Resume Writing
A clear one-pager that opens doors
Your resume tells employers who you are, what you've done, and why they should call you. A clean, well-organized one-page resume is always better than a cluttered two-page one.
Practical next steps
Header: name and contact information
Full name in large bold text. Below: phone, professional email, city/state, and optionally LinkedIn URL.
Summary (optional but powerful for first-time workers)
Two sentences: who you are and what you're looking for. Keep it specific to the job you want.
Experience: list everything that counts
Paid jobs, internships, volunteering, school leadership, family responsibilities. For each: organization, title, dates, and 2–3 bullets describing what you did and the impact.
Use strong action verbs
Start each bullet with: Led, Built, Organized, Tutored, Managed, Created, Trained, Coordinated. Never 'I' or 'Was responsible for.'
Quantify your achievements
'Tutored 12 students weekly' beats 'helped students with homework.' Numbers make accomplishments concrete.
Education section
School name, city, expected graduation year, GPA (if 3.0+), relevant coursework, honors.
Skills section
Technical skills, languages, certifications. Keep to 6–10 items.
Format: clean, consistent, one page
Standard font (Calibri, Garamond, 11–12pt). No photos, graphics, or colors — these cause problems with employer scanning systems.
Resource starting points
- Canva Resume Templates
Beautiful free templates. Choose a clean, minimal design.
- Google Docs Resume Templates
Free, professional templates already in Google Drive.
Organizations featured in this guide
- PA CareerLink Philadelphia
Free resume writing workshops and one-on-one resume review with career counselors.
- JEVS Human Services
Career coaching, resume development, and job placement services for job seekers.
- Dress for Success Philadelphia
Professional clothing AND free career coaching and resume help for women job seekers.
Helpful things to know
One page is always the goal
Employers spend 7 seconds on a first pass. Keep it tight.
Save as PDF
Name it: FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf. Formatting never changes in PDF.
Common questions
What if I don't have much work experience?
Include volunteer work, school activities, sports leadership, family responsibilities, and personal projects.