Putting Together a Resume

A resume should be considered necessary not only for a job or an audition, but also for your college application.  It is also very helpful when requesting a letter of recommendation from the counselor or teacher.  All too often students presume that teachers know everything about them.  That is not the case.  There are many wonderful aspects of your life that may be unknown to your teachers.  A resume is an easy way to share this information with people who take important actions in your college admissions process. 

There are many excellent templates built into some of the newer word processing or desktop publishing programs:  Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher, Appleworks and In Design only name a few.  (Check in the Computer Lab to access some of these at the Arts Academy.)  Resist the urge to beautify your resume. Simple is better because it is easier to read and it is your accomplishments that you wish to stand out, not the overall look of the page. Also, simple files help as some schools may have software that can read the information on your resume (as long as you keep it simple) and automatically enter it into a digital file in their database. 

Organize your resume by:

1. listing all your contact information at the top of the page.
2. The high school name, address and telephone number should follow your personal information under the heading “Education”.
3. Add your graduation year, GPA, class rank and standardized test scores, if known.
4. If you have received any academic and/or artistic honors or awards, be sure to include this next.
5. State your main area/s of interest.
6. List any productions/exhibits that you have been in and their dates by the most recent event first.
7. Follow that with any outside courses/training, programs or workshops that you have participated in.
8. Next, you will want to emphasize community service, work experience and any other extra-curricular activities.

Download the resume builder form the forms pages.

Follow these tips to make your resume easier to read and easier to scan in to a database:

• Use white or off-white paper
• Use Letter size (81/2” x 11”) paper
• Keep it to one page (two is okay, only if you absolutely can not avoid it)
• Word Processed (Must be typed with a simple layout for clarity and easy updating)
• Use a font size of 10 to 14 points
• Use non-decorative typefaces (Helvetica, Arial, Times, etc.)
• Do not use vertical lines, graphics or shading
• Do not fold your resume

Download a sample resume in the forms pages for a layout example.

List activities in reverse chronological order, i.e. most recent event first.  When you are finished you will have a quality product that you can include with your applications or audition/portfolio materials.  It will enhance the overall professionalism of your application materials.