RESUME MISTAKES
Polish Your Political Science Resume
Avoid critical pitfalls and showcase your research, analysis, and policy expertise.
How This Page Helps
Help political scientists identify and correct resume mistakes that hinder academic, research, and policy job applications.
Spot vague research descriptions
Eliminate jargon overload
Align with ATS for think‑tank roles
Showcase quantitative methods clearly
Format for academic and policy audiences
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
Each mistake includes why it hurts, how to fix it, and before/after examples
Vague Research SummariesMEDIUM
Why it hurts
- Hiring managers can’t gauge the significance of your work
- ATS may miss key research keywords
- Reduces perceived expertise
How to fix
- Start each bullet with a strong action verb
- Specify the research question, methodology, and findings
- Quantify impact (e.g., sample size, citation count)
❌ Before
Conducted research on electoral behavior and presented findings at conferences.
✓ After
Led a mixed‑methods study of voter turnout (n=12,000) revealing a 7% increase after targeted outreach; findings published in *Journal of Electoral Studies* and presented at the APSA Annual Meeting.
ATS Tip
Include keywords such as 'electoral behavior', 'mixed‑methods', 'statistical analysis', and 'peer‑reviewed publication'.
Detection Rules
Bullet points lack specific metrics
Uses generic verbs like 'worked on' without detail
Resumly Tip
Replace vague language with concrete results and measurable outcomes.
Overusing Academic JargonLOW
Why it hurts
- Non‑academic recruiters may not understand specialized terms
- Clutters the resume and reduces readability
- ATS may not map niche jargon to standard keywords
How to fix
- Translate discipline‑specific concepts into plain language
- Pair jargon with a brief explanation or outcome
- Prioritize universally recognized terms
❌ Before
Utilized a post‑positivist epistemological framework to operationalize political efficacy constructs.
✓ After
Applied a robust statistical framework to measure political efficacy, increasing survey reliability by 15%.
ATS Tip
Swap niche terms with common equivalents like 'statistical framework' or 'survey reliability'.
Detection Rules
Presence of phrases like 'epistemological framework' or 'post‑positivist'
Resumly Tip
Simplify complex terminology while preserving the scholarly depth.
Missing Policy Impact MetricsHIGH
Why it hurts
- Policymakers look for evidence of real‑world change
- Without metrics, achievements appear abstract
- ATS for policy firms prioritize impact‑oriented keywords
How to fix
- Add concrete outcomes (e.g., legislation adopted, cost savings)
- Link research to policy recommendations
- Use percentages, dollar amounts, or legislative citations
❌ Before
Advised a local government on community engagement strategies.
✓ After
Advised the City Council on community engagement, leading to the adoption of Ordinance 2023‑12; increased public meeting attendance by 42% and saved $150K in outreach costs.
ATS Tip
Include keywords like 'policy recommendation', 'legislative adoption', 'cost savings', and 'public engagement'.
Detection Rules
Bullets describe advisory roles without measurable results
Resumly Tip
Show the tangible policy outcomes your research or consulting produced.
Improper Date FormattingLOW
Why it hurts
- Inconsistent dates confuse recruiters
- ATS may fail to parse employment periods
- Looks unprofessional
How to fix
- Use a uniform format (e.g., MMM YYYY) for all entries
- Align dates to the right margin for easy scanning
- Avoid abbreviations like 'Fall 2020'
❌ Before
Research Assistant, University of X – 2020‑2021
✓ After
Research Assistant, University of X — Jan 2020 – Dec 2021
ATS Tip
Standard date formats improve parsing by iCIMS, Greenhouse, and Workday.
Detection Rules
Mixed date styles such as '2020‑2021' and 'Fall 2020'
Resumly Tip
Standardize all dates to 'MMM YYYY' for consistency and ATS compatibility.
Formatting Guidelines
File Types: PDF, DOCX
Sections: Contact Information, Professional Summary, Research Experience, Teaching Experience, Publications, Policy Experience, Skills, Education, Awards & Grants
Naming: FirstName_LastName_PoliticalScientist_Resume
Consistency
Length: 1‑2 pages for early‑career, up to 3 pages for senior political scientists
Date Format: MMM YYYY
Location Format: City, State/Country
Resume Quality Checklist
- Use a professional email address
- Include a concise 2‑sentence summary highlighting research and policy expertise
- List research and policy experience in reverse chronological order
- Quantify achievements with numbers or percentages
- Incorporate at least 8 relevant keywords from the job posting
- Standardize dates to 'MMM YYYY'
- Proofread for spelling and grammar
- Save as PDF with the proper file name
ATS Alignment Guide
Common ATS Systems: iCIMS, Greenhouse, Workday, Lever
Keyword Strategy: Political analysis, policy evaluation, quantitative methods, stakeholder engagement, grant writing, statistical modeling, legislative research
Heading Format: Use standard headings like 'Research Experience' and 'Policy Experience'
Quick Fix Workshop
Paste your current resume text into the box below
- Trim to 2 pages
- Add quantified results
- Replace passive verbs with active language
- Standardize dates
- Insert relevant policy and research keywords
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