How To Edit Your Resume For Your Summer Job
You're at home for the summer, and the long hours are ticking by, slower than watching molasses trickle down a wall. Your friends all have different schedules than you, and at long last, scrolling through your phone has worn thin. Your wallet has also worn thin. It's time to apply for a summer job.
Now what can you do to make your application truly stand out? You're not the only one applying for summer jobs, and even if your mother tells you that you are the best possible applicant, let's face it, she's not exactly an unbiased audience.
Where can you start? Very often, your resume is going to be the only thing your potential employer sees. Therefore, it needs to be the strongest part of your application.
This should go without saying, but make sure that your resume has no typos and uses a clearly readable font (Times New Roman or Arial are always considered to be professional choices). This should be your first step, so if your resume doesn't have any typos and uses a clear font, you are already on the right track.
Don't do what a lot of resume guides tell you to do. Avoid creating a resume that is full of meaningless jargon. Your job is to convince your potential employer that you are the only one who can do this job well, so avoid buzzwords whenever possible. Use concrete language to explain why you want this job.
Consider having a section to highlight your relevant experience, especially if you do have experience. Again, I want you to imagine drawing a glowing ring around all of your qualifications for this job. If you've waited tables in the past and you're applying for a job in food service, create a section for food service experience. If you've worked in an administrative position in the past and you're applying as a part-time office aide, mention that you shredded files with the best of them! You don't have this job yet, so until you land that employment offer, your best bet is to describe why you are their best applicant.
If you don't have relevant experience, there are all kinds of ways to demonstrate that you are ready, eager, and (most importantly) capable of learning how to acquire skills quickly and with accuracy.
If you're in school right now, you can point to classes that you've taken which apply to this job. If you're applying to a position as a part-time baker, you could point out that you've taken nutrition and thus you're passionate about food.
You can also highlight volunteer experience you have. For example, if you've planted flowers for senior citizens and you're applying to a job in the nursery at Lowe's, you could mention your experience with plants.
If you do have some work experience but it's not related, think of how the skills which you learned at that job may help you if you're hired for this job. Highlight those skills on your resume.
Finally, make sure your resume is in a format that's easy to print and read. A PDF or a Word document are always the best ways to go.
Now what can you do to make your application truly stand out? You're not the only one applying for summer jobs, and even if your mother tells you that you are the best possible applicant, let's face it, she's not exactly an unbiased audience.
Where can you start? Very often, your resume is going to be the only thing your potential employer sees. Therefore, it needs to be the strongest part of your application.
This should go without saying, but make sure that your resume has no typos and uses a clearly readable font (Times New Roman or Arial are always considered to be professional choices). This should be your first step, so if your resume doesn't have any typos and uses a clear font, you are already on the right track.
Don't do what a lot of resume guides tell you to do. Avoid creating a resume that is full of meaningless jargon. Your job is to convince your potential employer that you are the only one who can do this job well, so avoid buzzwords whenever possible. Use concrete language to explain why you want this job.
Consider having a section to highlight your relevant experience, especially if you do have experience. Again, I want you to imagine drawing a glowing ring around all of your qualifications for this job. If you've waited tables in the past and you're applying for a job in food service, create a section for food service experience. If you've worked in an administrative position in the past and you're applying as a part-time office aide, mention that you shredded files with the best of them! You don't have this job yet, so until you land that employment offer, your best bet is to describe why you are their best applicant.
If you don't have relevant experience, there are all kinds of ways to demonstrate that you are ready, eager, and (most importantly) capable of learning how to acquire skills quickly and with accuracy.
If you're in school right now, you can point to classes that you've taken which apply to this job. If you're applying to a position as a part-time baker, you could point out that you've taken nutrition and thus you're passionate about food.
You can also highlight volunteer experience you have. For example, if you've planted flowers for senior citizens and you're applying to a job in the nursery at Lowe's, you could mention your experience with plants.
If you do have some work experience but it's not related, think of how the skills which you learned at that job may help you if you're hired for this job. Highlight those skills on your resume.
Finally, make sure your resume is in a format that's easy to print and read. A PDF or a Word document are always the best ways to go.
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