Keeping a resume updated is crucial to landing your dream job after college. Whether you’re applying for an internship, your first permanent job or even post-grad jobs, having a well-designed and up-to-date resume is the first step in getting those interviews. We all know that keeping a resume updated is crucial to landing your dream job after college. Whether you’re applying for an internship, your first permanent job or even post-grad jobs, having a well-designed and up-to-date resume is the first step in getting those interviews. Whether you’re just starting out in the world of work or are looking to update your CV for entry into other roles, this guide will give you everything you need to know about how to build a great resume in college.
Before you start building your resume, there are a few things you should know about resumes in college. They’re a little different from standard job applications, but they still follow the same rules. First, don’t use a chronological-order resume. Colleges are aware that students don’t have a lot of work experience, so a functional order resume is a better fit for students. It allows you to focus on the skills you have and what you can bring to the table, rather than what’s been on your CV for the last three years. Second, avoid using small fonts and fancy fonts. Stick to Times New Roman or Arial if you can. No one wants to squint to read your resume, so make it as easy as possible for your hiring manager. Third, keep your resume to one page, unless you’re applying for an academic role. It’s hard to fit everything you’ve done into one page, but it’s important that every word is impactful.
The first step to building your resume is to create a template. You can find free resume templates online or use one of the many resume builders that allow you to customize your resume to your specific needs. There are resume templates out there that are designed to fit the needs of students, so you can use those or find a template that you like and adapt it to suit your needs. Once you’ve found a template you like, save it as a Word document so you can tweak and edit it as you apply for new jobs and have changes to your resume. You can also use it to create a cover letter, as well as a portfolio of work samples. This way, every time you create a new resume, you can use the same template.
There’s more to your resume than just listing your high school job and the clubs you joined. You need to include all the relevant skills you have that are necessary for the job you’re applying for. How can you do that? By reading the job description, of course! Start by looking at the job description for a position you want to apply for. Make sure it’s a job you can actually do, but read the description thoroughly. What skills are they looking for? What do they want to see on your resume? What do they want to see in an applicant? Search for job descriptions on Indeed or Monster, or find them on university job boards. You can also use websites like Jobscan that scan job descriptions for specific terms and let you know what you should include on your CV.
If you’re a business major, you might have to list your course requirements on your resume. You might not want to, but you need to include them. Why? Because the hiring manager will want to see them. If you want to work at a large corporation, you need to make sure your resume shows that you have the right skills and education. Listing your course requirements on your resume is the easiest way to do that. If you’re applying for an accounting or finance position, you might be asked to list your ACCA qualifications on your resume. For an investment banking job, you might be asked to list your finance or economics course requirements.
If you’ve done any extracurricular activities or have completed any internship work, those are great things to include on your resume. But, you can’t just list them on your resume and be done with it. You have to include their description and make it clear how they make you a better candidate for the job. How? By creating a clear description that focuses on the skills you gained from the experience and how you used them in the role. If you were an event planner for a club, don’t just write “Event planner” on your resume. Instead, write, “Event planner, planned and organized three events, created event budgets.”
Most employers are looking for a few things on your resume; skills, experience, and fit. If you have skills that will help you do the job better, put them on your resume. If you know a second language, add it to your CV. If you know any computer skills, add them to your resume. If you know any languages, add them to your resume. If you’re applying for a marketing role and know Photoshop, add it to your resume. If you know Mandarin Chinese, add it to your resume.
If you’ve done any extracurricular activities or have volunteered at a non-profit, those are great things to include on your resume. Just like with internships, though, you have to include their description and make it clear how they make you a better candidate for the job. How? By creating a clear description that focuses on the skills you gained from the experience and how you used them in the role. If you were a host at a museum, don’t just write “Host” on your resume. Instead, write, “Hosted museum visitors, answered questions, provided information and recommendations, processed payments”.
When it comes to building your resume, you can never be too prepared. Use the guide above to create the best resume you can, so you can land the job of your dreams after college. Keep in mind that your resume is a reflection of you and your skills. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to make sure your resume is tailored to show off what you can bring to the table. Your resume is a reflection of you and your skills. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to make sure your resume is tailored to show off what you can bring to the table.
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