Right now, where you are at this very moment, you have skills that an employer would find valuable. You have engaged in experiences where you have developed skills. However, you may not know how to effectively communicate those skills on paper - i.e. create a professional resume.

You may be asking yourself, "Why is it important for me to have a professional resume, when I'm only a high school student?"

There is no one right answer to that question, but there are tons of good reasons to learn about crafting a good professional resume as a high school student. In fact, learning how to put together a professional resume is an important step in identifying your public identity.

Often times, resumes are the first glimpse that an employer gets of you as a candidate. It functions as a first-impression and an introduction to who you are and what you bring to the job/organization/opportunity. Essentially, your resume is your "personal brand" on paper.

While your resume will never actually be complete, because you will always be gaining new skills and experiences, starting a professional resume now will give you a significant head start professionally and differentiate you from your peers.

TASKS

1) Create a professional resume using this Resume Guide (Links to an external site.) and any other similar resources you can find. Be sure to pay close attention to each piece while you are creating your resume. Remember, the ultimate goal is for you to LEARN what and how to include in your resume, and how to communicate your skills and experiences effectively - not to have a perfect "finished" resume (because those don't exist).

2) Keep a copy of your resume as a PDF. (This is the format you most likely would submit to an employer.)