Brag Sheet/Resume?

Jondolar

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I've seen different places require submitting a Brag Sheet and other places require a Resume. Are a Brag Sheet and Resume really just the same thing or is one formatted differently? Does anybody have any recommendation for how to lay out a Brag Sheet/Resume that is more in line with applying for a service academy vs a career resume? Is it supposed to be a one-pager like I've heard about career resumes in the past (I never did)? Also, I'm guessing my DD should put just about everything she can on either/both? Anyway, I was hoping to find some additional guidance on layout, content, etc. Thanks in advance.
 
My DS used the headers of:
Education
Leadership
Extracurricular Activities
with the sub headers Clubs Sports
Academic Honors

Education included name of high school, class rank, weighted and unweighted GPA, SAT scores, subject test scores and AP classes
Leadership was the three main leadership positions with text describing what he achieved.
EAs was just a list of clubs (including any leadership position is applicable) and sports was a list including varsity, jv, captain etc.
Academic honors was a list with explanation if necessary.

He worked the format to keep it to one page. It looked very much like a job resume.
 
I was kind of a non-traditional applicant (homeschooled). I went multi-page but used similar headers that 5Day mentions. I also included volunteering as a sub-category and listed what I did in that. I also am pretty heavily involved in the Maker movement (look it up if you want) so I listed out my involvement there, including articles/websites that mentioned my work.

One thing I liked on my resume is a side text-bar under my picture that gives a little biographical sketch of me. Talks about my homeschooling, desire to attend an SA, and other smaller details that are nice to have but don't fit in a category. This can be quickly customized to reflect the situation the resume is being used for, while leaving the other content untouched.
 
Thank you both for your input. I appreciate the category lists. Gives me something tangible to start with.

goforspaatz, interesting that you put your picture on your resume. I hadn't thought of that.
 
Thank you both for your input. I appreciate the category lists. Gives me something tangible to start with.

goforspaatz, interesting that you put your picture on your resume. I hadn't thought of that.
About the pic: make sure it's professional and a good picture. Some things (AFROTC interview) specified no picture, so I had 2 versions of it
 
Generally, you would NOT put your picture on a resume for a number of good reasons. I have no idea who calls them "Brag Sheets", but it would be wrong to look at it that way. Your resume should highlight the things you have done/accomplished in h.s. in a concise/factual manner. As with any resume, it should be a brief list that the reader can quickly scan.
 
Hi time2,
Thanks for the info. My DD's AFJROTC Colonel asked her to put together a "Brag Sheet". I've heard/seen it referenced in other places as well. I've also seen that the goal is to specifically put everything you can possibly think of on it that would show your accomplishments. Basically, to brag about yourself. Now if we can figure out how to keep it all brief, that's going to be tough. Maybe we won't start at Kindergarten :)
 
Here is an explanation on the differences between a resume, CV and a "Brag Sheet"

Your brag sheet, resume and curriculum vitae (c.v.) are all related but they are not all the same. They are all used to record your accomplishments but they are used for different reasons and purposes.

A brag sheet is used to give to teachers, family and other potential persons who can write you a letter of recommendation. Your brag sheet will include all your accomplishments, your extra-curriculars, your involvements and other types of important information that is needed to write your a great letter of recommendation.

A resume is used by employers to view your educational background, work experience, skills and other information that is relevant to the job you are applying for. A resume is generally 1 page long.

A curriculum vitae, c.v. or vitae for short, is also used by employers much like a resume is. However, a c.v. is much longer and much more detailed. A c.v. can and often is more than 1 page long.

Source:
http://now-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com/bragsheetresume
 
I guess various websites can choose to name things however they want. Resumes aren't about bragging or inflating what you have accomplished. Those who exaggerate what they have accomplished could be in for a surprise when the SA finds out those things didn't actually take place. Those who you ask to write Letter of Recommendation for an SA should already know enough about you to speak to your character/leadership ability or whatever else makes you stand out. If they don't, you have probably chosen the wrong optional person to do that.
 
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Not disagreeing, but a different point of view: a recommendation-writer usually only knows you in a few contexts. A supervisor at a job, for instance, only sees your work ethic and motivation - great things to write about. But they may also want to see more of what you're involved in: academics, ECAs, etc. Which is why they would ask for something that gives them a whole-person picture of you.

They could write a letter speaking to your hard work, diligence, and intelligence alone, but if they also add that you're balancing this job, X sports, X number of clubs, and an X.X gpa, that could add to the letter. JMHO
 
I guess various websites can choose to name things however they want. Resumes aren't about bragging or inflating what you have accomplished. Those who exaggerate what they have accomplished could be in for a surprise when the SA finds out those things didn't actually take place. Those who you ask to write Letter of Recommendation for an SA should already know enough about you to speak to your character/leadership ability or whatever else makes you stand out. If they don't, you have probably chosen the wrong optional person to do that.

