Writing a summer job resume requires identifying your ideal summer job, crafting a targeted objective statement, and listing all of your academic accomplishments, specialized skills, and employment and volunteer experiences. A high quality summer job resume will clearly and succinctly highlight the skills and experiences that qualify you for your ideal summer job. If you have very little formal work experience, you will want to avoid a chronological format in favor of a targeted or functional resume.
Whether you are a high school or college student or a new graduate, summer job resume writing requires first identifying your ideal summer job and investigating its requirements. If you are a first time job hunter you may not have a clear idea of the types of jobs that most appeal to you. To identify a particular field and job of interest, think about the activities and tasks that you most enjoy doing. You might like working with your hands, writing, organizing, working with computers, and/or helping people. Reviewing employer job descriptions and qualifications listings for positions of interest will help you to articulate your relevant skills on a summer job resume.
After identifying a specific job type, write an objective statement that gives employers a clear indication of the type of job you are seeking. The objective statement should be concise and well-aligned with your intended position. It will appear at the top of your resume, right below your name, address, and phone number. Employers look to this statement as an explanation of your specific goal in applying for the position. For example, if you are applying for a job as a data-entry clerk, your objective statement might read, “To gain experience in a large corporation as a data-entry clerk.”
The format of your summer job resume may be chronological, functional, or targeted, depending on your prior experience. If you have years of continuous work experience and can list multiple jobs, a chronological resume will best highlight your accomplishments. A targeted resume is only ideal if your background is perfectly suited to the job, and outlines extensive, specialized experience. If you have little to no work experience a functional resume might be best, and lists academic accomplishments, volunteer work, specialized skills, and categories of activities, such as student leadership experience. With this type of resume, be sure to highlight a high grade point average, a fast typing speed, academic awards, and all skills that reflect your ability to be an outstanding employee.