A resume is the first impression for future employers, college admissions offices, and many professional opportunities. The list of nonnegotiable necessities needed on this seemingly simple document is complex and extensive. On Friday, Sept. 20, students in the Spark! program in Parkway received training on how to make the best impression with their resumes.
“You’re not taught how to make a resume in school unless you take business, but even then business is mainly focused on paying bills and daily life tasks, rather than focusing on future job tasks,” senior and Bioscience associate Kezi’ana Harris said. “[Spark!] loads you with things you’re going to need in preparation for society and college in the world.”
Jennifer Ritter from the St. Louis County Library lead the workshop focusing on the minor and usually unnoticeable aspects of a great resume.
“All of us are high school juniors and seniors, so we all need a good resume workshop to learn how to submit resumes for different jobs, internships, and even for college applications,” senior and Bioscience associate Bhavya Agarwal said.
Spark! in its entirety offers students the opportunity to prepare themselves for life after high school.
“Spark! has introduced me to a lot of things I didn’t know before,” senior and Digital Media associate Samiyah Blount said. “We’ve had workshops [that guide us towards] being socially comfortable with putting ourselves out there when it comes to business and internships and things of that nature.”
The vast amount of opportunities that Spark! offers high school students don’t stop at resume writing.
“We have always been doing various activities and lab work and then we have been meeting different people. So we are growing our networks quite rapidly,” Agarwal said, remarking on the great fortitude of being a Spark! associate. “Spark! is a very good professional network that high school seniors and juniors get to develop so early on in their lives, especially in today’s world where we need really good networks. We just need to start early, and this community is so supportive.”
As a professional workplace-style program, students are free to have experiences and make connections that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
“Spark! takes kids from grades eleven and twelve. So you’re coming out of sophomore year and you’re not going to know as much as a senior or junior would, and they’re placing you in an environment where you’re taught what you will need to know for real life and college,” Harris said.
