As a
recent graduate, I would not say I’m the best person to give advice on job
structure and how one should approach the subject. Going into the world as an
entry-level prospect, you learn early on that networking and connections are
important. Sometimes, the experience isn’t going to be all that gets you there.
Recruiters can be the answer and they can help you achieve your goal. How do I
know this? I have a dream job, to work at L Brands. That’s my dream job and the
ultimate goal. My experience isn’t up to par for what they’re looking for in
the position right now because experience. Not only experience but also getting
a way in is the key to a lot of things these days. As a professional, I would
say that you shouldn’t settle but don’t be nit picky because there are
opportunities that can lead to growth and more chances.
What have
I learned entering the work force? Your resume can make or break you. I know
that’s a big statement but your resume and cover letter are what define you to
where you apply. That’s the first impression before the interview. In my
opinion, you need to have a bomb resume. It all depends on the field you are in
but I know that a structured resume that highlights certain points is a big
seller. I received my first post grad job because they were really fond of my
work on my resume and knew I could put in some good work for them.
Detail
The
details that you put into your resume are important. You want to include what
makes you great for this position but at the same time you don’t want to just
focus on that – back up these claims. Make sure positions that could support
you are mentioned and if it doesn’t apply to the position, you could leave it
out if it’s taking up too much space. It doesn’t hurt to include your skills –
if you’re good a graphic design/Photoshop, you deserve the right to brag about
it. If you can plan events and project management and that’s your forte, share
it. You need to brag about yourself. This is how you are going to pull people
into you. Give them details, give them YOU.
Style
Color
scheme matters. Don’t do bright yellow and bright orange as fonts unless the
background will let those colors flourish. Let your style reflect in your
resume. You don’t need to overdo it with the cutout flowers and huge picture of
you. Font. Make sure your font is legible and isn’t going to hurt someone’s
brain. Yeah, the cursive fonts are pretty but they need to be something that
should only be involved with headers and footers. If you’re going to bold a
title, bold them all – same with italics and underlining. It needs to be
consistent throughout the resume. You could include your picture, icon size, it
shouldn’t hurt for them to have knowledge of what you look like. You can do a
background or border in a floral pattern but make sure it’s not unflattering or
will deter your prospects. Icons like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter can be
included – make sure that your social networking profiles aren’t going to
reflect negatively on you. I went in to an interview and I was complimented on
a hash tag I used on my Facebook – #JordanYear for my twenty-third birthday. I
got the job.
Errors
You need
to review it over and over again. Whenever you make a change to it, you need to
check it over. I recently added something to my resume and I didn’t glanced
over my mistake before submitting my resume to a company. Luckily, they didn’t
see it or maybe they did but they still called me in. It looks bad to present
yourself with spelling errors and the wrong tense of words. Make sure you get
it checked over by someone before deciding it’s going to be what you send out
to different companies. Avoid abbreviations, spell the entire word on your
resume. Grammar tense is important, don’t switch back and forth between present
and past tense.
Achievements
Like I said, brag about
yourself!! This is your platform to boast about yourself and not feel like
you’re being cocky. Not that you should ever feel cocky for being proud of
yourself and assured in what you do. You want people to know that you did
something great and got the credit for it. Never hold back on what you think
you should gain recognition for. As a Social Media intern two years ago, I was
promoted to the Social Media Manager halfway throughout my internship and I
made sure to include that on my resume. I’m proud of that. That gives me
reassurance that I was doing good enough to gain recognition in a new title.
Don’t shy away from that achievement.
Testimonials
If you have a lot of blank
space left, these won’t hurt. I know there might be times when you have no room
so don’t worry about these. I suggest these to the people who really pride
themselves on teamwork and getting along in a collaborative culture. It’s
similar to a reference but it’s something that has been said to you or put in a
reference letter. I like the idea of putting your testimonies on a resume – if
I could crunch some in on my own, I definitely would have done it by now.
Avoid
There are quite a few
things you should avoid. An objective isn’t necessary. I know many people that
I have worked on resumes with include a summary abut that summary entails all
their skills and programs they can work with. It can make or break you
depending on how you word it. You don’t need to include your hobbies and
irrelevant work experience. Your resume is a representation of how you belong
in the position that you are applying for. In some ways, it’s an audition and
you might have to tweak it every once in awhile for jobs. Anything you deem
negative to your image for this position should not be included on the
resume.
Those are just a few things
I think can really make a resume and of course, there are a few things that can
break it. Your resume is the first impression, don’t let it break you. Make
yourself shine because if you think you deserve that position, you deserve it
until they tell you that you don’t. Even if you don’t get it, there WILL ALWAYS
be something better out there for you. Work hard and keep working hard. Any
tips from other professionals that have worked out for you?
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