Resumes & CVs.

A strong resume communicates your passion for public health, interdisciplinary skills, and commitment to improving population health, showcasing your qualifications and value to prospective employers.

A resume is typically concise, targeted, and tailored to specific job applications. No matter where you apply, your resume must effectively communicate how your previous experience positions you as a strong candidate for the job at hand.

A public health resume should:

  • Highlight Relevant Experience: Outline your experiences, internships, research projects, and volunteer roles that demonstrate your ability to contribute to public health efforts, from epidemiological research to community health initiatives.
  • Showcase Skills & Expertise: Employers look for specific competencies such as data analysis, statistical software proficiency (e.g., SAS, R, or SPSS), health policy knowledge, program evaluation, and communication skills. Your resume should clearly show your technical and soft skills relevant to the job at hand.
  • Demonstrate Impact: In public health, impact is key. Focus on how your work contributed to health outcomes, community well-being, or policy changes.
  • Align with Employer Needs: Public health roles vary widely. Your resume must be tailored to the specific role you are applying for, emphasizing the skills and experiences that best align with the needs of the employer.

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Resume Formats & Styles

The resume format you choose should emphasize your strengths—whether that’s a strong history of work experience, specialized skills, or a combination of both. For most SPH students, a chronological resume is generally recommended. Below are the most common formats:

  • Chronological Resume: Lists work experience in reverse-chronological order, ideal if you have steady job or internship history and want to show career progression. This format provides a clear timeline of your career path, making it easy for employers to track your experience.
  • Functional Resume: Focuses on your skills rather than your work experience and timeline. Useful if you have less direct experience but transferable skills that are highly relevant to the role you are applying to. Headers for a functional resume could be Relevant Experience, Other Experience, Skills,… This format can help with employment gaps but may raise concerns with some employers, as it could suggest you’re trying to hide something.

  • Combination Resume: Merges chronological and functional formats, highlighting both skills and work experience. It starts with a skills section, followed by a reverse-chronological work history. Ideal for graduate students with strong skills and relevant experience.
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV): is longer than a resume and is typically used for academic, research, or international roles. For public health students, a CV may be ideal for positions emphasizing education, publications, and academic achievements.

Essential Sections of a Resume

When crafting a resume, it’s important to include sections that give potential employers a clear understanding of your qualifications and relevant experience. For public health students, each section should be tailored to highlight your academic background, research, practical experience, and the specialized skills that make you a strong candidate for the roles you are applying to. Below are essential sections of a resume:

  • Contact Information should be easy to find and read. It should include:
      • Full name (bolded or slightly larger font for emphasis)
      • Professional email address
      • Phone number
      • LinkedIn profile (if well-maintained)
  • Profile / Summary is 2-3 sentences at the top of your resume that highlights your qualifications and career goals related to the job at hand. This is an opportunity to convey your passion for public health and outline what makes you a strong candidate.

It should highlight the specific experiences, skills, strengths, and attributes you possess that differentiate you from others and can contribute to the organization.

  • Education section lists your degrees in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent education. What to include:
    • Degree names (e.g., Master of Public Health)
    • Institution names
    • Graduation date or expected graduation date (e.g., May 2026)
    • GPA (if asked, or if applying to consulting firms)

If you have years of experience and are currently working, you could include this below your experience section.

  • Work Experience outlines your professional experience, including your practicum, part-time work, volunteer roles, and research positions. Your experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order, highlighting your main accomplishments related to the work you would be doing in the job you’re applying for. What to include:
    • Organization name
    • Job title
    • Dates of employment (month/year)
    • Location
    • Bullet points summarizing your key responsibilities and accomplishments, using action verbs and quantifying your impact. One of the most effective ways to describe your experiences on a resume is by using the STAR Method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  • Skills section allows you to showcase the technical and soft skills (now called “power skills”) that are relevant to the public health role you are applying to. What to include:
    • Technical skills: Data analysis software (e.g., SAS, R, SPSS), GIS tools, statistical modeling, public health databases.
    • Soft skills: Effective communication, teamwork & collaboration, problem-solving, leadership, adaptability, cross-culturally competent.

