So I'm applying for a summer internship and they want a resume. Since I'm fresh out of high school and only (will) have two semesters under my belt for my undergrad, what kind of things should I put in my resume?
My main problem is a lack of any real work experience. Is there anything I can elaborate on that might make potential interviewers value me over some dude that worked at mcdonalds throughout high school? I have a fair amount of community service hours- is that enough?
My last resume written was for college apps, but I don't have a copy on this computer, it's at home :/ Are there any changes to make it look more professional or is the basic college-looking resume acceptable in this situation?
Your experience and wisdom would be greatly appreciated smogon, I come to you for help.
~nardd
Yeah, this is a giant wall of text, but...
A resume isn't really about how it "looks" graphically as much as it's about being clear and professional. You have to keep in mind that whoever is reading these things is reading hundreds of them and wants to go through them as quickly as possible. That said, I can give you a basic template right here in this post...
Before I go any further, the two most important things you can do are...
#1. Make the resume sound like it was written specifically for the job you're trying to get, and
#2. TELL THE TRUTH. Do not lie or make anything up. It's okay to stretch things and approximate, but don't put jobs on there you didn't get, make up degrees or qualifications, etc... Most employers aren't going to check, but you can't count on that not happening. If you lie on your resume, you always risk getting fired after you get the job.
One of the biggest things that can help is a written description of the job if you've had one. That way you know what they're looking for and you can tailor your experience to match one or the order.
Let's start from the top of the page. You'll want your name and contact information. I recommend using your name, address, phone number, and an e-mail address. Also, make sure your email address isn't something obscene or has an obscene reference (you know, like 69 or something of that nature). Create one for free if you have to, but make it sound like something close to your name.
Next, you'll want an objective section: This is a section that tells the employer what you're trying to do. Generally, you want one phrase that tells them what you want AND that you understand work is a 2-way street and you're going to use your skills and knowledge to benefit the company. Something along the lines of "To obtain _________(type of position) at _________ (Name Company Here) that will allow me to use my knowledge and experience in order to benefit the company and maximize employee performance" will work really well. I can't stress the importance of letting the company know that you want to benefit them.
After this, you'll want a qualifications section. This is like a movie preview, where you pick 3-6 qualifications that are relevant to the job you're trying to get. If you have the description, usually they have a summary of qualifications. These qualifications are usually listed so that what the company wants most is listed first, so if you can meet the first 3 to six, go ahead and put those.
The next section you want is the accomplishments section: If you've received an award, honor, or recognition from a job, volunteer work, school, or any other affiliation you may have (like a school club or a school sport), put it down. These 2 sections are where you want the best information to be, because someone looking at your resume isn't going to read it all the way through. You can stand out by having this stuff on the top half of the first page. The accomplishments section can help you a lot if you don't have any paid work experience because it can display your character and work ethic. Also, if you've ever been promoted, use the word "promoted." It stands out.
In qualifications and accomplishments, you want to try to quantify things. In other words, you want to have numbers. For example, let's say you worked at McDonald's taking orders at the drive-through. Think about how many people come through the drive-through in a day and you can say something like, "Handled 50 of customer contacts per day while working at McDonald's." Number like that will stand out. The key here is to look for things that translate, like communication, customer service, dependability, dedication, and the like. If you've done volunteer work, you've probably gotten some skills out of that as well.
After this, you'll want to put your education. If you're currently in college, put where you're going to school, you're major if it's relevant to the job, and your expected graduation date if you know. You can also put your GPA if it's worth bragging about. I'd suggest putting 3.5 or above if you've got it.
Another thing to include in this section is any relevant coursework. For example, let's say your applying for an accounting position. After you put where your going to school, you can say something like "28 units of coursework completed in the accounting field including introductory account, tax accounting, business financing, and just keep listing specific classes you've taken." The more you can put down, the better.
After your education, you'll want to list your employment experience. You want to use reverse chronological order: Your current position until your first job. You want to list the dates, job titles, and employers for all of your jobs, but only list the job duties when they apply to the job you're trying to get. If you've never worked for an employer, skip this and proceed to the volunteer work. It's basically the same thing as the employment section.
After this you can put an affiliations section just put Affiliations: then list any organizations that you are a part of. These can be clubs at school, fraternitites, things like the Honor Society, the boy scouts if you that, etc...
Then make an interest section. Put interests: and then things you do, like sports and hobbies.
As far as references go, you don't put "references available upon request" or put references on your resume itself. The best thing to do with references is make a list, call them to make sure they still like you, and take a few copies of the list to your interview. Give these to your interviewer(s) whether they ask you or not.
Also, make sure you have a cover letter with that resume.
Hope this helps...
