Purdue OWL staff Brought 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 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 Information Objective Education Experience Honors and Activities

Contact Information Include:  Name  Permanent and/or campus addresses  Permanent and/or campus phone numbers  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:

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: brief questions to OWL Mail:

The End RÉSUMÉS Purdue OWL staff Brought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab