How did you write your resume on your first job?

galegatling Level 1

August 28, 2017, 9:56 am

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How did you write your resume on your first job?

I'm sure most of us still remember how we got our first official job back in the day. And no matter what age were you in during that time, for sure you still remember how happy and fulfilling it was to finally have a job and not ask your parents for money anymore.

When I graduated high school, I was literally broke and I had to find a job because my parents couldn't afford to send me to college. Scholarships weren't a thing back then and it was so hard to get one too. So I had to find work instead. Without having any experiences or whatsoever, I still tried to make my resume look professional. I had some skills which are computer related because I was (and still) a gamer so it probably had a positive impact.

So I applied in a multimedia and Internet cafe. My resume was only one page and a separate cover letter. What I did was, I highlighted all my skills relating to computer, even on the ones that I am still not fully aware, such as how to operate printing machines and how to print stuffs, etc. But I said to myself, once I got hired, I would learn everything about those machines and how they work. So fortunately, I got a call saying that I was hired and would start the orientation in a couple of days.

That was really a good experience for me. How about you, how did your resume looked on your first job?

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peachpurple

peachpurple

It was 30 years ago when I first wrote my first resume. I had followed what my teacher had taught us, the school resume format. I wrote to several companies, got the interviews and kept using the same format until now. It is an outdated format but still works

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

Usually the old and simple formats really do work wonders. It's like some hiring companies prefer to have it that way because it makes it easier for them to navigate the whole page without their eyes rolling and scanning to the other parts. Most modern formats now are so weird and has a lot of styles. Simple and bold still stands out for me.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

I had placed an Ad and I got 5 responses. I also answered Ads. I was lucky I did not have to wait long to get my first job. But the real one I got after changing a few jobs here and there I worked for 22 years. There was always a covering letter and a simple resume.

7 years ago

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mar06

mar06

I just follow the form of a resume during my college time because I don't forget those time when our teacher teach us how to sign up or fill up a resume and I've got many mistakes of it and my teacher scolded me that's the reason why cannot forgot those memorable moments in my life.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

Good lord--I am trying to remember this--it has been so long. I do remember asking my guidance counselor about it. The first job I ever had was at Wal Mart, and I worked there for six years as I worked my way through college. Mind you, this is over twenty years ago. I think I had this wrinkled up one page document that I showed up with after riding my bike there to meet a hiring manager; I was lucky I even got hired, and I think he just liked me for some reason. I am pretty sure I didn't get hired over that messy and torn up resume'; that's for sure.

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

That was really awesome! That is true independence right there. Hmm. He probably saw something in you. And he probably understood your situation back then. Or maybe he was also able to relate to you too and to whatever you've been through those times.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

I ended up working for him for six years while I finished school, and he even helped work with me around my class schedule. I have gotten better at resume's over the years, but they are definitely tricky to compose. Sometimes all you have to do is make a good first impression to get hired, I guess. He could see I was young and hungry, I am sure.

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

Sometimes all you have to do is make a good first impression to get hired

I could probably say that this is the moral lesson anyone should listen to and follow. First impressions are vital and it will dictate how you would fit in the company or job that you are applying. Oh I've seen a lot of people trying to be cool and doing stuffs that is beyond their limits just for the sake of 'first impressions' but they would somehow fail miserably -- making them lose any opportunity. Sometimes it's better to be real even if others are not.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

Talking about creating a first impression I remember we had this guy who liked to help newcomers. He would ask us to carry with us some good reading material and while at the reception waiting to be called for the interview, pretend to read (lol)

7 years ago

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DarthHazard

DarthHazard

I have just left college (I am 18 years old) so I am yet to find a job or even write a resume. I know that quite a few of my friends have already gone through that experience because they have got jobs but I just wanted to concentrate on my exams. I am still not looking for a job as I am on my gap year and I wanted to develop my own website/business. I will probably start to look for a job after I start university which is probably when I will have to write a resume.

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

Oh. But they probably teach you in high school on how to write one, yes? But yeah, since you already have your own business, it wouldn't be wise to look for a job unless you lose that business or something happens that would really require you to make a resume and find another source of income.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

You are in the digital world unlike some of us who had to hand write the application and the resume. My nephew who is in the States now was interviewed by phone - an international call. That spoke for well over one hour. He got the job.

