What is a resume?
A resume is a document created and used by a person to present their background, skills, and accomplishments. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons, but most often they are used to secure new employment.
A typical résumé contains a “summary” of relevant job experience and education.
A resume contains the following basic information about you as an applicant:
- Basic personal information like name, surname, age, and school
- Objective/ Summary
- Objective talks about what you want to accomplish.
- Summary talks about the highlights of your resume.
- Experience/ Work History. Highlights items that would present you as a good worker, qualified for the position, and bring desirable skills to the job.
- Education – Basic education, secondary education, and tertiary education
- Skills – things you are good at
- Awards & Achievements, Hobbies and Interests
- For students who have little or no previous job experience, make sure to present information about you, your school, and community activities.
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Personal Information
- Name
- Current and Permanent address (may be omitted from a resume posted on the web)
- Telephone number
- E-mail address
Summary/ Objective
Summarize your goal in one short sentence.
Your goal should be related to the job you want to apply for. It is also effective to highlight your skills in the goal statement.
Examples of Resume Objective:
- [For job seekers]
- Seeking a position as a nurse providing excellent health care to hospital patients.
- Seeking a position that utilizes my skills in web development, programming, and information technology.
- [For students] Committed to learning, passionate about technology, attentive and excellent communicator, seeking to join the engineering department and acquire a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Education
High school name
School address
Date of graduation
Course Highlights (courses directly related to the job or your career field and special abilities)
Certificates
Work and Related Experience
Summer jobs, Internships, Volunteer work
(Include position title, company/organization, city/state, dates and a brief list of the job duties)
Awards and Honors
Academic, musical, athletic and or other recognition. (Include name of the award/honor, who awarded it, and when it was awarded.)
Activities/Hobbies
Include your role in the position, the organization and dates.
Example:
Captain, RSL School, Volleyball Team, 2021-2022
Skills
Soft skills: (being responsible, loyal, hardworking, energetic, outgoing.)
Hard skills: (research and writing, Microsoft Word 2019, Microsoft Publisher 2019, Public speaking.)
References (2-3 people)
Teacher/Professor
Work supervisor (current or past)
Character reference (Pastor, Headmaster, youth group leader or someone who knows you well)
Include the name, relationship to you, organization, contact phone numbers.
Here is an example of a simple resume of a graduating secondary student, who is aiming to enter a university or college. Read through the items on the resume then write your own. You can download the word copy by clicking on the download link below.
