ghost choir 👻 🎵

oooooooooouuuuuuuu

having a strong resume is crucial for job applications, scholarship applications, college, etc. it is a sales tool and, ultimately, the first impression an employer/application reviewer will have of you. therefore, you need to make it interesting and impressive. below, i have listed a few tips and need-to-knows to help you build your resume. keep in mind that this list is geared toward industry jobs. while the information is still useful, it may be less relevant for those applying to digital marketing/design jobs. 

General

make different versions of your resume. by this i mean, have a master resume that lists everything. then, from that master resume, make specific resumes for each opportunity you are applying for. 

in high school/university, it is usually best to keep your resume to one page. unless you have done substantial work and are capable of filling up two pages, it is best to keep it short and concise.

always review your resume before submitting !! it is crucial that your resume does not include any typos 

Formatting 

keep your formatting consistent throughout your entire resume

use 11-12 point font, your name/headers should be no bigger than 14 point font

have a 1 inch margin all around your resume

do not include decorations (unless you are applying to a digital marketing/design job where aesthetics matter !!)

keep your font selection professional. my personal favorites are times new roman, garamond, and helvetica.

do not use caps unless it is for headers/titles (but even then, use caps at your own discretion)

Sections/Components to Include

name & contact info (phone number, email)

summary/3-5 second snapshot of your greatest accomplishments

job/internship/related experience

publications & speeches

awards & recognitions

memberships & affiliations

certifications

language skills

special/technical skills

extracurricular activities

Synonyms/Power Words

instead of “new,” use “unusual” or “innovative”

instead of “improved,” use “better” or “faster”

assessed/measured/quantified

conducted/performed/undertook

created/designed/developed

optimized/maximized

increased/reduced

spearheaded/led/directed

~~~

writing adult emails is awful

its like

hi [name of person], 

this formatting is making me uncomfortable but I have to tell you something / ask you something that is vital to my career as a student. 

I re-read and edited that sentence for an hour, but you’ll probably just glance over it for half a second.

thanks! 

Dear Person I am Writing To:

This is an optional sentence introducing who I am and work for, included if the addressee has never corresponded with me before. The second optional sentence reminds the person where we met, if relevant. This sentence states the purpose of the email.

This optional paragraph describes in more detail what’s needed. This sentence discusses relevant information like how soon an answer is needed, what kind of an answer is needed, and any information that the other person might find useful. If there’s a lot of information, it’s a good idea to separate this paragraph into two or three paragraphs to avoid having a Wall of Text.

If a description paragraph was used, close with a restatement of the initial request, in case the addressee ignored the opening paragraph.

This sentence is just a platitude (usually thanking them for their time) because people think I’m standoffish, unreasonably demanding, or cold if it’s not included.

Closing salutation,

Signature.