Academic Advisor Resume—Sample and 20+ Writing Tips

You’ve been sending resumes to educational institutions to no avail. You know you have the skills and experience to thrive as an academic advisor. 

But this time, you are the person that needs help with writing a job-winning, state-of-the-art resume that highlights all your skills and accomplishments. 

Well, it just so happens we’ve prepared the ultimate guide to writing a successful academic advisor resume!

In this article:

• An academic advisor resume sample that gets jobs.
• How to ace your academic advisor job description on a resume.
• How to write a resume for an academic advisor that gets interviews.
• Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing an academic advisor job.

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Considering applying for other positions in the education sector? We got you covered! Check our guides:

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Academic Advisor Resume Sample

Academic advisors help students identify their academic interests, point to resources for additional information and support, and develop study plans. The purpose of your academic advisor resume is to highlight the professional experience that will help you succeed in the role.

Here’s how to write an academic advisor resume that hits every target:

1. Start With the Right Academic Advisor Resume Format

A good resume is easy to follow. Hiring managers can should be able to quickly find the most critical information and assess the candidate. 

Luckily, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel—you can just follow our resume formatting guide!

• Use the reverse-chronological resume format as it showcases your most recent accomplishments. 
• Use an easy-to-read resume font. Opt for one of the classics—Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica.
• Set the margins on your resume to one inch on all sides of the page. 
• Stick to the recommended resume length: one page. Go for a two-page resume if you have 15+ years of experience and plenty of accomplishments to share. 
• Include these sections in your resume: Resume header, Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, and Additional. 

Once you’re done, save your resume as a PDF. This will keep your resume layout intact, as well as making your resume ATS-compliant. The term ATS, or Applicant Tracking Systems, refers to automated software solutions that scan incoming resumes in the vast majority of companies and organizations. 

As many as 75% of resumes are rejected by ATS because of incorrect formatting, so it’s vital to get this right! 

2. Write a Compelling Academic Advisor Resume Objective or Summary

First impressions are important. 

So, give the hiring manager a sneak peek of your abilities by writing a resume profile—a 3–5-sentence introductory paragraph at the top of the page. You can do that in two ways—

If you already have at least a couple of years of experience as an academic advisor, follow these guidelines to write a strong resume summary: 

1. Start with anadjective (efficient, diligent, dependable)
2. Add your job title (academic advisor)
3. Mention your years of experience (3+, 4+)
4. Outline how you’ll help the new employer (help XYZ School’s students choose suitable college courses and increase the probability of graduating)
5. List a couple of your best professional achievements (increased the graduation rate by 25% within 3 years)

Are you working on an entry-level academic advisor resume?

Start with a resume objective instead. It follows a similar pattern, but relies on other experiences in the absence of career accomplishments. 

Think about transferable skills, alongside relevant experience from other jobs, volunteering, internships, or education that might apply to your dream job. 

Expert hint: Write your resume summary when you finish the rest of your resume. That way, you’ll have all the data you need at hand. 

3. Add Impressive Academic Advisor Job Description and Skills Sections

Now it’s time to show you have what it takes to be the next academic advisor at the college of your dreams. 

How to do that?

By creating a resume work experience section that deserves an A+!

Before we delve into the nitty-gritty, let’s just talk about two things—

Firstly, make sure you’re not just listing basic duties on your resume. Instead, outline your proudest professional achievements. The recruiter already knows what an academic advisor does on the daily—they need to know what you did in your role that puts you a cut above the competition. 

Secondly, always target your resume to the job ad. The job of an academic advisor involves slightly different duties at various institutions, and advertisements can be worded differently at times. Make sure your resume reflects each vacancy’s unique requirements and wording. 

Now—

How to write a job description for an academic advisor:

1. Analyze the job ad carefully. 
2. Make a list of skills and requirements. They will serve as your resume keywords. 
3. Think of times you’ve used those skills to impress your supervisors. 
4. Write resume bullet points that describe those situations. Quantify them when possible and use action words to add impact. 

And one more thing—don’t forget about the academic advisor resume skills section!

Here, less is more. Don’t list every single advising skill you have—pick 5–10 of the most relevant ones. Just like with your work experience section, focus on the skills directly mentioned in the job ad. 

Here’s an example: 

Academic Advisor Resume Skills

• Administration
• Curriculum design
• Monitoring student progress
• Student assessment
• Mentorship
• Student engagement
• Public speaking
• Graduation requirements
• Relevant educational policies and procedures
• Negotiation
• Degree audits
• Record-keeping
• Problem-solving
• New student orientation
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Computer skills
• Time management skills
• MS Office
• Google Suite
• PowerPoint

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4. Turn Your Education into a Reason to Hire You

No resume would be complete without an education section. Even if you graduated 10+ years ago, you should still mention at least the basics of your degree on your resume. 

If you have a few years of professional experience, list your highest level of schooling, including the degree and field of study (e.g. BA in Psychology), the awarding institution, and your years of attendance. And that’s it, you’re done! 

However, if you’re writing a resume with no work experience as an academic advisor, add extra bullet points that show your skills and potential. You can list highlights such as your extracurricular activities, relevant coursework, projects, academic achievements, and GPA (but only if it was 3.7 or above). 

5. Include Extra Sections on Your Academic Advisor Resume

What can you add to make your resume pop? 

To stand out in the crowd, add some extra sections, for example:

• Additional Activities
• Foreign Languages
• Awards
• Hobbies and Interests
• Volunteering
• Certifications
• Professional References

Just remember that everything you say on your academic advisor resume has to be directly relevant to the job you’re applying for. It’s perfectly fine to make a hobby out of collecting mugs, but that doesn’t speak to your professional skills in any way. Stick to things that the recruiter will care about, to put it bluntly. 

And last but not least: write a cover letter! It’s your chance to address the recruiter directly and tell them exactly why you’d be perfect for the job. 

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Key Points

To write an academic advisor resume that lands the job:

• Format your resume correctly; it’s best to use the resume format provided above. 
• Start with a resume summary or objective, depending on your experience level. 
• Use the reverse-chronological order and start with your current or most recent job. 
• Add a targeted skills section using resume keywords found in the job description. 
• Attach an academic advisor cover letter to your application.

Do you have any questions about writing a resume for academic advisor roles? Perhaps you have some tips of your own to share? Did you find our academic advisor resume example helpful? Let’s chat below in the comments!