Concepts of Engineering
and Technology
Passport to Your Future
Technical Communication:
The Resume
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Technical Communication
Chapter 130.362.9 (TEKS) - The student understands
the opportunities and careers in fields related to
physical and mechanical systems.
 Engineers must possess strong technical
communication skills. To interview for an
engineering career, the engineer must first
create a resume highlighting his/her
qualifications.
 The resume is the passport to an engineer’s
future.
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Technical Terms & Definitions
The terms and definitions listed below are discussed in
this lesson. Please review before proceeding with this
lesson.
Terms
Definitions
Communications
A technique for expressing ideas
effectively (such as writing or speech).
Design
A plan or protocol for carrying out or
accomplishing something.
Electronic
Publishing
Publishing in which information is
distributed by means of a computer
network or is produced in a format for
use with a computer.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
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Technical Terms & Definitions
The terms and definitions listed below are discussed in
this lesson. Please review before proceeding with this
lesson.
Terms
Definitions
Heading
Something that forms or serves as a head,
especially an inscription, headline, or title
standing at the top or beginning (of a
resume, letter or chapter).
Objective
Something toward which effort is directed:
an aim, goal or end of action.
Education
A degree, level or kind of schooling.
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Technical Terms & Definitions
The terms and definitions listed below are discussed in
this lesson. Please review before proceeding with this
lesson.
Terms
Definitions
Work Experience
The experience that a person has
working, or working in a specific field or
occupation.
Computer Skills
One's ability to utilize the software (and
sometimes hardware) of a computer.
Honors
An award: a tangible symbol signifying
approval or distinction.
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Technical Terms & Definitions
The terms and definitions listed below are discussed in
this lesson. Please review before proceeding with this
lesson.
Terms
Definitions
Activities
Organized student activities connected
with school and usually carrying no
academic credit, such as sports, clubs,
volunteer activities.
References
Character: a formal recommendation by
a teacher or former employer to a
potential future employer describing the
person's qualifications and dependability.
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Technical Terms & Definitions
The terms and definitions listed below are discussed in
this lesson. Please review before proceeding with this
lesson.
Terms
Definitions
Employer
A person or firm that employs workers.
Experience
The accumulation of knowledge or skill
that results from direct participation in
events or activities.
Human Relations
The social and interpersonal relations
between human beings.
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Technical Terms & Definitions
The terms and definitions listed below are discussed in
this lesson. Please review before proceeding with this
lesson.
Terms
Definitions
Management
The act or manner of managing;
handling, direction, or control.
Qualifications
Qualities, accomplishments, etc., that
recommend a person for some function,
office, or the like.
Research
Diligent and systematic inquiry or
investigation into a subject in order to
discover or revise facts, theories,
applications, etc.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
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Technical Terms & Definitions
The terms and definitions listed below are discussed in
this lesson. Please review before proceeding with this
lesson.
Terms
Definitions
Resume
Is a piece of paper (or an electronic
document) that serves to introduce you to
the people who will eventually hire you.
Skills
The ability, coming from one's
knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc., to do
something well.
Technical
Of or relating to technique or proficiency
in a practical skill.
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What is a Resume?
 A resume is a piece of paper (or an electronic
document) that serves to introduce you to the people
who will eventually hire you.
 A resume is one of the most important technical
communication documents you will ever create as an
engineer.
 A resume is a document that contains a summary of
relevant job experience and education.
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Why Do I Need a Resume?
 Your resume is the tool you will use to sell your
qualifications to a potential engineering employer.
 A resume tells the employer what you have done in
the past and what you can do for their engineering
company now.
 A resume provides an advance contact with the
employer to generate interest in you so that the
employer will want to interview you.
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Types of Resumes
There are two types of resumes:
 Skills Resume
 Experience Resume
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The Skills Resume
 The Skills Resume is for people who have not yet
completed significant work experience.
 It allows the job seeker to present school and
extracurricular activities to good effect.
 A Skills Resume combines the skills you have from
a variety of experiences - paid work, volunteer work,
student activities, classroom work, projects, you
name it - and groups these skills by categories
related to the kind of job you're seeking.
