Where should you start? One of the best ways to start writing your resume is to think big picture about your experiences. Often, when starting a resume, you will want to start writing the final draft on your first try. Instead, reflect on the areas listed below and jot down some quick notes. The following sections of this module will describe in-depth the steps to translate your notes into a polished resume.

Education

Think recent. Most employers want to see information about your college education - not high school. If you are a freshman, high school information can be used, however, college information is definitely the preference. We recommend focusing on your college experiences as frequently as possible.

Activities

List your hobbies, clubs or groups you belong to, sports, religious and school activities, organized groups, community involvement, and volunteer activities.

Work Experiences

List all of your job experiences-paid or unpaid-with a list of all the things you did while working at each one. Think about details. Under each job, list your job responsibilities and skills that were needed. If available, incorporate sentences from the actual job description. We will work on how to write a resume bullet, or as we say, accomplishment statement later. Remember, we are thinking big picture right now. Don't worry about resume length at this point.