As a recent graduate, chances are you don’t have much work experience. But that shouldn’t stop you from creating a stellar resume!
A college graduate can successfully demonstrate the required skill sets to succeed in the workplace by highlighting the following things in their resume:
- Volunteer work performed
- Unpaid internships undertaken
- Positions and memberships held at school or college
Select the Right Format for Your Resume
Here’s the first fact: potential employers don’t really spend a lot of time looking at resumes. Most of the times they just scan through the key points quickly.
In order to make sure your resume seizes their attention right away, make it short and well-structured, and present it in the right format.
Here are the most important resume sections recruiters will focus on:
- Your name and contact information
- Your education and achievements
- Your work history
- Relevant technical skills and experience, if any
Do not treat your resume as a comprehensive account of your career history. According to most recruiters, well-structured resumes with the most relevant information are best for catching their eye.
Make your resume clean and clutter-free with enough white space throughout. Remember, less is more when it comes to your resume as a fresh graduate.
The most efficient way to make sure your resume is easy-to-read is to choose a simple layout. Select a format that allows you to showcase the skills and qualifications that are most relevant to the job in question.
If there is not much to add and the white space seems to be playing a prominent role in your resume, get creative. Consider including additional sections that hiring managers would find helpful like awards and achievements, relevant skills, or professional interests.
Include Contact Information Prominently
The first thing potential employers and hiring managers should see is a section at the top of your resume with your name and contact information. If you have a professional profile online or a website, include that link here as well.
This section should include:
- Your first and last name
- Your current phone number
- Your current and professional email address
- The city and state you reside in
Your name should be the largest heading on the first page of your resume. And ideally, the above-mentioned contact info should fill just one line of the page, right under your name.
Your Objective Statement or Summary
Your career objective statement should be composed of just one or two sentences that states two things directly:
- The reason why you’re seeking the job
- Your immediate or current professional goals
Your resume summary should be concise and focus specifically on your developed skills and relevant experience, if any. You should try to keep the word limit here within 50 to 60 words.
Other Tips to Create a Winning College Graduate Resume
Here are some additional tips to help you write a strong resume:
Focus on education
As a fresh college graduate, one of your strongest assets is your education. Create an ‘Education’ section near the top of your resume and include the following details:
- The college you attended
- The date you graduated
- Your major and minor
If you have a great GPA, that goes here too. Also, include any study abroad or student exchange experiences. A well-traveled student is highly regarded by most employers.
Use keywords
Include the keywords from the job listing in your objective statement, work experience descriptions, and/or section headings. For example, if the job description says the organization is looking for someone ‘tech-savvy,’ make sure to include a section called ‘Technological Skills.’
Proofread multiple times
Last but not least, thoroughly proofread your resume for grammar and spelling errors before sending it out! You can ask a friend, family member, or even a college career counselor to go over your resume as well before you press the send button.