Other Sections. Depending on your experience and the job you’re applying for, you may want to include additional sections that further demonstrate your qualifications.

  • Publications: If you have authored or co-authored research papers, articles, or reports relevant to public health, include them in this section. These should be cited using the APA style.
  • Relevant Certifications: to show acquired specific, recognized skills valued in the public health field. This is not the place to add Basic First Aid Certification
  • Awards: Recognition for outstanding performance in public health research, leadership, or contributions to your field whether the awards are academic, professional, or related to community service. Note: Merit scholarships should not be included, but Dean’s List can be.

How to Customize your Resume for Each Job

Your goal is to make it as easy as possible for the hiring manager to make the connection that you’re the right fit for the role. This is essential for standing out. Here are some ways to do it:

      • Identify keywords & qualifications from the job posting & use them throughout your resume. For example, if the posting mentions “community-based interventions,” use that terminology and describe similar work in your resume.
      • Match your experience to the job and adjust your resume to emphasize your responsibilities and accomplishments that align with the job.
      • Focus on achievements with measurable outcomes, such as improving access to care, increasing vaccination rates, or enhancing public health literacy. If possible, quantifying results, like “improved clinic participation by 20%,” can show the value you bring to an organization.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) - How to Optimize Your Resume to Get Past ATS

Many employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes before they reach a hiring manager. Understanding how to work with them can increase the chances of advancing in the hiring process. Here are some tips on how:

Use Keywords from the Job Posting

ATS scan for specific keywords related to skills, qualifications, and job duties.

      • Look for specific public health-related terms mentioned in the job posting
        Words such as “health promotion,” “program evaluation,” “disease prevention,” or “population health.”
      • Use those key terms throughout your resume
        For example, if the posting mentions “community-based interventions,” use that terminology and describe similar work in your resume.
      • Use the employer’s exact wording, when possible
        For example, if the posting focuses on “health disparities,” use that phrase instead of “health inequalities” to show alignment with the organization’s language and priorities. If they ask for “2+ years of experience”, edit your resume from “5 years of experience” to “2+ years of experience”.
Keep your format simple

ATS often struggle with complex formatting. Stick to a clean, straightforward layout with clear section headings like “Education,” “Experience,” and “Skills.” Avoid using images, graphics, or non-standard fonts that might confuse the system.

Use standard job titles that match industry norms

For example, instead of a vague title like “Health Program Specialist III,” simplify to “Public Health Program Manager,” if that’s more commonly recognized.

Avoid special characters

ATS can sometimes misinterpret special characters or unusual fonts. Stick to bullet points, standard fonts (like Arial or Times New Roman), and basic formatting to ensure readability.

Tools for Resume Writing, Editing, & Matching Resumes to Opportunities

There are numerous tools available that can help you create, edit, and fine-tune your resume to better match practicum and job opportunities. Here are some recommended tools:

Vmock

Vmock Uses AI technology and BU Center for Career Development input to benchmark your resume against 100+ critical parameters to provide targeted, personalized guidance to improve your resume.

Grammarly or Hemingway Editor

Grammarly or Hemingway Editor can help catch spelling and grammar errors, improve sentence clarity, and enhance overall readability.

Jobscan

Jobscan allows you to compare your resume against a specific job posting to ensure you’ve included the right keywords and skills for an ATS to pick up.

Using AI & ChatGPT

You can use AI-generated content to help elevate your materials and make them stronger. It can offer useful suggestions, but they shouldn’t be a replacement for thoughtful, personalized content as it’s your first writing sample and a demonstration of your understanding of the job market. It is considered plagiarism if you use AI to create your resume or cover letter.

Here are some ways you can utilize AI to help you improve your resume.

