Now that you have learned about turning part time gigs into full time digs and how to network to your dream job, here is the final article in this trilogy from our newest staff member Christina about creating that all important powerhouse resume. Her three tips below will have you well on your way. Enjoy! – CKB
Your resume is more than just a list of your work history. It’s your thesis statement; a preview of who you are professionally. In most cases, it can also be a potential employer’s first impression of you, so it’s going to be super important to make sure that you make your resume as tight as possible.
Now there are tons of tips that I could give you on resume writing, but as I sat down to write this, I was thinking that it would probably be best to keep it short, simple, and potent. Why? Because that, in a nutshell, is what makes a good resume. So in an effort to practice what I preach, I’ve narrowed down my LI$T to three major things to keep in mind when you sit down to write your professional manifesto.
1. Is it relevant?
Hopefully, if you took my advice in my earlier post on selecting internships and part-time jobs that are related to your desired career, you should have an abundance of experiences to highlight on your resume. But just in case you do have some jobs that don’t quite relate, either nix them completely, or if you find that there were at least a few skills that could related to the job that you are applying for, list them under “Other related experiences”. Of course, you will want to put the most directly related experiences at the top of your work history section.
2. Is it multi-dimensional?
In today’s digital age, paper resumes just don’t cut it on their own anymore. While most employers will still ask for a resume and cover letter as formalities, some want to see more. Like what? Like, your web presence. Think Facebook, Linkedin (yes, definitely Linkedin if you’re serious about your job search), Google+. Resumes list what you’ve done. Your social networking sites reflect how you think. Employers want to know who you are and see if you’re truly a good fit for their organization, beyond just meeting the minimum qualifications for the position. So add some URL addresses to your social network pages or include your Twitter handle. If you blog or post any content regularly about a related field, definitely list that on your resume. Up next I’ll be blogging about developing your professional web presence, so if you still don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t fret!
3. Is it concise?
Keep your resume to no more than 1-2 pages. If you followed guideline #1, you probably will have trimmed most of the fat off anyway. When you describe your job duties, use attention-grabbing buzz words (i.e. managed, coordinated, designed) but don’t be too wordy. Try Googling action words if you don’t want to keep using the same words over and over. But get to the point. There are many different styles that you can use to format your resume. Stop by your campus career services office and ask to see some samples.
Last, but certainly not least, always make sure that you proofread and have someone else review your resume before sending it out or posting it anywhere. Spelling errors and bad grammar can definitely count against you. Happy writing!
