How to Write a Winning Resume

Are resumes only for college grads? No way. Now more than ever teens are finding it hard to find part-time or after school jobs. There are jobs out there, but it’s likely you’ll be competing with others for the position. So how can you set yourself apart? Write a winning resume! Your resume is basically a brief summary of you, showcasing your personal strengths and highlighting the parts of your education, work and volunteer experience that an employer will find valuable. Think of it as a sales brochure that tells employers what you have to offer.

Ready to write your own resume?

Include the following information:

Personal Information:
Include your full name, address, phone number and email address.

Employment Objective:
An objective is not always necessary unless you are seeking a specific job. If this section is included, you may also need to write a new objective for every job for which you apply.

Education:
List the name of your high school and include your GPA if it’s over 3.0. Highlight any courses that may be relevant to the position.

Experience:
List all paid and volunteer experience, listing the most recent job first.

Skills:
Here is where you have the opportunity to stress your special skills and individuality. List foreign languages, computer knowledge and even personality traits that the employer may be looking for. Just be ready to back it up with an example when asked.

Activities:
Include any school and community activities in which you have participated and what your specific role was in each. Examples are clubs, sports, community and church organizations.

Awards:
If you’ve received any awards or community recognition, now’s the time to share them. If you haven’t, that’s OK too; just skip this part.

Other tips to remember when writing a resume:

Keep your resume brief and limit it to one page.
Be neat and clean in the layout and make sure there are no grammatical errors.
Be honest about your skills and work experience.
Be concise and use action words (organized, created, planned, etc.) when describing your experience.

For more information about writing a winning resume, go to www.jobweb.com and click on Resumes and Interviews.