If you ask anyone upon whom I have forced my business card (yes! I AM an executive assistant!) I loved my summer job. I was blessed with all of the experiences that I had, but one aspect of my job will be especially helpful in my future job hunts: hiring. I worked with our hiring manager to sift through the hundreds of candidates who submitted applications to our restaurant, and I also assisted in preliminary interviews. After weeks and weeks and weeks of sorting and scheduling and interviewing, I realized exactly why the hiring process seems like an eternity, and I got to learn the behind the scenes of hiring and what employers look for.
Your resume is a HUGE factor in the decision to interview; it could make or break your application. Check out these life-tested tips on resume building.
1. DO create a living resume
This is key! If your resume has outdated information or experience that isn’t relevant for a position, take it off of the copy of your resume that you plan to submit. You can make a “master resume” and make a copy of the master to fill in or eliminate information for certain industries.
2. DO consider layout
This is where your sense of feng shui comes in handy. Depending on your field, the “standard resume” is changing. In creative fields, graphics-based or video resumes are becoming more of a norm, but when in doubt, use a 12-point black font on a white background. Think about how and where you should add subheadings, italicized words, and bullets. There is great example resumes on the FSU Career Center’s website with different kinds of formats to play around with!
If you’re submitting a resume through Indeed or another online job search website, you should upload a PDF of your resume, rather than just filling in the work experience prompts through Indeed. Resumes like this tend to lack information and depth, and it’s always best to be clear and concise in the hiring process!
3. DO include current and correct contact information
When an employer notices your fantastic resume, they will definitely want to reach out to you! Make sure that you list a professional email address that you use frequently, and not just your nolelover868@ email address (it’s great that you’re a fan, though). When someone contacts you for an interview, it is the most likely that they will call you, so put your phone number in addition to your email. Seriously, your number. I called a candidate over the summer and found that his mother was coordinating their job search when she picked up the phone. It was an awkward conversation.
4. DON’T do this alone
When in doubt, grab a friend or professor to proofread your resume! The Career Center can also sit down with you for a free resume review in which they’ll critique your resume. They also sponsor a recurring event called Resume Café that combines breakfast and job advice- how could you go wrong with that?
For dates, check the FSU calendar!