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WAYS TO MAKE
YOUR RESUME POP
Tips for Writing High School and College Resumes
© 2015 InternBoston
Here's Where To Find It
Resume 101: Intro and Overview pg. 3
What is a resume and why do I need one?
Resume Bones
pg. 5
Items that belong (and don't belong) on your resume
Resume Guts
pg. 9
Did you cut grass or did you provide landscaping maintenance for 10 families?
How you say it matters!
Ready, Set, Action!
pg. 11
A list of words and phrases that may be helpful
Resume Tips & Samples
pg. 13
High school and college samples to help you get started
Created by Beth Stewart  Resume Writer Extraordinaire 
Director of Strategic Communications  Team InternBoston ©2015
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Resume 101: Intro and Overview
What is a resume?
Merriam-Webster defines resume* as follows:
RÉSUMÉ NOUN RÉ·SU·MÉ\ˈRE-ZƏ-ˌMĀ,ˌRE-ZƏ-ˈALSOˈRĀOR ˌRĀ-\
: a short document describing your education, work history, etc., that
you give an employer when you are applying for a job
: a list of achievements
: a short description of things that have happened
*You'll notice that Merriam-Webster includes the accents in the word resume. Those
accents are optional, and our preference is to leave them out!
It's true, a resume does include your education and work experience.
But it's more than that. A resume is a marketing
piece. It is an advertisement that highlights your
accomplishments. It's a quick snapshot of who you
are. It lets a future employer see how you might fit
into the workplace. Did you know that most
prospective employers spend only about 15 to 20
seconds reviewing a resume before deciding
whether to read the rest of it or toss it? A resume
presents the best you with the least amount of
work on the part of the reader (translation: it should be easy on the
eye, relevant, succinct, and give the reader a reason to call you)!
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Do You Need a Resume?
The quick answer–yes! It’s never too early to think about writing a
resume. Whether you're still in high school or already in college, start
thinking about how you will present yourself on a resume to
prospective colleges, employers, and mentors.
So where do you begin? If you haven't already, start gathering
information about your school work and activities, volunteer work,
jobs, and anything else that will show what you're all about. Stay
organized by dedicating one notebook or folder (or use an app) with all
your information. Once you're ready to begin, use this ebook as a
guide to help you through the process.
As you keep track of your school, volunteer, and job information, be sure to
write down the name and contact information of your supervisors/bosses.
You may need this information later when completing a job application.
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Resume Bones
Every resume has similar basic building blocks that are the expected.
Who You Are and How to Reach You
CONTACT INFORMATION: This seems straightforward enough, but
keep in mind that your resume needs to present your contact
information in a professional way.
 Name: First and last name. If your last name is difficult to
pronounce, consider adding the phonetic name in parentheses: John
Szczanta (Stancha)
 Address: In the world of electronic resumes, more and more people
are putting only a city and state on the resume. However, it is not
incorrect to include your entire address.
 Email: Start by ensuring you have a professional-looking email
address with no cutesy nicknames or phrases (for example,
[email protected] won’t fly). It's a good idea to create a
professional-looking email just for all your professional and
educational exchanges.
 Phone Number: Be certain to provide a phone number that will be
answered by A PERSON. Have a proper voicemail message set up.
Have a Purpose
OBJECTIVE / SUMMARY
Give the reader a focus. You do this by including a written objective or
summary: An objective is a statement about a goal you have with
regard to a job or internship position (good to have if don't submit a
cover letter). A summary is a few sentences that
sum up your experience and strengths. You don’t
have to have either of these written right away, but
you may wish to take some notes to reference later.
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Where You Attend School
EDUCATION: Are you a student? It's important to say so.
High School Students: Include your high school name and location (city and
state). If your grade point average is impressive (3.5 out of 4.0), include it.
You don't need it for the resume, but have on hand the name and contact
information of your guidance counselor, teacher, or staff member should a
future employer ask for it.
College Students: College name and location, your major (and minor if you
have one) and graduation (or expected graduation) date. If you are still in
school or a very recent graduate, and your grade
point average is impressive (3.8 out of 4.0), include
it.
What You've Learned
RELEVANT COURSEWORK: No, you don't have to
include everything you've learned. But if what you
have learned or are learning in schools directly
relates to the position, include it. Think about what
courses might be relevant to a future job or
internship. If you are seeking an engineering internship, include any math or
CAD classes. If you want to a journalism internship, include any writing or
journalism classes.
For college resumes and recent college graduates, keep coursework listing to
an extreme minimum unless you really need content to fill in white space.
