Résumé for an ALO?

Joined
Oct 13, 2015
Messages
53
Hello everyone,

I recently sent an introductory email to my ALO for USAFA, and he replied back asking for my résumé. I know what a résumé is (obviously, well at least I hope so), but I was wondering if there was anything specific I should include in it? I thought about asking him directly what I should include in it, but I wasn't so sure if I should ask him or not. So I turned to this helpful website with helpful forum members :D.

Thank you very much in advance!
 
http://crenshaw.house.gov/index.cfm/mobile/academynominations

Many of the MOC and Senator Academy nom info pages have sample resumes. The one above does. That was a random pick on my part - simple Google search.

First place to start - your nom sources and their websites.

I am sure others will offer other good info.

Oh - good instinct on not asking ALO. Do legwork yourself - don't make the mistake of "upward delegation."
 
Hello everyone,

I recently sent an introductory email to my ALO for USAFA, and he replied back asking for my résumé. I know what a résumé is (obviously, well at least I hope so), but I was wondering if there was anything specific I should include in it? I thought about asking him directly what I should include in it, but I wasn't so sure if I should ask him or not. So I turned to this helpful website with helpful forum members :D.

Thank you very much in advance!
Hi!

What I would like to see if you were my future candidate is: a document that I can "scan" in about 10 seconds that says "OOOH! I want to know more about this person...read further!"

Start with the first day of 9th grade and start compiling a list of EVERYTHING you've done: community service, school activities, out of school activities, sports, clubs, jobs, etc...etc...etc...NO detail is too small. Then start building "bullet statements" with the "meat." Here's an example: say you were on a club volleyball team as a sophomore and the team elected you their captain. That's a nice achievement. Now...read these two statements...

a. Selected captain of the volleyball team my sophomore year

b. Chosen by my peers to serve as their team captain, to help build our team and lead it to the next level of success

Which do you prefer?

Just snippets like that will get an old guy like me to take a second...or third look...and it gives me good information for the future!

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
Hello everyone,

I recently sent an introductory email to my ALO for USAFA, and he replied back asking for my résumé. I know what a résumé is (obviously, well at least I hope so), but I was wondering if there was anything specific I should include in it? I thought about asking him directly what I should include in it, but I wasn't so sure if I should ask him or not. So I turned to this helpful website with helpful forum members :D.

Thank you very much in advance!
Hi!

What I would like to see if you were my future candidate is: a document that I can "scan" in about 10 seconds that says "OOOH! I want to know more about this person...read further!"

Start with the first day of 9th grade and start compiling a list of EVERYTHING you've done: community service, school activities, out of school activities, sports, clubs, jobs, etc...etc...etc...NO detail is too small. Then start building "bullet statements" with the "meat." Here's an example: say you were on a club volleyball team as a sophomore and the team elected you their captain. That's a nice achievement. Now...read these two statements...

a. Selected captain of the volleyball team my sophomore year

b. Chosen by my peers to serve as their team captain, to help build our team and lead it to the next level of success

Which do you prefer?

Just snippets like that will get an old guy like me to take a second...or third look...and it gives me good information for the future!

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
Apologies for digging up this old thread, but generally the rule for a resume is to keep its content to under a page. The achievements and awards that I have acquired since graduating HS alone would take up more than a page. This does not include my achievements with CAP and hockey, so would it be ill-advised to expand the resume beyond one page to include my awards during high school?

Thanks,
Chaos
 
I've never done an ALO, but here's my suggestion:

Most folks I know have a multiple page resume. But you have to keep it concise. DS's resume is also two pages, but it's a three or four sentence narrative followed by mostly bullet points of skills, where he's worked and volunteered, AP classes, extracurriculars, awards, three or four references, etc. If you just jam it all together to cram it onto a page without dividing into sections, it will give folks tired head and they won't read it all. If you are writing multiple paragraphs about your achievements, then it's too long. The bullet points are so an interviewer can see your achievements quickly and can ask you questions during an interview.
 
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