Looking for that summer job? Firing up your resume for your first professional position? You best be prepared!
As a person who reads a lot of university students’ resumes, I'm still shocked at some on the basic mistakes that are being made (and how frequently). On the bright side, if you follow these simple tips for applying to jobs, it’s not all that challenging to rise above the masses.
Tips from me to you :)
1. Write a got' dang cover letter... and customize it too!
Whether or not the employer asked for a cover letter, write them one. And don't just give them a cookie-cutter cover letter. 80% of applicants either write no cover letter, or give me a very generic cover letter of no real value. You know where those applications end up? Well, they do not make it past the abiss known as my Downloads folder. Is writing a cover letter for the job you want too much work for you? Then the job probably is too. Time to put in some work and get what you want.
2. List your education properly
For students and recent grads, place your education at the top of you resume. Education is a big part of a young job seeker's brand.
If you have yet to finish your degree, you should still list it, along with the expected graduation date. It's okay if it's in the future.
Should you list your high school on your resume? Not unless the job you're applying to is at that same high school. If you've completed, or even started a university degree, they know you completed high school.
3. Do not banish volunteer experience to the bottom of your resume
At your age, some of your best experience has probably come unpaid. If you've been on a fundraising committee, or coached a youth sports team, or planned an event with your student club, that is all valuable experience that deserves to be right up there (and even above) your $14/hour Dairy Queen Drive-Thru job from last summer.
This leads nicely into my next point...
4. Put your best experience at the top of your resume (after education, of course)
Don't worry to much about chronological order. Best foot forward, people! For instructions on how to do this, check out my recent blog: How to Arrange Your Resume: Logically or Chronologically?
5. Make your job titles POP!
After your education, job titles are the next thing a resume reviewer is looking at during their 6-10 second scan. Don't make the common mistake of highlighting the company you worked for or any other secondary detail. Put that job title in bold and smack it right at the top left of each experience. BAM!
6. Include months in each job duration
Don't tell me you worked a Kinkos from 2016-2017 because even though you're a perfectly trustworthy person who would never write anything deceptive on their resume, my brain can't help but think, "December 31st, 2016 to January 1st, 2017 fits under that category. Does this person only have 2-days experience at Kinkos?"
Don't leave anything to the imagination. Throw the months in there.
7. Include numbers in your bullet points
I've written a lot about writing good bullet points in your resume. If you've got time, check out my all-time most popular blog post: Why Your Resume is Betraying You... and what to do about it. It gives a solid rundown what what makes a good bullet point.
If you don't have time (and trust me, bullet points are worth putting in the time), I've got one suggestion for you: work some numbers into your bullet points to really paint a picture.
Which sounds better to you?
Provided exceptional customer service
Or...
Assisted over 250 customers per day with refunds, troubleshooting, and payment processing of up to $3,000 per day
That is all for now, people. I hope this was helpful and you're all able to apply to jobs with confidence! May the 4th be with you!