Creating A Resume

Your resume is one of the first tools you'll use to introduce yourself to an employer. It tells your story, highlighting your skills, experiences, and what makes you a great fit for the job, even if you've never worked before. Whether you’ve helped in your community, taken on responsibilities at school, or supported family at home, your experiences have value. This page will walk you through how to create a strong resume that showcases your strengths and gets you noticed.

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A resume is a document that tells an employer about your skills, education, and experience. For entry level positions, it's typically 1-page in length. Think of it as your personal advertisement. It helps you stand out and get invited for an interview. Even if you haven’t had a paid job before, a resume helps show what makes you a great candidate.

If you’re new to work, don’t worry! Your resume can include:

  • Volunteer work: Helping at school events, community groups, or family activities counts.
  • Extracurricular activities: Sports teams, clubs, music, or theater groups show teamwork and commitment.
  • Leadership roles: Team captain, club officer, or event organizer demonstrate responsibility.
  • Education: Your school, grade level, and any special classes or achievements.
  • Hobbies and interests: Include things that show positive traits like creativity or problem-solving.

It's your job as the applicant, to show an employer how the skills you've developed through these activities would benefit them in the position they are trying to fill.

Employers want to know what you can bring to their team. Utilize the job description to identify specific skills the employer is seeking and be sure to highlight those that you possess. Beyond that, think about transferrable skills you may have like:

  • Communication: Speaking clearly and listening carefully.
  • Teamwork: Working well with others.
  • Dependability: Being on time and reliable.
  • Problem-solving: Figuring things out when challenges come up.
  • Time management: Balancing school, activities, and work.

Use your activities and experiences to show these skills.

Start each bullet point with a strong action word to make your experience stand out. Instead of “I helped organize a school event,” say:

  • “Organized a school fundraiser that raised $500.”
  • “Led a team of 5 students during a community clean-up.”

Action words make your resume more interesting and show what you actually did.

Keep your resume:

  • Clear and easy to read with simple fonts and headings.
  • One page long, especially if you don’t have much experience yet.
  • Organized into sections like Contact Info, Summary, Education, Experience, Skills.
  • Consistent in spacing, font size, and bullet points.
  • Balanced white space - You don't want too much so it seems like you don't have enough information to fill the page and you also don't want too little so it doesn’t look crowded.

See examples of resumes made just for people like you! These show how you can fill out each section, even with limited experience. Use these as a guide when you start creating your own.

 

Watch out for:

  • Forgetting to tailor your resume to each job you apply for.
  • Spelling and grammar errors.
  • Leaving out your phone number or email.
  • Using informal language or slang.
  • Making it too short or too long or including unrelated info.
  • Using a complex template that Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) may screen out.

Whenever you try a new activity, learn a new skill, or finish a project, add it to your resume. Keeping it current means you’re ready to apply when a great job comes along.

Bonus: Maintain a master resume that includes all of your experiences and skills and then create separate, tailored resumes for each position you apply for.

Before you submit your resume, ask someone you trust like a parent, teacher, career counselor, or friend to review it. They can help catch mistakes and give you advice to make it even better.