7 years ago

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radiowaves

radiowaves

I just wrote a formal introduction of myself and highlighted my abilities and skills. You should probably have more than one curriculum depending on the type of company you're applying to. There are companies that would probably prefer if you wrote a bit about yourself in terms of how open you are to teamwork or how fast of a learner you are while other companies might be more formal and just be looking for the cold hard data. Anyway, my point is that you should probably try to personalize your curriculum to match the expectations of the employer as much as possible instead of just sending one default everywhere.

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

Who even does this? Sending one same thing over and over again? Lol. Of course it is logical and would only make sense that you should match your resume depending on where you are applying. That would give you a higher chance of getting the job than the others who would just send out the same thing and would even do the same with their cover letters.

7 years ago

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SKMassey

SKMassey

I frequently think back to my first job, because it was fun. However, I don't normally look back on the resume. I was in High school when I got my first job, so obviously I didn't have a lot to put on the resume. I was applying for a job at a Kroger grocery store. Not having much to actually put in the resume, I used a little bit of my writing skills to make myself look good. I was in Marching band and JROTC, so obviously I put those in there. I also wrote in every community service event that I had done that entire year, be it with JROTC, my church, or whatever else. There was a spot that asked about my people skills and experience with that, and I remember writing in a whole lot of positive personal traits that I developed from all those little programs. Also, every single academic, JROTC, marching band, or other award that I got in high school went in there. Having exaggerated almost all of it, I got the job. Looking back on it, I'm surprised that it worked. Needless to say, I had a lot more legitimate material to put in my second job application!

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

Hah! Good one! I do that too! I mean, it's not illegal to exaggerate some of your skills as long as you are able to deliver them when asked or required during your work hours, etc. But yeah, seems like some of us do that too. Just to give some sparks to our resume. Sometimes the employers would also want to see some of those lines from time to time. That will somehow give them an idea that this one is clever and has good sense of humor or something.

7 years ago

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Painterly

Painterly

I wish I had a good story to offer! I took a class in my sophomore year that was essentially a run up to economics 101. The name escapes me at this point so I'll just call it pre-ecc for short. We were taught basic career and money management skills that were relevant at the time; keeping a cheque book, budgeting, how interest and principal works in matters of debt, filing taxes, that sort of thing. One of the units we completed was the creation of a resume. Many of us had not yet held a formal job so we used mock examples. I had a brand new Packard Bell with a shiny Pentium processor and a copy of Word Perfect, so naturally, I kept all my school work there. I just used that resume as a template going forward. I actually used it well into my adult life before I'd realized there were probably better formats than the basic one I'd been taught. Having said that, the original resume served me well through my teenage years and early 20s.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

Painterly,
I really could have used this class back in high school, and I think I could even use that class now. Writing a resume' is such a tricky thing, and selling yourself and all of your experience with such a limited and minimal document requires pristine writing and strong critical thinking. There are a lot of templates out there, to be sure, but I would rather have a course in writing documents like this, and a curriculum vitae, so that I have more confidence in submitting documents which could potentially change my future.

7 years ago

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Painterly

Painterly

I'm not sure how valuable the resume portion of the class really was. While it was all hand written as I took it before computers were omnipresent in society, it was still mostly offered as a template for us to fill out with little guidance on the marketing aspect. It wasn't until some years later that I learned better methods. Still, I agree it was a leg up to have had it at all. It seems like this is the type of practical skill that you don't see taught in public education so much anymore. Maybe the skill set has become obsolete and I'm just too old to notice?

7 years ago

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TheArticulate

TheArticulate

I took a very similar class my junior year of high school. I can't remember the name of the course either, but it had something to do with economics. We did a lot of the same things you did in regards to finance, and we even went out and got to interview car dealers and landlords to get an idea what it was like buying a car or rending an apartment.

We did not, however, have the chance to write a resume, which may have been the only pitfall to an otherwise very important class.

