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How do I create a resume for college or applying for a job?

Creating a résumé for college or applying for a job is important and everyone should know how to create one. One must need to know what information to put and not to put. #resume #resume-writing #evaluating-resumes

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Kim’s Answer

Stephen,


As a first-time resume writer, I recommend you start with the website gotresumebuilder.com It is easy to use, free, and will give you lots of pointers. And when you are done, you will have a very professional looking resume that can be saved in both Word and PDF, among others.


The basic format is


HEADING: your name, email address (make sure it sounds professional!) and phone number. Us older folks always put mailing address, but no one writes to you anymore, so that is optional. Include city and state if you want, but not if you are applying for a job in another part of the country, as they tend to not consider outsiders sometimes.


SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS: Very important. Employers quickly scan resumes, but they will pause to read the summary of qualifications. Write it LAST. Why? Because right now, as we speak, you don't know what makes YOU great!


WORK EXPERIENCE: Do the best you can to show WHAT you did, and, the QUALITY and QUANTITY of the work you did. Most jobs are about making money. That is why businesses exist. Focus on how you helped the employer make (sales, marketing, collections) or save (safety, attendance, regulatory compliance) money. Start with your most recent employer. List the employer's name, your job title, city/state, and dates of employment (month/year) . You can add volunteer work and internships to this section. It's all about what you learned.


EDUCATION: If you have college, there is no need to list HS. If all you have is HS, list it, and the month/year of graduation, or anticipated graduation.


HONORS AND AWARDS: If you have any.


CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS: if you have any. Here is a spot you can use to talk about skills learned outside of work or school, for example, if you organized a fund-raiser, or presented a program with a lot of speakers, etc. Don't just list what you belong to, list what you did!


Now go back and write the summary of qualifications. What is the first and last impression you want to make on that employer? The most important things you want them to know about you? Put it in that summary!


Oh, and write everything with bullet points. It is much easier to read than long paragraphs.


I'm sure others will add some ideas. I've covered the basics. Feel free to ask questions if you need further help!
Thank you comment icon I forgot to mention - once you have your master resume, you later create different versions of it. You do this by reading the job announcement for the position you are applying for, and making changes to emphasize whatever is stressed in that announcement. And remember you have "transferrable skills." Those you got in one job, but they can apply to others as well. Sometimes you have to show how this is so, as the employer might not see the connection. Good luck! Kim Igleheart
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Grace’s Answer

Kim provided great guidance above. I will add a piece of advice I received once that is very helpful - I was taught to show the IMPACT of your work as much as possible. Did your efforts lead to a new initiative? Did you increase sales? Did you develop a new process to help your club or after-school job be more efficient? Showing how you helped make the role/company/club better instead of just saying what you did is always helpful!
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Erin’s Answer

Hi Stephen,
There are so many resources at your disposal. Kim shared a comprehensive and helpful outline that should help you better understand what should be put on a resume. As far as what it should look like, there are plenty of pre-made layouts out there in Microsoft Word and even Canva.com, a site that will make your resume appealing and stand out from the others. Make sure the resume is one page, easy to read, and full of relevant information.
There are a few other things you can do for more guidance:
Ask friends, family members, and educators you have a relationship with if they would be willing to look over your resume. Most people would be happy to give you advice.
Listen to a career podcast about top resume tips. There are so many out there!
Create a LinkedIn profile and fill in all your experience. You can then use that as a guide in writing your resume.
Good luck, and reach out if you need any further feedback!
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Simeon’s Answer

For your resume, try to make it as clear and legible as possible, with the most relevant experience and education near the top. For the most relevant experience and education, add some bullet points describing in more detail what you did, learned, or led. For volunteer and hobby items, keep them brief and to the point unless you showed leadership ability, in which case add some details. Overall, make sure that your resume is not longer than two pages. Remember that a recruiter will be going through stacks of resumes, so its important that they can find all the important info in the eight to ten seconds they will likely spend reading it (they won't be reading it word for word from beginning to end; they'll be skimming it).
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