While some specific technical courses are important to include, other more
general courses may be viewed as theoretical and including them on a
resume may not be of much help.
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Brag Elements
HONORS, AWARDS, & ACTIVITIES: Some people
don't like to brag. On a resume, it's expected!
Academic Achievements: Academic honors,
awards, or memberships. Include honors or
awards you have received as well as membership in any honorary
society or other academic-oriented organization.
Extra-curricular activities: Keep a list of sports, clubs, or other nonacademic organizations that you have participated in. One way to
organize this is to make a list of the activity (such as track team or
yearbook) followed by the year(s) and/or grade(s) in which you
participated in that activity.
Example:
Cross Country team, 2013-2015 (Captain, 2015)
Drama, 9th, 10th(chorus), 11th (lead role)
Specialized programs: Perhaps you participated in a language
immersion program or studied whale behavior one summer. Include
the name of the program, a brief description of it, and the date in
which you participated in it.
How You Have Helped Others
COMMUNITY SERVICE: Write the name and dates of all community
service or volunteer activities in which you have participated. Write a
brief description of your involvement in each activity.
If you haven't done so already, ask for letters
of recommendations from mentors or
supervisors for whom you have volunteered
or worked. Ask any trusted supervisor or
mentor for permission to be called as a
reference and get the pertinent contact
information.
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All Your Hard Work
EXPERIENCE: If you have had a job or an
internship, include it! Generally, list jobs
and/or internships in reverse chronological
order (most recent at the top, then work
your way down the page). Include any
part-time, full-time, or summer positions
that you've held. Include the name of the
company or organization and the duration of the job or internship
(month and year). Write two to five bullet points that describe your
duties or accomplishments for each position (more on this in the Guts
chapter).
Make it easy on the eye! Write 1 to 2 lines per bullet point. Choose a
bullet point that is visually appealing and not distracting to the reader.
You've Got Skills
Chances are, you are good at many things.
Maybe you have programming skills. Or
you speak a second (or third) language.
Are you analytical? A successful leader?
Good with machinery? Detail-oriented?
Excellent public speaking skills? Include them all.
Need help finding the right word? Refer to "Ready, Set, Action" on page
11 for action verbs, skill words, and phrases
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Resume Guts
You've got all the basics. But it's more than just telling what you did on
a job. Now it's time to work on the wording. For your summer job, did
you cut grass or did you provide landscaping maintenance for 10
families? Both of those describe the same thing; however,
one says it better! Were you a volunteer or did you also
have a leadership role as a volunteer? Were you a tutor or
did you tutor 15 kids per year in calculus? How you
present your achievements matters!
Show, Don't Tell
Don't just recite your job duties, showcase your accomplishments.
While it is important for students early in the career planning process
to include basic job duties, it's always a good idea to show not only
that you are capable of a job duty, but also you are capable of doing it
well.
For example:
Okay: Sales duties
Better: Helped customers
Strong: Assisted 50+ customers (men, women, and children) daily in
selecting appropriate footwear.
In the example above, all three statements basically mean the same
thing. However, the last description tells the reader that 1) the
applicant can assist many people; 2) the applicant is comfortable with
a variety of customers, and 3) the applicant has knowledge in
footwear.
Remember to use skill words and action verbs! See Ready, Set, Action.
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Be Relevant
Always have the job in mind when writing
a resume. List the most relevant items first,
and work your way down. For example, if
you are applying to an engineering college
and you have had an internship at an
engineering firm, be sure to include that information right at the top of
the resume. If you are applying for a job as sales representative, and
you have had experience selling a similar product, bump it up to the
top of the resume. Call attention to your relatable skills as soon as
possible.
Show Your Expertise
This is often listed in the Skills section of the resume. However, it is
also a good idea to include it in the summary paragraph. If you are
applying for a specific job or internship, what expertise is required?
Look at the job description. What words or phrases are used that apply
to you? If the position requires a candidate who is detail-oriented and
organized (and that also describes you), weave those words to the
summary, experience, or skills section.
If you have expertise in an area in which you can provide an example,
be sure to have that on hand in an interview. For example, if you are a
graphic designer with expertise in a certain software program, bring
with you an example of your work.
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READY, SET, ACTION!
Having trouble finding the right word or phrase? This list of action verbs and skill
words may help.