      • Use ChatGPT for ‘polishing’—like refining phrasing, enhancing tone, or improving clarity.
      • Input the job description and ask AI to highlight the key words and phrases for XYZ field, then ensure you incorporate them into your resume.
      • Paste each resume bullet / experience and ask AI to refine your phrasing to better align with XYZ job.
      • Ask AI to use your resume and job description, to highlight relevant skills you should be sure to use.
      • Paste your experience section and ask to identify which skills you should highlight if you’re looking to pivot into XYZ role.
      • Get tips on how to make your resume ATS friendly.
      • Ask what other skills or experience you should highlight from your resume.
      • Have ChatGPT review the overall tone and make suggestions on how it can be more professional.

Be sure to proofread carefully, making sure that everything reflects your unique experiences and accomplishments accurately.

Formatting & Design Tips

How your resume looks is just as important as what it says.

The layout and font you choose can significantly impact how your resume is perceived:
      • Use a Clean, Simple Layout: Organize your resume in a way that highlights key sections like Education, Experience, and Skills. Use clear headings to guide the reader through your qualifications.
      • Choose One Professional Font: Stick to clean, readable fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. A font size between 10–12 points is ideal for the main text, while your name and section headings can be slightly larger for emphasis.
Use white space & consistent formatting to make your resume easier to read and navigate:
      • Maintain Ample White Space: This creates a clean, organized appearance reducing the look of it being cluttered and allows the reader to easily scan through the content.
      • Be Consistent with Formatting: Use the same font, bullet style, and spacing throughout your resume. Ensure uniform margins, line spacing, and indentations to create a polished, cohesive look.
      • Balance Text & Space, use bullets: Don’t overwhelm the reader with blocks of text. Use bullet points to break up sections, making your achievements and qualifications more digestible. This is especially important in public health, where clear communication of complex information is key.

Avoid Common Resume Mistakes

Ensure your resume presents you as a polished, professional candidate. These are common mistakes to avoid:

Spelling & Grammar Errors

Even small mistakes can make you appear careless or unprofessional. Always proofread your resume carefully multiple times and consider using tools like Grammarly to catch any errors. Have someone else review your resume for a fresh perspective.

Including Irrelevant Information
      • Only include information directly relevant to the position you’re applying for.
      • Avoid outdated experiences or details that don’t support your current career goals, like listing high school achievements for graduate-level roles or unrelated part-time jobs.
      • Focus on skills and experiences that demonstrate your readiness for public health roles.
      • Tailoring your resume to the job at hand is SO important.
Saying You Have Strong Attention to Detail

Show this, don’t tell. If you say this and the reviewer sees a formatting/grammatical mistake, they will be much less likely to let it slide.

Trying to fit too much on one page

White space is important to ensure the important information is easy to read. See above for more.

Reviewing & Finalizing Your Resume

Proofread & Edit

We cannot stress enough that a thorough review and final edit are essential to ensure your application effectively presents your qualifications and professionalism.

      • Carefully Check for Spelling & Grammar
        Even minor typos, grammar mistakes, or awkward phrasing can leave a negative impression on potential employers.

        • Then get someone else to proofread it.
      • Ensure Consistency Throughout the Document
        • Check fonts, spacing, bullet points, and section headings.
        • Pay attention to alignment and ensure that dates and locations are correctly formatted.
      • Eliminate Redundancies in skills or experiences in different sections.
        • Each bullet point should be a unique aspect of your qualifications.
      • Keep It Concise
        Public health employers typically want a focused resume. Ensure only the most relevant experiences and achievements are included.
Ensure the Resume Is Tailored to Your Goals
      • Is it Relevant to the Job at Hand?
        Does your resume highlight the qualifications the employer is looking for? Tailor your content to match the skills, qualifications, and public health impact relevant to each job.
      • Does it Align with Your Career Objectives & Interests?
        If you’re seeking roles in epidemiology, emphasize experiences and skills that show your proficiency in data analysis, research, and public health interventions.

Additional Resources

One-on-One Resume Reviews

Resume Samples