5 Hints for Writing a Resume When You’re Just Out of College
In the US, the number of new college graduates is on the rise, with almost over one-third of the population having four-year-long degrees. Sadly enough, it is not strange to find many college graduates staring at their blank computer screens whenever they decide to write their resumes. Ideally, a resume belonging to a new graduate should be presented as a marketing document that’s roughly one page long. The resume should entail succinct job goals which assist in molding the descriptions of the resume writer’s previous jobs and also relevant experience.
However much this might sound like an easy thing to come up with, you find that most college graduates don’t normally have an idea of what they would like to do in future. To add insult to injury, they even don’t have thoughts concerning the broad areas that they would want to work in. These are among the basic things that most college graduates do not have knowledge about hence making it difficult to place a finger on where they should start when writing a resume.
Below are some of the best points that can act as blueprints with which you can build exceptional resume writing skills:
1. List Career Objectives When Applying For a Specific Job
As it has been alluded to above, one of the first steps that you need to make when you put your mind to the task of writing a resume is first having an idea of the job you want. Once you’re able to settle on this, then you should strive to make a list of your career objectives. Make sure that you’re not vague about these goals as it will end up doing you more harm than good. For those who want to apply for specific jobs, it is much easier to amend your resume so that it matches your job description.
2. List Your Degree Year, School and Your Honors If You Have Any
Contrary to experienced workers, recent graduates should list their education profile at the resume’s top rather than at its end. You should make sure that you’ve covered your school, the degree that you’ve earned, the year that you graduated and the major that you took. In case you achieved any academic honors, ensure that you have not left it out on your resume.
Another thing that’s of the essence when writing a resume is that you should include your GPA only if it is higher than the 3.0 mark. However, in order for you to be completely on the safe side of things, you should consider including it if is higher than 3.8.
3. List Additional Coursework That’s Outside Your Major
In case the career objectives you have in mind are different from what you did as a major but you were able to take courses that are related directly to the career you would like to pursue, then you should not be afraid of listing these courses in your education profile. Unfortunately, this is one of the technical aspects of resume writing that most graduates do not know about, this being a reason as to why they have poor outcomes from their job applications.
4. Find Out If Your extra-Curricular Activities Could Be Related To Real-World Jobs
Students often times dismiss most of their experiences in the event that they did not arise from internships or even actual jobs. However, involvement in extra-curricular activities such as social groups, sports and clubs could be used in your resume to show that you possess valuable expertise. Include such details in your resume before you write a conclusion as you do not have an idea of how many managers or company recruiting teams could be impressed by them.
5. Think About Whether Your Coursework Can Be Categorized As Work Experience
It is common to find a great number of postgraduates having handled work in their courses that could be equated to having good experience in demanding jobs. You should list such types of experiences like they comprised of a job with your job description being the things you did while studying the course. A good example of this is if you perhaps had taken a course on urban planning and came up with designs for the development of blighted parts in a particular city. This work experience that you acquired during your course should not go to waste but instead, use it to create an avenue for having a good first impression on your resume’s readers.
Conclusion
When most graduates come into the real world from college, there is a vast array of things that they come to realize they are green at. Surprisingly enough, the topic of resume writing is one of these things, despite the significant role that it plays in their job acquisition process. In light of this, you find that the gravity of this fact being reflected by the presence of about 250 resumes for every corporate job opening. This article has expounded on some of the best methods that one can use to be better positioned to write an outstanding resume that yields the best outcomes. Apply them and see for yourself the results at your next job application!
Kevin is a professional educator and a private tutor with over 8 years of experience. He is also a content writer for various blogs about higher education, entertainment, social media & blogging. During his off time, Kevin enjoys traveling and cooking. Feel free to connect with him on Twitter, Linkedin & Google+.