Whether you just graduated from college or looking for an internship to get real-world professional experience in your field, it’s stressful out there for college students. Unlike seasoned professionals with decades of experience, college students only have the knowledge they’ve retained in school. Sending out application after application becomes disheartening, but one way to improve your chances of landing a job out of college is your resume. Your resume acts as an important tool in helping you enter your field and land your first gig. If you think your resume could use some sprucing up, here are our ten best tips.
1. Choose a suitable resume layout
When it comes to resumes, hiring teams don’t spend much time looking at them. Because your resume will get barely a glance, selecting the proper format to highlight your best qualifications is necessary. College students may not have much job experience, but with the proper resume format, you can take home the job.
A proper resume includes a section for your contact information, a summary, educational details like where you’re attending college or if you’ve studied abroad, relevant work experience, and skills. Keep your resume to a single page, and don’t feel like you have to fill up every spot on the page. Instead, highlight your most important information, and keep your resume looking well-organized and eye-catching to have a better shot of landing the job.
2. Edit your resume for each job application
When first entering the professional world, you’re probably sending out dozens of applications daily. While it’s tempting to apply to as many jobs as possible to see what sticks, in this case, slow and steady wins the race. When applying for various companies, take the time to tailor your resume and application for each position.
You may have many skills to boast about on your resume, but not all of your skills will be relevant to each job. By tailoring your resume to each company you’re applying to, you better showcase your most desirable skills. Consider what each company is looking for from a new team member, and ensure you’re showing them you have the skills they want and need.
3. Write with an ATS in mind
Most companies use an applicant tracking system to weed through candidates. Some job positions receive hundreds of applications a day, and it would be difficult for hiring teams to carefully go through them all. Consider what keywords an ATS would be scanning for given the open positions and tailor your resume to include these keywords in a relevant way. By including important keywords in your resume, you have a better chance of having your resume reviewed by a human pair of eyes.
4. Include relevant coursework
Many college students struggle to find a job in their field because they don’t have much job experience. While you may not have jobs to fill your resume with, you likely have relevant coursework and classes that align with the needs of various businesses. For example, if you’re applying to a small business, you might have taken a business management course for small businesses or small-scale marketing courses. Including relevant coursework can make up for your lack of job experience.
4. List skills relevant to the job
Any skills you’ve gained, whether through your education or life experience, are great details to include in your application and resume. In addition to past professional experience, listing skills the company you’re applying for needs is a great way to get a leg up over your competitors. Consider the skills a company may be looking for in potential candidates. For example, if you’re applying to a marketing agency, having outstanding customer service skills and marketing knowledge should be included in your resume.
5. Fill in the space with additional sections
If you don’t have a ton of job experience to include in your resume, don’t just leave the spaces blank. Even if you feel you’re underqualified for a role, leaving sections of your resume blank will certainly communicate that to hiring managers. Fill up spaces with relevant information, such as a personal summary, relevant coursework you did in college, and whatever skills and knowledge you can bring to the table is a great way to boost your resume.
6. Quantify your information
Just listing your skills and experiences is nice, but quantifying those skills and offering tangible examples and data of those skills backs up your claims. For example, if you include boosting company profits in your resume, quantify how much profits were increased during your time with that company, and provide evidence on how those revenue increases were of your doing. Or if you’re joining the education field, highlight how your work led to better student test scores and provide quantifiable evidence. Providing tangible data backs up your resume claims and makes you a more attractive candidate.
7. Stick to a single page
In addition to choosing a suitable format for your resume, ensure you keep your information to a single page. Whether this means filling your page up or editing it down, keeping it to a single page is necessary. Hiring teams don’t have the desire nor time to read through your life’s story, so keep it prompt and just include what can help you land the job.
8. Always proofread your resume
Nothing looks worst than a resume full of grammatical, spelling, and formatting errors. A resume with errors communicates you don’t pay attention to the details or care to properly create your resume. In the professional world, your resume acts to represent yourself before meeting for interviews, so without editing your resume, you’re unlikely to land a job.
9. Have someone review your resume
After you’ve completed your resume and removed any errors, you should send it to another person in your field to review. A second pair of eyes can highlight any mistakes on your resume that you missed. Having another person in your field review your resume can also help you pinpoint any important information you missed. It’s easy to downplay or forget about our skills, so having a friend or colleague review your resume can aid in improving your overall resume.
10. Landing a job after college
Landing a job out of college is tough, but by paying attention to your resume details, it doesn’t have to be a complete struggle. Using your resume to showcase your skills, experience, and education can help you stand out to employers, even without a ton of experience. By following these ten tips, you’re one step closer to landing your dream job.
About the Guest Author: Megan Isola
Megan Isola holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and a minor in Business Marketing from Cal State University Chico. She enjoys going to concerts, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with friends.
