Graduating from college is one of the proudest moments you
can experience. Receiving your diploma validates all the hard work you put into
your education, all the all-nighters you pulled before exams. Your graduation
signifies your accomplishments as a student, and opens the door into the world
of career choices, job searches, and 40-hour workweeks. All of a sudden, it
hits you – how will you get a job that requires experience if you have none?
As a recent college graduate, you are entering the workforce
at entry-level jobs. Your potential employers have very reasonable
expectations. They expect you to have graduated from college and that your
major is in line with the job you are applying for. They anticipate that you
have some experience, a summer job or an internship, but they are not requiring
years of professional resume
experience. They would like to see some references – from your professors or
previous supervisors – so that they can get a better idea of your personality
and work ethic. Sound reasonable so far?
The best way to show your potential employer that you are a
perfect candidate for the job is to create a functional resume. Functional
resumes focus on your qualifications, not your career timeline. This style of
the resume highlights what skills you have, rather than where and when you
acquired or utilize them. In other
words, instead of listing your experiences by your job titles, your resume will
contained sections titled by your skills such as verbal and written
communication, customer satisfaction, project management, etc. This resume
style is highly recommended for and most often used by college students seeking
internships or their first jobs out of college.
Begin your resume by stating your career objective. Make
sure that your career goals are personal. Your objective should be specific to
the position you want, and should indicate to your employer how you intend to
utilize your education and how this position will help you develop your
experience. Your education should be listed next. List the school you attend
and its location, your graduation year, and your major. It can be helpful to
include your GPA, specific courses you have taken, or any honors you have
received while in school. Your professional skills should come next. This
section will include sub-headings as they relate to specific qualifications you
want to promote, such as communications, customer relations, managements, etc.
Here, you can utilize any experience you have that relates to the sub-sections,
including your part time jobs, internships, volunteer positions, community
service work, or school-related activities. Only include a work experience/work
history section if you have held part time jobs while in school or have had
internships you’d like your employer to know about. This list should only include dates, titles,
companies, and locations without listing any of your responsibilities, since
you are covering them in the previous section. If you belonged to any clubs in
school, include a section for activities and list only those that support your
career objective. For example, if you were an editor of your school paper, and
you are trying to get a job at a publishing company, make sure that you include
this experience in your resume. Your last section should list references. As a
new graduate, it is to your benefit to include references on your resume, and
give your employer everything they need to consider you as a qualified
candidate for the job. You have nothing to lose by providing this information
ahead of being asked for it.
Before you start applying for jobs, take advantage of your
school’s career center and have one of the mentors there review your resume and
help you perfect both the content and the format. With a well-written resume,
you are prepared to take the professional world by storm.
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