Every job seeker has heard time and time again that a resume is your first impression on an employer, and many college students about to embark on a job search spend countless hours tweaking every word to make it look perfect. However, many students unknowingly send out resumes that will only earn them a one way ticket to the rejection pile. Fixing a few simple mistakes can mean the difference between landing that dream job or moving back in with good ol’ mom and dad.
1. Use Relevant Experience
Many students overlook the importance of having a relevant resume. Employers do not want to hear about your 8th grade horse-back riding championships or that you were in the school play in high school. Unless you are a freshman without college experience, you should only be putting activities from college on your resume. This is where it is important to get involved on campus, as having valuable leadership experience to put on your resume will make quite an impression.
2. Present a Professional Image
While you may like the same email address you’ve had since elementary school, an employer will not appreciate receiving an email from sportsgurl12345. Use your school email address or create one on Google. It should be simple and easy to remember, preferably just your first initial and last name. You want to present a polished and professional image, and make it easy to remember and associate your address with you. On that note, make sure you label your resume appropriately. Having a document titled Resume 2011 might make sense to you because it’s the only resume on your computer, but when an employer could be going through hundreds of resumes a day, having a title that can distinguish yours from the rest will be a big help. A simple title with your first and last name, and the year should suffice.
3. Making it too fancy
While you want to make your resume stand out, getting too fancy with your resume can just put an employer off. Crazy fonts, lots of colors, and a funky layout can just confuse, and distract from the information on the page. A resume should be printed on high quality resume paper in an easy to read font, so that employers can focus on your accomplishments, not your font color.
4. Give Examples, not Generics
While it can be tempting to pad your resume with descriptions like “team player,” “people person,” or “hard-working,” these are all words that an employer has seen before. Instead of searching through your thesaurus for the most colorful words you can use, focus on actually describing how you contributed to a job.
5. Objective
An objective at the top of your resume can seem like a great way to present yourself as driven and focused, but this is only true if you can write a unique objective. An employer knows that you are seeking “a job that can help sharpen your skills and give you experience in your chosen field,” that’s why you’re applying for the job. You are better off leaving out the objective and using that prime resume real estate to showcase your accomplishments.
Remember, a resume is just about getting your foot in the door. It is your first chance for a good impression, and it should distinguish you from the rest of the pack. Your interview is your time to shine, but without that resume, you will find your resume becoming a regular in the rejection pile.