In the midst of graduation season, there are tons of recent grads now hitting the streets in search of their first full-time job. If you’re one of those recent grads, or know one, then you’ll appreciate the resume writing tips below to help you stand out from the competition.
1. Mobile is the new frontier, so mind your fonts
Mobile accounts for 37% of all Internet traffic according to data from comScore. And since this data is from 2013, I would expect that number is even higher today. What this means is recruiters are likely viewing your resume on a smartphone or tablet before a PC. So it’s important to keep in mind what your resume looks like on a mobile device.
You can keep your resume digital and mobile friendly by using a sans serif font. Sans serif fonts are easier to read on a screen and the most common ones are: Arial, Arial Black (not recommended for body content), Arial Narrow, Century Gothic, Tahoma, Trebuchet MS and Verdana
2. True or False: Recent grads should always have a 1-page resume?
The answer is false. While a 1-page resume may be appropriate for most recent grads, if a student has had a lot of internships or volunteer experience that is relevant to the job they are seeking, it’s quite possible a 2-page resume may be a better solution.
3. Objective or Summary, which is better?
Back in the day, it was common practice to put an objective statement at the top of your resume. The problem with objective statements is they are focused on the applicant, not the employer.
While you can still use the word, objective, the focus of that statement should be on what your potential employer wants. This is why I don’t use the actual word objective on my resumes. Instead, my favorite is value proposition, but other good words are focus, career target, or qualification & skills.
Bonus tip: When submitting your resume online, it is critical to use general categories that are recognized by applicant tracking systems. So, title this section as Summary, Career Summary, or Profile.
4. Should you include your GPA?
As a recent grad, your education is one of the most important things to highlight on your resume. The education section should be towards the top of your resume unless you have a significant amount of “real world” experience. It is also appropriate to put your graduation year, and you should include your GPA if it is a 3.5 or above.
5. Action verbs give you power
There is nothing worse to put on a resume than “responsible for”. Use an action verb instead. They give you power and no longer make the sentence passive. Take a look at these two examples. Which candidate would you feel better about bringing in for an interview?
Candidate #1: Responsible for social media content.
Candidate #2: Increased Twitter followers 63% by developing social media plan and creating all content.
6. Drive yourself to your new job with CAR stories
Recently there was an article on Mashable about a student at Northwestern who used Lego to create a resume. In today’s competitive job market, this was a truly creative idea to grab the attention of her target employer, an ad agency. However, the content highlighting her skills could have been made stronger with specific examples.
CAR stories help you show what you did, not just talk about it. CAR stands for challenge, action and result. When writing CAR stories you need to think about the challenge you had, the action you took and what were the results that occurred. Let’s look at an example from the Lego resume and how it could be improved.
Lego resume: Her attention to detail and follow-through are assets in any situation.
CAR story: Created and executed integrated marketing plan for 3 webinars, resulting in 250 attendees, and $20K in sales — an increase of 30% from prior webinars.
7. Proofread, proofread, and then proofread again
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and even just one error on your resume can put it in the trash bin. When you are done writing your resume, step away from it for at least a few hours, or even a day. Then when you re-read it, you’ll be able to catch mistakes much easier. Ask a friend or family member to read it also. Then proof it again. One thing that helps me is reading the resume backwards, word by word. It makes catching spelling errors or missing words much simpler.
8. Do you need a cover letter?
The answer is yes. You’ll read articles that say no one reads cover letters or online applications don’t require them, but having a cover letter can’t hurt you. A cover letter should complement your resume, not just repeat what is in it. It also gives you the opportunity to bring out more of your personal brand and address topics specific to that employer.
9. Get social
Chances are recruiters are going to be sourcing candidates from LinkedIn or other social media. If you have a LinkedIn profile, make sure it’s 100% complete and then add your custom LinkedIn URL to the top of your resume with your other contact data. It makes it easier to find, and the hiring manager has no doubt they are looking at the right person.
10. Your resume is not the star
In today’s world of job search, your resume is no longer the lead player. It is you who needs to make the effort to research companies and connect with the right people. There is a great Slideshare from a recent Berkley grad who landed a job at LinkedIn and what he knows makes a candidate stand out.
A lot has changed since the day I was a recent grad and found my first job through the want ads in the Chicago Tribune. If you’re a recent grad, I’d love to hear about your resume writing tips and job search experience in the comments below.
photo credit: Nuwandalice via photopin cc
