RESUME WRITING

WHAT IS A RESUME?

What Is a Resume?
A document that provides a brief summary of

your education, achievements, experiences,

and abilities.
Think of a resume as a promotional brochure
about you.
Note: High school students need resumes just
as much as everyone else!

WHAT ITS NOT

A LIST!

Bad Sample Resume

Lisa H. Smith
6 Elm Street, San Marcos, Tx. 78666
Home phone: 512.555.5555
Email: lhjones@tjhs.com
Objective: To earn an Economics degree at New York University
Education: Thomas Jefferson High School, Fairfax, Virginia
Expected Graduation June 2013, Current GPA: 3.2
Experience:
Sales Associate, Walmart
Cook, Good Burger
Child Care Provider
Achievements:
Student of the Month: 2015
Volunteer Experience
Hays County Food Bank: San Marcos River Clean Up
Bobcat Build

Bad Sample Resume (contd)

Interests/Activities
San Marcos High School Soccer Team
Harmonica and Fiddle
Skills
Spanish
Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe Photoshop

WHY ARE RESUMES

IMPORTANT?

Resumes: Why Theyre Important

Help with the college process.
Help in getting a part-time or full-time job.
Helptoseparateyoufromallthepeople

applyingtoyourcollegeofchoiceorwhoare
eagertolandthesamejobasyou.

FREQUENT PROBLEMS

This is my first job, and I have

limited experience.
I dont have any skills.

This is just another grade.

Im never going to
see this again.

Im not sure where Im

going or what Im going to
do.
I already have a resume.

Formatting
The process of organizing your information before it is

published into a readable document.

The way you format your work is just as important as the

content you write!!!

Formatting
Use one font consistently throughout your

resume any more than this looks confusing

and unprofessional (Times New Roman).
Fonts should maintain readability (nothing too

small).

Formatting
Use underlining, bold face, italics, spacing, and

indentation to clearly divide sections and

connect similar information on your resume (do
so carefully).

WHAT SHOULD BE
INCLUDED

Format: Topics You Should Cover

Heading
Your contact information: Full name, address, phone
number, email address

Format: Topics You Should Cover

Objective
Allowscollegerecruitersorpotentialemployersto
knowyourgoal.Shouldbetailoredtoeachsituation.
Forexample

Objective:ToearnadegreeinPsychologyatTexas

StateUniversity
Objective:Toobtainaparttimesalespositionwiththe
GoodBurger

Format: Topics You Should Cover

Education/Academics
List schools you have attended (high schools only)
Include your GPA if it is 3.0 or higher
Mention academic honors, awards, or other special
recognition youve received

Format: Topics You Should Cover

Experience/Skills
Give an overview of work experience that has taught
you valuable skills.
Includetitleofposition,nameoforganization,locationofwork(town,state),datesof
employment,anddescriptionofworkresponsibilities.
Useactionwordstodescribeyourduties:sold,created,instructed,organized,etc.
Ifyoudonthavepaidworkexperience,youcanalsolistvolunteerexperiencesor
unpaidinternships.Youmightalsodescribeclassprojectsinwhichyouvelearned
importantskills.
Mentionspecificcomputerskillsandanyforeignlanguagesinwhichyouareproficient.

Format: Topics You Should Cover

Extracurricular Activities/Additional Skills
Include key elements about you that dont fit in any
other section, such as
Specialskills
Leadershiproles
Volunteer/communityserviceexperiences
Sportsteams
Band(s),orchestra,musicalinstrumentsplayed
Clubparticipation

What to Avoid on a Resume

When it comes to getting a job, first

impressions count a lot. Ensure your resume

gives a good first impression by knowing not
only what to include, but also what not to
include.

WHAT TO AVOID

What to Avoid on a Resume

Irrelevant information
No pictures
Dont lie
Explanations or excuses
Age, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation
Misspellings, bad grammar, poor language

LASTLY . . .
The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule

Your resume should never exceed one page.
The whole point of a resume is to show what makes you

stand out from everyone else. It should highlight all of

your good qualities, and anyone looking over your resume
should be able to determine your character within a
matter of minutes, if not less.

FORMATTING