Rsums

Purdue OWL staf

Brought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab

Agenda

Rsum Description
General Guidelines
Preliminary Research
Sections
Extra Tips
Cover Letter Workshop

What is a Rsum?

A rsum is a personal summary of your

professional history and qualifications
A rsum (also spelled resume) includes
anything a person wants to express about:

Career goals

Education

Experience

Activities

Honors

General Guidelines

Length: Limit rsum 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
Information
Objective
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 rsum 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 efectively;
3. Employer will only take 15 seconds to glance at
a rsum.

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
RSUMS
Purdue OWL staf
Brought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab