Creating a professional-looking resume is challenging. Even seasoned workers struggle with it.
When you are in college or recently graduated and don’t have work experience, you may find it hard to write a solid resume. However, that’s no reason to feel depressed and discouraged.
Follow these tips to build an impressive resume:
- Showcase skills: It’s vital to showcase your strengths to convince prospective recruiters that you have the skills to do the job you are applying for. Mention soft skills because qualities like time management and public speaking, for instance, attract employers.
- Mention extracurriculars: A good resume will have extracurriculars besides academic achievements. You will get plenty of opportunities to be part of clubs and student organizations during your college years. Make use of these opportunities to hone your skills and gain work experience. If you have a flair for writing, try writing for the college magazine or website.
- Internships: As a college student, you will aim to land internships that will help you get the much-needed work experience to add value to your resume. Internships are your first tryst with industries and your first experience working for an employer. So, internships must be in your resume as part of your work experience. Don’t forget to include any experiences or achievements you may have earned during this time.
- Academic awards: Being awarded for achievements in school or college must be mentioned in the resume. When you have graduated with top grades or been elected a student council member, add this to your resume.
- Digital proficiency: When you plan to apply for jobs that demand expertise in working with specific digital tools, software, or programming language, ensure you include your digital proficiency in the resume.
- Personal achievements: What if you had developed an app with friends in your first year in college? Don’t miss adding these to your resume in a separate section dedicated to “projects” if you have been part of a few such projects.
- Quantify when you can: Numbers are eye-catchy and can pique an employer’s attention. They give a much clearer picture of your achievements and experiences.
- Use action verbs: Avoid using buzzwords and choose to add strong action verbs instead. When you make bullet points for the section on work experiences, it’s usually the first word that attracts the most attention. Use words that will impact and impress.
- Volunteer work: Don’t forget to add if you have done any volunteering jobs. It may be an unpaid job, but it speaks highly of your values.
When you have included all these, give your resume to someone who can offer constructive feedback. Proofread it multiple times before sending it out to prospective employers.
