VIEWPOINTS: Does your resume impress or depress?
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Look at your resume. What do you see? Do you have the typical headings: objective, education, experience, activities? Good. But it is what goes in between those headings that really counts.
In Career Services, it is common for us to help students with resumes on a daily basis.
This time of year especially brings job seekers to us with the hopes of creating the perfect resume.
What is our goal for you and your resume? We want to assist you with a resume that includes all the “required” headings listed above.
Beyond that, we want to help you create a resume that stands out from others; accurately displays your skills, interests and abilities; shows your well-roundedness; and the ultimate goal, helps you get an interview.
Ask yourself this question: Do you feel confident enough in your resume that if you met with the employer of your dreams today, you would want to hand it to them?
If your answer was yes — typically this is not the response I get from job seekers — then you are in luck.
If you are not confident, there are some strategies you can put in place right now to set you apart and feel confident about your resume.
Experience on your resume is important. Do you have related experience? Have you had an internship that relates to your major and area of interest?
If not, I have some suggestions that you can consider: Volunteer somewhere. If you didn’t have an internship or job during college that relates to what you what to do, go out and find a company you can offer your skills and interests to free of charge.
Just because it is unpaid doesn’t mean it won’t count as experience.
I’ve heard many stories from successful people doing well in their fields. They attribute their success to volunteer experiences.
There are many companies out there that would be eager to have a student work on the company Web site for 10 hours week.
Or look to a nonprofit agency that could utilize your services in planning an event or contacting donors.
The ideal place to look for a volunteer position may be in a smaller company that does not typically hire for paid positions.
Do you have classroom projects on your resume?
Think of all the time and energy you devoted on your own or with a team project for a class. These projects are ideal to include on your resume under a section: related projects. Describe the purpose or goal of the project, what actions you took to complete it and the results from the work. Include enough information on your resume about the project so the person reading it gains a true understanding of the work you did.
Are you involved? Join a student organization.
Recruiters like to see well-rounded students with good grades, work experience and involvement.
Find a student organization that you can join, attend the meetings and in turn learn more about that particular field.
Different student organizations provide different opportunities and there are over 200 different student groups to choose from. Look for one that aligns with your interests.
If you are new to the organization or your class schedule does not allow you to be in a leadership role, that is OK. Attend the meetings and get involved as your schedule allows.
Easy ways to get involved can include helping to plan a meeting or designing flyers to promote the group. You don’t have to do something big to make an impact.
Computer skills are an area that can really set you apart from others.
I’m sure you know how to use Microsoft Word and Excel, possibly PowerPoint as well. I would encourage you to take a class or one day seminar and learn a new computer program. Additional technical skills will help add to your skill set and showcase your versatility.
As an example, I work with a lot of marketing students who are interested in the creative side of marketing. Learning Microsoft Publisher and Adobe Photoshop, InDesign or Illustrator can be an extremely beneficial skill set to add to your repertoire.
An easy way to determine a new computer skill is to search jobs you are interested in and find out what is required for computer skills.
These ideas I’ve shared can help you add more impact to your resume and help you stand apart in a positive way on a piece of paper.
Now you just have to determine who will get your resume.
Wouldn’t it be great if you felt so confident you would be willing to hand your resume to the employer of your dreams right now?
Tammy Stegman is a Career Coordinator in the College of Business, Raisbeck Career Services Center.
A list of each career services office can be found at: http://www.career.iastate.edu
In Career Services, it is common for us to help students with resumes on a daily basis.
This time of year especially brings job seekers to us with the hopes of creating the perfect resume.
What is our goal for you and your resume? We want to assist you with a resume that includes all the “required” headings listed above.
Beyond that, we want to help you create a resume that stands out from others; accurately displays your skills, interests and abilities; shows your well-roundedness; and the ultimate goal, helps you get an interview.
Ask yourself this question: Do you feel confident enough in your resume that if you met with the employer of your dreams today, you would want to hand it to them?
If your answer was yes — typically this is not the response I get from job seekers — then you are in luck.
If you are not confident, there are some strategies you can put in place right now to set you apart and feel confident about your resume.
Experience on your resume is important. Do you have related experience? Have you had an internship that relates to your major and area of interest?
If not, I have some suggestions that you can consider: Volunteer somewhere. If you didn’t have an internship or job during college that relates to what you what to do, go out and find a company you can offer your skills and interests to free of charge.
Just because it is unpaid doesn’t mean it won’t count as experience.
I’ve heard many stories from successful people doing well in their fields. They attribute their success to volunteer experiences.
There are many companies out there that would be eager to have a student work on the company Web site for 10 hours week.
Or look to a nonprofit agency that could utilize your services in planning an event or contacting donors.
The ideal place to look for a volunteer position may be in a smaller company that does not typically hire for paid positions.
Do you have classroom projects on your resume?
Think of all the time and energy you devoted on your own or with a team project for a class. These projects are ideal to include on your resume under a section: related projects. Describe the purpose or goal of the project, what actions you took to complete it and the results from the work. Include enough information on your resume about the project so the person reading it gains a true understanding of the work you did.
Are you involved? Join a student organization.
Recruiters like to see well-rounded students with good grades, work experience and involvement.
Find a student organization that you can join, attend the meetings and in turn learn more about that particular field.
Different student organizations provide different opportunities and there are over 200 different student groups to choose from. Look for one that aligns with your interests.
If you are new to the organization or your class schedule does not allow you to be in a leadership role, that is OK. Attend the meetings and get involved as your schedule allows.
Easy ways to get involved can include helping to plan a meeting or designing flyers to promote the group. You don’t have to do something big to make an impact.
Computer skills are an area that can really set you apart from others.
I’m sure you know how to use Microsoft Word and Excel, possibly PowerPoint as well. I would encourage you to take a class or one day seminar and learn a new computer program. Additional technical skills will help add to your skill set and showcase your versatility.
As an example, I work with a lot of marketing students who are interested in the creative side of marketing. Learning Microsoft Publisher and Adobe Photoshop, InDesign or Illustrator can be an extremely beneficial skill set to add to your repertoire.
An easy way to determine a new computer skill is to search jobs you are interested in and find out what is required for computer skills.
These ideas I’ve shared can help you add more impact to your resume and help you stand apart in a positive way on a piece of paper.
Now you just have to determine who will get your resume.
Wouldn’t it be great if you felt so confident you would be willing to hand your resume to the employer of your dreams right now?
Tammy Stegman is a Career Coordinator in the College of Business, Raisbeck Career Services Center.
A list of each career services office can be found at: http://www.career.iastate.edu
Comments
The most important thing you can put on your resume to impress an employer is a decent GPA. If you have a 2.20, the employer will see you as a slacker who didn't put in the effort in school and probably won't at work. Your resume will be eliminated in the first cut. If you have a 3.0 or better, an interviewer will know you studied and showed up for class. A lot of college graduates simply don't show up for work. It hardly matters what you studied because you'll need to be taught everything at your job. If the interviewer sees a 3.5 or better on your resume, he'll know that you're somebody who can learn quick on the job, which is what they really need from a new hire entering the professional workplace for the first time.