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Senior Resume Workshop

Fall 2025

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What is a resume?

  • concise document summarizing your skills, experiences, and achievements
  • Essential for college applications, scholarships, internships, and job applications
  • Typically 1 page long for high school students
  • Goal: To secure interviews, admissions, or job opportunities

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Format

  • Margins: 0.5 – 1.0 inches, even on the top, bottom, and sides
  • Font size and style: 10–12-point font; simple, readable fonts (i.e., Arial, Georgia, Times New Roman)
  • Balance: Be consistent with information and provide a balance between text and white space on the page
  • Length: High School level – 1page, Undergraduate level - 1 page unless significant work experience
  • Use bold, italics, and underline to bring attention to important sections

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What can go on a resume?

  • Work
  • Organizations
  • Leadership positions
  • Languages you speak
  • Computer skills
  • Certifications or licensures
  • Volunteer experiences

  • Internships/Co-Op
  • Research experience
  • Presentations
  • Special class projects
  • Awards
  • Anything else significant

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Header and Contact Information

  • Full name (larger font)
  • Phone number
  • Professional email address
  • City and state (full address not necessary)
  • Optional: LinkedIn profile or personal website

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Education Section

  • Name of your high school
  • Expected graduation date
  • GPA (for academic resumes)
  • Relevant coursework
  • Academic achievements

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Work and Volunteer Experience

  • List in reverse chronological order
  • Include position title, organization name, dates, and location
  • Use bullet points to describe responsibilities and achievements
  • Start each bullet point with strong action verbs

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Additional Sections

  • Extracurriculars, Skills, Awards, Certifications, Professional Affiliations, etc.

  • Typically more brief and found towards the bottom of the resume

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Tailoring Your Resume

For College Applications:

  • Emphasize academic achievements and challenging coursework
  • Highlight leadership roles in extracurricular activities
  • Work experiences show you as a well rounded student

For Workforce Entry:

  • Focus on practical skills and work experience
  • Emphasize transferable skills (e.g., communication, teamwork)
  • Include relevant certifications or technical skills

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Resume Do's

  • Keep it concise and relevant
  • Use a clean, professional font (e.g., Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman)
  • Maintain consistent formatting throughout
  • Proofread carefully for errors
  • Tailor your resume for each application
  • Use action verbs to describe your experiences
  • Quantify achievements when possible

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Resume Don'ts

  • Don't use unprofessional email addresses
  • Avoid using flashy fonts or colors
  • Don't include a photograph
  • Never lie or exaggerate your experiences
  • Don't use personal pronouns (I, me, my)
  • Avoid including irrelevant information
  • Don't forget to update your resume regularly

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Next Steps

  1. Add your information to SchooLinks and then export your resume (or open a blank google doc and start entering information in a way you like)
  2. Make tweaks to correct errors and make sure it is something you’re happy with!
  3. Save as a PDF and name the file something appropriate

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Resources

  • SchooLinks Resume Builder

  • Resume Writing Packet - from Clemson’s Career Center

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do my references belong on my resume?
    • No! That takes up valuable space and will be asked about later if they want them.
  • How long should my resume be?
    • 1 page at this point in time
  • Now that my resume is done, how do I request a teacher recommendation?
    • Asked them in person first and then follow the instructions through this QR Code to add them as a recommender in SchooLinks

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Questions?