Abbreviations on a Resume

To abbreviate or not to abbreviate? That is the question asked by numerous job seekers when developing their resumes and cover letters. Because resume writing is a formal business document, the general rule of thumb would seem to be: "Spell everything out." However, abbreviations, particularly in the use of numbers (a form of abbreviation), can be highly effective when used appropriately. 

Here is the MO on abbreviations:

1. Names of Companies. If the company is known by their abbreviation, such as IBM or HP, it is recommended that you use the abbreviation. If the company is not as well known by their abbreviation, such as HRD (for the High Resolution Dynamic company), it is best to use the non-abbreviation the first time you mention the company (followed by the abbreviation in parentheses); then, you can use the abbreviation each time after this.

2. Names of Degrees. You should use a combination of the abbreviation (B.A.) and the full name (Bachelor of Arts). Here's a trick on how to do this to emphasize your degree in 2 places; in the Summary of your resume, use "BA in _____"; in the Education section, use "Bachelor of Arts in ____."

3. Names of projects or programs. Generally speaking, it is best to spell these out first, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. Because keywords are important on your resume, if you were working on an Environmental Remediation Readiness project, you want to spell that out first to get those keywords on the resume; however, you can also follow it with (ERR) and then use this abbreviation every time you mention the project after this.

4. Numbers. This is a critical point. Standard Written English says that you spell out the numbers 1 through 10, then use numerals for 11 through infinity. However, for a resume- because numbers stand out among the sea of words- it is actually recommended to use numerals at each available opportunity:

"Supervised 8 team members..."
"Managed 3 multimillion-dollar projects concurrently..."

Abbreviations are effective on a resume, but only when they are clear to the reader. Otherwise, your resume may CTR*, which is the last thing you want to do.


(*confuse the reader)