First and foremost, a resume must communicate achievements and skills, not tasks and events. The average Joe Student has a list of events in which he has participated and tasks completed. However, the student who sets himself apart is also aware of the skill sets developed during the process. These skills communicate to a selection committee what they can expect from the student's future rather than reciting a list form the past. The same is true of achievements over tasks. Since the academic industry is all about gaining attention in order to secure status and funding, the grad school resume should highlight achievements and accolades the candidate has earned during the course of his academic career.
Following a close second to a candidate's achievements is the subject of grants and awards that have been received. The candidate who has demonstrated his prowess in a field and has established a history of landing grants is communicating to the university that his work has the potential to continue to bring in publicity, which is likely to lead to further funding. Because the educational community is so closely tied to public funding, the candidate who can show a connection between his body of work and receiving grant funding is a valuable candidate to the university.
Depending on the field of study, a candidate who is published in peer review journals demonstrates to the university that his work has a wider scope of appeal. In order to be published, the researcher needs to be on the cutting edge of his or her field and make a significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge. This type of candidate is exactly the student for whom a university grad program searches.
Bearing repeating is the aspect of the grad school resume that differs from a professional career seeking resume. The grad school resume plays a part in a cast of documents that will be considered by the search committee. The resume is the document that most thoroughly blares a trumpet to the candidate's achievements, successes and accolades. Those facets that will most thoroughly impress the university's search committee should be highlighted in terms of accomplishments attained and recognitions earned. Other documents can highlight the areas of research to be pursued, application in the field of study and beneficial application that can be expected from the research.