41 Writing Personal Statements Online – Sample Resumes

Frequently, graduate school or scholarship applications provide an option or requirement for you to submit a resume to complement your other written material. The two sample resumes provided in the link below offer good examples of what graduate schools and scholarship committees look for in a resume (or “curriculum vitae,” which is typically a lengthier resume with an academic and research focus).

Overview of Short Sample Resume

The writer of the short sample resume in the pdf below wisely excludes the usual “Objective” section (needless for a graduate application) and focuses instead on his education. Note how he briefly discusses his thesis research and lists his key courses—information he hopes will be of special interest to the selection committee. With little meaningful work experience in the field, the writer simply summarizes his experience briefly and lists activities, some of which relate to his field of study. Standing alone, this resume will not help the student rise above other applicants, some of whom are bound to have paid work experience in the field. However, it will be helpful to the application, particularly when joined with the student’s corresponding personal statement.

Overview of Lengthy Sample Resume (Curriculum Vitae)

With curriculum vitae tailored to graduate school or scholarships, the category headings can be determined both by the writer’s strengths and by the selectors’ needs. Thus, the sample three-page curriculum vitae in the pdf below focuses on languages, international experience, and leadership positions. Note how the writer effectively uses subcategories to underscore a diversity of experience, ranging from political involvement to research. She describes volunteer positions as thoroughly as one would describe a job. Also, she uses various formatting strategies, including ample white space, selective indentation, and boldface of parallel headings to allow for easy visual scanning of her credentials. Clearly, this student has a lot of offer in her chosen field of political science.

Click here to download a pdf of two sample resumes.