Like most American teenagers, you’ve likely been inundated with the importance of a solid resume. You know that it’s a necessity for scholarship applications, for college entrance, and for job interviews, but what exactly makes a strong resume — strong?

Regardless of the award, school, or position for which you are applying, one of the keys to having a quality resume is for it to be well-rounded in regard to a few key components: employment, extracurricular activities, volunteerism, and honors and awards.

Employment

Include your most prominent (and current) positions first. Then, include less “official” employment such as babysitting, neighborhood lawn-mowing, etc. It is ideal to only have fewer positions listed, as those who are looking at your resume will see that you have a strong work ethic and dedication. You see things through rather than jumping from job to job.

Extracurricular Activities

The more you can get involved in, the better: try athletics, fine arts, special interest clubs, school activities, clubs through your place of worship, community organizations, and more. Committees love to see applicants who are not only strong in one endeavor but who explore various aspects of life.

Additionally, if you hold leadership positions in any of these clubs, be sure to note that. Perhaps you are the president of the junior class, co-captain of the lacrosse team, and treasurer of your church choir. All of these are important positions, and including them on your resume shows that you likely possess strong attributes that would boost you ahead of the pack.

Volunteerism

Again, the more you can include in this section, the better. Write everything down. If you volunteered for the soup kitchen once during your sophomore year, great; put it on your resume. If you walk dogs every week for the Humane Society, write that down, too. Be sure to include not only how long you volunteered (i.e. August 2016 through June 2017) but also the approximate hours you volunteered (i.e. one hour per week).

The more you volunteer, the more scholarship, college, and employment committees will see that you are selfless and giving and that you care about making the world a better place. And volunteering for a wide range of organizations shows that you care about a variety of things.

Honors and Awards

As mentioned before, write everything down. If you received an award your freshman year for having perfect attendance, now would be the perfect time to showcase that. Did you qualify for the State Competition for History Day? Write it down. Did your club soccer team win first place at a major tournament? Include that, too.

KudosWall and KudosWall Pro are both excellent resources in creating and formatting your resume. If you are in middle or early high school, work with your parents to create an account with KudosWall and start tracking all of these activities, awards, and honors now. Then, use KudosWall Pro to formulate the aforementioned elements into a portfolio or a resume. (For more on this, check out The Perks of a Customizable Resume.)

With your stellar skills and some organizational tools from KudosWall and KudosWall Pro, you’ll have a strong, well-rounded resume in absolutely no time.

Stay tuned for future posts regarding volunteer and extracurricular opportunities for teenagers. In the meantime, you may want to check out extracurricular activities specific to dancers.