Creating a resume is one of the most important tasks you should learn in high school. Whether you’re asking your teacher for a recommendation or applying for a job, a stellar resume is the key to putting your best foot forward. Please use this page to help you draft and perfect your first resume. Note: Keeping your resume current (up-to-date) is something you will have to do throughout your entire career.
Creating a Resume:
Step 1:
Take out a sheet of paper and brainstorm the following information:
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Objective
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What kind of position do you hope to gain with this resume?
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Although this section is not always mandatory, it is important to consider why you need the resume in the first place.
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Education
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Where do you go to school?
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What is your expected graduation date?
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What is your current weighted/ unweighted GPA?
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Any relevant classes that you want to highlight? (Place these in a separate section to make them stand out).
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Leadership
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Think of any instances where you have held a leadership position.
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Club officer? Special Leadership role within the classroom? Start your own business? Apart of the Student Government Association? Captain of your sports team or competition squad?
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Now give that leadership role a title and tell your audience (using specific language) what you did in that leadership position.
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Include dates of beginning and ending if possible.
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Employment
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Brainstorm any official jobs you have held.
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What was the company?
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Where was the company located? (i.e.- city, state)
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What was your position?
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What did that position entail? (What did you do?)
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How long did you hold that position or are you currently still in it?
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Community Service
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Have you given back to your community by doing philanthropic activities?
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5K Walk to Raise Money for Cancer Prevention, Donate clothes to Camillus House, Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen, Canned food drive for your Church?
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What is the specific name of the event?
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When did the event occur?
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Where was the event?
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What was your role? (coordinator, participant, cheer squad?)
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How many hours did you volunteer?
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Skills
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Languages
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Are you bilingual? Multilingual? How many languages do you speak and are you fluent?
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It is O.K. to say you have a working knowledge of a language. (i.e.- You know enough of the language to get by in a work environment, but you are not fluent like a native speaker.)
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What computer skills do you possess?
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Microsoft Suite Products (Word, Excel, etc.)?
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Coding? (Be specific with which languages- Html, Java, C++)
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Adobe Photoshop
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It is important to think of everything you know. You are competing with individuals who are extremely tech savvy.
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References
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Choose three (3) individuals who know your work ethic and can vouch for you if an employer calls.
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Reach out and ask these three people BEFORE you put them on your resume.
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Take down their full name, title (position), contact number, email address.
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You can either choose to put your references at the bottom of your resume or say “References available upon request.”
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Check out this sheet with keywords on page two.
Writing a Resume with Key Words
Step 2:
Type up your resume.
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Your header should be your name, address, professional email address, and best contact phone number.
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Ensure that it is in order.
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Use complete, clear, concise sentences.
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Choose an organizational style that highlights your strengths and downplays your weaknesses.
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Utilize keywords from the job application to draw the employer’s eyes to those skills.
Need Examples?
Adult Examples:
Lizek’s Resume
Step 3:
Write a cover letter.
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A cover letter is to inform your employer what position you are applying for.
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Sometimes your employer does not ask for a cover letter.
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In case they do, it is vital that you know how to write one.
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Be sure to address it properly.
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Know who to address it to. (Do your research!)
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Be clear about which position you are applying for.
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Highlight reasons why you are the ideal candidate.
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Do NOT make it too long.
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Need Examples?
Sample Resume Cover Letter
Step 4:
Proofread your resume at least five (5) times before you send it to a potential employer.
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Have your parents, teachers, friends, proofread your resume! Get as many eyes looking for errors as possible.
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It is a huge negative to have a typo on your resume.