Oregon State University Career Guide - Flipbook - Page 16
Common Résumé Sections
CONTACT INFORMATION/
HEADING
» Your name in bold and/or in a larger
font than the rest of the content
(14-16 pt).
» Professional email address and phone
number.
» Personal pronouns, mailing address
or current city and state, links to
your LinkedIn page, website or online
portfolio (optional).
SUMMARY OF
QUALIFICATIONS/
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
(OPTIONAL)
» Replaces a traditional objective
statement with 1-3 lines or bullet
points at the top of the résumé
summarizing your top skills. Use third
person (no personal pronouns).
» Example: Computer science major
with programming expertise in C++,
Python and Java and experience
building robust websites and
programs for the city of Corvallis.
EDUCATION
» Listing of undergraduate and
graduate education, study abroad and
internships. List your major or degree
earned and university.
» Include your GPA if it9s requested
or is above a 3.0. You can use your
cumulative or program-specioc GPA.
» Proociencies in languages, computer
programs or other technical skills.
LEADERSHIP AND
INVOLVEMENT
» Experiences in clubs, athletics,
fraternities/sororities and other
organizations, including leadership roles.
PROJECTS AND RELEVANT
COURSEWORK
» Projects, research or oeld work that
relates to the position.
» Top 4-8 courses that relate speciocally
to the position. Avoid jargon and
course numbers. Use course titles
instead (e.g., Plant Propagation, not
Horticulture 301).
AWARDS AND
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
» Workplace or academic awards and
scholarships. Describe the award
and list the date and awarding
organization.
ADDITIONAL SECTION
EXAMPLES
» Study abroad and intercultural
experiences.
» Professional memberships and
activities.
» Licenses and certiocations.
» Military service and training.
WORK EXPERIENCE
» Teaching and coaching experience.
» A dynamic, action- and resultsoriented summary of professional
experiences.
» Public speaking and communications
experience.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
» A summary of volunteer and
community involvement.
15
SKILLS/LANGUAGES
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
TIPS FOR ALL RÉSUMÉ TYPES
» Don9t just list your experiences 4
elaborate on the skills you gained
from them.
» Tailor each résumé to a specioc
opportunity.
» Every industry is diferent. Get advice on
résumé norms from a professor, advisor
or someone working in the oeld.
» Don9t include personal information like
age, gender, marital status or religion.
» Where appropriate, use keywords from
the position description or company
website.
» Ensure that your résumé contains no
spelling or grammar errors. Ask at least
two people to proofread it.
ABOUT APPLICANT TRACKING
SYSTEMS (ATS)
Many companies use automated hiring
software to scan résumés before they
are passed along to a recruiter or HR
professional. To make sure your résumé
passes the ATS scan:
» Pay attention to specioc words, phrases
or qualiocations in the job description
and include them when describing your
experience, skills and accomplishments.
» Keep your formatting simple with
standard fonts. Use common section
headings for clarity. Avoid using résumé
templates that include columns, images
or logos. An ATS may have dioculty
processing résumés with complicated
formatting.
» Save your résumé as a .docx or .pdf ole.
» Use online tools such as Jobscan.co to
test your résumé for ATS compatibility.
» Don9t overload your résumé with
keywords. It should still read naturally.
Don9t use hidden text, such as white
text on a white background. An ATS can
detect this.
