YOUTH RESUME BUILDER
Why should I write a resume? What will I need it for?
Resumes outline your skills and training, work experience, education, and, most importantly, the
accomplishments you have made not only with past employers, but other accomplishments as well.
It should also inform your prospective employers of your career objectives (the job you are seeking)
and communicate in a concise manner the benefits you will bring to the job if hired.
Resume Writing
Writing and submitting a resume is your first introduction to your potential employer. It's the starting
point for letting the employer know who you are, what skills you have, your interest in the position
offered, and your fit within the organization. Companies can receive large volumes of resumes for any
particular opening, so ensuring that your resume stands out amongst all the others is key to the
prospects of being hired.
Larger companies typically use application tracking systems (ATS) which is a database that contains
all the resumes received for an opened position, and periodically searches the database using
keywords that populates a list of applicants. Smaller companies might read resumes manually, but
still don't spend a lot of time reviewing each one. In either case, decisions on your resume and your fit
for the open position are often made in seconds, so it's important to have an effective and impactful
resume that increases your chances of being a candidate for the open position.
Let's begin with the basics on what your resume should include at
minimum:
1. Contact information: Your name, city and state, phone number, and email address should be
prominently displayed on your resume. You should also include social media profile links (as long as
you’ve cleaned them up beforehand) and your personal website or blog, if applicable.
2. Summary: This section should be a brief paragraph (three to five sentences) that shows the value
you bring by highlighting your skills. But rather than labeling it a “summary,” simply use a headline
that encapsulates your credentials. Be sure to tailor your resume summary to the specific job listing.
Look at the listing and try to incorporate keywords from the listing in your resume summary. This will
help the employer see how you are a good fit for the job.
2
3. Skills: You’ll want to incorporate the right keywords so that your resume is optimized for
application tracking systems (ATS), which employers use to screen job applications. Try to match
your skills section to what appears in the job posting, along with listing your transferrable or soft
skills (Communication, Critical Thinking, Multitasking, and Leadership).
4. Professional/work experience: When starting out with minimal or no formal work experience,
you might find this section difficult to fill out. Here are some tips to get started on this category when
you have little to no work experience.
• Make an Outline. Make a quick list or outline of all possible experiences, paid and unpaid,
to include in your resume before you try to find the right language to describe them. Think of
this as a brainstorming step and try to jot down as much down as you can.
• Include Informal Work Experience. If you have formal paid work experience, certainly
include it. Otherwise, you can include informal work like babysitting, pet sitting, lawn mowing,
shoveling snow, or anything else you've done to earn money. Even if you didn't collect a regular
paycheck, informal work still displays skills and your reliability as an employee.
• Include All Your Activities. It is important to draw upon all aspects of your life that show
you have the right character, work ethic, skills, and personality to succeed in a job. Mention
your extracurricular activities, volunteer work, academics, and athletic pursuits.
If you held any sort of leadership positions in these roles (such as secretary of a club or team captain),
be sure to note this. For each item, include a bulleted list of your responsibilities and
accomplishments.
• Promote Your Attitude and Performance. Employers will be most interested in your
work habits and attitude. They don't expect you to have a lot of experience as a new job seeker.
If you have perfect or near-perfect attendance and are punctual for school and other
commitments, you might include language like "Compiled a perfect (or near-perfect) record for
attendance" when describing an experience.
If supervisors, teachers, or coaches have recognized you for a positive attitude or outstanding service,
mention it in your description of the activity.
5. Education: Designate a section at the bottom of your resume for this information. Simply write
where you went or attend school, and your degree. And, if you graduated with honors, highlight it. If
you've abandoned an educational program, list the number of credits completed or the type of study
undertaken.
6. Cover Letters: Including a cover letter with your resume can set you apart from other candidates
and give you an opportunity to show more of your personality to your potential employer. A resume
tends to be fact-based and somewhat formal, but a cover letter can be infused with your personality to
show how you fit within the culture of the organization you are seeking to be a part of. There are some
employers whose application instructions state to not include a cover letter, so be sure to review the
job details when applying.
