One of the biggest problems for those looking for jobs, whether first-timers right out of college, or mid-career professionals seeking new work, is resume writing. This is especially true for those who have not yet held jobs with significant responsibility. But entry-level jobseekers need not have outstanding job experience to make their resume exciting and attractive to prospective employers.
Most people do not see the value of their activities in relation to what the employer is looking for in a job candidate. Employers are looking for capabilities and concrete examples of skills and abilities, such as organizational leadership and involvement, a strong work ethic, and a sense of social responsibility and commitment. They want to hire candidates who have fully engaged themselves in their educational and professional environments.
Accomplishments Worth Mentioning
One of the biggest mistakes jobseekers make on their resumes is to list activities or accomplishments without offering further information or embellishment. A resume may read: "Extensive travel in Europe. Spent second semester junior year attending London University." But there may be more there than just listing the activity. Maybe the individual organized group trips, learned another language, taught a class to non-English students, etc.
To produce an interesting, informative and sellable candidacy, you need to apply a test to each of your activities and accomplishments. Ask yourself, why would an employer be interested in this? How does it make me a more attractive applicant? How does this show a skill or ability of mine?
When considering academic accomplishments, college graduates should think of them both in terms of skills learned and positive proof of their authentic commitment to particular areas of their education – not just a line to take up space on the resume.
For instance, an individual may have become proficient in two different languages during college. Even if the employer does not have need for a foreign language, it shows discipline and an aptitude that is an asset in any job. Skill at articulating your thoughts orally and in written form is crucial to succeed in business, and the ability to do so will impress the hiring authorities.
And the Award Goes to . . .
It is imperative to include any awards, citations or special selections to a committee, club or panel. These are third-party endorsements showing someone else thought highly enough of your expertise and competence to single you out.
Were there activities where you directed, supervised or were responsible for other people? Maybe it was leading a study group, taking charge in marketing initiatives or editing the school newspaper or internal newsletter. In each of those examples, the person had to handle responsibilities, answer to a supervisor, direct people and work effectively in a group – assets employers value.
As Long as Necessary
Another key to crafting an effective resume is not to worry about length. Most people believe there is an unwritten law that says that no resume can ever be more than one page long. This is not the case, especially if the job candidate has worthwhile information to communicate. Even if the job candidate just graduated, there is no rule that says the resume must fit on one piece of paper.
If the candidate has had internships, summer jobs, school jobs, academic accomplishments and so on, perhaps one page will not adequately hold all the impressive achievements and skills learned in four or more years of school.
Even if you have not had many jobs, you need not be shy about outlining work that was accomplished while doing certain activities. For instance, you may have played in the marching band or led a charity dance marathon. Mid-career jobseekers can list activities in which they are involved regarding their children, such as organizing and leading classroom field trips. Give examples of the organization, leadership and responsibility involved with these activities. Actual actions should be outlined on the resume in some detail: "Created a database of...."
Interview Crib Sheets
Another benefit to having a detailed resume is that it helps in responding to questions by the interviewer. By writing down achievements both large and small, candidates will have committed to memory and be able to recall faster all the reasons why they are right for the job.
For example, if the interviewer were to ask a candidate why traveling through Europe will make him/her a better worker, the answers will already be formulated and the candidate can respond quickly and confidently.
A helpful exercise before writing out the final resume is to write down a list of all activities, awards, accomplishments and experiences from the major milestones to the routine day-to-day activities. On a separate page, write down a list of questions that the employer would want to ask about each item. For instance, "What skills and abilities did you learn?" "How will this make you do your job better?" How will this make you more valuable to the company?" "Give me a concrete example of how those skills were exhibited."
Once those questions have been answered, job candidates have ample information to develop a solid resume with the kind of data that impresses employers. Jobseekers are often pleasantly surprised to see how a certain activity or experience once thought to be trivial, was actually very helpful in the interview.
The key is to think like an employer as the resume is being developed, then to write the resume from the employer’s perspective. Once that is done, your chances of getting the interview and a subsequent job offer will be greatly increased.