Entry-Level Resume

1. Entry-Level Resume

2. What is a resume? • A resume is self-marketing tool that summarizes your relevant education, experiences, skills and accomplishments relevant to the field of work you are entering. • A resume highlights your accomplishments to show a potential employer that you are qualified for the position you are seeking. It is NOT a biography of everything you have done! The average time spent reviewing a resume is 12-15 seconds!!

3. What is the purpose of a resume? • The purpose of a resume is a way to get your “foot in the door” – to get you an interview.

4. What information should the resume include? • In addition to paid work experience, a resume can also include student involvement within extracurricular, volunteer, study abroad and leadership experiences.

5. How should I present myself on a resume? • To prepare a successful resume you will need to review, summarize and present your experiences and achievements on one page. Two pages are not necessary unless you have considerable experience. It is important to be brief and concise.

6. Your Resume • Your resume is often your first and only chance to make a great impression on an employer. Managers will scan your resume for just 10 seconds to see if you're right for the job. • That's why your resume needs to be attractive and stand out. It needs to be well-written and highlight your skills to your best advantage.

7. The problem is most people don't know how to write a great resume and don't have the design skills to make it look professional.

8. A teenager applying for a job will generally not have very much experience or schooling to list on a resume, but you can still use effective strategies to make yourself look appealing to a potential employer. If you are replying to an advertisement or job posting, its content and language will provide important information about what to include in your resume.

9. Identification. • Provide complete information at the top of the resume to identify yourself. Include name, address, phone number, and e-mail address, as well as a fax number, if you have one. • Make sure that you use an e-mail address-such as your first and last name or your first and middle initials with last name-that is appropriate for business correspondence. • You don't want to use your funny or cute e-mail address that you chose when you were 12. Symmetrically balance the contact information, and make your name stand out.

10. Billy Smith1420 Park Drive Chicago, Illinois 59393 (220) 208-4928 bjsmith@student.greenvilleschools.org

11. OBJECTIVE • Use an objective section to define the position you seek. Echo the language of the job advertisement or posting if you are replying to one.

12. JOB OBJECTIVE • Work as a server for a local restaurant, where I can contribute my strong work ethic and integrity to help make the business successful. • Provide quality lawn care for local businesses. • Offer excellent customer service to inbound callers. • Work as a sales representative in the pest control or telecommunications industry.

13. EDUCATION • State your year in school, the high school you attend, and your anticipated date of graduation. Note future educational plans if you know them (see below). You can also list important courses you have taken and projects completed that are directly relevant to the job you seek.

14. EDUCATIONLa Sierra High School, Carmichael, CaliforniaYear: Junior             Expected graduation date: May 2010

15. FUTURE PLANS • If you have educational plans for the near future, you might include them.

16. FUTURE PLANS • I have been accepted into the College of Engineering at CSU and awarded a President's Scholarship. • I will be taking my SAT exams next month, and I am planning to major in psychology. • I am planning to attend Iowa State in the fall, majoring in accounting. • I am taking AP classes to prepare for college. • I received a full-tuition academic scholarship to Washington University, where I will begin attending this fall.

17. EDUCATIONLa Sierra High School, Carmichael, CaliforniaYear: Junior             Expected graduation date: May 2010

18. WORK EXPERIENCE • If you have previous work experience, particularly in jobs similar to the one for which you are applying, identify them by job title, the name of the place where you worked, and dates of employment. Itemize responsibilities, skills, duties, and achievements particularly relevant to the job objective or specifications in the job posting or advertisement.

19. WORK EXPERIENCE • Life Guard, Community Pool, Mesa, Arizona. Summer 2008Certified by American Red Cross in Life Guard and CPR • Maintained safe and pleasant atmosphere for pool patrons • Provided close supervision for patrons and rescued swimmers in distress • Yard Maintenance, Neighborhood, 2004-2008Maintained yards for five regular customers • Mowed lawns, composted clippings, trimmed edges • Weeded flower beds • Pruned trees • Picked fruit

20. Childcare Provider. Neighborhood, 2002-2006 • Worked regularly for 10-15 families in the neighborhood • Provided close supervision and care for children ages newborn to 12 years • WORK EXPERIENCE • Short-order cook, King Burgers Restaurant, Nashville, Tennessee. January 2008-Present Prepared fast-food orders quickly and efficiently • Maintained sanitary workstation • Cleaned grill at close of business • Earned employee of the month award (August 2008)

21. Food Server, Renie's Restaurant, Nashville, Tennessee, Summers of 2006 and 2007 Took orders from customers • Brought orders to customers • Cleared tables and cleaned up spills and messes • Worked cash register • Helped in kitchen when needed • Maintained good customer relations by attending quickly and pleasantly to their needs.

22. ACTIVITIES • This section may include extracurricular activities, sports, and clubs you have been participating in during high school. Listing these activities demonstrates your leadership skills, sociability, and energy level. State the activity, when it took place, and your position or role in it. Itemize responsibilities, skills, duties, and achievements particularly relevant to the specifications included in the job posting or advertisement.

23. ACTIVITIES IN SCHOOL • Football (Captain, senior year)Forensics (prepared memorized speeches as well as material for impromptu dialogue for monthly meets)Future Business Leaders of America (Took first place in accounting and recordkeeping)National Honor Society memberSchool play (Played lead role in South Pacific)Soccer (Made varsity team as a sophomore)

24. HONORS AND AWARDS • Itemize awards and achievements received, including competitive scholarships based on ability rather than need.

25. HONORS • Senior Class PresidentStudent of the Week (October 3-10)First Place in Regional Drama Competition (Improv)

26. LANGUAGE • List languages you have studied besides English (or the dominant language of the country in which you reside). • Indicate your degree of proficiency (good, fair, excellent, near-native) in reading, writing, and speaking.

27. LANGUAGES • Spanish 1, 2, and 3; fair reading, writing, and speaking skills

28. REFERENCES • You should include a reference page with your resume. • A reference page is a list of contacts who know you well and who can vouch for your knowledge and skills in a particular area, your ability to work hard, or your previous work experience. • Some applicants choose not to include a reference sheet with their resume and instead include a statement such as “References Available upon Request” on their resume, but doing so is discouraged.

29. REFERENCES • Larry GibsonManager, Circle Bar Restaurant626 North 4nd StreetKalamazoo, Michigan 49009Phone: 672-0677 • David TuckerOwner, ABC Lawn Care123 East 2300 South StreetDetroit, Michigan 55551Phone: 555-5555 • Mary WilliamsDirector, City Youth Center5332 West MainKalamazoo, Michigan 49009Phone: 325-2022

30. Design Tips • Use white or off-white paper. • Use 8 ½ X 11-inch paper. • Print on one side of the paper. • Leave plenty of white space—don’t make it look crowded. • Use a font of 10 to 14 points, preferably 12 point. • Center and balance your resume on the page

31. Design Tips • Leave approx. 1-inch margins. • Use non-decorative typefaces; keep it clean and easy to read. • Choose one typeface and stick to it. • Balance job titles and use descriptive category headings (Leadership Experience vs just Experience. • Leave a blank space between the separate sections and items on your resume.

32. Design Tips • Avoid italics, script, and underlined words. • Do not use horizontal or vertical lines, graphics or shading. • Do not fold or staple your resume. • If you must mail your resume, put it in a large envelope.

33. Resume Checkup • Proofread carefully and have it reviewed and critiqued by someone. • Run a spell check on your computer. • Get a friend to do a grammar review.

34. Create a One Page Resume • Use the attached example to create a personal resume for a job as a cashier, sales representative or any job for a person your age.