How to build an effective applied sciences & professions student resume
The applied sciences & professions (AS&P) cover a wide range of career paths, from engineering and forensic science to library science and museum studies. To earn a job within this field, you must create a resume that not only captures your academic and professional talents but also focuses on whichever specific niche of applied sciences & professions you aim to work in.
In this guide, we will teach you everything you need to know about writing a resume as an applied sciences & professions student. keep reading to learn how to:
- Choose a resume format that fits your experience level
- Write a resume summary that showcases your specialized niche
- Include technical & interpersonal skills on your resume
- Describe relevant work experience concisely and effectively
- List your educational credentials accurately on your resume
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1. Choose the best format for your applied sciences & professions student resume
When writing an AS&P resume, the first important decision to make is which resume format is best suited for your needs.
There are 3 main types of resumes: reverse-chronological, functional, and hybrid.
In general, the reverse-chronological resume is the standard format expected by most employers. It focuses heavily on work experience, listing your most recent job first and working backward from there.
While this can be a highly effective format, it only works well when you have an adequate work history to showcase on it – which is often not the case for students. Oftentimes, one of the other two formatting options will have more benefits for applicants whose educational careers are still ongoing.
Functional resumes remove the focus from work experience and instead prioritize education, skills, and unpaid experience. This format is often best for students, as it allows for more space on the document for detailing academic experience and achievements.
On the other hand, hybrid resumes do not focus on any section in particular. Rather, these resumes will spread the focus out more evenly between all sections, making this format good for applicants with a mix of academic and professional experience.
2. Write an applied sciences & professions resume summary that showcases your specialized niche
A resume summary is a brief introductory statement at the beginning of a resume. In this summary, applicants can provide employers with the most pertinent information about their skills, specializations, or professional accomplishments.
For an AS&P resume, a resume summary is a necessity for defining which specialized niche the applicant works in. Applied sciences & professions covers a massive amount of different fields of work, making it highly important to indicate your exact field on your resume.
To help illustrate how to write this type of summary effectively, here is a weak example followed by a correction and explanation:
Incorrect applied sciences & professions resume summary example
Applied Sciences & Professions student currently in graduate school. Highly experienced in working directly with patients suffering from physical injuries, providing thorough consultations and treatments. Seeking full-time employment after graduation with a major PT company.
Why is this incorrect?
In this example, the reader can eventually infer that the applicant is specialized in physical therapy, but the summary never says it outright. When writing a resume summary, you want to be as specific as possible to make your resume memorable and stand out from the competition.
Corrected applied sciences & professions resume summary
Applied Sciences & Professions Graduate Student with a specialization in Physical Therapy. 2+ years experience working as an intern and assistant to an established physical therapist, with experience leading consultations and suggesting treatment plans.
Why is this correct?
In this corrected summary, the applicant states their specialization right off the bat and then moves immediately into describing their most relevant experience. They omit the original last sentence regarding their professional goals to instead provide additional context around their experience as a physical therapist assistant.
3. Include the best skills in your applied sciences & professions student resume
Whenever you write a resume of any kind, it is crucial to include both technical and interpersonal skills.
Technical skills refer to your learned abilities that you have gained from education and training, while interpersonal skills to your abilities to understand the people and world around you. While technical skills have to be obtained through academic paths, interpersonal skills can be both inherent and learned.
By including both of these types of skills, you show employers you understand the importance of both. With this in mind, here are 10 examples of both technical and interpersonal skills to include on your AS&P resume:
The best technical skills to put on your applied sciences & professions student resume
- Mathematics
- Engineering
- Specialized sciences (Biology, Chemistry, etc.)
- Project management
- Research methods
- Data collection and analysis
- Designing and conducting experiments
- Knowledge of formal systems
- Lab safety standards
- Scientific methods
Effective interpersonal skills for your applied sciences & professions student CV
- Critical analysis
- Observation
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving
- Organization
- Creativity
- Adaptability
- Time management
4. Describe your relevant work experience concisely and effectively
Typically, applicants who are still currently in school will not have an extensive work history to showcase on their resumes. In this case, you can use certain academic or unpaid experiences – like internships or assistantships – to fill out your work experience section more fully.
Whichever positions you choose to highlight in this section, make sure your descriptive bullet points are concise and contain quantifiable and compelling details.
Here is an example of a work experience entry from an AS&P resume
Riverside Veterinary Associates, Arcadia, FL
Veterinary Intern
August 2021 to December 2021
- Worked alongside veterinary technicians to learn about administering shots and providing treatments to animals in the facility.
- Provided daily bookkeeping and assisted the front office staff in creating patient schedules.
- Assisted in client consultations for new pet patients, helping to enter 20+ new clients into the veterinary office’s record system.
5. List your educational credentials accurately on your applied sciences & professions student resume
As a current student, you always need to indicate on your resume that your education or degree is ongoing. Additionally, you should always state on your resume when your expected date of graduation is as well.
Here is an example of a well-crafted education section on an AS&P resume
Appalachian State University, Boone, NC
B.S. in Applied Science
- In Progress, Expected Graduation: May 2024
- GPA: 9
- Dean’s List, 2021 & 2022