Resume Building With Maya Sykes

Last week, AMA had the pleasure of welcoming Maya Sykes, Director of Business Career Services at Knauss School of Business Career Services, to share her expertise on resume building. She shared practical tips on how to properly format a resume so it is easy to read, how to use space efficiently without overcrowding the page, and how to highlight experiences in a way that captures recruiters’ attention.

Whether you are applying for internships, preparing for your first full-time position, or looking to strengthen your current resume, Maya offered valuable advice to help students put their best foot forward.

What Are Recruiters Looking For?

Maya emphasized that recruiters want to see three key things on a resume:

• Evidence of relevant skills: Show that you have the abilities the employer is looking for.

• Evidence of impact: Highlight what you accomplished and the results of your work.

• Evidence of qualifications: Make it easy for recruiters to identify how you meet the position’s minimum requirements.

Rather than simply listing responsibilities, your resume should demonstrate the value you bring to a role.

Keep Your Resume Clean and Easy to Read

Formatting plays an important role in making a strong first impression. Maya recommended keeping resumes simple, organized, and easy for both recruiters and applicant tracking systems (ATS) to read.

Some of her key formatting tips included:

• Keep your resume to one page.

• Use a single-column layout and avoid photos or graphics that can interfere with ATS readability.

• Choose an easy-to-read, sans-serif font, such as Arial or Calibri.

• Use 11- or 12-point font for the main text, with the exception of your name at the top.

• Leave enough white space to avoid making the page feel overcrowded.

• Use bolding, italics, and capitalization strategically to draw attention to important information.

She also explained that bullet points can extend to two lines when needed. The goal is to communicate your experience clearly without sacrificing readability.

Turn Your Responsibilities Into Accomplishments

One of the most valuable takeaways was how to write stronger resume bullet points. Maya recommended following this simple formula:

Strong action verb + what you did + impact or reason

Start each bullet with an action verb that reflects the skill you want to demonstrate. Use past tense for previous roles and present tense for your current position. From there, describe what you did, include relevant tools or industry terminology when appropriate, and quantify your results whenever possible.

For example, instead of simply saying you organized networking events, you could write:

"Hosted 15 networking events, attracting more than 200 community members and contributing to a 15% increase in membership.”

Numbers help demonstrate the scale and impact of your work. If you do not have measurable results, explain the purpose of your work or how it supported a larger goal.

Tailor Your Resume to Each Opportunity

Maya also highlighted the importance of customizing your resume for different roles. Rather than relying on one general resume for every application, she recommended creating three versions tailored to different career paths, such as social media, marketing, or another area of interest.

From there, adjust each version to match the specific job description. Incorporating relevant keywords and highlighting the most applicable skills and experiences can help demonstrate that you are a strong fit for the position.

Resources to Help You Get Started

For students looking to improve their resumes and explore opportunities, Maya shared two useful resources:

• Hiration: A resume-building and reviewing tool that can help you improve your resume’s structure and content.

• HiringCafe: A platform for discovering job postings and exploring potential opportunities.

These tools can be helpful starting points as you refine your resume and begin your job search.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

We are grateful to Maya Sykes for sharing her expertise and giving our AMA members practical strategies they can apply to their own career journeys. From improving formatting to showcasing measurable accomplishments, these tips are a great reminder that a strong resume is about more than listing experience; it is about communicating your skills, impact, and potential.

Stay connected with USD AMA for more events, career resources, and opportunities to grow your marketing knowledge and professional network!