What is a resume?

A resume is a document about you and only you. It summarizes your life's accomplishments, emphasizing your qualifications for a position. Basically, a resume is a brochure advertising you to potential employers.

So I'm only applying to a part-time job, why do I even need a resume?

There are several excellent reasons to write one:

1. It looks good. Applicants who go the extra mile and type a resume usually impress employers. It just might give you an extra edge to get that perfect summer job.
2. It's great practice. Eventually you'll have to write a resume for a "real job", so why not start now.
3. It's an easy way to keep track of your accomplishments. When you're applying to college, for a scholarship, for that perfect internship, or for that first real job, you'll be thankful that you have all your accomplishments recorded. Otherwise you'll be struggling to remember all of them.

How long should my resume be?

Try to keep it under one page, unless you have extensive experience.

How fancy should my resume look?

In general a simple resume is always best. Stay away from strange and hard-to-read fonts (Arial and Times New Roman tend to work best) and don't use graphics. Unfortunately, many of the resume templates in popular word processing programs use graphics or hard-to-read fonts. Usually you're better off creating a resume from scratch. White or off-white paper is fine, especially for your first resume.

What if I have little or no job experience?

Take advantage of the experience you do have. Remember that jobs like baby-sitting and lawn mowing do count as experience, so don't be afraid to put them on your resume. Volunteer experience, extracurricular activities, and internships are excellent job experiences and look impressive on a resume.

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is the explanation of the resume. They should go hand-in-hand, with the cover letter highlighting the best points of the resume.

Do I need a cover letter?

A cover letter is optional but highly recommended. It impresses employers and allows them to quickly read about your best characteristics.