I believe that my resume is less than impressive, and I’d like some advice on how to make it a little better. I’ve had a few jobs, but only 2 that were really long term, including the one I’ve been at for almost 2 years now which is UPS. I will graduate with a bachelor’s in August in Criminal Justice. There’s a job fair tomorrow for CRJ students and I would like to have a resume on hand in case there’s an opportunity I’d like to explore.
Do they expect our resumes to not be very impressive at this stage in life, at the beginning of our careers or while still in college? I guess what I’m asking is what are some tips on how to make a less than impressive resume look better than it really is.
I would get a book on resume’s. There are so many ways to write them up. There are different ways to do them for different types of jobs. Real worth the investment.
At this stage your education will be your primary focus in your resume, and the recruiters should recognize this. Highlight your academic performance, any awards you may have received, and any extra curricular groups/activities you may have participated in.
Avoid filling your resume up with complete garbage. In fact, let me rephrase that; if you have had little or unimpressive work experience and your prospective job happens to not require much education, then hype up every small detail as much as possible. If, however, you have a degree or higher education and you are going for a CAREER, avoid hyping the job at McDonald’s extensively. They are not concerned about how many floors you swept while in school. They are more concerned with your school performance and extracurricular activities.
I have worked at amusement parks and stores since I was 15. NONE of that is on my resume.
I would mention jobs you’ve had briefly at the stage you are at now while focusing much more on school performance and outside activities that show leadership.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
I would mention jobs you’ve had briefly at the stage you are at now while focusing much more on school performance and outside activities that show leadership.[/quote]
This is how I would approach my resume if I was fresh out of school. You really do not have much work experience and potential employers know this. While in college, I spent my summers painting houses during the day and bartending at night. For the painting gig, I highlighted the fact that I sought out new clients, prepared estimates, procured materials and managed temporary employees. For the bartending gig, I pointed out that I was the lead bartender at one of the busiest bars in the city and that my sales were routinely among the top three employees.
Screw the stupid crap like a pic, your GPA or extra curricular activities. Your future employer does not care if you have a porn star mustache or that you were a member of Phi Beta Delta. If they want to know about your GPA, they will ask during an interview.
[quote]VanderLaan wrote:
Professor X wrote:
I would mention jobs you’ve had briefly at the stage you are at now while focusing much more on school performance and outside activities that show leadership.
This is how I would approach my resume if I was fresh out of school. You really do not have much work experience and potential employers know this. While in college, I spent my summers painting houses during the day and bartending at night. For the painting gig, I highlighted the fact that I sought out new clients, prepared estimates, procured materials and managed temporary employees. For the bartending gig, I pointed out that I was the lead bartender at one of the busiest bars in the city and that my sales were routinely among the top three employees.
Screw the stupid crap like a pic, your GPA or extra curricular activities. Your future employer does not care if you have a porn star mustache or that you were a member of Phi Beta Delta. If they want to know about your GPA, they will ask during an interview.
[/quote]
I agree with everything but your take on extracurriculars and your avoidance of GPA. You only avoid mentioning that GPA if it is poor. Very often, extracurriculars will be looked at to determine whether the student is the type who only has book knowledge or if they show leadership skills in other areas of their life. It IS important if a student received a 3.8GPA but started several community service projects when compared to the student who has a 4.0 but did nothing but study all of the time.
I personally would look more favorably at the student with the 3.8. I think much more poorly of people who bury themselves in books but have no interpersonal skills at all.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
VanderLaan wrote:
Professor X wrote:
I would mention jobs you’ve had briefly at the stage you are at now while focusing much more on school performance and outside activities that show leadership.
This is how I would approach my resume if I was fresh out of school. You really do not have much work experience and potential employers know this. While in college, I spent my summers painting houses during the day and bartending at night. For the painting gig, I highlighted the fact that I sought out new clients, prepared estimates, procured materials and managed temporary employees. For the bartending gig, I pointed out that I was the lead bartender at one of the busiest bars in the city and that my sales were routinely among the top three employees.
Screw the stupid crap like a pic, your GPA or extra curricular activities. Your future employer does not care if you have a porn star mustache or that you were a member of Phi Beta Delta. If they want to know about your GPA, they will ask during an interview.
I agree with everything but your take on extracurriculars and your avoidance of GPA. You only avoid mentioning that GPA if it is poor. Very often, extracurriculars will be looked at to determine whether the student is the type who only has book knowledge or if they show leadership skills in other areas of their life. It IS important if a student received a 3.8GPA but started several community service projects when compared to the student who has a 4.0 but did nothing but study all of the time.
I personally would look more favorably at the student with the 3.8. I think much more poorly of people who bury themselves in books but have no interpersonal skills at all.
[/quote]
True. In that case it would probably fall under your criterion of “outside activities that show leadership”. Too many people put “played football” or “like to fish” on their resume and it tells a potential employer nothing about how they would be an asset to the company. Of course, if you were applying to be an athletic trainer or a guide in the interior of Alaska, it would be relevant.
In short, I think it is best to have a short and concise resume than one that is long and full of fluff. Especially if you are meeting face to face and have a chance to sell yourself to a representative of the company.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
VanderLaan wrote:
Professor X wrote:
I would mention jobs you’ve had briefly at the stage you are at now while focusing much more on school performance and outside activities that show leadership.
This is how I would approach my resume if I was fresh out of school. You really do not have much work experience and potential employers know this. While in college, I spent my summers painting houses during the day and bartending at night. For the painting gig, I highlighted the fact that I sought out new clients, prepared estimates, procured materials and managed temporary employees. For the bartending gig, I pointed out that I was the lead bartender at one of the busiest bars in the city and that my sales were routinely among the top three employees.
Screw the stupid crap like a pic, your GPA or extra curricular activities. Your future employer does not care if you have a porn star mustache or that you were a member of Phi Beta Delta. If they want to know about your GPA, they will ask during an interview.
I agree with everything but your take on extracurriculars and your avoidance of GPA. You only avoid mentioning that GPA if it is poor. Very often, extracurriculars will be looked at to determine whether the student is the type who only has book knowledge or if they show leadership skills in other areas of their life. It IS important if a student received a 3.8GPA but started several community service projects when compared to the student who has a 4.0 but did nothing but study all of the time.
I personally would look more favorably at the student with the 3.8. I think much more poorly of people who bury themselves in books but have no interpersonal skills at all.
[/quote]
Part of my job includes HR functions such as reviewing resumes, recruiting and screening potential candidates for our Hiring Managers.
Resume tips…
No Picture…never…ever. For the love of God never.
Include GPA if is high and/or in a difficult major i.e. Accounting/Finance or Engineering.
Keep it Simple. Recruiters do not want to know what high school you went to ect.
Always include it in both Word format and PDF as certain companies SAP systems use one or the other.
My dad deals with this stuff all the time. The one biggest thing he tells is me to keep it on one-page (typed, obviously) when you’re young. If you haven’t won the Nobel Prize, then chances are you haven’t done anything worth describing for more than one page. Brevity is best, remember that resumes just get you in the door for an interview and will almost never get you a job.