truitt
As I am nearing the end of my contract with the Georgia College Advising Corps, I have been thinking a lot about how important my resume is for finding my next stop in the working world. Students often don’t realize the importance of a good resume when applying for college and for summer jobs in their area, so I just wanted to give a quick list of best practices for students when compiling a new resume:
Be Concise
Resumes are a brief overview of who you are as a person, so make sure to get to the point efficiently. I always recommend one-page resumes for my students because all important information is immediately visible to the person reading. If you write a resume longer than one page, make sure everything listed is applicable to what you are applying for. Leave as little blank space as possible!
List by Importance/Relevance
When employers or admissions representatives read your resume, they will want to get a gist of who you are right from the get-go. Resumes can be constructed in many different ways, but this is my general recommendation for one:
- Education: List your last institution attended. Also list your month of graduation, or the month you intend to graduate.
- Work Experience: List current jobs first, then jobs relevant to what you are applying to. Create a brief bullet-point overview of the skills gained through each job.
- Community/School Involvement: List organizations you have been a part of, and the dates you were involved during.
- Accolades: List any awards you might have received.
- Skills: General skills that are applicable in the workplace can be listed here. Skills with computer programs and operating systems are the most common to list.
Have an Editor
No joke – having someone look over your resume is just as important here as it is on any college paper you write. Throughout my college career, I had a very good friend look over everything I wrote, and I continue to be grateful for the constructive criticism he provided.
Keep it Professional
Employers and admissions offices everywhere see hundreds of resumes each year, so try not to make your resume stand out like a sore thumb. Keep your information organized, and don’t do anything fancy. This means no unprofessional e-mail addresses, fancy fonts or stylized borders – keep it simple!
Again, this is just a brief overview of what I like to see in a resume. Please leave me comments below if you have any specific questions about your resume; I’m always happy to help!
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