How to Adult: Resumé

When it comes to being an adult, the largest prerequisite for any sort of adult endeavor is a source of income; a job. To get a job, one requirement always stands out: the mighty résumé. Often initially seen as intimidating, the résumé is nothing more than a mere piece of paper covered in words about yourself.

WHERE TO START?
First things first, you’re going to need some sort of way to make a document. Push the pens and pencils aside, you’re going to want to go digital. Programs like Microsoft Word are excellent for résumés but if you don’t have Word or can’t afford it, have no fear. Google Docs is a great alternative that even offers résumé templates.

Once you find a suitable word processing software, you need to think about your achievements and history when it comes to working and education.

WRITING
At every point of résumé creation, it needs to be fresh in the writer’s mind that this is a formal letter in which they are being represented. The best résumé has the perfect mix of respect, humility, and honesty. If you overload the employer with achievements, you’ll look obnoxious; if you do too little, you’ll look under qualified.

This document is supposed to be you – the writer and the hopeful applicant. Make it accurate to you and convince the reader why you should be hired.

ELEMENTS
There’s handful of things that can be implemented into a résumé but it’s all up to you, the writer. These are some of the elements that are in almost every résumé:

• Traditionally a resume begins with an objective or summary. This should be a small block of text where you write what you want to do or what you have done.
• You want to list your school history, write what level of education you’ve reached, what field you’re focused on, etc. But as a teenager, you don’t need to worry about that yet because you (probably) haven’t reached college yet so you should focus on things like GPA and class rank.
• List work history with addresses and former boss’ phone numbers.
• Write your skills, especially those relevant to the job you’re applying to. For example, if you were to be an assistant or intern in an office and you are experienced in Microsoft Office programs, list that. Skills can be things like being people friendly or organized, things like these let employers know what you’re like.
• References are the backbone of the résumé. References are names and numbers of people that your employer can call and ask about you. It’s an unspoken rule to have three references, you can choose neighbors, church leaders, boy scout leaders, teachers, etc. Although the choice of person doesn’t matter that much (as long as they can give a good review of you), stay away from family. Only choose non-family people you’ve worked with in some way.

But there are more elements you can add to your résumé, it’s all up to you so that it can be organized however you see would best represent you. Here are some good suggestions:

• Clubs and Extracurriculars are always good-looking on résumé, especially for a high schooler. You can give a brief description of why it’s important for this job and list important things you do (i.e. if you’re a secretary or vice president, list that). When employers see that you partake in clubs and extracurriculars, it lets them know that you do more than the average joe.
• Although some people might think it’s tacky if you have notable hobbies you can put those on the résumé.
• A lot of employers like to see volunteer service. If you like to volunteer at, for example, a soup kitchen, list that. Volunteer hours can show you are hardworking and dedicated to more than just the norm for teenagers.

NOW, WHAT?
So you’ve conquered the mountain named résumé, what’s next? Unfortunately, that mountain looks like a mere hill compared to what’s ahead: the job application process, the résumé was only your ticket in.

THE JOB SEARCH
To put your résumé to use, you better find a job to apply to. Explore what you would enjoy. As a teenager, you’re somewhat limited but it’s ok to know your limits. Search fields such as retail, food service, and internships. Remember that whatever you choose is what you will need to do, so make sure to carefully think out your decision

There are many ways to look for a job:

• Grab a friend and drive around. Look for places that might need a new employee or find out who’s hiring.
• The internet is your friend, you can look around the town virtually and sometimes even you can apply online.
• Go to job fairs, especially when they’re hosted at high schools. These are great opportunities because this is a job coming to you.

But the most important and effective way to find jobs is networking. Talk to friends, parents, or neighbors. They can tell you about jobs they know about or maybe even invite you to work with them.

APPLYING
Once you find a suitable job, you’ll want to grab an application. To fill out the application, you’ll need a couple things. Make sure you know the following so that it can go smoothly:

• Social Security Number
• Home address
• Phone Numbers (Home and Cell)
• Emergency Contacts

You’ll put these on the application you’ll turn in. Make sure to use a pen!

Once you turn in your application it’s time to wait. They’ll contact you via phone or the internet with their decision. But it’s not all waiting, a good practice is to call back a couple days after submission. This action will show your possible employer that you’re interested in the job and be looking forward to their response.

THE INTERVIEW
If the employer finds your application desirable, they’ll try to contact you and organize what’s called the Job Interview. In this interview, the employer will ask you all sorts of questions, ranging from inquiries about character traits to scheduling.

Here are some good tips for the interview process:

• Know your résumé and yourself thoroughly, this will help with questions you may encounter.
• Put a positive spin on every question. A popular question in Job Interviews is “What is your biggest weakness” and this can be spun with an answer like “I have a hard time sharing projects with others because I’m convinced I can handle things on my own.
• Show up early, like 5-10 minutes early.
• Be relaxed, nobody wants to hire a sweating, nervous wreck.
• Make good impressions, that means to shake hands when you walk in and walk out.
• Being confident and being fake are two different things, avoid being fake. Employers want to know what you’re like so be genuine.
• Dress up, even if you’re applying for a fast food joint put on a collared shirt or a nice dress.
• Once you’re done being asked questions, try to ask some of your own questions: They can be about pay or scheduling.
• Remember that for many of the questions that will be asked, it’s not what your answer is but how you answer it.

Many people view the interview to be terrifying but in reality, it’s really an introduction. It serves so your future boss will know who you are.

YOU’RE HIRED
Depending on what your (possible) boss thinks of you, this is the point in your journey where you’ll learn whether or not you got this job. This is where the real anticipation sets in, get ready to sit by your phone and computer and wait for a call/email.

If you don’t get a call, it’s ok; just go and bring your services somewhere else, it’s not the end of the world.

But if you got the job:

CONGRATS, I’M VERY PROUD OF YOU!!