It’s a large, fancy word… but what exactly does it mean? According to the Oxford dictionary, a resume is a document used and created by a person to present their background, skills, and accomplishments. You can use a resume for many different reasons, although it is typically used to secure new employment.
What do you put on a resume?
A resume typically has all of the basics on it, including your previous work experience, life and work skills, accomplishments, references, and even sometimes your GPA.
“You should list your experience and past jobs, your GPA, your accomplishments, social skills, and references,” junior Nevaeh Moon said.
Your resume is all about you. You need to get straight to the point.
“Many times it also gives us a base where they can list specifically what they are seeking, maybe it’s a different type of application than what they applied for, maybe it tells me more about their future plans. Sometimes there are more oopurtunites for details than the questions we’re asking on the application,” Todd Shillington, who works in human resources at Scheel’s, said.
Why is a resume so important?
It is important to always attach a resume to a job application. Employers want to see a person’s experience in the field or if those with no experience have the skills, they can help develop the qualities they need.
“A resume is quite important in the work world, it shows experience. Would you rather have a rookie or a vet on your team?” junior Kalyb Quang said.
Can a resume help me get a job faster than others?
Some employers will not even take a look at somebody’s application if they did not put their resume on it. Other times, employers do not even have a place to attach a resume on their online applications. If the place of employment only accepts paper applications, it can help make a person stand out if they print out their resume and staple it to the application.
“I always provide my resume because it makes the employer look at you more often than not and it makes them recognize you more than other applications. I attached my resume onto one of my applications and they called me faster than they did when I applied and did not attach my resume,” Moon said.
Can I use the same resume for different job applications?
By the time a person is 18, they should have a resume listing their experience and skills. This is so that if they suddenly need to get a job, they can have a resume on hand to attach to their job application. However, every job is different, therefore someone would need to tweak their current resume to fit the job position they are applying for.
“I like when they tell me something along the lines of that they are interested in a job here, I’ve gotten resumes where they are applying at Scheel’s but it says their objective is to obtain a position with Principal or Wells Fargo or a totally different company, well that tells me that they’ve applied at other places, which is okay, but their not specifically putting in the effort that they want to work at Scheel’s,” Shillington said.
How have other people benefitted from their resumes?
There’s many specific times where a resume has helped lots of people around you. Ask around. You’re just up next.
So, how do I make a resume?
There are many resources to help you start building your resume. To begin, you need to think about what you’re going to put on it. It’s important to brainstorm about your experience or your qualities. There are many websites like resume-now.com, builder.zety.com, and myperfectresume.com that are free outlets with templates to help perfect your resume. Also, if you are experienced with either Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Word, you can make your own resume. Search up ‘resume template’ on google images and use that as a reference while building your own.
I made a resume, what now?
After you make your resume, which should be fit for the jobs you’ll be applying for, start the applications. You may have some places in mind already. If you don’t, do not hesitate to search for jobs that are hiring, or try to ask around at school. Best wishes to you searching for a job with your new resume.