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.

A resume is:

  • Your first impression to an employer.
  • A way to convey your skills & experience.
  • Meant to get you an interview.
  • Not a biography of everything you've done, only what is applicable.
  • A job specific Marketing Tool

A resume should:

  • Be customized to fit the job you are applying to.
  • Only be one page long with a separate reference page.
  • Include more than formal work experience (if you are new to the world of work).
  • Be formatted in a way that an employer can scan quickly and easily.

Header/Contact Information

  • Include your full name, phone number, professional email address, city/state; optionally link to portfolio or LinkedIn if you have one.

Title of Position Applying for

  • Use the title of the target position as written on the job posting.

Summary/Professional Profile

  • Create a self statement. 2-4 sentences that introduce you: who you are, what you’re good at, what you’re looking for in this job. If you can, mention key skills or traits that match what the employer wants. Use keywords from the job description. Highlight job-specific qualification you have.
  • This section is your "hook".
  • Guide to creating a Summary/Professional Profile???

Key Skills/Competencies (could be combined into summary)

  • A bullet list of skills that match the job description.

Experience

  • This usually is in reverse-chronological order: paid jobs, internships, volunteer work, school roles, leadership roles, etc. For each entry: Job/role title, place / organization, dates; bullet points showing what you did, what you learned, ideally using numbers or outcomes.

Education & Training

  • Education Status; Name of school, location; expected graduation date; relevant courses / classes; honors, relevant certifications.

Formal Work Experience:

Paid work with specific working hours and wages per an employer agreement. Formal experiences could include:

Movie Theater Attendant

Food Service Worker (Cook, Dishwasher, Crew Member, etc.)

Lawncare/Landscaping

Childcare

Car Wash Attendant

Lifeguard

Retail Associate

Barista

Receptionist

Housekeeping

Referee

Internship Experiences

Informal Work Experience:

Paid or unpaid work with no formal working agreement, hours and compensation may vary. Generally, work on an as-needed basis. 

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, teacher's assistant, 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.
  • Self Employment: Tutoring, babysitting, lawncare, pet care, selling items you've made, etc.

Job Specific Skills:

  • Skills related to technical things you need to do on the jobs.
  • Typically obtained through education, training, and experience.
  • Examples include:

Knowledge/Use of tools

Childcare Tasks

Food Preparation

Use of various software systems

Fast Typing Speed

Machine Operation

Cash Register Operation

Bilingual

Transferable Skills:

  • Skills you can use in any job, no matter the position or field.
  • Can be hard or soft skills.
  • Can be learned in any environment.
  • Examples include: communication, problem solving, leadership, organization, work ethic, creativity, time management, troubleshooting, collaboration, etc.

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.

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.

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.

Use the following formula to build strong bullet points within your resume:

Action Verb + Skill/Task + Outcome

How did you do it? Why was it important? What was the outcome

Formatting Basics:

  • Clear and easy to read with simple fonts (e.g. Arial , Calibri, Times New Roman, etc.)
  • Correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar
  • Easy to read 11-12 point font
  • One page long, especially if you don’t have much experience yet
  • Organized into sections like Contact Info, Summary, Education, Experience, Skills with clear headings
  • 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
  • No first person language (e.g., "I", "me", "my")
  • No text boxes, tables, or columns
  • No complex templates
  • Use PDF or DOC to match employer request

Why is Resume Customization Important?

  • Helps your resume stand out to employers.
  • Shows you have done research and prepared.
  • Conveys your interest in that specific employment opportunity.
  • Makes a great first impression.
  • Helps you pass Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Did you know? 

Many employers only look at a resume for 6-15 seconds? 

Make sure what they see in that limited amount of time is relevant to the job you are applying for!

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.

 

Mistakes to Avoid:

  • 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.