SKILLS WORDS AND PHRASES
Analytical Thinking
Data Analysis
Presentations
Assess and evaluate
Delegate responsibility
Public Speaking
Attend to visual detail
Detail-oriented
Repair equipment or machinery
Budgeting
Effectively deal with obstacles
Research
Build or construct
Languages (list all fluent)
Staff Training
Coaching
Leadership
Supervision
Collaboration
Maintain records
Team Building
Communication
Manage complaints
Tutoring
Computers (platforms, software)
Manage time
Understanding Technology
Coordinate fundraising
Mentoring
Use sign language
Creative Problem Solving
Motivate others
Working with Money/Cash Register
Creativity
Multi-task
Writing
Customer Service
Plan/arrange events/activities
Train or teach others
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ACTION VERBS
Administrative
reconciled
designed
planned
mediated
answered
reorganized
developed
produced
motivated
authored
revised
directed
recommended
negotiated
collected
suggested
drew
resolved
persuaded
compiled
translated
enhanced
presented
contacted
wrote
fashioned
Helping /
Teaching
arranged
corresponded
Research
invented
critiqued
analyzed
modified
directed
compiled
originated
drafted
computed
sketched
edited
critiqued
Management
filed
determined
administered
informed
developed
analyzed
maintained
evaluated
approved
memorized
examined
assigned
negotiated
inspected
chaired
operated
organized
changed
ordered
researched
coordinated
organized
reviewed
delegated
performed
summarized
directed
persuaded
Creative Words
evaluated
prepared
acted
improved
presented
arranged
managed
processed
created
monitored
publicized
customized
organized
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assessed
assisted
clarified
coached
collected
communicated
counseled
delivered
demonstrated
devised
educated
encouraged
evaluated
facilitated
guided
hosted
initiated
instructed
reconciled
represented
served
suggested
taught
trained
tutored
volunteered
Technical
assembled
built
calculated
computed
designed
devised
engineered
maintained
operated
programmed
remodeled
RESUME TIPS & SAMPLES
You will undoubtedly find hundreds of different resume styles. While no
one particular format is considered best, some are better than others.
Use the following guidelines when formatting your resume:
 Use an easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or
Cambria.
 Font size should be 10 or larger. Headings may be a bit larger. Use
bold, underline, italics, and shading sparingly and consistently.
 Generally, the typeface should be black. There are instances when
navy blue or gray is acceptable. Be very conservative with color.
 Most high school and college resumes should be one page. Use font
size, spacing and margin settings to help keep it to one page.
 All resumes must be free of typos and errors. Period.
 Create a resume using word processing (computer, device, or online)
software. Save it as a pdf file to maintain formatting and easy upload
onto websites.
 Printed resumes should be on high-quality, white or cream paper. No
colored paper.
 Your resume is never finished forever. You may have a few different
versions of your resume. Resumes can (and should) change slightly for
each job.
The following pages provide a few resume samples. Choose a format
that appeals to you. There are many resume templates available on the
internet or from word processing software.
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Sample of high school student resume with no work experience
Jane Jones
11 Smith Road  Anytown, MA 01234
Phone: (555) 555-1234 Email: [email protected]
OBJECTIVE: Rising junior with a passionate interest in mathematics and chemistry interested in a
summer engineering internship. Honors student, varsity athlete, and community service volunteer.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES & SKILLS
Punctual, reliable, detail-oriented, organized
Excellent reasoning and analytical skills
Computer: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, html
EDUCATION
Hillsdale High School (Anytown, MA)
GPA 3.8/4.0
Graduation: 2017
Honors/Awards:
Match League Championship (Grade 9)
Student of the Month (Grade 10)
Relevant Coursework:
Mathematics Courses
Honors Math (Grade 9)
Honors Algebra II (Grade 10)
Science Courses
Honors Chemistry (grade 10)
Honors Physics (grade 10)
ACTIVITIES
Math Team (grades 9-10) - Captain (grade 10)
Chemistry Club (grades 9-10)
Cross Country (grades 9-10), junior varsity and varsity - State championship participant, 2013
Sunnydale High Lacrosse (grade 9), junior varsity (2012)
Percussion Ensemble (grades 9-10)
DECA (grade 10) conference participant 2015
VOLUNTEER / COMMUNITY SERVICE
Feed the Homeless - Boston chapter (grade 10)
Run for Cancer -Town, MA (grade 10)
Tutor, middle school students in math and science (grades 9-10)
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Sample of high school student resume with work experience
Sam Smith
11 Country Road  Town, MA 01234
Phone: (555) 555-1234 Email: [email protected]
OBJECTIVE
Motivated, hard-working honors student interested in a summer internship that will utilize my
education and communication skills in the field of journalism.