Along with these basic requirements for a resume, there are also a few bonus or additional categories
you can include, like: Certifications, Honors and Awards, and References.
There are multiple examples available of resumes for students, recent graduates or other individuals
with little or no work experience that can be used as a guide to write your resume. Below is a listing of
a few that can be accessed.
3
Free “No Work Experience” Resume Samples List:
https://resumecompanion.com/resume-examples/high-school-student-resume-
sample/ https://www.thebalance.com/first-resume-example-with-no-work-
experience-2063278 https://www.template.net/business/resume/high-school-resume-
template/
Free Resume Writing Services
To make the resume writing process even easier, there are numerous free resume
writing programs that can be used to build and format your resume, such as:
www.myperfectresume.com
www.resumegenius.com
www.resumecoach.com
After completing your resume, it's often helpful to share it with someone you trust or
respect in a professional field or in your personal life who has some knowledge about
resumes to provide you with feedback on ways you can improve your resume.
Attached at the end of this guide, is an example/template of an
effective Resume.
About ICCS:
The Illinois Coalition for Community Services (ICCS) is an
organization that is committed to the goal of reducing poverty and
increasing community health and well-being through direct action,
community organizing, and providing critical services to address the
fundamental needs of the most disadvantaged.
Contact Us: Illinois Coalition for Community Services 913 S. Sixth Street,
Springfield, Illinois, 62703 217-210-2301 www.iccscares.org
4
SUMMARY
This section should be a brief paragraph (three to five sentences) that shows the value you bring by highlighting
your skills. But rather than labeling it a “summary,” simply use a headline that encapsulates your credentials.
EXPERIENCE
DATES FROM – TO
JOB TITLE, COMPANY
Describe your responsibilities and achievements in terms of impact and results. Use examples, but keep it short.
DATES FROM – TO
JOB TITLE, COMPANY
Describe your responsibilities and achievements in terms of impact and results. Use examples, but keep it short.
EDUCATION
MONTH YEAR
DEGREE/DIPLOMA, SCHOOL
It’s okay to brag about your GPA, awards, and honors. Feel free to summarize your coursework too.
MONTH YEAR
DEGREE TITLE, SCHOOL
It’s okay to brag about your GPA, awards, and honors. Feel free to summarize your coursework too.
SKILLS
• List your strengths relevant for the role you’re applying
for
• List one of your strengths
• List one of your strengths
• List one of your strengths
• List one of your strengths
ACTIVITIES
Use this section to highlight your relevant passions, activities, and how you like to give back. It’s good to include
Leadership and volunteer experiences here. Or show off important extras like publications, certifications, languages and
more.
FIRST NAME LAST NAME
Address · Phone · Email
5
Use action words to describe your experience and accomplishments. You should use present tense (i.e.
“manage” or “collaborate”) when describing tasks that you are still doing. Use past tense (i.e. “managed” or
“collaborated”) when describing tasks that you are no longer doing.
achieved
acquired
adapted
addressed
administered
analyzed
anticipated
assembled
assisted
audited
budgeted
calculated
centralized
changed
collaborated
composed
condensed
conducted
constructed
contracted
converted
coordinated
created
cultivated
demonstrated
designed
developed
devised
discovered
doubled
drafted
edited
eliminated
enforced
established
evaluated
expanded
explained
forecasted
formed
founded
generated
guided
hired
implemented
improved
informed
insured
interpreted
interviewed
launched
maintained
managed
marketed
minimized
motivated
negotiated
obtained
operated
organized
originated
oversaw
performed
planned
prevented
produced
programmed
promoted
provided
publicized
published
recruited
reorganized
reported
researched
resolved
reviewed
selected
separated
set up
simplified
solved
surveyed
staffed
supervise
taught
tested
trained
used
