Resume Workshop

A presentation brought
to you by the Purdue
University Writing Lab

Purdue University Writing Lab

What is a resume?
 A resume is a personal
summary of your
professional history and
qualifications. It includes
information about your
career goals, education,
work experience,
activities, honors, and
any special skills you
might have.

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Resume Workshop

General Guidelines Organizational Styles

Preliminary Research Reverse Chronological
Heading Style
Objective Statement Functional Style
Education Skills Style
Employment Experience Imaginative Style
References

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General Guidelines
 Length: It is best to limit an entry-level resume
to one typed page. Be as concise as possible
in stating information in each section of your
resume.
 Font: Avoid fonts smaller than 10 point and
larger than 12 point.
 Paper: Use 8 1/2” x 11” 20 lb paper. Print your
resume with a laser or high quality ink-jet
printer.

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Preliminary Research
 Find out  Check with
* General job * Placement office files
information * WWW
* Desired qualifications * Trade journals,
magazines, and
and skills
newsletters
* Key values and words
* Directories
* Professors
* Company literature

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Identifying Information
 Put your name, permanent
and campus addresses,
permanent and campus
KIMBERLY ANN HURST phone numbers, and email
1305 Palmer Dr. #1276 address prominently at the
West Lafayette, IN top of your resume.
Boiler@purdue.edu  Avoid using a nickname to
identify yourself.
(765) 555-1706
 Consider including your URL
address or fax number if you
have one.

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Objective Statement

 One to three sentence summary of your area

of expertise and career interest.
 Write as complete sentences or as descriptive
phrases with minimal punctuation.
 Relate your existing skills directly to the job you
are seeking. Demonstrate what you can do for
the company rather than what they can do for
you.

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 Objective Statement
Avoid overgeneralized Make the statement as
statements: specific as possible:
A position allowing me to A position which allows me
utilize my knowledge and
to apply my background in
expertise in different areas.
engineering and high
Avoid statements that focus
performance computing to
only on what a company can
do for you: biological problems.
A position where I gain
experience in working on
biological problems.

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Summary of Qualifications Statement

 This statement can  Use a summary of

replace or be used in qualifications statement
addition to the objective to emphasize skills you
statement. possess that aren’t
 Write one short obvious from your past
paragraph or a bulleted work experiences.
list of qualifications.

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Summary of Qualifications Statement

Summary of Qualifications
A Junior Mechanical Engineering Major with expertise
in the following areas:
* Using CAD programs to support projects
* Communicating with customers in project
environments
* Developing projects in conjunction with peers

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Education

 This is an important section for recent college

graduates or students seeking internships or
summer jobs.
 Beginning with the highest level of educational
achievement, include information such as
university attended, degrees earned, major,
minors, grade point average, date of program
completion, and so forth.

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Education
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN Graduation May 2000
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
GPA: 3.2/4.0
Major GPA: 3.5/4.0

• You do not have to include your GPA on the resume,

but if it isn’t included, employers may assume that it is
lower than it really is.
• Always state the grade point scale your school is using.

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Relevant Courses
 List relevant courses that: Spanish (4 semesters)
– Help you stand out from Computer Science
the crowd Business Writing
– Have provided you with Business Law
specific skills or Ethics
knowledge  Only include courses taken
in addition to your major or
 Consider including this minor.
information in the  Refer to the course by name
education section of the rather than by number.
resume.

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Employment Experience

 Include positions you have held which are

related, in some way, to the job you are
seeking. These might be both paid and
volunteer positions.
 Be creative with this section of your resume by
describing and emphasizing your experiences
in the most relevant way possible.

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Employment Experience
Hospitality Intern  Include information such
(May 1999-August 1999) as company name and
Mountain Jacks, Lafayette, IN location, job title, dates,
* Oversaw the planning, and duties performed.
production, preparation and
prompt delivery of food
 Make this section easy
* Assisted in training and
to read by using spacing
retaining new and and bullets.
experienced employees  Use action phrases to
* Created a positive and highlight the duties you
healthy atmosphere in the have performed.
restaurant

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Action Phrases

Hospitality Intern  Action phrases will help

(May 1999-August 1999) you avoid being too
Mountain Jacks, Lafayette, IN
* Oversaw the planning,
brief and from
production, preparation and understating your
prompt delivery of food qualifications.
* Assisted in training and
retaining new and  Think about your
experienced employees qualifications as a
* Created a positive and
healthy atmosphere in the
professional would.
restaurant

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Parallel Phrases
Hospitality Intern  Make your descriptions
(May 1999-August 1999) easy to read through
Mountain Jacks, Lafayette, IN parallel structure.
* Oversaw the planning,  Set up a pattern and
production, preparation and
prompt delivery of food stick with it.
* Assisted in training and  In the example, all the
retaining new and verbs are parallel:
experienced employees “oversaw,” “assisted,”
* Created a positive and and “created” are all past
healthy atmosphere in the tense verbs.
restaurant

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Activities and Honors
 Include relevant
activities and honors that
you could discuss with
your prospective
employer or that have
given you valuable
experience or skills.

