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Do you know how to write a resume? Writing a resume can sometimes be a sore spot among job seekers because, let’s admit it – it’s boring, and it can be a chore. You know you have to write it in order to inform future employers about your experience and skills – but what do you write about when it’s your first time ever to get a job? How do you impress someone when you haven’t been around for very long, much more have an extensive career to speak of? How do you write a resume that gets the job?

If you’re still in college but are actively looking for a job, then you know how much it sucks to have an empty resume. What do you put there? It’s not like they give you a master’s degree for wielding lightsabers. Or a doctorate in air guitar. Or even an associate’s degree in beer pong. How do you present yourself as an eager undergrad (or even fresh grad), ready to be a young professional?

Keep in mind that a resume is a necessity. It provides information not only about past job experiences, but also of your education and skills. Look at it as an investment: by taking the time to craft the perfect resume, that piece of paper will become your potential gateway towards a great future someday.

How to Write a Resume That Gets The Job

Step 1: Research, Research, Research
Before you write your resume, there is research. When you finally decide what type of job you want to get, it is very important to find out more about the industry which it belongs to. Industry information gives you an idea of the type of people who have that kind of job, the range of salary you can get, and even sample resumes. As a college student or recent graduate, your best foot forward is to focus on your educational background, exemplary extra-curricular activities, school awards, thesis projects and skill set. Read more about what employers are looking for and expecting from college students. Find out if the industry you’ve chosen is “friendly” towards young people, or if you are bound to work in an environment where it’s hard to find someone your age to relate to.

Step 2: Come Up with A Job Objective
What is your career goal? What do you want to do in a job? What are you expecting out of it? A job objective describes to an employer what you are looking for. If your description matches what they are able and capable of giving you, then you’re one step closer towards getting an interview. A job objective is usually the first thing that you put in your resume after you have listed your personal information. It is a statement, must be direct to the point, honest but not demanding. Make sure that you sound professional, and you use the proper business terms.

DON’T: To work in a big office and to be paid big bucks.
DO: To collaborate with a creative team and work on projects that stretch the limits of imagination

DON’T: To have a boss that teaches me new stuff
DO: To learn from dynamic mentors and maximize management skills and training experience

Something even shorter and simpler:
“To obtain the position as a [job] in [company] and work in a challenging environment”
“To obtain a [job department] position that is intriguing and challenging and has potential for personal growth and development”

Step 3: Write the Perfect Resume
a. Bio and contact information: Use your full given name. Indicate your birth date and age. Give a phone number where you can be reached. Make sure that you provide a professional-looking email address where employers can reach you. Create a separate email account if you have to, and refrain from using cute handles – your name is enough for a username. Provide a link to an online portfolio or website if you like.
b. Job objective: Remember KISS – Keep It Short and Simple.
c. Education: Since you are still in college or you have just graduated, this is an important part of your resume. Indicate the full name of your school, years studied, your GPA, and your major and minor (if any). If you have taken extra classes somewhere, and you think it’s an important detail about you and related to the job you are applying for, put it in. For example, if you are applying as a photographer and have a literature degree, but have taken serious classes in a photography school, then it matters and should be included in your resume.
d. Employment: Include this if you have previous jobs before that you think are relevant, like freelance writer for a magazine (include publication details) or part-time German language tutor (if you’re applying as a translator). Also include the dates when you had these jobs (when you started and when it ended). If you did volunteer work, you can put that, too. However, do remember to edit yourself. Your future employer doesn’t need to know everything, especially if it has nothing to do with the job. If you are applying for the position as an account executive, it hardly matters that you got paid to walk the neighbor’s dogs last year. But if you are looking to become a swim instructor, then that lifeguard gig you’ve been doing for the past three summers might count.
e. School orgs and activities: If you are part of an organization, or have several notable extra-curricular activities, write them down. It is particularly enticing to employers if you have been a leader or held high positions, have started a club, hosted events, spearheaded projects, and more.
f. Honors and awards: Whether they’re academic, given by the community or from sports, they matter. Also include any scholarships, contests won and other achievements.
g. Skills: This is where you indicate whatever you’re good at: writing, designing, public speech, programming, if you speak any languages, etc. This is also where you put what software programs you are proficient in, like Microsoft Office (if you know all programs, else just put individually what you know, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, etc.
h. Interests: This is a more personal part of the resume. Not everyone puts it because sometimes the job you’re applying for doesn’t call for it, and sometimes people fear it’s unprofessional. Use your judgment – there’s nothing wrong with letting your future employer know what interests you, because it makes you more personable and interesting, but sometimes too much information can not lead to good things, too. So be witty enough to be interesting but prudent enough to still keep it in taste. For example, your interests could be: “art, literature, history and culture.”
i. References: Since you don’t have much experience yet, you will need references whom potential employers can call to verify not only your identity but your character. Usually two to three references are enough. Make sure that you inform these people and ask their permission. Also let them know once you’ve passed your resume somewhere, so they can prepare in case they get a call. Choose people who know you but can give a professional opinion and recommendation of you, like a respected professor, a co-fellow at a writer’s workshop, a student leader you’ve worked with at your organization, or your former boss. Refrain from getting a family member.

Step 4: Tailor and Polish
Now that you have written your resume, it is now time to review and edit. Again, remember the KISS rule: keep it short and simple. An ideal resume consists of one page only. This is because there are a lot of people who pass their resumes – employers do not have time to sift through everything. If you don’t catch their interest from the get-go, then a second or third page full of your achievements won’t matter. Be specific. Show that you are not just passing a generic resume – customize it according to the company whom you will be giving it to. Remember that your resume should highlight why you would be the perfect candidate for the job, so only put info that is relevant. Check for grammatical errors and typos – simple errors can turn off a reader fast. Use action verbs. Do not use “I” or “me” or “my”.

Step 5: Use a Clean Design
Make use of white space. Use simple, clear font. Serif fonts are ideal, like Times New Roman. Font sizes should be around 10-12. Avoid excessive formatting. Print on white paper. Prepare an electronic version (save as .RTF if possible) in case you are asked to submit it online.

Some entry level sample resumes (for new graduates or those who are currently in college):

More?
How To Write a Resume

Resumes for New Graduates

More often than not, simple is best. But, if you are feeling creative and daring, here are some who took the risk and thought outside the box:
- 30 Artistic and Creative Résumés
- 36 Beautiful Resume Ideas That Work

A good resume separates you from hundreds of application letters on the desk. It gets you noticed and transfers you from the ‘Rejects’ to the ‘Has Potential’ pile. A great resume gets you one foot in the door. It gets you an interview. An excellent resume gets employers excited, and they can’t wait to call you in to say, “You’re Hired.” Where do you want to belong?

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