Best Resume Tips for Recent College Grads
You’ve graduated college and are ready to enter the world of work. But are you sure that your resume is ready? Making a good first impression on a potential employer is crucial in this competitive job market, so be sure to follow these tips for making a resume that will catch the employer’s attention:
Make your resume stand out from the pack.
You’re not alone. In fact, if you’re a recent college grad and you’ve been looking for a job, you are part of a growing group of other recent college graduates who are also looking for jobs.
Your resume should stand out from the pack by being clear and concise. Here’s how:
- Make sure your email address is professional—i.e., something like [email protected] instead of [email protected] or something with the name of your alma mater in it (e.g., [email protected]).
Keep your resume to one page, with no more than two pages if you have a lot of experience. Include all relevant information about your education, work experience and skills that are related to the position you want. Don’t include irrelevant information like hobbies or interests.
Tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for.
Make sure that your resume is relevant to the job you are applying for and be specific about the skills and experience you have that match up with it. Use keywords from the job description in your resume, but don’t go overboard! Make sure they’re there because they make sense and not just because someone told you to put them in there somewhere.
Include a summary of qualifications at the top of your resume.
A summary of qualifications is a great place to put those three or four bullet points that summarize your experience and skills. Your summary should be no more than three to five sentences long, but it must cover all of the bases:
- What you did in each job
- A brief description of your skills and strengths
A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t explain what you did in one sentence, then it probably wasn’t very important.
Add a skills section to your resume.
If you have been awarded any awards, certifications, or commendations that are related to the job for which you are applying, include them in your resume.
For example: If a recent college grad is applying for their first job as an event planner at a local nonprofit organization, they should include skills such as social media management and marketing. If the same college student was applying for a position at a tech startup, it would be valuable to showcase their coding experience by including it on their resume (even if it’s just basic HTML).
It is important to make sure that the skills listed on your resume match up with what is asked in the job description. You want to give an employer enough information so that they know what type of person they will be hiring—and this can happen through demonstrating relevant experience and abilities within each section of your document.
Add any relevant coursework to the resume.
Include any relevant coursework to the resume. When you were in school, you may have taken a few classes outside your major that can be added to the resume. If you took a class that is related to your current career goals and shows initiative, include it on your resume. For example, if you are applying for an administrative assistant position and took Introduction to Accounting (ACCY 100), add this additional information on your resume as well as any other relevant coursework such as Introduction to Healthcare Management (HCM 110).
Include a list of courses you took and what the coursework was about. If there are specific classes or projects that would benefit an employer’s understanding of why they should hire them over someone else without those experiences, then include them on the “Education” section of their resumes when possible! This can also help provide some context around where they learned what they learned – which makes sense because everyone learns differently.
Add relevant project work in college on the resume.
You may have received a certificate, an award or a commendation for your project work. Include it on your resume. If you were part of a college club and completed any projects, include them on the resume as well. If you took any relevant coursework in college that helped you develop skills that are useful in the workplace (such as writing or math), be sure to add those as well. Finally, if you learned any technology skills at school (e.g., coding), also include them on the resume.
Add technology skills on your resume.
Include any technology skills on your resume. This is more crucial for recent graduates, as they have not had time to accumulate a library of work experience that demonstrates their technical abilities. If you have used specific software (like Microsoft Office, Google Docs, or Adobe Illustrator), put it down on your resume. Also include any certifications and courses that relate specifically to the job you are applying for.
If possible, get some hands-on experience before looking for jobs. You can volunteer at a local non-profit or even an office building in your area if there are opportunities available there! This is especially helpful if you don’t yet have an official degree but want to show off what kind of work ethic and skill set you possess.
Emphasize awards and recognition.
You’ve probably heard the saying “accomplishments speak louder than words.” But what does that mean? It means that when it comes time to write your resume, it’s better to show your accomplishments rather than tell them. And there’s no better way to show off an impressive accomplishment than by including an award or recognition you’ve received.
Awards and recognition are a great way to highlight any skills or accomplishments you have that might be difficult for someone else to see on their own. For example, if you’ve won a student council election at school but haven’t had much experience managing budgets or organizing events, include a sentence in the section of your resume that describes how you were able to organize such tasks successfully while maintaining high standards of excellence. This demonstrates not only how well-rounded your abilities are but also shows potential employers that they can rely on you when given certain responsibilities in the workplace
Add volunteer work.
