In a sea of applications, the two things that will make you stand out is your resume and cover letter, so you need to make them unique to you, but also professional and impressive to a potential future employer.
Research
The first step in writing a successful resume is to do some research into what the expectations are of in industry you are applying for.
Go online and do a mock job search. Look at job postings and read the descriptions of some that you might consider applying for.
Even if you are not graduating for another couple years, it is wise to familiarize yourself with common requirements and the kinds of language that come up in your industry of interest.
Creating a “general” resume is not unwise, but you will have more success the more you customize your resume’s appearance.
Don’t use an exact template of something you found on the Internet. Start from scratch and create your own design to ensure your resume will stand out from others.
Decide what is important
When you first enter college, it can be tempting to put activities from high school on a resume. High school information is not always “bad” information to put on a resume, but be careful and understand what is relevant experience and what is not.
If you have had an experience that very few people have, or you did something really astounding in high school, then you can include it, but if you were the head of the drama club or even student body president, these leadership positions may not be entirely relevant for every career field.
If you do not have a lot of information to include, volunteer work does speak to what kind of person you are.
But, if your resume is starting to fill up, prioritize your skills and experience. This may mean forgoing discussion on volunteer work and instead dedicating more space to job experience.
Common Mistakes
Meek School of Journalism and New Media associate professor Debora Wenger reveals some common misconceptions about resume writing:
Do not go over one page. Organize your thoughts and make it clear and easy to navigate.
Unless your GPA is impeccable – magna cum laude, summa cum laude – you do not need to include it. Most professions are more interested in what you have accomplished and what experiences you have.
In many jobs, the assumption is you already have a degree that applies to that profession.
If you have good experience, put that up at the top of your resume, and if you have room left over, then include a description of your education.
That work or volunteer experience is what is going to differentiate you from another person with the exact same degree.
Importance of a cover letter
A cover letter is essentially your introduction to whoever might be hiring you. It is the first point of contact for a lot of jobs and the first thing the potential employers learn about you.
A known fact about cover letters is that every word must be spelled correctly and every bit of grammar must be spot on.
People make judgments about you if you do not use correct grammar. Always have someone look over your cover letter.
Yes, people make mistakes, but it will reflect badly on you if the first exposure an employer has is a mistake in the cover letter.
Include your objective in your cover letter.
The purpose of the cover letter is to give the opportunity to emphasize aspects of your resume that you want the reader to pay attention to.
For example, if you are applying for a job that requires three to five years of professional experience and you only have one year of experience, your letter needs to lay out all the reasons why you are more than qualified to do what is in the job posting.
In the end, though, your resume and cover letter should be a genuine representation of yourself. Make each your own and leave a good impression with potential employers.
