I'm starting to put together my college resume and was wondering if I should include my job experience from high school. Does it really make a difference, and how should I highlight it to make it stand out?
Including your high school job experience is beneficial as it showcases your time management skills, work ethic, and real-world experience. These are all qualities that can make you an appealing candidate to colleges.
To highlight your job experience, you'd want to focus on duties that display skills or attributes that colleges value, such as teamwork, leadership, responsibility, or initiative. For example, if you worked in a team-oriented environment, note your ability to collaborate effectively with others. If you had significant responsibilities, like handling money or overseeing a group of people, be sure to include that as well.
Rather than just listing your job and job title, try pairing each job with a bullet-point list of your main responsibilities and any notable accomplishments. If, for example, you worked in a restaurant and were eventually given the responsibility of training new employees, that would stand out as leadership experience.
Avoid using too much industry-specific jargon and keep it concise and informative. Remember, the goal is to concisely convey your responsibilities and achievements.
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