---
title: Do I Put My FIRST Experience on My Resume?
description: A FIRST blog series from Ilene Rein, and Pounding Pavement 101
image: https://community.firstinspires.org/hubfs/thumbnail%20(1)-2.jpg
---

## YES!!!

(shouting implied!)

Whatever your *FIRST *experience is or was (Mechanical Lead, Business Team, Non-Tech member, Animator, Presenter, Team Member, Mentor, Volunteer, Helper), it is **ALL **applicable to a work environment.

Let’s think about it. Did you:

- Accomplish tasks that were given to you?
- Problem solve?
- Work within a budget?
- Meet deadlines?
- Work in a group situation?
- Have a positive attitude?
- Learn new things?
- Participate in group activities?
- Support team members?
- Communicate within the team and the community/world around you?

These are all considered soft skills in the employment world. And I guarantee that whatever level of participation you have with *FIRST*, you have exhibited these skills. *FIRST *is real-world experience and should be presented as such on your resume!  In order for a team (business) to run, team members must collaborate on the project at hand. They must communicate with their group of experts; Mechanical, Electrical, Pneumatics, Carpentry, Chassis, Gears; need to all come together to solve the problem as a whole. Let’s not forget the business aspects such as Sales, Marketing, Accounting, Funding, Writing, and Design.

So, when you are describing your *FIRST* experience on your resume, keep these 10 soft skills in mind and focus on how you exhibited these behaviors and write them out in detail.

_______________

[Learn more from Ilene here](https://www.poundingpavement101.com/first-ebook) and  catch up on all the blogs in this series:

- [Do I put my *FIRST* Experience on my Resume?](https://www.firstinspires.org/community/alumni/updates/first-on-resume-pp101)
- [Do I put my *FIRST *Projects on my Resume?](https://www.firstinspires.org/community/alumni/updates/first-projects-pp101)
- [Use Action Verbs on Your Resume!](https://www.firstinspires.org/community/alumni/updates/action-verbs-pp101)
- [GPA... add it to your resume or not? ](https://www.firstinspires.org/community/alumni/updates/gpa-pp101)

_______________

Written by Ilene Rein  
President, [Pounding Pavement 101](http://www.ilenerein.com/)  
Partner/Recruiter, [Marketing & Sales Resources, Inc.](http://www.marketingsalesresources.com/)  
*FIRST *Mentor, Judge, Volunteer

![WQDcysS16ChU3sT9PLEobxqDTt2PpUJnizlTFdHllyBCrfIiX0vIA_ZMXHeIuTyc41_2JAySVjKyeWnD2W25_JOsT_4ctlS0gVe1JAwPpGgdvywXhtmX2Mlyig1-m7MdWUlt0vOt](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WQDcysS16ChU3sT9PLEobxqDTt2PpUJnizlTFdHllyBCrfIiX0vIA_ZMXHeIuTyc41_2JAySVjKyeWnD2W25_JOsT_4ctlS0gVe1JAwPpGgdvywXhtmX2Mlyig1-m7MdWUlt0vOt)

 

** [Alumni](https://community.firstinspires.org/topic/alumni)

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These blog posts have been contributed by members of *FIRST* staff. *FIRST* is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Manchester, N.H.

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