Three life skills you will absolutely need as you move through your high school years and beyond are interviewing, emailing, and resume writing. First impressions mean a lot, and these are 3 skills you can master to ensure you always make the best first impression, whether it be with a prospective job, with a counselor or teacher, or with a new contact. 

Emailing 

Tips:

• Check your school email weekly. Counselors, teachers, and school staff members can reach you there with important information. 
  • To check your school email, go to ClassLink
  • Click Office365
  • Click Outlook
• Your subject line is always what your email is about in 5 words or less 
• The body of your email should include:
  • Address the person by name
  • Explain your situation
  • Thank them for their time
  • Be sure your email includes your email signature 

Click here to learn more about creating your own, professional email account and to see sample emails for requesting letters of recommendation and submitting fee waivers. 

Interviewing 

An interview can get you the job of your dreams as quickly as it can put you on the "do not hire" list. 

Interview Preparation: 

• Know how long it takes to get to your interview (even in traffic) so you do not get lost or arrive late 
• Dress professionally 
• Bring a copy of your resume (when you can) 
• Think of a few good questions you can ask your interviewer that will help you decide if the workplace is a good fit for you and your availability 

During the Interview: 

• Arrive early 
• Treat all staff with respect 
• Greet your interviewer with a smile and firm handshake 
• Thank the interviewer for their time, even if it's not a good experience 

After the Interview: 

• Send a follow-up email thanking interviewer for your their time (especially if you are interested in the job) 
• If you get the job - ask when your start date will be and what you will be expected to wear
• If you do not get the job - ask for feedback on your interview. Feedback can help you perform better on your next interview! 

Resume Writing 

There are just as many good ways to write a resume as there are bad. Here are some tips and an outline to help you either write your first resume or spruce up your current resume. Here is a sample of a well-organized senior resume. Remember, your job is not to lie about your experiences. Your job is to share your experiences in an organized fashion so that employers can easily identify the skills you already have through the experiences you've gained.   

• Include community service, paid experience, and school involvement
• Keep your resume organized and consistent 
• Do not use smaller than size 10 font 
• Use proper grammar and capitalizations 
• Always save as a PDF to email to potential employers and when applying to jobs online 

You can also create your resume in Xello! Xello makes it incredibly easy to create your first resume, update it throughout your high school career, and download it when you need a copy. 

• Log in to ClassLink 
•  Click on Xello 
• Click on About Me at the top of the page 
• Scroll down to Resume, and click Update