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
The Experience Resume
 The Experience Resume highlights prior work
experience related to the job for which a person is
applying.
 A skills resume will be used by most engineering
students in the first two years of study and those who
graduate without technical work experience.
 However, engineering students with internship and
co-op experience in an engineering context would
use an Experience Resume.
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Elements of a Skills Resume
 As high school students we will create a
Skills Resume because you have not
yet completed significant work
experience.
 You should keep your resume to one
page.
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Elements of a Skills Resume
Your Skills Resume should include the
following elements:







Heading
Objective
Education
Work Experience (if any)
Computer Skills
Honors/Activities
References
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Elements of Skills Resume
Your Skills Resume should include the
following elements:
 Heading
•
Your Name (Centered)
• Address (Street, City, State, Zip code)
• Permanent Phone Number
• Email Address
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Elements of Skills Resume
Your Skills Resume should include
the following elements:
 Objective
• Write a clear statement.
• For example, an entry level
position in (state field or position
sought).
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Elements of Skills Resume
Your Skills Resume should include the
following elements:
 Education
•
•
•
•
Your degrees
Your school
Graduation date (or anticipated date)
Grade Point Average (e.g., 3.0/4.0)
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Elements of Skills Resume
Your Skills Resume should include the
following elements:
 Work Experience
•
•
•
Your job titles (list most recent first)
The companies for which you worked
Dates during which you worked for
those companies
• Responsibilities in those positions
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Elements of Skills Resume
Your Skills Resume should include the
following elements:
 Computer Skills
•
•
•
•
•
List Operating Systems
List Software Applications
List Languages & Scripts
List Hardware
List Certifications
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Elements of Skills Resume
Your Skills Resume should include the
following elements:
 Honors/Activities
•
Meaningful honors you have received
• Meaningful activities in which you have
participated
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Elements of Skills Resume
Your Skills Resume should include the
following elements:
 References



List three (3) individuals who can verify your
credentials and all or part of the information you
have written in your resume
Current or former teachers
Current or former project managers or
supervisors
Other contacts from industry associations
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Strategies for Resume Writing
 Keep your resume to one page.
 List dates in reverse chronological order
(your most recent information first).
 Use a 12-point font size and typeface
such as Times New Roman.
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Strategies for Resume Writing
 Use one-inch margins around the page.
 All headings (Heading, Objective,
Education, Work Experience, Computer
Skills, Honors/Activities, References)
should be in bold, in capital letters, and
should be the only information on that line of
the page.
 Your resume should be printed using high-
quality laser printer on excellent bond paper
(white, off-white or ivory colored paper).
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Recommended Action Verbs
Here are recommended action verbs
you may want to use in your Skills Resume,
categorized by topic:
Human Relations
worked with
taught
helped
volunteered
served
assisted
interacted
counseled
trained
sponsored
directed
guided
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Recommended Action Verbs
Here are recommended action verbs
you may want to use in your Skills Resume,
categorized by topic:
Research and Design
researched
experimented
observed
analyzed
tested
assessed
solved
verified
designed
discovered
devised
created
investigated
evaluated
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Recommended Action Verbs
Here are recommended action verbs
you may want to use in your Skills Resume,
categorized by topic:
Communications
drafted
edited
addressed
designed
revised
interpreted
composed
prepared
lectured
published
taught
conducted
presented
instructed
published
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
Recommended Action Verbs
Here are recommended action verbs
you may want to use in your Skills Resume,
categorized by topic:
Management
managed
contracted
saved
rated
maintained
scheduled
evaluated
established
sold
devised
negotiated
verified
planned
controlled
produced
organized
purchased
improved
coordinated
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Sample Skills Resume
Review the attached sample
Skills Resume for Maggie Magopoulis
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Assignment: Write Your Resume
Write your Skills Resume using the
Microsoft Word resume template
document.
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Quiz: Test Your Resume Knowledge
Take the puzzle resume quiz to test your
knowledge of the Skills Resume.
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References
Gomez, Oakes, Leone (2006). Engineering
Your Future, Second Edition. Wildwood, MO:
Great Lakes Press, Inc.
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Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.