When trying to write the perfect resume, it probably isn’t wise to include your short career stealing candy from babies, or the time you forgot to give dinner to the kid you were babysitting. It’s important to make a good first impression, even if you’re secretly a terrible person.

Resumes are meant to be a concise representation of your education, talent, and experience. They should include any jobs, skills or experiences that could help an employer or admissions officer gauge your abilities and motivation.

A resume needs to be formal; typing up the resume in Comic Sans and adding clipart may help you stand out, but it will be for all the wrong reasons.  According to guidance counselor, Mrs. Mohr, it is important to make all bullet points and indentations congruent in order to make the resume “visually appealing.”  Include headings and well formatted sections that group your experiences so your employer or admissions officer can quickly and efficiently find the qualities that are most important to them.

It’s crucial you include your name and contact information to make sure they can contact you if they’re impressed.

Including your educational background, starting with the most recent school and working backward, allows your admissions officer or potential employer to understand your level of education and experience. Also, you should include any type of academic merit or award you have earned, including honor roll or National Honor Society. Schools especially want to make sure you have the academic prowess they are expecting.

A large part of your resume should include your extracurricular activities, athletic achievements and participation, and any sort of community service. This information should trace back to your freshman year. For most students writing resumes, freshman year was around three years ago.

“It’s hard to go back and think about what I’ve done,” said junior Lilli Tillman. If you’re still a freshman or sophomore it would be a good idea to note everything you’re doing because when you’re a senior applying to college it will be harder to remember.

Mrs. Mohr also said you should include things that are of interest to you because it “shows another facet of your personality.” If you mention your interests, make sure to include any experiences you have in a specific field.  On the other hand, be careful not to mislead your future employer by implying you have a skill that you do not.

Resumes are a visual representation of who you are and what you’ve done. It’s imperative that you portray yourself as a talented, experienced, and creative individual. Colleges and employers are looking to understand why they would specifically want you to work or study there. If you show your talents and commitment through a well written resume, you can be sure that any organization would benefit from accepting you.