Resume Prep Work

Begin at the beginning...

To create a basic resume listing your educational and work background to send to an employer or college recruiter, you first begin by making a file that keeps all your raw work/education/volunteer history of work and experience that might someday be useful in a resume. For this part you only need to gather the information of your relevant past experiences and incorporate it into a simple .doc or .txt format. For this part, try to list everything you have done that might be of interest to employers. Here is an imaginary example:

Leticia Lincoln

LLincoln820@insite.dvc.edu

Phone/Text (707) 346-8727

360 Bayview Avenue

Vallejo CA 94590

Graduated from Vallejo H.S. in 2018 with honors
Took courses in sculpture with Ms. Espinoza, welding with Ms. Yakuta and auto repair with Mr. Turlock
Work part time at my extended family's auto repair business: Lincoln's Auto Repair in Benicia 2017-Present, starting as a cleaner and customer pick-up/drop off driver, and now currently a general mechanic.
Was Robotics Club Secretary 2015-2017, organizing our schools fundraising and travel to the 2016 & 2017 North Bay regional robotics events, and in 2017 to the California State championship where we placed 2nd.
In 2017/18 senior year volunteered on alternate weekends at The Crucible in Oakland, learning and teaching metal sculpture and basic robotics skills to fellow volunteers. Helped create machines for the Crucible's event at Burning Man in 2018. (Though was unable to go because of my summer job/Starting semester at DVC).
Half time student at Diablo Valley College, double majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Art 2018-2019, while continuing half time work at Lincoln Auto Repair. Maintain a 3.50 GPA or higher every semester.
Volunteer every year since I was 10 as a juggler at the Vallejo Pirate Festival
Treasurer of DVC Robotics and Engineering Club 2019-Present

You want to be as accurate as you can about dates, workplace names, your position. Don't worry about format yet.

Next you want to look up

Accurately spelled names and contact information of past supervisors, employers & teachers who can recommend you
Addresses of places you worked, as well as complete contact information for the business
Same thing for schools or volunteer organizations
Dates for each of these events, jobs, & school attendance

You don't delete any of this, you just keep adding to it over the years. This is the file of work/educational experience information that you can draw from and paste into a resume later. You keep this (and back it up) until you retire, and just keep adding to it at least every year.

Check back, think: "Is there anything else?"

- Did you volunteer at a school, shelter, or fundraiser?
- Did you belong to a club?
- Did you do a part time Job?
- Did you win an award?
- Did you tutor other students or younger children?
- Did you travel and write your experiences in a blog?
- Do you post how-to tutorials on YouTube?
- WRITE IN EVERYTHING!

Go On to Choosing Your Resume Format

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