Creating a captivating resume can be a daunting task for college students – the reason for that is obvious: at this early stage of their lives, students haven’t reached many significant achievements.
However, when you take a look at the list of skills that are valuable for employers, you will understand that there is much more you can write about than what you initially anticipated. If you know how to write a resume, you will easily convince your potential employer that you possess the exact skills they are looking for!
Here are some resume writing tips that will help you present your background in a manner employers would appreciate:
1) Before you start, make a list of your experiences:
Your resume descriptions will require precise language that should sound professional, but represent your personality at the same time. Achieving that tone is the most challenging aspect of writing resumes – anyone could take inventory of their experience, but not everyone can make them sound in a way that will make the employer think “That’s exactly what I need!”
The best approach is to start with small steps and make a list of the most significant experiences you have gone through up to this point. You can list any achievements from the fields of academics, internships, jobs, athletics, community service, and school activities. Distinguish the experiences of the list that helped you learn the most or motivated you the most.
2) Highlight the most relevant experiences and skills:
Take a look at that list you just brainstormed – what are the most relevant experiences and skills for the job you’re applying for? The most effective applicant resumes are those that are aimed toward the requirements for a specific job. While you’re at college, you have the ability to arrange a meeting with the staff of Career Services. This is a valuable opportunity for you to see your future in a certain career and understand what that niche requires.
Don’t worry if you can’t make a final decision just yet – you can pick a broad area or several goals for employment and make a few versions of your resume, depending on the job you are applying for.
3) Show yourself as a dynamic person:
When you describe your experiences relevant to a specific job, you should present yourself as an active persona. Add powerful impressions to your statements with action verbs that will represent your skills, such as trained, learned, organized, wrote, interviewed, oriented, researched, led, evaluated, calculated, etc.
READ MORE: Key Action Words to Use in your Resume
4) Make your experiences sound impressive and responsible:
The mundane aspects of your individual experiences should be left out if you want your resume to present you as a responsible person who acts as a real professional.
5) Include information about the successes you achieved in a certain role:
When you write about an experience, try to portray any accomplishment or success you achieved in that role. Employers are only looking for job candidates who are able to achieve positive results for their companies, so these aspects of your resume will be greatly appreciated.
For example, when you write about being part of a certain organization, think about how you made it a little better and contributed to its success.
6) Appreciate yourself as an engaged learner:
This is your most important role as a student in college, so make sure to include the successes you have achieved while studying. If you have a high GPA, make sure to include that information in the resume. Describe the serious academic projects you took part in, such as independent studies or senior theses. This will present you as an active learner with skills in presentation, research, and writing.
7) Showcase leadership skills:
Your potential employers will value leadership skills, so make sure to include information about motivating, training, leading, recruiting, and organizing your peers while taking part in a certain co-curricular activity. Not all students can have leadership skills, so you should be proud of such accomplishments and make sure to include them in your resume.
READ MORE: 6 Things You Must Do to Be a Great Mentor and Leader
8) Give value to community service:
Your potential employers will appreciate the fact that you took part in community service. This type of activity indicates that you are a mature person who is willing to give without expecting anything in return.
9) Review and revise:
If you want your resume to end up being perfect, you will have to review it obsessively. You cannot allow any grammar or spelling mistakes to go unnoticed under your radar. Don’t be afraid to ask for constructive criticism from your friends, parents, advisors, and career services staff.
10) Share samples of your work:
Your perfect resume will be worthless if it doesn’t entice potential employers to seek more information about you and your work. Include a link to a portfolio site, LinkedIn page, or your personal webpage, where you will showcase recommendations and samples of your work.
Your resume can make a great impression on potential employers only if you work on it obsessively and perfect it to the best possible version. Take your time to complete it and make sure to follow all the above-mentioned steps.
Author: Robert Morris is freelance writer from essay writing service Ninjaessays.com. Loves writing tips and tricks for students. He is interested in improving his writing and learning through technology.
