Thank you to Brad Karsh of JobBound for alerting me to the fact that September is International Make Over Your Resume Month (seriously!). In honor of this occasion, here are my top 13 resume tips for college students and young professionals, adapted from my book, Getting from College to Career:
1. Be careful with contact info. Every phone number or email address you put on your resume could be used by a potential employer. Make sure you have complete control and 24/7 access to any communication method you list. And make sure that email address is professional!
2. Include an objective statement if it’s not totally clear what kind of job you want. An objective statement gives the person reading your resume an overview of how to read the skills and experience listed below it. Since most people don’t spend a lot of time reading a resume, you’re basically offering them a way to focus their attention on the information you want them to know about you. Don’t assume recruiters will read your resume and find a place for you. It’s your job to show them what you want to do.
3. Tweak your resume for different jobs and industries. It’s very likely that you will be applying for jobs in a variety of different companies and even different industries. Employers can tell when they are seeing a generic resume that is being blasted out to anyone and everyone. It’s fine to have such a resume as a template, but then you need to customize that resume with a different objective statement and different keywords that fit with the individual companies to which you’re sending it. Which leads us to…
4. Include keywords. Not only will online job sites search for keywords on your resume, but so will potential employers. Employers’ eyes are naturally drawn to the words they’re looking for—the brand names, skills, and experience they need. So make sure you give them what they want. You can have the exact experience an employer is seeking, but if it’s not presented on your resume in the words they’re looking for, you’re out of luck.
The best way to find the right words to use is to look at online job listings for the kinds of positions you’re interested in. Then, use some of the prominent words and phrases in those job listings on your resume—in your objective statement and in your experience section, if it’s relevant and true. For instance, instead of “Basic Accounting,” the more descriptive “Balance Sheet Accounting” is better. “Experience with Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign” is much stronger than “Design Experience.”
5. List your GPA only if it’s 3.0 or higher. If your overall GPA is lower than 3.0, but your GPA in your major is over 3.0, then list “Major GPA” on your resume. Feel free to list both, of course, if they both qualify. I know that not listing a GPA at all implies that you had a low one, but that’s okay. Just be prepared to discuss why your grades were less than stellar if the subject comes up in a job interview. And, if you’re still a student, try to boost your grades up above that 3.0 mark—it can make a big difference in your job search.
6. Quantify everything. Make sure your resume is as specific as possible. “Managed a team of camp counselors” is less impressive than “Managed a staff of 12 camp counselors and 5 counselors-in-training.” If your work helped to raise money or profits, that’s super-important as well. Employers love to see resumes with phrases like, “Improved sporting equipment sales in my department by 50% in six months” or “Raised $10,000 through solicitation of alumni donations.”
7. Prioritize. When you list bullet points under each job, internship, or volunteer experience you’ve had, be sure to list the most important task, accomplishment, or responsibility first. It’s highly unlikely that a potential employer is going to read every bullet point under every item on your resume, bust most people will read the first or second bullet point on each list. You don’t have to list accomplishments chronologically; list the most impressive first.
8. List internships, volunteer work, and summer jobs. Just because you didn’t get paid for something doesn’t mean it doesn’t count as real experience. Be honest about what each situation entailed (duties, responsibilities, and time commitment), but definitely include them.
9. Note anything notable. Be sure to list anything about you that is particularly unique, uncommon or memorable. For example, “Founding president of first ever entrepreneurial club at XYZ University” or “youngest person ever promoted to assistant manager at this local high-end jewelry store.”
10. Don’t highlight something on your resume that you despised doing. As you can see, there are many ways to draw a reader’s eye to what you want that person to see on your resume. So avoid these strategies when you don’t want to promote something. In fact, if you’ve had a task or responsibility that you hated and never want to do again as long as you live (like selling vacuums door-to-door or cleaning animal cages), then don’t include it on your resume. You can even leave off an entire job if it’s not relevant to your current job search.
11. Don’t lie, exaggerate, or stretch the truth. This happens way too often, and it’s never a good idea. There are so many reasons not to lie on a resume. First of all, if your lie or truth-stretching gets discovered, you’ll lose a job opportunity with that company forever. Second, if you exaggerate your skills, such as being fluent in Spanish when you really just studied it in high school, your lie will become extremely obvious the day you start your job and you lack the skills you said you had. And finally, any little white lies you put on your resume now can cost you big later in your career. Even if the lie is discovered 20 years in the future, it can tarnish your entire professional reputation. I definitely encourage you to cast your skills and experience in the most positive light, but never, ever take it too far.
12. Keep it to one page. Some people will fight me on this, but I’ve seen senior executives with one-page resumes, so I don’t see any reason why a college student or recent grad’s resume needs more than that. Remember that your resume is a marketing tool and not a transcript or exhaustive laundry list of everything you’ve ever done. By keeping your resume short and sweet, you’re demonstrating that you can edit yourself and sell yourself clearly and concisely—both important skills in the processional world, especially if you want a job related to writing, sales, or marketing.
13. Leave off references. Potential employers will request a list of references if they want one. Don’t waste precious space on your resume with something unnecessary at this point.
I could go on and on, but following the above tips should improve your resume to the point where it represents you in the strongest way possible and differentiates you from other entry-level job seekers.
Finally, remember that a resume is a constant work in progress, so add updates whenever you gain new experience or skills, and keep your eyes and ears open for additional tips and tactics to make your resume a document you’re proud to send as the paper version of you.
