As if classes, extra-curriculars, and a social life weren’t enough to juggle, college is also filled with trying to achieve internship and eventually career goals. Starting freshman year we are told that we need to start compiling our resumes. If you’re anything like me, you panicked and had no idea where to begin. Now, three years later, I can safely say I know how to advocate for myself and I learned it’s not so hard.
- Edit Your Resume for Every Job You Apply for
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Every job you apply for is going to be looking for different skills, so why not tailor your resume to fit that? For example, focus more on relevant experience to the position. Go into more detail for those positions that show you would make a good candidate.
- Try to Quantify Descriptions as Much as Possible
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Instead of describing experiences you’ve had like you were writing a job description, go into personal detail, highlighting the things that excited you. Talk about things you achieved in that position specifically and use numbers. Try to quantify your accomplishments — instead of saying you managed residents as an RA, say you managed X number of residents for X numbers of hours a week.
- Keep It to One Page
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Job recruiters most likely won’t want to read through a bunch of pages from a resume. In fact, sometimes big companies run resumes through a machine, so it doesn’t really matter. Be concise, and include just what’s important. Think of things that don’t need to be said and might not relate to the position you are applying for if you can’t fit it on one page.
- Add Your Own Flare, So Long as It’s Appropriate
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It’s okay to put color and add some style to your resume as long as the position warrants it. Obviously, take into consideration the job and the company and decide what amount of extra you can add to your resume. Don’t overdo it, just help yourself stand out.
Getting your dream job or internship might seem hard, but use these tips to make the process a little less stressful. Trust yourself, you can do anything if you set your mind to it.
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