Your High-School Resume

A Guide to Resume Writing by David Berry

Getting into a good college is a lot like trying to get a good job. In both cases, you need a way to sell yourself. That's where your résumé comes in. A high school résumé works like a professional résumé. If you are a junior, planning on applying to colleges that do not accept everyone who applies (that's most colleges), you're going to be competing for a spot in the freshman class. You need a tool to market yourself, something to make you stand out from the others. A résumé is the answer. To put together a high school résumé, you need to do some serious reflection. Get a piece of paper and a pencil. Ask someone in your family, who knows what you have accomplished over the years, to sit with you for an hour or so. The purpose of this exercise is to chronicle the highlights of your academic and extracurricular career. Start by listing the biggest academic honors you've garnered, starting with ninth grade. Most colleges are interested in only your four years of high school. Please note, though, that if you have done something exceptional in middle or elementary school, make note of it. Academic honors include honor-roll recognition, essay-writing awards, science competitions, and the like. Take time to discuss your history. Make note of everything that comes up. Now turn to your extracurriculars. This category includes clubs you've belonged to, class offices you've held, sports, band, yearbook, and all the other nonacademic activities you've done. Don't forget non-school-related items such as volunteering at a nursing home and jobs you've worked. Include special interests like photography, hiking, writing, and so forth. Detail your uniqueness. You're trying to paint a portrait of yourself; create an action inventory. When you're finished listing everything, put the items into chronological order by category. When you're done, you'll have a one-sheet profile of your best work and activities. You can include a copy of the résumé with all of your applications to offset the application's limited space. Don't be afraid to market yourself. If you don't, who will? – by

What is a resume?

Why do I need to write a resume?

RESUME DO’s RESUME DON’Ts  Do try to fit your resume on one page  Don’t write RESUME on top of page  Margin Space ½ to 1 inch is good  Don’t use “I”, “Me” or any  Do use present tense for current abbreviations activities and past tense for previous  Don’t include ads or list salary experiences requirements  Do proofread your resume  Don’t leave out Volunteer experiences  Do make sure your resume is typed  Don’t give any false information  Do sound POSITIVE!!!  Don’t include reasons for changing jobs

Top THREE tips to make your resume effective:

3. Keith Jones Home: 555-543-6543 Cell: 456-123-7654 [email protected] 244 Chestnut Street Southhampton, PA 18966

OBJECTIVE: Seeking a company where I can use my experience and education to help the company meet and surpass its goals.

EDUCATION:

George Washington High School – High School Diploma May 2011 Overall GPA: 3.8, Honor Roll each quarter

SKILLS:

Functional in speaking, reading, and writing French.

EXPERIENCE:

Berkshire County Playhouse, Assistant Summer 2010  Coordinated rehearsal and performance schedules for the cast and crew of three one-week productions over one season.  Created and managed social media accounts for the playhouse to market each show and ongoing activities.

Joe’s Café, Cashier Fall 2009 – Present  Selected employee of the month for efficient, friendly service.  Promoted to Barista in September, 2010.

Student Tutors at Washington, Tutor January 2009 – Present  Helped elementary school students apply mathematic and scientific concepts to their homework assignments.  Helped coordinate a weekend trip to the Philadelphia zoo each season and designed a packet of math and science questions related to the animals and exhibits children encountered there.

Soup Kitchen, Volunteer Fall 2008 – Present  Served meals to over 100 less fortunate individuals each week.  Created a brown bag lunch program collecting donations to pack bags of food for individuals to take home with them.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

Honors: French Honors Society, National Honors Society, National Merit Scholar

Clubs: Political Science, Show Choir, Theater, Yearbook Committee  Lead role in The Music Man, Spring 2011

Athletics: Varsity Soccer Captain, Intramural Volleyball  Named MVP after leading soccer team to state finals victory in 2011 fall season

INTERESTS:

Long-distance running, playing piano, roller-blading, traveling, creative writing, reading, viewing films.