I'm currently a high school junior looking for my first job, and I'm not sure how to create a resume. What should I include if I don't have any work experience yet? Any tips on formatting or content would be great!
Though you may not have traditional work experience yet, you can certainly fill your resume with your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and any skills that could be valuable to a potential employer. Here is a general guideline on how to move forward:
Contact Information: Start with your name, phone number, email address, and home address. Make sure to use a professional email address.
Objective Statement: Consider including an objective statement at the top of your resume, which is a brief 1-2 sentence statement about your goals and what you aim to bring as a potential employee. Keep this concise but personal.
Education: List your high school, anticipated graduation year, and GPA if it's strong. If you've completed any relevant coursework, this could be included as well.
Extracurricular Activities: List any school committees, sports, clubs, or leadership roles. For each activity, showcase the skills you've acquired, time spent on the task, and levels of responsibility or leadership.
Volunteer Experience: Even if it's unpaid work, it counts. List where you volunteered, your duration, your role, and what tasks you performed.
Skills: This is where you list specialized skills, including language proficiencies, computer skills, etc. Be sure to only list skills that are relevant to the job you're applying for.
Awards and Honors: If you've received any academic or extracurricular honors, this is a designated section to highlight those.
As for formatting, simplicity is key. Use a clean, professional font like Arial or Times New Roman, set the size to 10-12 points, and use bullet points for each entry. Be brief and relevant in your descriptions, using action verbs to describe your accomplishments. Consistent spacing and margins are important, and make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors.
Once your resume is done, it’s always a good idea to have a teacher or counselor review it before submitting it to prospective employers. They may offer additional insights or catch errors you may have missed. Remember, this resume is a fluid document – you should be regularly updating and tailoring it to match the needs of specific jobs. Best of luck in your job search!
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