Interphase 2026 resume resources

Please have your finalized resume ready for upload in Handshake by Friday, August 7. You will receive additional reminders but hopefully this will help you plan ahead.

After you finalize your resume, complete the following steps to submit it to the resume book:

1.) Login to Handshake and click on your initials in the upper right-hand corner. Navigate to “Documents” and click “Upload a document.”

2.) Choose your resume file to upload. Please make sure to select “Visible to employers,” as your resume will not be accessible for the resume booklet otherwise. After that, click save.

AI is a tool that can help support your resume development, and there are several considerations to make if you choose to use it. Here is additional support on AI uses for resume writing.

Since you will be creating a resume for a resume book, try to create a version of your resume that reflects your “favorite self” or serves as a “trophy case” for you. Some features of this version of a resume include:

Accomplishments:

• What do you feel most proud of?
• What do you feel you are good at doing?

Intrinsic motivations:

• What are things you enjoy doing?
• What would you love to do again?

Regardless of what you include, keep in mind it is important to make sure the reader understands you. Be mindful of niche or highly technical jargon.

Taking time to make sure you are fully addressing your fit and ability to do a job will help your application in two ways:

• It will help improve the possibility that your application will make it through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and other pre-interview screening technologies
• Hiring managers and recruiters who see your resume will see a connection between your background and the position they are hiring for

If you have a description of the position, consider how you might integrate the language of the description into your resume:

As you apply for positions, save the different iterations of your resume. As you find similar positions to past applications, you might find it beneficial to submit a similar version of your resume. 

Your resume is capable of showcasing your unique blend of knowledge, skills, and abilities. If you are worried about not having enough content for a one page resume, consider adding:

• Relevant coursework, even classes outside of your high school and MIT
• Class or personal projects
• Volunteer, service, short-term, or unpaid experiences
• Awards, accomplishments, or recognition you have received

Avoid:

• Increasing your fonts to too large of a size
• Increasing your margins beyond 1” all-around
• Adding in unnecessary graphics

To help you visualize how to use space effectively, consider reviewing some of our sample resumes.

You will want to make sure that the content you are adding is relevant to the needs of the employer for the targeted position. To this end, consider:

• Do you have too much non-relevant content? Remember: will they understand and appreciate what you are listing?
• Are you being overly redundant with a particular competency that might not be beneficial?
• Are you being mindful of your allocation of space—specifically around wrapped-text?

Avoid:

• Decreasing your font size below 10/11pts
• Decreasing your margins beyond 0.5” all-around
• Removing breaks and blank space that help make your document legible

To help you visualize how to use space effectively, consider reviewing some of our sample resumes.

There is no real rule that says you can’t have a 2-page resume. CAPD recommends that you try to keep your resume to 1 page for the following reasons:

• Limited attention by recruiters/employers: the average time spent by a recruiter in reviewing your resume is less than 6 seconds.
• Avoid burying treasure: if the recruiter does not see focused, relevant content on your first page, they might not even take time to review your second page.
• Diluting your message: your goal is to be highly-relevant. Adding in too much extraneous information might be counter-productive by distracting your reader with non relevant information.
• Lack of clear and concise writing: strong communication skills (specifically in writing) are still a desired characteristic for employers, and showcasing that through your resume can help.

To help you focus your writing, consider reviewing the crafting an effective resume video, the first-year resume module, or the enhancing your resume article.

Your preference for how you compose your resume is a personal choice, however it is best to be mindful of potential limitations. When selecting a tool to build your resume, consider:

• How easily can you modify content? – if you are new to using tools like Latex, it will be important for you to have mastery on how you can format your document.
• Will the final format be able to be read and analyzed by Applicant Tracking Software? – some formats may not be easily parsed and scanned by an ATS. Be sure to test your resume to make sure it can be properly parsed, scanned, and analyzed.
• Will it allow you to save it in the appropriate file type for an application? – companies may have preferences for the file type (e.g. doc, pdf, etc.) so make sure that you are able to adjust the type of file (and that information is retained and displayed correctly).

If you need a template to start off with, consider downloading one from the enhancing your resume article.

Here are a couple of things to help you ensure your resume can make it through Applicant Tracking Systems:

• Format for the ATS  – avoid using text boxes, tables, colors, and stylized fonts that might make it difficult to parse and scan content.
• Leverage keywords and phrases – coopt words from the job description (or other sources) and include them into your resume to help connect better with what the employer is looking for.
• Use a common and supported file type – most systems may prefer PDF or DOC file types, but make sure you follow specific application instructions.
• Test your resume beforehand – use available systems (e.g. Jobscan, Skillsyncer, Resume Worded) or convert your resume to plain text (.txt) to see how information is retained and displayed.
• Network around the ATS – make connections within the organization to help you validate receipt of your resume.

For additional tips on navigating an ATS, review the the Make your resume ATS-friendly article.

It is possible for you to get a lot of different, and sometimes conflicting information regarding your resume. When you do:

• Consider the relevancy of the source – keep in mind the perspective for the source of information. If the feedback you get is to help you apply to their company, they might have additional credibility.
• Consider your goals – you have the best understanding of the particular role or position you are applying to, so consider how you are showcasing relevant competencies to achieve your goal.
• Balance opinions by seeking clarity – it is perfectly fine to ask questions to determine if a piece of advice will work for you. Feel free to seek the rationale behind advice to determine if it works for your situation.
• Own your document – at the end of the day it will be your name on the document, so make sure you feel comfortable with your document regardless of who told you what to do.

Your resume is an iterative process, so be open to feedback and trying new things.