Career & Early Adulthood |
A resume is a summary of your academic background, paid and unpaid work experience, achievements, and co-curricular experiences. It is a strong statement of your skills, abilities, experiences, and accomplishments presented in a way that demonstrates your ‘fit’ for the role you are applying to. It motivates employers to meet you to discuss employment opportunities. Reflect on how you can make your resume describe what you’ve accomplished in your roles.
Remember: there is no one right way to present yourself on paper. It is beneficial to research the preferred way to present these documents to employers in your field. In addition, be mindful of how you format your resume, particularly with the increased use of applicant tracking systems (ATS) to assess online applications. ATS friendly resumes contain keywords that match the job description, highlight relevant work experience and professional skills. ATS stores, ranks, and scores Resumes and Cover Letters based on main keywords, formats, job titles, work experience, and so many other factors.
Resume Writing Tips:
1. Review the job description
- Identify the required and desired skills and qualifications. Look for keywords. Consider using similar or same wording in your resume if you feel they apply.
2. Create a list of accomplishments
- List your education, jobs, volunteer and leadership positions, relevant coursework, and notable projects.
- What did you enjoy doing or are proud of?
3. Identify your relevant skills and experience
- Emphasise skills that you’ve gained that can be used in the position that you are applying for.
4. Write descriptive action phrases
- What you say is important, but how you say it can make all the difference. You have transferable skills* to offer potential employers, whether you are applying to your first job or fifth.
- Always begin your bullet points with action verbs!
- Arrange the descriptive phrases in order of relevance to the position you are seeking.
- Avoid using “I” statements and articles (“the” or “a”).
* Transferable skills are skills you have developed in multiple settings that enable you to do your job well across industries. You develop these skills in the classroom, through school projects, in jobs and internships, and through hobbies and extracurriculars.
5. Keep it Consistent
- No matter what formatting choice you make, maintain editorial consistency by using that format throughout the document.
- For example, if one header is in a bold font, make sure all headers are bolded. Each position on your resume should include a title, place of employment, location and date range or year.
- Resumes that are free of errors with consistent formatting convey attention to detail and professionalism. Always make sure to use spell check before submitting your resume!
6. Keep it Visually Balanced
- The form and function of a resume is for an employer to quickly scan and get an overview of your professional experience within seconds!
- Strong resumes have a balance of black and white space, meaning you want to avoid an overwhelming amount of text or an overwhelming amount of empty space.
- Pick a legible font and avoid using text smaller than 10 points.
- Don’t include any photos and keep graphics to a minimum. If you choose to use color text, make sure everything is legible when the document is printed in black and white.
Resume Building Resources:
- Resume Writing: LINK
- Online Applicant Tracking System Tips: LINK
- Resume Writing Guide: LINK
- Resume Template: LINK
- Additional Resume Tips + Templates: LINK
- Resume Tips- LINK
LinkedIn Profile Resources:
- Linkedin Tips – LINK
- Linkedin Tips for Students – LINK
We look forward to helping you gain that next big opportunity!
Best,
Let’s Go Team
Career & Early Adulthood |
Did you guys know that internship experiences definitely spice up your resume, leading to an increased chance towards a job offer? According to FinancesOnline, “57.5% of students who experienced internship and 43.5% of graduating students without internship exposure got a job offer” (College Recruiter, 2019). Well, having previous internship experience has various types of benefits, including but not limited to, being able to land a job faster than those who do not and kickstarting your professional resume. So how does one even land an internship as a college student, you may ask. That’s why we, the Let’s Go to College Team are here to help!
Here are some platforms you can use to secure an internship opportunity:
Handshake- Handshake is one powerful platform that is beneficial to college students looking for an internship, jobs, work-study, or other jobs on campus. Handshake is great at its customization and curation towards your school and your own personalized experiences. For example, it tailors job recommendations, and notifications based on your needs and preferences within the platform. Handshake is great at aligning jobs and internships that best fit your career goals and interests.
LinkedIn– LinkedIn has job boards that allow you to find internships based on your preferences towards things such as location, industry, and preferred duration. As LinkedIn is a very professional webpage, it allows you to stay updated on job and internship postings regarding desired companies. LinkedIn allows students to connect with potential employers and professionals within their desired field, proving their platform to leverage their network, leading us towards another important way to gain internships: career fairs.
Career Fairs– Let’s talk about Career Fairs! Most commonly known as job fairs, career fairs are when recruiters, employers, and other schools come and display themselves for potential employees. In the higher education industry, schools provide a career fair to help students explore opportunities for their future by introducing the several career options out there.
Here are some tips and tricks from the Let’s Go Team:
- Research the organization
Identify the top 3-5 companies you are interested in, but remember to be open to different companies you may not have heard of because they may be a startup or business-to-business organization that doesn’t directly serve consumers.
Do your research by reviewing company websites. Look for their mission, values, location, and the type of available opportunities (e.g., internships, full-time positions, etc.). Company representatives are impressed by potential candidates who take the time to do this!
- Prepare your introduction and questions
Reflect on what it is about each company that resonates with you. Perhaps it’s the specific technology they’re developing, the research they’re leading, or the world problem they’re trying to solve. What relevant experiences do you have? How can you be of service to that organization? Exercise critical thinking skills to develop questions to ask recruiters and hiring managers. From these questions, you may even use them to practice and develop your interview answers.
- Dress to impress!
Be professional, and wear professional clothes to impress your potential employer! Each industry and each company has different work attire expectations and organizational culture. Do your research, and ask mentors in advance for any other advice!
It is important for you to start your search early and apply to multiple internships to increase your chances of securing one. You should also tailor your resumes and cover letters to match the specific requirements of each internship and prepare for interviews to make a positive impression on potential employers. We wish you the best of luck in landing an internship!
