Having a great and professional resume is crucial as a college student. If you’re struggling in designing a resume (what do you list first anyway?) or coming up with relevant work experience (is Sunglass Hut relevant?) Whether you’re applying for a part-time job or your first internship, make sure to check out these tips for making the most of your resume.
1. Put your education first
When stressing over what to put on your resume, don’t forget that your education is important! Put down the degree you are a candidate for, as well as any other pertinent information. Are you in the honors program? Have you been on the Dean’s list? Do you have any minors? This is all information that goes into your education section.
2. List your extracurriculars
This tip is helpful especially if you don’t have too much work experience yet. Extracurriculars are a great way to beef up your resume and show off your different experiences. If you are struggling to come up with work experience for your resume, try running for an eboard position at your favorite student organization. This demonstrates initiative and creates a great place to show off your different skills such as leadership, teamwork, and more!
3. Figure out generic keywords
Don’t change your resume for every single job, but appeal to a wide range with common keywords from job descriptions you are interested in. For example, someone going into marketing might want to include information about analytics or social media in their work experience. Some companies rely on keywords to sort through potential applicants so, while not the most important thing on your resume, it is something to keep in mind. Take a peek at some job descriptions, and find out what relevant experience you have that will appeal to prospective employers!
4. Design your resume
Resumes aren’t just boring Word documents. Personalizing your resume will help you stand out from the competition as well as look more professional. I recommend using Canva or Google Docs to find some resume templates that work for you. If you do use a ready-made template, try changing it up a little so that you don’t have the exact same layout as someone else. However, don’t go overboard with design. Just picking a color for the headings can be enough to catch a manager’s eye. Unless you are going into a design-related role, make sure you keep it professional.
5. Don’t be afraid to list your interests
Listing your interests can really aide in personifying your resume. This gives you an opportunity to connect with your employer before even meeting them. For example, listing tennis as an interest may allow your interviewer to strike up a conversation about how they used to play for their college team! Bonding with your interviewer over a shared interest is sure to leave a good impression, and it helps you stand out from the crowd.
I hope these tips helped you learn what to do to boost your resume game a little bit. Good luck in the job search!