EDUCATION
Central High School (Town, MA)
GPA 3.5/4.0
Graduation: 2015
Honors/Awards:
National Honors Society (Grades 11-12); Student of the Month (Grades 10-12)
SKILLS:
Computer: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Acrobat
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; Punctual, reliable, detail-oriented, organized
ACTIVITIES & SPORTS
Sunnydale High newspaper The Monitor (grades 9-11)
Senior Editor (2014-present); Staff writer (2012-2104)
Cross Country (grades 9-12) - junior varsity and varsity: State championship participant, 2011
Sunnydale Soccer (grades 9-12) - junior varsity and varsity: Team Captain, 2012
WORK EXPERIENCE
Tennis Instructor
Summers 2013 - 2014
Pony Meadows Farm, Anytown, MA
 Taught kids (ages 1- to 14) basic tennis lessons
 Taught and trained basic strokes such as forehand, backhand, serve, and game rules.
 Helped build confidence by incorporating power-building exercises into lessons
 Organized a field trip to a local tennis tournament
Day Camp Counselor
Summer 2012
ESF (Education Sports Fun), Greenwich, CT
th
 Lead counselor in sports camp (5 graders). Supervised 5 to 14 students through various activities
including team, individual, and group sports
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Service trip to Navajo reservation, Fort Defiance, AZ
Worked with other volunteers constructing dams to prevent erosion on farm land
Tutor, middle school students in English (2013 - present)
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Summer 2013
Sample of high school student resume with work experience (alternate format)
Zoe Jones
11 City Road  Town, MA 01234  Phone: (555) 555-1234 Email: ZoeJones @gmail.com
SUMMARY
Motivated, hard-working honors student. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Three
years of experience as writer/editor of high school newspaper.
EDUCATION
Central High School (Town, MA) Graduation: 2015
GPA 3.5/4.0
Honors/Awards:
National Honors Society (Grades 11-12); Student of the Month (Grades 10-12)
SKILLS:
Computer: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Acrobat
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Punctual, reliable, detail-oriented, organized
WORK EXPERIENCE
Assistant Editor
Anytown Patch, Anytown, MA
 Assisted in researching articles about local events.
 Proofread articles for spelling and typos.
 Assisted photography editor on assignments as needed.
Summers 2013 - 2014
ACTIVITIES
Sunnydale High newspaper The Monitor (grades 9-11)
Senior Editor (2014-present); Staff writer (2012-2104)
Sunnydale High Photography Club (grades 9-11)
Tennis Team (grades 9-12), junior varsity and varsity
State championship participant, 2011
Sunnydale Softball (grades 9-12), junior varsity and varsity:
Team Captain, 2012
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Food Bank Volunteer, Greater Boston, MA
Summer 2013
Assisted in organizing and distributing pantry items at local food banks in the Boston metro area.
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Sample of college student resume with work experience
Nicholas Anderson
11 Smith Road  Town, MA 01234
Phone: (555) 555-1234 Email: [email protected]
OBJECTIVE
Business major seeking marketing internship where I can utilize my education, skills, and
experience to assist an organization in helping to achieve its goals.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science candidate (May 2016)
State University, College City, NY
Major: Business; Minor: Marketing
Cumulative GPA: 3.5/4.0; Major GPA: 3.8/4.0
MARKETING EXPERIENCE
Sports Marketing, Inc.
New York, NY
Intern, Account Management- Strategic Sales
Summer 2014
 Assisted marketing department with campaign of two local minor league baseball teams.
 Used Excel to create client campaign worksheets. Generated weekly marketing reports.
 Assisted in generating email campaigns for prospective clients.
 Participated in conference calls as well as in organized outings with clients.
SKILLS
Computer: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Social Media
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Organized, detail-oriented, and ability to multitask and prioritize projects
ADDITIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE
The Coffee House
New York, NY
Front End Manager / Barista
2013-2014
PT during school; FT summer
 Greeted customers, created daily specials boards, generated new clients using social media
platforms.
 Managed register, cleaned machines, assisted in opening and closing procedures.
Nick's Lawn Service
New York, NY
Owner/Operator
2012-2014
 Started own business as a freshman in high school and increased number of clients by 50% within
the first year.
 Maintained grass, hedges, and edge trimming for 25+ homes during summer. Provided leaf cleanup
during fall and snow shoveling during winter.
 Hired and trained 2 employees
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Learn more about internships
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Blog: http://internboston.com/blog/
Social Media:
TEAM
Robin Neff Clebnik, Founder & Chief Internship Officer
[email protected]
Susan Melaugh, Director of Internship Programs
[email protected]
Beth Stewart, Director of Strategic Communications
[email protected]
Ways to Make Your Resume Pop: Tips for Writing High School and College Resumes
Team InternBoston ©2015
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