If you’re a recent college graduate (congrats!), you’re probably anxious and excited to start your career. But before you get ahead of yourself, you’re going to need to build an outstanding resume and this guest post, by Amanda King will show you how to do just that.
I still remember somedays back, there was this huge rush over the shit called influenceerrrs. Everybody with a pretty face and a DSLR jumped the bandwagon…. fashion influencer, being the majority of the influencer hype, followed by travel. Guys with a little bit of social media followership started to call themselves social media influencers.
(Oh! If you want to boost your Instagram followers’ count by hundreds with just 5 minutes of work each day, then use this little Instagram hack to skyrocket your followers’ number, that very few people are aware of!)
- You Might Find Interesting: Increase Your Follower Base and Make Money At Twitter
Unfortunately, I am one of those old-school personas who feel influencership isn’t for me. Don’t get me wrong… I run two businesses, and have a great passion for building successful startups but I find this influencer thing to be just a façade.
Go to college. And since we are talking about college, I might as well take a back seat and learn something regarding crafting a professional resume that blows my future employers’ up.
A professional resume will help you stand out from your competition and help you land the job of your dreams (or at least start you on the right track to land that job down the road).
When starting from scratch, creating a memorable resume may sound like an impossible task, don’t get discouraged. It will take time, but it’ll be time well spent. To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of 7 actionable tips that’ll help you produce a professional and attention-getting resume.
To make it stand out, here’s what you should take into consideration.
Check Out Resume Examples
For starters, check out different resume examples because it’ll help you craft a killer resume. Since this is your first resume, you should take the time to read over a few samples on the web.
If you have a friend in the workforce who has an updated resume, ask if you can take a peek. Looking at a friend’s resume will give you some ideas on what you should include on your resume and what seems professional.
No resume is alike, however, so even though you find some templates you like doesn’t mean you should copy the format verbatim. You should personalize your resume so that it’ll stand out from the rest.
Check out some of these student resume examples to guide you in the right direction.
Side note – If you want, you can send out some queries on HARO asking for some resume samples. It is a place where interviewees and interviewers can connect. In fact, HARO is a great place for you to brand yourself as well… just saying.
Don’t Forget Contact Information
Before you get into the details, remember to start with the basics. Even if you put together an incredible resume, if you forget your contact information, it’ll be impossible for a potential employer to get in touch with you. Don’t get so caught up on discussing your experience that you forget the obvious.
Here’s the necessary information you need to include:
- Full name
- Phone number
- Address
- Email address
Your contact information should always be at the top of the page and easy to find, no exceptions. If your contact info is challenging for a hiring manager to locate, they’ll put your resume in the “no” pile almost immediately.
- Forgetting the contact information shows how unmindful you are. Another key reason, why you should at least consider meditating. Read my story for a complete change in perspective on the practice of meditation.
If your email is something juvenile like pink4evergirl@whatever.com, you need to get yourself a professional email address stat. Sign up for a new email address that is as close to Firstname_Lastname@gmail.com.
Focus on Relevant Skills
If done correctly, the skills section on your resume will make you stand out. Even if you don’t have work experience, you can still excel in this area.
Remember, during your college years, you were busy learning vital skills! In this section, boast to potential employers about the skills you have that are relevant to the position you are applying for.
- Productivity is essential for bagging more skills, which is why…. read this post.
- Here’s another additional post on productivity compiled on the opinions of business owners, icons and entrepreneurs.
- If procrastination is your problem, then you may want to check these anti-procrastination apps out to kill the habit.
Highlight your skills by briefly touching on what you’ve learned in the last few years. For instance, if you have computer skills, mention which programs and languages you know.
Don’t exaggerate; honesty is always better than lying. If you majored in communication, mention what some of those skills are.
A few examples may include:
- Public speaking
- Working with a team
- Delivering fantastic presentations
- Running productive meetings
- Communicating well via writing
- Effectively communicating face-to-face
Try not to include skills that will be no use at the job. Sure, they are ok to mention, but focus on the relevant skills.
Emphasize The Education Section
As a college student, it’s hard to have years of work experience. That’s why your resume should highlight your education. Include recent and vital college activities you want to showcase. Here are a few examples of college activities you could mention:
- Applicable coursework
- Volunteer work (this is a tremendous opportunity to differentiate yourself)
- Campus groups and club
- Sports (even intramural activities)
- Organization leadership roles
Don’t forget to include your GPA, but only if it’s 3.0 or higher. In addition to emphasizing the education section, you should also highlight your work experience. If you worked part-time while you were in college at a coffee shop or as a department store, elaborate on what you learned and how they relate to the job.
Sell Yourself
It may seem difficult to sell yourself when you’re fresh out of college, but your resume is your only shot to catch someone’s eye. Your resume needs to be your highlight reel. Focus on the highlights that will help employers.
Let’s be honest – employers are looking to hire someone who will improve their company and get the job done. So even if you’ve never worked in that role, you can highlight skills and relevant experience that are transferable to that role.
Focus on your growth potential and indicate to them what you can do at the job and how you will grow in the future.
Customize Your Resume For Every Job
If you’re close to finishing your resume and are ready to send it to potential employers, there’s one last thing you must do. Never send the same resume to every single job you’re applying to.
Why is this not a good idea?
Because hiring managers can spot a generic resume from a mile away. If you take the time to customize your resume for the position, you’re showing potential employers that you want this specific job, not any job.
There are a few ways you can customize your resume to get you noticed for each position you’re applying for, such as rewording your objective.
You should also only highlight select classes and jobs that will help you score an interview.
Including everything but the kitchen sink will make it challenging for human resources to quickly see the qualities that’ll get your resume shortlisted.
Proofread (And Proofread Again)
Before you send that resume anywhere, it’s time to proofread. You should proofread it on your own, but having a second set of eyes is as equally as important.
If you’re still in school, there are usually free on-campus resources that can help with this step. Check out your school’s career center, or ask one of your favorite professors to read through your resume (and ask for a letter of recommendation while you’re at it).
A clean resume is the first step to landing the job of your dreams.
Wrapping it Up
Don’t expect to land your dream job right off the bat. It takes some time to work your way up the ladder. However, don’t give up hope either.
With your first job, your goal should be to land a job that will put your career on the right path. And the first step on that path is your resume. There are always ways to improve your resume, so if you don’t get a job for a while, it may just need some tweaking.
Follow these tips and continue to research how to put together a fantastic resume and you should be in good shape for bagging that job interview! And, if you still got some interest about influencing, consider checking this post on 7 influencer marketing campaigns that really rocked it (It’s a guest post by an influencer)!
You may want to read these articles next –
- Your Type of Entrepreneur And How It Affects Your Startup
- Guest Posting – Everything You Need
- The Fundamentals of a Viral Post that Brings Links and Social Shares
For any queries or help with your startup, feel free to book a free consultation with us. You may also check out our list of services if you need any help with your business efforts.
Author Bio:
This guest post has been written by, Amanda King and some portion of it has been edited by me- Here are some lines about her biz. You may want to check it out, ya know!
Carolina Creek is a great townhouse-style community located about a mile from Eastern Carolina University’s campus. The community consists of 2×3 and 3×3 apartments and contains a full amenity suite including a fitness center, pool, business center, and game room. The community is the best value in the Greenville NC student housing market.
