What to put on a resume?

thesurefire

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I googled it and found quite a few templates. The one problem I've run into is I've never had a real job. I've mowed some lawns and done basic handyman work, but on a freelance basis and mostly for people I know. Since my weak point is obviously having no real experience, what should I highlight instead? I've included volunteer work and some of the specialty classes I've taken. Is it common for someone to not have a real 'work history' section? Thanks in advance.
 

cyberhobo

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Everybody at some point has not had a work history. Think about it... If they say they have, then they are lying! If I were doing the hiring, I'd value honesty above BS!
 
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louie

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Younger folks will have less work history. If you are older, gaps can raise questions.

I ain't no expert, but my tip is don't ever lie, but do not leave out or minimize any work and experience you may have that shows you have some goods. Some little job you think little of might be very impressive in some way to a prospective employer - epecially if you are young and have little work history.

This week, I've just sat on 3 interview panels for a $40K academic position and comparing their resumes with the in-person goods - it's always interesting to compare!
 

Pydpiper

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Don't lie, but feel free to emphasize on your strengths.

Have you tried monster.com? They have a great resume creating platform, free.

Good luck in your search, be persistent.

Nobody who is hiring a young person is expecting them to have a full page of credentials, be yourself and it will work out. :)
 

VWTim

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Volunteer work looks great to most employers. Also don't crowd your resume too much, it makes them hard to read.
 

scott.cr

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With no work experience you can use an "Objective" paragraph at the opening of your resume. After you gain experience you can switch this to an "Overview" or "Profile."

Never write from the first person; common successful resume tactics include writing everything in sentence fragments.

IE.

Bob's Lawn Service
Los Angeles, Calif.
June 2001 - September 2004
Supervised luxury lawn-cut operations specializing in grass blade checkerboard patterns. Maintained corporate lawncutting equipment according to ISO 9001 standards.

The resume is FACT. Your cover letter can include the things you don't mention in the resume, like you met all your goals within the given time frame, etc. (Don't just reiterate your resume, because you'll end up with two copies of the same thing.)

Good luck!! You'll need it (coming from someone who is unemployed)!
 

Sharpdogs

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Volunteer work and class/courses always look good on one's resume. Try putting a summary at the top of the resume (3-7 sentences).

Example: Recent college grad looking for an environment that can best use my experience gained from volunteering at ABC organzation. Recently completed XWY courses...

The advantage of applying to entry level jobs is that you often have a wider selection than someone who has been working in a specific field for 5-10-20 years.
 

Kesmai

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resumes are tricky thing.... i know the first thing i look for on a resume is the previous employer
 

cobb

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In my experience you need to use a lot of common sense terms. Hard worker, prompt, works hard, takes work home, etc, etc, etc.

I think the above was a good example about the lawn service. Basically theyare going to ask you what you did before hand, how that experience applies to the current job, etc.

My advice would be to find something you can do and do it for at least 2 years to give a good foundation. Of all, customer service is a big thing with all employers.
 

OpticalSerenity

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I've heard from employers that the objective at the very top is very important. Although, I couldn't tell you exactly what to put in yours. I've seen some that simply say:

"Hard working, shoots from the hip." And they got hired!
 
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