How to Write the Perfect College Grad Resume
If you are almost finished college and about to enter the job market, there is a lot to consider when writing an entry-level resume. As a recent college grad, you may not have a huge background of professional experience, which can make it a challenge to write an impressive CV.
When writing a college graduate resume, you have to figure how to highlight education over experience, and how to prioritize things such as internships, training, and applicable skills.
If you really want to perfect your resume, you can go with a professionally CV written for you. A professional resume writing service can help you create a high-impact CV customized to your goals and career aspirations.
If you want to do it on your own, here are some tips for writing the perfect college graduate resume.
Provide Professional Contact Information
The email address catgirl4life may have been cute and funny during your high school and college years, but it’s not going to work in the job market.
If you don’t already have one, create a professional email that’s reserved for job-seeking and professional communication only. A simple, no-fail rule is to use your first and last name. You may have to add some variation if the email address is already taken, such as including a period or dash between your first and surname. But all in all, keep it very basic.
You’ll also want to add your contact number to your resume, and if you have a LinkedIn profile, you can insert that link as well.
Include a Clear and Concise Resume Summary
Just underneath your contact information, it’s wise to include a resume summary. This is a short statement summarizing your skills, education, and experience.
Try not to include too much fluff in this section, such as “I’m responsible and a hard worker.” Instead, stick to facts. Highlight the important aspects of your resume with skills you’ve learned that are applicable to the job market.
Use Relevant Keywords
While doing your job search, pay attention to keywords that routinely pop up in the job descriptions and qualification requirements. If you’ve developed any of those skills or experiences, be sure to include those keywords in your resume.
Job recruiters receive a ton of resumes, so using relevant keywords will make yours more likely to stand out and get noticed.
Include Important Selling Points
Make sure to highlight any and all selling points you have. You should have a section at the bottom of your resume that includes these selling points.
If you’ve held relevant internships or even shadowing opportunities, you’ll want to include those in this section. If you don’t have a ton of work-related experience, you can instead highlight things such as high-level courses you excelled in, any academic or athletic honors you received, leadership opportunities you held, or any extra-curricular activities you participated in.
Know What to Leave Out
Knowing what to leave out of your resume is just as important as knowing what to include. Here are a few things you’ll want to avoid:
- Mentions of high school. It may be tempting to include any and all education and experiences you held, but you want to avoid mentioning high school experiences. Employers are interested in what you’ve done recently, not four or more years ago. To keep it relevant, stick to your college experiences.
- Fluff. Words such as “hard worker,” “ambitious,” and “self-starter” are a little arbitrary. Instead of using fluffy language, stick to clear and concise words that describe your skills and experiences.
- Coursework. If you have had at least one internship or job-related experience to include, then you can leave out mentions of coursework. Only include coursework if you don’t have any other hands-on experience to list.
Create a Stand-Out Resume
With little work experience and competitive job markets, entering the job force straight out of college can be intimidating. But don’t fret. There are plenty of employers looking for fresh, young new employees who are trainable and willing to learn.
With these tips, you can create a stand-out resume that can help you land an entry-level position and be on your way to your dream career.
