Key Items for Grads to Include on Their Resumes

Lauren Krause
Posted by in Administrative & Clerical Services


It doesn't take long for recent college graduates to discover how much competition there is in the job market. Because competition is fierce, it's important that you have a solid resume. Resume tips aren't hard to find, but you need to be able to determine which tips will benefit you so that your resume stands out amongst those of your peers.

 

One of the most important resume tips you can follow is to give your resume a goal. The last thing you want on your resume is a run-of-the-mill objective that a grade-school child could write. Your resume should have a targeted objective or qualifications summary that highlights your strengths and what you plan to achieve throughout your career. When you're writing your objective, focus on how you can benefit your employer. Keep your objective clear and concise, and steer clear of vague statements.

 

As a recent college grad, you want to highlight your academic achievements. This is one of the many resume tips you will read that you don't want to skip. It's important that you include any pertinent information about your degree, volunteer work you completed related to your field, an internship you held, and other achievements that show you in a leadership role.

 

Most resume tips are geared toward chronological resumes. However, skill-based resumes may be a better option for recent college graduates with little work history. To make your resume stand out, you need to highlight your skills instead of your work experience. Take some time to determine what skills you have that employers are looking for in your field. Then, create a section of your resume highlighting your skills.

 

As technology continues to advance, more and more employers are using the Internet to search for potential employees, making it important to use keywords in your resume. You can spend hours reading about various resume tips online and write an exceptional resume that highlights all of your skills, but if you aren't using keywords that employers in your field are searching for, not many people will see your online resume. When you're writing your resume, think about the type of words employers are using in the job postings for your field and include those words in your online resume.

 

The single most important thing that you need to include in your resume is your contact information. While common sense tells you to include your name, phone number, and email address on your resume, don't be afraid to get social. Use your social networking circle to circulate your resume, and include your social networking information as part of your contact information to make it easier for potential employers to find you.

 

Once you've compiled all of your strengths and your work history, put all of the information together to create your resume. While reading resume tips is helpful, you can't find a job without building your resume and getting it into the hands of potential employers.

 

(Photo courtesy of xedos4 / freedigitalphotos.net) 

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