Resume guides are great, but they are generally written for people with years of accolades and work experience. How do you write a resume when in your life after high school you have only held one or two jobs, and are still working on your education? Here are some tips for fleshing out that first resume.
- Absolutely no spelling mistakes. Your resume is a reflection of your attention to detail, if you turn in a first resume with errors what is the employer to think? Print your resume and cover it up with a sheet a paper. Raising the piece of paper line by line from the bottom first, read each word from right to left. This will ensure you look at each word on its own merit. When you read sentences left to right, your brain likes to correct any mistakes you see automatically. You can't rely on spell check as the computer tool will not catch correctly spelled words used in an incorrect context. i.e. “Their I maintained the file system, keep an Outlook calendar, and developed document templates to speed up document generation.”
- If you are still working on your education, it is permissible to include your course of study information with an expected graduation date. For example: Pursuing a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science, concentration in IT Networking, minor coursework in Communication Studies. Expected graduation date May 2012.
- If you can't support working while going to school, seek out volunteer opportunities with some relation to your intended career. Majoring in journalism? Find some places to publish your work without payment (local publications and magazines are a great place to start). Planning on a medical career? Organize a blood donation event with the Red Cross at your university. Business administration your game? Volunteer to provide office hours for a local non-profit.
- Include skills you have as a result of independent study or hobbies that relate to the position. If your job is going to include public speaking, include your acting skills honed at a local community theatre or even in high school drama. You can also include any duties you fulfilled for a club or organization if you held an elected or appointed position.
- Find valuable references that are not related to you and include them at the bottom. Speak to your references first and let them know you are including them on your resume. A good reference is someone who has worked with you in some capacity such as during a volunteer project or even on a group school project. If possible, try to choose someone who was in a leadership role over you.
Your first resume is going to look fairly sparse, but using the above resume writing tips will help you flesh it out to a full page. Be generous with white space in between items and make sure your first resume is a positive outline of your accomplishments to date. As long as you are not applying for a position inappropriate for your education and experience, submitting a polished resume will place you head and shoulders above the competition.
To generate a first resume in 5 minutes, try the My First Resume Tool
To generate a first resume in 5 minutes, try the My First Resume Tool
