Purdue OWL staffBrought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab

Résumés

Agenda

Résumé Description

General Guidelines

Preliminary Research

Sections

Extra Tips

Cover Letter Workshop

What is a Résumé?

A résumé is a personal summary of your

professional history and qualifications

A résumé (also spelled “resume”) includes

anything a person wants to express about:

Career goals

Education

Experience

Activities

Honors

General Guidelines

Length: Limit résumé to one typed page

Font: Arial or Times New Roman

Between 10-12 point font

Paper: Use 8 1/2” x 11” 20 lb paper

White, light cream, or gray

Preliminary Research

Find out:

General job information

Desired qualifications and skills

Key values and words

Look on:

Company website

Job advertisement

Any publications about the company

(magazine articles, etc.)

Sections

Contact InformationObjective

Education

Experience

Honors and Activities

Contact Information

Include:

Name

Permanent and/or campus addresses

Permanent and/or campus phone numbers

Email address

Contact Information

Objective Statements

There are two approaches to objective statements:

Brief and to the point

Detailed description of desired position and

qualifications

You must decide which approach is best for you

An example of a “brief and to the point”

approach”:

First Approach: Brief

Examples:

To obtain a summer internship in sales/marketing at Owens Corning

A full-time position as a system analyst

A summer internship as a project engineer

Second Approach: Descriptive

Examples:

A summer internship in a sales/marketing position at Owens Corning where I can employ my team building skills and versatility to create new ideas.

A full-time position as a systems analyst which will allow me to use my programming, technical writing, and supervisory skills to lead a group of dynamic employees.

A summer internship as a project engineer with a construction company that will utilize my experience in field engineering, cost controlling, and estimating

Education

Begin with the highest level of educational achievement, include:

University attended

Major/Minors

GPA (if 3.0 or above)

Date of program completion information

Education

Work Experience

Include positions you have held which are related,

in some way, to the job you are seeking

NOTE: Can be both paid and volunteer positions

Be creative with this section of your résumé by

describing and emphasizing your experiences in

the most relevant way possible.

Work Experience

Experience

Action Verb List

Action phrases will help you avoid being too brief

and understating your qualifications.

Example:

Planned activities

Planned arts and crafts activities for

preschool aged children

Handout:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/543/02/

Activities, Honors, Volunteer Experience

Include relevant activities, honors, and volunteer experiences

Extra Tips

1. Ultimate goal is to get an interview;

2. Use white space effectively;

3. Employer will only take 15 seconds to glance at

a résumé.

Where to Go for More Help

Purdue University Writing Lab, Heavilon 226

Check our web site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu

Email brief questions to OWL Mail: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/contact/owlmailtutors

The End

RÉSUMÉSPurdue OWL staffBrought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab