Congratulations, graduate! You made it. Now it’s time to start the somewhat stressful journey of job hunting. Start off on the right foot by including all of the following information to build the perfect post college resume.
Basic Information
People follow the path of least resistance. If your employer feels it is too difficult to reach you, they won’t bother. So make it easier by including your name, phone number and e-mail address at the top of your resume. Go the extra mile and include a link to your LinkedIn profile so they can learn more about you.
Education
As a recent grad, keep your education towards the top of your resume. Be sure to list your school, major and year of graduation or expected graduation. If your GPA is lower than a 3.0, it is not necessary to add it on your resume. You want to show yourself in the best possible light. If you lack on the job experience part of your resume, list relevant courses instead.
Experience
List all your professional work experience (including internships) in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent venture. List your official job title, the name of the company you worked for, the month and year you started and the month and year you finished. Under each position, use bullet points to describe your responsibilities using strong action verbs. Be specific, and hone in on projects you succeeded with.
If you think you don’t have any relevant experience, think again. Were you an officer of a club at your university? Did you volunteer at a soup kitchen? Did you organize a rummage sale at your church? Think of any time you took on responsibility, used your time management and organizational skills or worked under a supervisor. Each of those opportunities translates to an experience that can potentially contribute to your success in the workplace. Use your resume to show how these experiences shaped your work ethic and better prepared you for the professional world.
Awards and Recognition
Don’t forget to include any special awards you earned during your college years. This shows employers you will work hard to achieve your goals while also adding personality to your resume.
Additional Skills
You just finished school, so you may not have extensive experience, but you still have a variety of skills to offer your future employer. Are you fluent in a second language? Do you know how to use InDesign or Photoshop? Are you a skilled public speaker? This section of your resume allows you to show the unique skills you bring to the table, setting you apart from the crowd (coding skills are always good to mention).
Final Touches
Your completed resume should be no longer than one page. Be sure to use a simple, professional font, such as Calibri or Times New Roman, no larger than 11 points. Always remember, it’s better to have blank space than to lie about your work experience. Everyone has to start somewhere. Employers will understand and respect that this is just the beginning for you. Finally, have a friend (or two) double check for any spelling or grammar errors, then triple check it yourself.