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

That is really awesome to hear! Glad somehow it all paid out at some point and you have even used it too. I can't even remember what our teacher in economics before taught us but I'm pretty sure it's all about the money lol.

7 years ago

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Patrickdim

Patrickdim

First of all be honest. As a first time job seeker you need a resume that will explain yourself. You need to put your information specially you highest education you attained and put some skill that you have. Dont you ever put some lie information because all of what you have in the resume will ask by the interviewer so you need to be true to have your first job.

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

Of course. But not just about yourself too. You have to remember that some clients don't want to see multiple-paged resumes. As much as possible, try to make it a one-pager instead and only emphasize the important things. Your clients only want to know if you are honest, loyal and reliable and also highlight some of your skills.

7 years ago

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TheArticulate

TheArticulate

I took a business and professional speaking course in college. Basically, the purpose of the class was to teach you how to give presentations and speeches in different professional environments. One of our assignments was a mock interview with our instructor, and part of the project was to write up a resume and cover letter for the fake position. This was very valuable to me because it was my first experience with writing up a resume and cover letter, and this project ultimately help me format the resume I have on file today. I was around 20 at the time, and this is one of the many reasons I have unending gratitude to the institution I attended.

7 years ago

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Authord

Authord

Well, starting with a statement. Contrary to popular belief, recruiters aren’t only interested in what you can do. In fact,
recruiters are often more curious about who you are as a person (and a potential co-worker).
Do you fit the company culture? Is your personality and attitude a good match for the team? You can help answer these questions for the recruiter by starting with a short introduction that summarizes your career objectives.
If written in a compelling manner, this can give them a glimpse of your personality and help pique their interest.

7 years ago

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wiseagent

wiseagent

In my case it was a very easy situation because I received a blank resume and I just have to fill it with the informations required by the company where I was going to start working.

Why was it so easy? Well, I was recommended to the job post through a friend of my family who worked in the same company.

This trauma of building a resume from scratch has never been a problem for me because afterwards I learned quite fast (for my other jobs).

7 years ago

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galegatling

galegatling

Well good for you, I guess. It's not always everyday you see someone applying for a job but would just have to fill up the resume. I mean, is that even a thing? Are there really resumes which you will just fill up? I know this one called 'bio-data' wherein, as the name says, the person would just fill up his personal informations on the data sheet.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

Those days, years ago it was just replying to Ads and the reply would start something like "With reference to your Ad............dated...........calling for applications for the post of...............
Here is my biodata which I am forwarding for your consideration and that was it.
Name, age, qualifications and references used to be mentioned there.

7 years ago

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kiroberus

kiroberus

I wrote my first resume when I'm in college, I had to make one for my on-the-job training course. I incorporate those format taught by my instructor and the ones I searched online. having a well prepared resume gives a very important first impression to employers, because it highlights your strengths, skill and achievements, and it is how you represent yourself as an applicant or future employee of the company.

7 years ago

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Krisleen

Krisleen

I usually limit my resume to two pages. Employers don't like reading very long resumes. I just include my personal information, skill set, and training/seminars attended before applying for a job. I also make my resume readable by stating long items in bullet form. I put consistency on items written in bullet form. If I started the first item in verb form, then I do it to the rest items I have enumerated. If it started with a noun, then the rest will start with a noun. It's just one of the basics we've been taught in college. I also put references in my resume to show my transparency. I show them that I am open to background checks. Lastly, I make sure that my resume is written with correct spelling and grammar. Obviously, employers are so turned off with resumes that are not written properly and they reject it. Besides, wrong spelling and grammar can even change the thought of your sentences, which changes the message your resume wants to portray. Basically, the important things that a resume should contain are relevant information, readability, and proper use of the English language, which I put in my resume.

7 years ago

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janice111415

janice111415

I I do write my resume in this format; first I stated my contact information followed by career objective, educational attainment, affiliations and awards,training and seminar attended, job experiences with job descriptions. Then the character references and the last is my personal background. I assure that my resume is attractive to the employer. I highlighted my skills and competencies, my educational attainment and awards because it maybe their reference to hire me. My resume is readable and organized. And all information that employer needs is surely be found in it.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

I remember that my first resume was really short. Obviously, I had no experience at all, tried to put my best skills on top, and actually I was praying to get the job. I also remember that I asked for help to my others colleagues, then I found out we were all broke and desperate, so our resumes were pretty much the same. So far, I've learned to avoid putting lies on your resume, ask for help to a teacher or superior, do different resumes according to the profile they're looking for, and put on a smile when you submit your resume, you never know if your future boss is checking on you.

