Constructing Your Resume
Credits: the Purdue Online Writing
Lab
What is a resume?
• It’s your first foot in the door
• It may be your only chance to present
your best “shot.”
• It’s a condensed history of your life
What are its components?
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Contact information
Objective
Education
Work Experience
Honors and activities
References and portfolio
What does it look like?
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Attractive
Organized
Consistent
Easy and quick to read
Use a template!
Contact information
• Accurate
• Specific
• Options
Example
Example
Objective
• This section gives the employer a brief
glimpse of how your qualifications will benefit
the company.
• Try not to fall into the me-me-me trap of
telling employers what they can do for you.
• Instead, show employers what you can do for
them.
Example
Example
• Example of "me-me" : A position
where I can gain experience in writing
computer documents.
• Revision: A position which allows me to
use my background in computer
science to write computer
documentation.
Education
• List your degrees, dates, places, and GPAs
• List your job related courses (by name, not
number)
• You should list the courses that set you apart
from the crowd, not make you seem like just
another graduate.
example
Example
• B.A. Professional Writing, Technical Option
Minor: Computer Applications in Industry
Purdue University May 1997
GPA (6.0 scale): major 5.5 overall 5.19
- Business Accounting (4 semesters)
- Technical Writing
- Writing for the Computer Industry
- Molecular Biology
- Cellular Neurobiology
- Plant Physiology
Work Experience
• Work experience refers to positions you have
held which are, in some way, related to the
position you are seeking.
• This area may include information such as
job title, company name and address, dates,
and duties performed.
• Usually job descriptions are broken down into
lists of action phrases that itemize the
significant details of your duties.
Work experience continued…
• Think of all your jobs in terms of the
skills you developed and applied
• Be creative and specific
Example
Example
Technical Writer, Documentation Department
Howard Sams and Company, 300 Parkway Dr.,
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 875-1000
May 1994 - December 1997
- edited user manuals for electronic equipment
- designed graphics for electronic schematic
repair manuals
- wrote articles for monthly company newsletter
- used various computer software and desktop
publishing applications
Activities and Honors
• This section gives you a chance to note
special activities you participated in,
• or special accolades that you would like
the employer to know you have
received.
• Make sure they in some fashion bring
merit to your abilities to perform well in
this job.
Portfolios and References
• “Available upon request”
• Make sure your references know they
may be contacted (by whom, if possible)
Example
• http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/
pw/p_ressample.pdf