Teachers and coaches are asked to write LOR's. I have bewn asked to write them, and the Brag sheet helps me round out the dates and balancing act that the person juggles. All I know is they are hard workers at the workplace. It helps to know their other accomplishments.
 
I still think that could be done by providing the person a copy of a well-written resume. That one document could then serve multiple purposes.
 
Totally agree.

My post was merely to point out that the term is commonly known amongst HR people and guidance counselors.
 
I guess various websites can choose to name things however they want. Resumes aren't about bragging or inflating what you have accomplished. Those who exaggerate what they have accomplished could be in for a surprise when the SA finds out those things didn't actually take place. Those who you ask to write Letter of Recommendation for an SA should already know enough about you to speak to your character/leadership ability or whatever else makes you stand out. If they don't, you have probably chosen the wrong optional person to do that.
In the sales industry, especially the industry I work in (pharma), it is very common to keep an updated "brag book", this would be completely different than a resume. It contains specifics on my sales record, achievements over the years, letters from upper level management when I have had a really good quarter. It is very common when going to an interview in my industry to be asked to bring a "brag book". As far as a brag sheet for students, it is a way for them to just list everything and keep track of it, and not every club you were ever in is appropriate for a resume. But it is hard to remember everything when sitting down to write a resume, so just updating a sheet once in awhile is like an accomplishment organizer. And whenever I write a recommendation for someone, I ask for a list of their accomplishments too, so that I am accurate in how I refer to specifics. As Gokings814 pointed out, this is not a "weird" term to HR professionals or career counsellors. I can tell you don't like the term "brag" but I honestly think you are reading too much into the term.
 
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I've seen different places require submitting a Brag Sheet and other places require a Resume. Are a Brag Sheet and Resume really just the same thing or is one formatted differently? Does anybody have any recommendation for how to lay out a Brag Sheet/Resume that is more in line with applying for a service academy vs a career resume? Is it supposed to be a one-pager like I've heard about career resumes in the past (I never did)? Also, I'm guessing my DD should put just about everything she can on either/both? Anyway, I was hoping to find some additional guidance on layout, content, etc. Thanks in advance.
When my daughter went to her PSM interview for ROTC, she was asked to bring a resume. I don't know if it is right or wrong, but she had the main headings of:

Scholar
Athlete
Leader
Miscellaneous accomplishments

She then arranged all of her accomplishments by academic year just like in the application, 9th through 12th grade with most recent, 12th grade first).

She gave a copy to the ROO and the LTC when she arrived for the interview and it gave them each a good snapshot arranged by the categories they were looking at. This might be different for academies, she was going for Army ROTC. She also kept a copy for herself and it let her glance at her specific activities when trying to think of specific samples for her interview questions, she said that was helpful to organize her thoughts.

PM me if you want to see what it looked like. It looked clean and was one page, but a very full page.
 
Probably terms vary by industry, but in the private sector where I work and have done extensive interviewing, NO ONE has ever called it a 'brag sheet' and it would certainly have a negative connotation to those in our HR group. An interview is a formal process and not the time to think you increase your chance of getting the job by bragging or boasting about your prior accomplishments. To experienced interviewers, there would be a huge difference in how you would be perceived if you came across as self-confident vs. boastful.

As it relates to USNA, I think those who listed sample categories for resumes are handling this correctly.
 
Probably terms vary by industry, but in the private sector where I work and have done extensive interviewing, NO ONE has ever called it a 'brag sheet' and it would certainly have a negative connotation to those in our HR group. An interview is a formal process and not the time to think you increase your chance of getting the job by bragging or boasting about your prior accomplishments. To experienced interviewers, there would be a huge difference in how you would be perceived if you came across as self-confident vs. boastful.

As it relates to USNA, I think those who listed sample categories for resumes are handling this correctly.
Again, a brag sheet does not mean you are boastful or embellishing, just to be clear, "brag" sheet or book is just a term that is often used to describe keeping track of your accomplishments, it is NOT a resume and often for your own use. And being in sales myself, it is used frequently in an official capacity. Again, I think you are reading meaning into the term that is not accurate, that it means that one is bragging, it is just a term. If you do not like it, don't use it. The original poster has been asked for one, so it is a thing.

As far as what I listed for my daughter, I think this type of resume for ROTC is more like a brag sheet than a resume. Resumes in the hiring world tend to be skill based, not simply listing accomplishments, which is what I think is being asked for the original poster. As far as your prospective, I agree, no one would call a resume a brag sheet, because it is not the same thing. Calling this type of sheet for ROTC a resume is completely fine as well.
 
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Well the OP has our input and can now do whatever they think is appropriate.
 
Doesn't your DS/DD learn to write a resume during/by Junior year in HS? I'd use that format unless required otherwise.
 
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