Developing Guidelines
4-H members ages 13 and older are encouraged to take the information from their 4-H records and put it in resume format. 4-H resume books are used to select the delegates to Ignite, National 4-H Congress and National 4-H Conference.
A complete application includes the following: Link will be sent to teens and due May 1st.
- Cover letter.
- Questions
- Resume (1 page preferred, 2 pages maximum).
- 4-H Impact Essay
- Two letters of recommendation
- Support materials are optional (maximum of 5 pages).
Remember: when doing a resume and cover letter, always keep in mind the position that you are applying for. If you are applying to be a delegate to Ignite, National 4-H Conference or National 4-H Congress, state this. For these positions, the judges will be looking for experience and skills in leadership, community service, communications and citizenship. You want to make sure to highlight the skills you have in these areas in your cover letter, resume and support materials.
The following materials will help you develop your resume packet for judging:
A resume is an important tool that is used in a variety of circumstances. It will be useful to you when you apply for a job or college admission. Webster's Dictionary states that a resume is a summary. You have a variety of experiences and skills: it is important to summarize the most important ones on your resume.
Developing Your Resume
Identify Your Skills
You may begin with the 
Self-Assessment Worksheet; it will help you to determine what skills you have developed. Start at the top of the page and at the top of the first column write a title for the 4-H project or other activity that you feel helped you to develop important skills. The activity could be a paying job, participation in a youth sport or other youth development organization. After writing the name of the activity, work down the column and check all the skills listed that you used by participating in that activity or project.
Repeat this with four or more additional activities or projects.
After you complete this process you are ready to go on to the Resume Worksheet. From the list of workforce competencies on the Self-Assessment Worksheet determine which competencies you have checked most often. Select three to five of those and transfer them to the Skills and Accomplishment section of the Resume Worksheet.
Repeat this with four or more additional activities or projects.
Be specific about how you developed that skill in your project or activity. Discuss how you used that skill in 4-H, school or other area and what you accomplished. You could include a description of a workshop or conference you attended where you practiced or learned more about the skill. Keep you descriptions brief; 1 to 2 sentences in length.
You may want to refer to your 4-H Summary Record for supportive information when filling out these worksheets
Example:
Negotiation Skills:
As a member of the Peer Leadership Team at Smithfield High School, I participated in 20 hours of conflict resolution training. As a member of this team I was on the Peer Mediation Team and helped to mediate conflict between high school students a total of 6 times.
Now, shorten this into bullet statements using action verbs:
- Participated in 20 hours of conflict resolution training as a Peer Leadership Team member at Smithfield High School.
- Helped to mediate conflict between high school students 6 times.
For the competency "uses materials, supplies, tools & equipment efficiently" and/or "maintains & develops new skills," you could write about skills that you have developed as follows:
Computer and Customer Service Skills:
In my position as a sales associate for a local clothing store I learned to operate the computerized inventory control system as well as developing good customer service skills. I received the employee of the month award twice last year.
Now, turn this section into bullet statements:
- Learned to operate computerized inventory control system at local retail clothing store.
- Developed good customer service skills.
- Received employee of the month award twice last year.
You get the idea! You need to be specific about the skills you have learned and how you have developed and practiced them! Use short, simple, active statements to convey this information.
Putting Together Your Resume
Complete the other sections of the Resume Worksheet, listing information about yourself and your education and work experience. Once you have finished that, you are ready to transfer that information into a resume. You may use the sample resume enclosed in the packet as a template for setting up your own resume or use another format that you like. Some computer word processing programs have sample resumes; you may want to check on this. Regardless of what format you use, make sure to include sections for your skills and accomplishments, educational background, and employment history which includes your volunteer experiences. Always include your objective on the resume; you may need to do more than one resume with different objectives given on each one.
The best resumes are as clear and concise as possible. One page is best but it is acceptable to go onto a second sheet if you must. Remember, the point of a resume is to summarize the most important information. Keep your font size readable (no smaller than 12). White space on the page is necessary to make it attractive and readable. Neatness and correct spelling are critical. Do not rely only on spell check; have others check your resume for spelling accuracy.
Remember that a resume is never finished! It is a living history of your life experiences and will change as time goes on.
Sample Resume
Your Name
Street Address
City, State, ZIP
Phone Number
Email Address
Objective
Fill in a one-sentence objective when you create a resume for a particular purpose, such as applying for a job, a volunteer position, college admission, or competition.
Skills and Accomplishments
Directions: From your resume worksheet, take the skills and list them down the left hand side of your resume, in order of relevance to the job as shown below. Next to each skill, discuss how you developed and used that skill.
| Leadership |
|
| Communication Skills |
|
Education
Directions: List your academic major or area of strongest interest. Then list significant outside activities, such as 4-H, and any offices you have held such as Student Council representative, class secretary, etc. Finally, describe the most important honors, awards or recognition you received for academic achievement or achievement in arts, sports, community service, citizenship or other activities. Do not repeat information that you have included in the skills section!
| Name of current school | City, State |
| Date you received or expect diploma | Dates attended |
Employment/Extra-Curricular & Community Activities
Directions: If you are preparing a resume to apply for a job, list your previous employers and volunteer positions here, beginning with your most recent job. Include the company/organization name, city, state and dates (month/year) you were employed in this form.
