Great on Paper
Make Your Resume Rock!

By Karen Newman

You're ready to go out there and take the job market by storm. The only problem? Writing a resume seems about as foreign as speaking German!

Before you get your freak on (and we're talking anxiety here!), check out these resume building tips that will get you ready to rock job boards the World (Wide Web) over.

A resume is an opportunity to sell yourself to potential employers. It is a piece of paper where you can write about extracurricular activities and previous jobs that might be helpful in the position that you are applying for. Even if you've never held a real job before, a resume can tell employers about other special skills you have that may qualify you for a position with the company. The good news is a resume should never be more than one page, so you don't have to worry about not having enough down on the page—even people who have been working for 40 years should only use one sheet of paper—and no one is expecting you to have a world of experience at your age. Just play up your strengths and make sure to be honest.

Contact Information

The top of every resume should list your contact information. This includes your name (in bold), address, e-mail and a phone number where you can be reached (either your mobile phone or home number).

Objective

Underneath your contact information, write one to two sentences describing the type of job you hope to find (e.g., Objective: To find an exciting position in retail where I can learn more about the industry).

Education

List the name of your school, your grade, and any classes that might be relevant to the job you are seeking. If your grades are above average, include your GPA. Be sure also to mention any awards or honors you have received while in school, including honor roll and other distinctions.

Work History

Work history is a great title for the employment section of your resume because it can include any internships or volunteer work that you may have done. If you have had jobs in the past, list those first. List positions from the most recent to the last.

Skills

This section can include anything from foreign languages to computer skills to child care. You know your strengths—play them up!

Extracurricular Activities

Sports, clubs and organizations (like Girl Scouts!) you belong to outside of school are of interest to future employers as they like to see that you have diverse interests. If you hold any leadership positions (like captain of a team or treasurer of your Girl Scout troop) in any of these activities, be sure to mention that, too. You can also list any community service (like beach clean-up, volunteering at a soup kitchen or a Girl Scout service project) you've participated in.

The last line of your resume should read as the following:

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Make sure that you have two people who are willing to act as references should you need it. One should be a work/extracurricular relation to you and the other can be personal. Just make sure they'll give you a positive reference!

Helpful Hint

Most word processing programs like Microsoft Word have templates that can help you format your resume. To access it, open Word and click "New" under "File" and then click on "General Templates." There under the tab "Other," you will find three different resume templates. These templates are very helpful because they will allow you to simply plug in your information to pre-formatted fields. These templates should be used as guides, but feel free to move things around, or delete fields that aren't relevant to you.