STEP 1: PREPARE
Take the
time to study each relevant job posting and think about how you can show that you are the ideal candidate for the job. Most job postings have lists of desired
skills. Pay particular attention to those and try to think about your experience that complements
and reflects those skills. Think about experiences in which you've taken on leadership roles, demonstrated
initiative, or learned a specific skill. Examples include awards, computer skills, volunteer projects,
leadership roles in the community, university organizations, or classes you've taken
that are relevant to the job.
Always keep the employer and job description in mind. Tailor your resume to the position for which you are applying.
STEP 2: ASSEMBLE
Use a professional format to draft your resume and make sure it's simple, clean, and clear. For a first resume, only one
page is necessary.
Please make sure that the email address you use is professional and reflects a positive
impression.
Start your resume with a summary statement that discusses your career goals and
personal strengths. Relate your past experience to the target job.
Generally, resumes from students and recent graduates highlight education. List colleges you’ve attended (or high schools, if you have not attended college), along with
your graduation or expected graduation date and type of degree. Most career experts
agree that you should leave off your GPA unless it's particularly impressive (say, 3.5 or
higher, maybe a little lower if your course of study was particularly challenging).
Next,
draft an experience section. This is where you list past jobs and internships.
Include specific information about job duties in bullet form, as well as job descriptions that show initiative or accomplishments. Depending on your specific background and the position you're applying for, there are other sections you might consider adding, including volunteer experience, relevant coursework, extracurricular
activities and community involvement, computer or language skills, or professional
certifications. Remember that the goal
is to communicate your experience to a hiring manager in a clear and concise manner.
STEP 3: PROOFREAD!
You want to present yourself as conscientious and detail oriented. Be sure to check for
more than just spelling. Ensure that you use the same tense and format for each bullet
in each section.
Don't rely on your word processing program to catch errors—print out your resume
and proofread it. Then find a friend and ask them to proofread it.
Your resume is your first impression—make it count!