Volunteering is a great way to gain skills, experience and network with people in your field. It can also be helpful when you are looking for a job because it shows that you are willing to help others without expecting anything in return. This can show employers that you have good character and will do the job well if they hire you.
Also, volunteering can help build a resume! Employers love seeing extracurricular activities on resumes because it provides evidence of leadership skills, teamwork capabilities and other qualities needed for the position being applied for. It’s important to note that volunteer work needs to be relevant though – don’t just add every single thing from your college days into your resume if there isn’t any connection between them and what type of career path or industry you’re looking into going after after graduation day arrives!
Lastly (and most importantly), volunteering can help build portfolios! If someone sees how hardworking someone was during their time as an intern at their company’s office then they’ll definitely want them back again soon enough–especially if this person has been able to accomplish such amazing results while working there before so why wouldn’t they want someone like that working directly under their supervision now?
List your GPA only if it’s above 3.0.
Your GPA is important because it shows the interviewer that you can get good grades even in a challenging environment. However, if your GPA isn’t particularly high (below 3.0), don’t list it on your resume. If the interviewer asks what your GPA is, simply state that “I received mostly A’s and B’s in my classes at XYZ University.”
Add any awards and achievements.
If you’ve won an award, award or achievement, it’s important to include it in your resume. The key here is to make sure the award isn’t too recent, as this can make your resume look like a list of things you’ve done recently and not a summary of everything you’ve accomplished in your career so far.
Including awards and achievements will help show employers that you’re passionate about what you do and that getting recognition for everything is important!
Add any scholarship information.
Adding any scholarship information to your resume can help you stand out from other candidates. This includes the name of the scholarship, how much it was for and when you received it.
You might think that this kind of information isn’t important, but recruiters will want to know what kind of financial needs you have and if there are any additional funds available for you.
Add any school professional affiliations.
If you were involved in a professional organization, such as an on-campus club or a fraternity, it’s important to add this information to your resume.
You should also include any roles that you held in these organizations and the type of work you did. For example, if you were president of an engineering club and vice president of a Greek organization, make sure both positions are noted on your resume.
Write a cover letter for every job application.
The cover letter is an opportunity to sell yourself to the employer, so make sure it’s as strong and clear as possible. The best way to do that is by writing a new one for every job application. Don’t just send resumes without writing letters—it will show that you didn’t put much thought into what could be your first entry-level position.
If a company says they don’t want to see a cover letter, send one anyway.
In addition to your resume, you should always include a cover letter with your job applications. While it’s true that some companies don’t want to see cover letters—and there are some circumstances where you might not want to send one—it’s still important to have one on hand for all of your applications.
Your cover letter is an opportunity for you to show off your personality and interest in the company, which can help you stand out from other applicants. It also shows that you’ve taken the time to research their work environment and mission statement so that they know exactly how well-suited you are for the job. Keep in mind: if a company says they don’t want a cover letter, they’re probably just trying to save time reviewing applications (or cutting down on costs). Make sure there isn’t anything in yours that could get them into trouble!
Ask for help on your resume from people with experience in the industry you want to work in.
Ask for help on your resume from people with experience in the industry you want to work in. Whether it’s a teacher or career counselor, an older friend or family member, or someone you know who has had professional experience working at a company similar to the one you’d like to get into (or even just someone who has been in your shoes), they can give you valuable insight into what kind of information recruiters are looking for.
Use a resume writing service. A good resume writer can help bring out all of your best qualities and highlight those that matter most for the job you’re applying for—for example, if you’re applying for jobs as an accountant, highlight not just your academic credentials but also how many hours per week you spent on extracurriculars like internships and clubs related to accounting. The more specific information about yourself that shines through on paper, the better.
Advantage over other candidates.
You will have an advantage over other candidates if you follow these tips for making a good resume that catches employers’ attention. You’ll be able to stand out from the crowd, apply for more jobs, get more interviews and have a better chance of getting a job.
It’s no secret that the job market is competitive, so you’ll want to do everything you can to make yourself stand out from the crowd. The most important thing to remember is that your resume should be tailored to each job application and tailored for each employer. This means it should highlight what makes you a great fit for their company and not just another résumé in the pile.
If you would like more help with your resume, check out our Resume Writing Package, Resume Bundles, or contact us today for a customized quote.