You don’t need awards, a long list of jobs, or fancy design to make a strong resume (even though they actually help). You just need to organize what you already do and present it clearly. This guide will walk you through what to include, how to format it, and how to make yours stand out using our resume template.

Before we start, make a copy of either the “no experience” or “experience” template (click on the two links below):

Experience - Chemistry Club Resume Template
No Experience - Chemistry Club Resume Template

We’re gonna start with the top section. Keep in mind, I’ll refer to sections based on the lines between, so section 1 is the header, section 2 is education, section 3 is experience, section 4 is leadership & activities, and section 5 is skills & interests.

Section 1

• Start by adding your full name at the top

• Below that fill in the city, state, and zip code first. ex:
  (Staten Island, NY 10312)

• Phone number format will be: (999) 999-9999 — not sure if this needs to be said, but fill in the 9’s with your actual phone number

• And the email will be your email

Section 1 example:

Now the easiest part is done! Congrats.

Section 2

Now lets move onto the education section. If you used the no experience resume template, skip the personal statement and do that in section 3. If not, continue with section 2. I left Tottenville High School, since that's universal for everyone in our school, so let's move on to the next line.

• Replace the first box with your weighted average, if you don't have an SAT remove it with the dash, if so, replace it with your score. You can sub “Regents Average” if you want.

• For advanced coursework, list any coursework that applies to where you want to apply. Volunteering at a hospital and taking med-tech? WRITE IT!

• The Honors section is a list of awards. If you’re in nhs, have a Principal’s Honor Roll, write them.

• Make sure to fill in the year with when you started, and if you haven’t graduated yet keep present.

• Next is dual enrollment. I only put this because I take college now and st. johns classes if you don’t have either, you could remove it. (I would highly recommend taking harder classes)

• List the class/program you took and what college it was from. For college now, it's Kingsborough Community College.

Section 2 example:

Section 3

This next section could be replaced with a personal statement if you have no experience which we’ll go over here.

If you have experience:

I have 3 spots made for work experience, but if you have less or more copy and paste the sections.

• The bolded section is just the company/organization name.

Let’s go over the bullets:

• First off, this is an important section. Recruiters skim very fast. You want to use action verbs, and measurable results for your resume.

• List of action verbs you can use here: https://capd.mit.edu/resources/resume-action-verbs/

• If this is confusing, use this example to help you come up with something. Be precise and concise with wording.

Example experience:

If you only have 1–2 experiences, try to add 3–4 bullets.

No experience:

If you have no experience, replace this section with something called a personal statement. This is just a blurb about who you are. Sadly, most recruiters won’t read this at big companies (though if you’re applying to a job like that you more than likely have experience), but this is useful for volunteering positions to actually gain experience.

Example personal statement:

Section 4

This is one of the most underrated parts of your resume. Even if you don’t have job experience, showing leadership, involvement, and consistency looks great. Clubs, sports, volunteering, school events, anything where you contributed or took initiative counts here.

If you hold a position (like President, Captain, or Organizer), list that. If not, just include what you did, consistency and effort still matter. Keep it short and professional!!

Each activity should follow the same format:

• [Action verb] + [what you did] + [impact/result]

• [Action verb] + [what you did] + [how it helped]

For example:

If you don’t have clubs or sports, list any ongoing school activities, community work or even passion projects here. Helping at a local church, tutoring, or even family activities could go here. Try to come up with at least 2–3 things if possible.

Section 5

This section is short but important. It tells the reader what you’re good at and gives your resume personality. Split it into small categories so it looks clean.

You can use this same structure, but you might have to change a few things based on your field. The main things in this section are the technical skills and languages, interests are also a bonus, but they aren’t necessary for a good resume so these sections are specifically small.

Example:

Final Notes / Common Mistakes

When you finish filling in every section, double-check these before saving:

• Keep everything one page. Cut words if needed.

• Use consistent spacing and formatting: bold for headings, regular text for details.

• Ask someone to proofread it!

Feel free to contact us or just find me (Alan) and ask me if you need resume help. If you ask I might just help you make your entire resume.