7 years ago

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coolavender

coolavender

I took up a business course so there was much emphasis in business communication. We had a class in college that taught us how to write a resume and I simply followed that format. Back then, the internet wasn't as widely used so there were no templates to download or follow. Fortunately, it was good enough for the first company I applied to which was a bank. I applied for an entry level job and there were many job openings in the bank at that level. Since I didn't have any work experience, I highlighted my academic achievements, training, and professional license. I topped the resume with a well-written cover letter.

7 years ago

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jaymish3

jaymish3

My first job was when I was in college so that I could support myself. I had no previous experience other than working for my mother in her bakery doing sales. I used this experience to show that I had the required skills for the job which was in customer service. My resume was short majority of it was what I had done in high school, but on my resume, i stressed I was eager to learn and a hard worker and I got the job. Looking back I have come a long way, never give up and never frown upon small beggings

7 years ago

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Soulwatcher

Soulwatcher

I wrote my first resume in the 1980's and pre-computers, so I wrote it by hand on college rule paper. And it worked because I got the job and it was a dietary position at a senior home. I miss that job, I made a lot of friends and that's when I learned that I would never want a tattoo because the resident's tattoos turned into roadmaps.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

It was a very long time ago when I was still in college, I enrolled in night classes then with the intent of getting a day job in a fast food restaurant. I made 2 kinds of resume, a short 2 pager and a longer one with about 5 pages it included my birth certificate, school report card and other documents. I applied in several fast food companies but I didn't get hired. It took me a month and about 20 pcs. of resumes before I got hired as a medical representative of a pharmaceutical company.

7 years ago

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aecel

aecel

My first resume was so basic and contained one page only. I was in college that time looking for a job because my units were not loaded anymore so my classmates and I decided to apply for a part-time job in a fast food chain. Luckily my classmate's boyfriend has a family inside of the office so even if our resume was not outstanding just composed of basic information because we didn't have experiences that time we got the job. We might get some helped but we passed the exams and interviews.

7 years ago

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mdayrit

mdayrit

The first resume I used to apply for a job was 2 pages

First page: I started stating my skills that made me fit for each position that I am applying for. (Ex: Since I would be working in front of the computer, I wrote there the programs that I know as well as my Words per minute typing skills). Next is my Educational Background, under it is where I placed my school achievements.

Second page: Is where I place additional information about myself. Personal details, trainings and seminars where I have a certification and character references in case they need to check that what I stated in the resume are true.

7 years ago

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RhealaineS

RhealaineS

I searched for a lot of tips before making my first resume. I made it as creative as posible but I made sure that it will still look professional. A good resume can attract the employer to hire you, but your chatacter is what will help you be hired.

6 years ago

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graciemary

graciemary

The first resume that I used was made by my relative who was a manager of the company. She helped me how to make my resume and it's very simple as long as you put all the correct details of your profile. And make sure that you only write the truth because the interviewer will not only look at your resume but also how you behave and handle yourself in the interview. Confidence is very important and positive attitude is the key to get the job.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

At that time I didn't have any experience yet so I just included a lot of my educational credentials, government licences and permits. I also wrote an employment pitch. My resume took up 3 pages with an attachment of 5 pages which are copies of my school records and licences.

6 years ago

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sonnyisabeast

sonnyisabeast

I think I just went online and found a good-looking resume sample, one of those templates for free. My resume was 3 pages long and it didn't even have a single entry fo wrok experience. I dont know how I made it that long, but years later, and at lest 5 jobs under my belt, I always submit a 1 page resume.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

The resume I submitted that got me my first job was a bit long because I didn't have any job experience yet so I substituted it with skills and school credentials as well as certificates of trainings and seminars I've taken.

6 years ago

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