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Specialized Skills
 Include skills that make you
unique, such as computer
skills, foreign language
skills, or military service.
 Be specific in describing
your special skills; name
computer programs you
know, how long you studied
a foreign language, or your
dates of military service.

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References

 In general, do not include the names and

addresses of your references on your resume.
 It is enough to state that references are
available upon request.
 Choose professional references rather than
character references. Employers and
professors who know you and your work are
the best references.

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Reference Sheet
Dr. Mary Delinsky  Include the names,
Heavilon Hall, Room 226 addresses, and phone
numbers of your references.
Purdue University
 Always ask permission before
West Lafayette, IN 47907
you include any information
(765) 494-3723 on your reference sheet.
 Consider giving your
Dr. Delinsky is my current references a copy of your
academic advisor in the resume so they will be
prepared to talk to employers.
Creative Writing and
Science Fiction Program.

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Organizing Your Resume
 Organize your resume to The most common resume
highlight your unique styles are:
skills and strengths.  reverse chronological
 Use whatever  functional
combination of  skills
organizational styles you
 imaginative
think best highlight your
individual qualifications.

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Reverse Chronological
Resume Style

 Present your • This style is best for

education and work people whose job
experience in experiences closely
chronological order, parallel the positions for
beginning with your which they are applying
most recent or for those who have
experiences. not had periods of
unemployment time
between jobs.

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Reverse Chronological
Resume Style
Work Experience:
1997-Present U.S. Postal Service, Indianapolis. Worked as a
Station Manager, delivering mail, overseeing retail
sales, planning delivery to new routes
1994-1997 All Right Parking, Inc., Indianapolis. Worked as a
Manager, handling customer relations, overseeing
accounts, supervising twenty-five employees
1992-1994 Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis. Worked as a District
Sales Manager recruiting and training new employees,
managing crews of twenty-five carriers within nine
counties, designing routes

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Functional Resume Style
 Organize experience by  Ignore experiences that
type of function do not relate to the job
performed. Under each, for which you are
give specific examples. applying.
 Highlight experiences  Place things in order of
that directly relate to the importance rather than
job you are seeking. chronological order.

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Functional Resume Style
Experience:
Research Assistant (August 1998-August 1999)—Purdue U.
Assisted Professor Robert Thompson in:
* updating statistical tables and charts
* answering research questions via the Internet, library,
and by establishing resources to provide the needed
information

President, Sociology Club (January-May 2000)

* Raised over $2,000 for club expenses and scholarships
* Organized 10 activities for over 200 students
* Designed and maintained club website

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Skills Resume Style

 Emphasize what you  This style is ideal for

can do rather than people who have
where you have gained valuable skills
worked. from a variety of
 Try to match your skills unrelated experiences.
to the position for
which you are
applying.

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 Skills Resume Style

Skills:
Communication Skills
*Counseled teens in an anti-drug initiative at Jefferson High School
*Received Employee of the Month Award for my work creating a
positive environment at Wal-Mart while working as a cashier
*Presented a semester-long project on choosing a major to a group
of prospective students
Training Skills
*Trained new employees in cashier procedures at Wal-Mart
*Served as assistant coach for a Jefferson High School basketball
team
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Imaginative Resume Style
 Acts like a mini-portfolio  This style is ideal for
because it demonstrates a people looking for a job
combination of layout, that demands creativity,
graphics, text integration, such as graphic design or
and audience selection. landscape architecture
 Make sure a company is  It is appropriate to use
open to this type of resume color graphics on an
before submitting it. imaginative resume, but
the cost of duplicating will
be increased.

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Where can you go for professional
advice about your resume?
 Purdue University Writing Lab
 Heavilon 226
 Grammar Hotline: (765)
494-3723
 Check our web site:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu
 Email brief questions:
owl@owl.english.purdue.edu

 Help with drafting, revising,

and editing your resumes and
cover letters

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