This is the Right Way to Write Your Resume

Her Campus South Carolina got the opportunity to attend a resume refresher course with the Career Center. We learned all of the tips and tricks to writing the best resume and cover letter, and we’re sharing them with you!

Graduate student, Allison Stewart, walked us through everything from resume tips to interview mistakes and how to network like a pro. For those of you just starting to look for summer internships, this article will be your last-minute life saver.

For starters, Stewart said that, “80% of job vacancies are not posted on job sites or company websites, leaving only 20% of job postings to be seen.” That means, that if you’re relying on LinkedIn, job search sites or even your career center you’re missing a lot of great opportunities. In fact, you’re limiting yourself by 80%.

One of the ways Stewart suggests combating this issue is to spend a lot of time networking to build strong relationships with professional connections. She suggests going to every career fair, networking event or informational interview you can. If nothing else, you’ll get amazing practice introducing yourself to potential employers. Moreover, you’re getting your name out there and forming relationship with possible internship or job connections.

Another great way to network in college is to make sure you have a LinkedIn. But, just having a LinkedIn isn’t enough. Stewart stressed how important it is to always update your LinkedIn. Not only does having a LinkedIn allow you to build connections, it also provides a space to put all of your work experience, not just the most relevant positions that you put on your resume. According to Stewart, “it gives employers a better opportunity to learn more about you than what your resume shows.” So, be sure to update, update, update!

If you’re already a networking pro and have a bangin’ LinkedIn, then it’s time to look at your resume a little bit closer. A lot of students make the same mistakes, so here’s a short list of to-do’s and not-to-do’s.

Not sure your resume needs a second look? It probably does. Stewart told HCSC at the resume workshop that most employers spend about 10 to 30 seconds looking at a resume.

Considering a resume is the first step to securing an internship, or job, I think it’s definitely worth the extra glance. Here are the top 3 mistakes students make and the top 3 ways to make yourself stand out as an applicant.

Avoid these mistakes:

1. Don’t sell yourself short when listing your experience.

2. Don’t forget to start all bullet points with action verbs.

3. Don’t list skills like “team player” or other abstract phrases in the career section. Instead, focus on technical skills. For example, that you’re proficient in Dreamweaver or Excel.

Be sure to do these instead:

1. Always incorporate language used in the job description.

2. Include all experience pertinent to the position. Stewart suggests joining a club that could give you experience for a potential internship that you might not have a lot of experience for.

3. Us the right action verbs to describe what you accomplished in your past experience. Statistics and numbers really help to exemplify how you helped previous employers and how you could help potential employers.

For more resume, interview and other job or relationship-related tips, make an appointment at the Career Center! Or, you can also stop by if you have a quick question Monday through Friday from 1PM to 4PM. Also, be sure to register your handshake account to keep an eye out for potential internships!