| 6/97-6/98 | Enormous Box Corporation, Alexanderton, MD Worked doing general office work on a part-time basis. |
| 6/96-8/96 | Everytown Hospital, Everytown, MA Did volunteer work in hospital 8 hours per week for the summer. |
List of Action Verbs
| Use action verbs whenever possible in describing your skills and accomplishments. Here is a suggested list; feel free to come up with others. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerated Assembled Assisted Attracted Arranged Attained Approved Appraised Assigned Acted Addressed Administered Achieved Aided Advised Adapted Attended Applied Analyzed Anticipated Assessed Advertised Accounted Arbitrated Bargained Balanced Budgeted Built Briefed Composed Constructed Controlled Corrected Copied Cultivated Compiled Collated Classified Calculated Computed Coordinated Conducted Compared Coached | Clarified Counseled Collaborated Cooperated Contracted Collected Charted Critiqued Completed Contributed Consulted Created Detailed Diagramed Developed Devised Decreased Delegated Demonstrated Documented Discussed Diagnosed Decided Debated Defined Designed Detected Dissected Established Explained Edited Expanded Endured Examined Evaluated Fitted Filed Facilitated Forecast Guided Generated Grouped Helped Hired | Insured Implemented Investigated Increased Illustrated Influenced Initiated Installed Interpreted Instructed Invented Integrated Improved Interviewed Inspected Isolated Inspired Justified Judged Led Molded Managed Motivated Mediated Modeled Modified Negotiated Operated Overhauled Obtained Ordered Observed Organized Projected Prepared Produced Purchased Performed Persuaded Promoted Planned Published Presented Programmed | Retained Recorded Recruited Reconciled Reduced Reported Reviewed Referred Restored Recognized Recommended Represented Restructured Revised Renewed Researched Refined Replaced Simplified Simulated Spoke Summarized Supervised Selected Synthesized Solved Scheduled Strengthened Started Surveyed Styled Sold Screened Tabulated Trained Translated Taught Treated Tested Traced Updated Validated Wrote |
Tips on Writing Your Resume
Here's a few tips on writing your resume.
- Study the duties for the job you're applying for. Identify two or three general skills that are important to the job.
- Review your background and experience list. Find talents and accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to perform the job skills.
- List your talents and accomplishments under the job skills they relate to.
- Use simple, short, active sentences.
Robert Yee
139 River Lane, Cedar, OH 01234
(513) 987-6543
Objective
Part-time entry level position in bookkeeping.
Qualifications
- Earned Exceptional Employee Accomplishment raise at McDonald's.
- Excellent at thinking through problem situations.
- 1 year successful experience in bookkeeping and as cashier at McDonald's.
- Finished business classes with high grades.
[This applicant is still in high school. He wants to work part-time until he graduates.]
Experience
Bookkeeping
- Accurately completed bookkeeping assignments at McDonald's in half the usual time required.
- Recorded daily sales.
- Computed total items sold and tallied total daily revenues.
- Assembled monthly reports showing cashiering errors and audited employee register records.
- Verified accuracy of vendor invoices and helped compute employee hours on time cards.
- Balanced family checkbook and helped pay bills.
Administrative Support
- Assisted store manager in training and assigning employees.
- Prepared new employee personnel folders.
- Called substitutes to cover during illness or rush hours.
- Filed and retrieved personnel records.
- Posted and filed official documents.
- Word processed letters, answered telephone, scheduled interviews, made reservations.
*Focus attention on strong points.
Work History
| 1990 | Full-time student | Cedar High School |
| May 89-Present | Cashier | McDonald's |
| Dec. 88-May 89 | Bookkeeper | McDonald's |
| Summer 1988 | Clerk | Cedar Recreation Center |
Education and Training
- Senior - Cedar High School
- Business Courses: accounting, word processing, journalism
- President of school Business Club
*Resumes do NOT include references.
Cover letter
There are four main elements to a cover letter.
- Opening. Explain why you're writing. State the position you are seeking and the source of the job opening. (e.g., newspaper ad, friend, co-worker).
- Main body. Highlight your job qualifications and link them to the company's needs. Show that you know something about the company and are interested in the company's products or services.
- Closing. Request an interview and enclose your phone number.
- Thank the employer for his or her time and effort.
Other important information when writing a cover letter:
- Write an individualized cover letter for each job employer.
- Address the letter to the person you want to contact, preferably the one doing the hiring.
- Type letter on quality 8 ½ x 11 paper.
- Use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Convey personal warmth and enthusiasm.
- Keep your letter short and to the point.
- Describe how your skills and abilities will benefit the company.
- Provoke the employer to read your resume.
- Request a job interview.
- Keep a copy for your follow-up records.
- Sign your letter.
Follow-Up
Keep a file of the resumes you send out and follow up with a phone call. Surveys have shown that only two percent of resumes mailed to employers result in an interview. If you follow up with a phone call, the success rate jumps to 20 percent.
Sample Cover Letter
14 Busy Avenue
Gloucester, MA 01632
November 16, 1993
Ms. Gail Zwenthal, President
What's In Store, Inc.
1 Copley Place
Boston, MA 02116
Dear Ms. Zwenthal:
I am interested in the Customer Service position you recently advertised in the Boston Gazette on November 15, 1993.
My part-time work experience and high school education have prepared me for this position. As the yearbook sales representative, I was responsible for the communication and problem-solving needed to successfully sell the advertisements for the yearbooks. I can also use WordPerfect and type forty-five words per minute.
I would like to discuss my skills in an interview. My home telephone number is (508) 947-8811.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Shirley Givens