and How to Write Each Experience

When looking for internships or jobs, your resume is the first hurdle. For many students, the issue isn't "lack of experience," but rather "how it's written": listing responsibilities without results, using adjectives without examples, or sending the same resume to every position. This article combines the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2026 Employer Survey and the UK government's National Careers Service resume guide to explain exactly how to write an English resume.

1. What Employers Look for in a Resume

The NACE Spring 2026 Employer Survey (February–March 2026, 185 employers) asked employers what competencies they most want to see on new graduate resumes:

• Top priorities are teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills, with 85% of employers looking for teamwork on resumes;
• Other frequently mentioned competencies include technical skills, professional work ethic, and analytical and quantitative skills;
• Over half of the employers listed more than 10 desired competencies.

NACE specifically emphasizes: Simply listing competencies is not enough; employers want to see examples.

Other NACE data points to the same trend: 70% of employers use "skills-based hiring"; the percentage of employers screening resumes by GPA dropped from 73% in 2019 to 42%; and 81% of employers include required skills in their job descriptions. In other words, the core purpose of a resume is to use specific experiences to prove you have the competencies required in the job description.

2. What Sections to Include in a Resume

According to the National Careers Service, a resume typically includes:

1. Contact Information: Name, phone number, email, and LinkedIn or other professional social media profiles if applicable;
2. Brief Summary: Placed below your name and contact info, a few lines summarizing who you are and what you want to do, showing why you are a good fit for the role;
3. Education;
4. Work Experience: Including internships;
5. Interests: If you have limited work experience, you can include interests that demonstrate relevant skills;
6. References: You can write "references are available on request" without listing their contact details.

The order can be adjusted: If you are just starting your career and have limited work experience, put education first; if you have extensive work experience, put that first. Students can also add a "Projects" or "Skills" section to include coursework, research, and technical skills.

3. What Information to Leave Out

The National Careers Service explicitly advises: Do not include your age, date of birth, marital status, or nationality on your resume.

This differs from the Chinese resumes many students are used to. Following the same logic, personal information unrelated to job performance—such as photos, hometown, height, and political affiliation—should also be removed from an English resume. Save the space for experiences that prove your capabilities.

4. How to Write Each Experience

The National Careers Service recommends clearly stating what you did for each work experience, usually in two to three lines, organized using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

A practical format is: Action verb + what you did + result (with numbers if possible). Compare the following (examples below):

The examples on the right simultaneously answer the questions employers care about most: what you did, what skills you used, and what the results were.

5. Tailor Your Resume for Every Application

The National Careers Service advises: Tailor your resume to the specific role and company you are applying to, which increases your chances of getting an interview. Here is how:

1. Highlight the skills required in the job description;
2. Check if your resume includes corresponding experiences to prove these skills;
3. Put the most relevant experiences first and make them more specific;
4. Adjust your brief summary for the specific role.

Since 81% of employers include required skills in their job descriptions, tailoring your resume to match the job description is the most direct approach.

6. Formatting

• Use a clear font such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri, with a font size of 11 or larger;
• Keep formatting consistent throughout;
• Use headings and bullet points for easy skimming;
• Keep it concise; students and new graduates should generally limit it to one or two pages, putting the most important information first;
• Carefully check for spelling and grammar.

7. Tips for Chinese Students Writing English Resumes

• Translate Chinese organization names clearly: Use official English names for schools, companies, and clubs; if none exists, provide a descriptive translation and briefly explain what the organization is;
• Grades and rankings: Clearly state the scale for your GPA (e.g., 3.7/4.0); include your major ranking if applicable;
• Add context for domestic awards: Mention the award's level or the percentage of recipients so foreign employers understand its significance;
• Employment gaps: The National Careers Service notes that gaps between jobs or experiences are normal; simply explain them honestly;
• Visas and work authorization: When asked about your ability to work in an interview or application, be prepared to accurately explain your visa type and work authorization arrangements. See How to Find a Master's Internship and How to Stay and Work After Graduation for details.

8. Pre-Submission Checklist

1. Does every experience include specific actions and results?
2. Are there experiences in your resume that prove the skills required in the job description?
3. Can you find corresponding examples for teamwork, problem-solving, and communication?
4. Have you removed unnecessary personal information like age, date of birth, and marital status?
5. Is the font, formatting, and date format consistent throughout?
6. Have you checked spelling and grammar? It is best to have someone else read it;
7. Is the file name clear? For example, "Name_Position_Resume.pdf".

Final Thoughts

A great resume doesn't just list every experience you've had; it selects the ones that best prove you are a fit for the role, clearly stating what you did and the results. The most important task of a resume is to let recruiters see your capabilities and achievements at a glance.

For tips on interview preparation and finding internships, check out our articles on What U.S. Employers Look for in New Graduates and How Career Coaching Works. If you need one-on-one resume editing, feel free to chat with our career coaching counselors.

Fact-checking note: This article was fact-checked in September 2026. Data on desired employer competencies comes from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update (surveyed February 12 to March 17, 2026, 185 employers); data on skills-based hiring, GPA screening, and job descriptions comes from the NACE survey released in January 2026, fact-checked in our 50th article. Advice on resume structure, personal information to exclude, the STAR method, formatting, and tailoring to specific roles comes from the UK government's National Careers Service resume guide. The content in the experience writing comparison table consists of examples, not real resumes; advice on length, tips for Chinese students, and the checklist are our empirical recommendations. The NACE survey primarily targets U.S. employers, so the conclusions may not apply to all countries and industries.

References:

• NACE: The Key Skills Employers Seek on College Students' Resumes
• NACE: The High-Impact Skills College Students Should Showcase on Their Resumes (April 2026)
• NACE: Employer Use of Skills-Based Hiring Practices Grows (January 2026)
• National Careers Service: How to write a CV