Writing Your First Resume

Almost every college graduate faces the same conundrum when searching for a first job: How do you demonstrate you possess the necessary qualifications for an open position when you haven’t had a “real job” before? Fortunately, it’s an easier question to answer than ones you may have encountered in philosophy class (“What is consciousness?”).

Indeed, even if your work history is brief — or nonexistent — you can craft a compelling resume. Here’s how:

Drop the objective statement. Most objective statements (“Go-getter seeking sales position”) say more about what a job seeker hopes for in a job than why that person would be a good fit for the position. So ditch the objective statement and create a summary section instead. It’s a brief rundown of your skills and qualifications, targeted to the company and opening. For example: “Accounting graduate with experience gained through internship with regional CPA firm. Able to excel in fast-paced, deadline-driven office environments. Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, including expertise in Excel.”

Create a combination resume. Instead of submitting a traditional chronological resume, consider a combination resume. This format allows you to place more focus on your professional skills by grouping them together near the top of your document. You might, for example, have a section titled “Computer Skills” or one called “Supervisory Experience.” Don’t limit yourself to abilities you’ve honed through full- or part-time jobs. Skills you’ve gained through internships, volunteer work, or even clubs or social committees can be just as relevant.

 Near the end your resume, briefly list your work history in reverse chronological order. Also include your educational experience — school, area of study and GPA if it’s higher than 3.0.

Focus on transferrable skills. Think the years you spent waiting tables won’t help you land a marketing gig? Think again. This experience may have better prepared you for your career than you realize. If you supervised some other staff members, for example, you have managerial experience to add to your resume. You could also highlight your strong customer service and communication skills. Almost every employer values these types of abilities.

Include keywords. You can increase your chances of getting an interview if you look at the job listing and use words or phrases from it in your own resume. Use these keywords to describe skills you possess — as long as they are accurate, of course. If a job listing requires candidates to have expertise in Microsoft PowerPoint or JavaScript, for example, integrate those words in your resume so your document will be more likely to catch a hiring manager’s eye.

Create a LinkedIn profile. Creating a profile on LinkedIn or a similar professional networking site may help in your search for employment. Many hiring managers and recruiters search sites such as LinkedIn to find job candidates — and the trend is growing. In fact, in a survey of human resources managers by our firm, more than one-third (36 percent) of respondents said it’s at least somewhat likely resumes will eventually be replaced by profiles on social and business networking sites.

Aim for a “100 percent complete” profile: Include your experience, areas of interest, and a photo. Adding a few recommendations — ask a professor or your internship supervisor — will further distinguish you from the crowd.

Don’t go it alone. Your resume is the key to getting an interview — or not. It’s important to get it right. In addition to proofreading your document several times before submitting it, ask a few trusted friends, mentors or family members to review it for errors.

Also request feedback on the structure and content. After all, many have them have written resumes before. Their advice can help you turn a good document into a great one.

Keep it relevant. Winning your fraternity’s annual hot-dog eating contest two years in a row won’t help you land most jobs. Avoid including personal information such as your hobbies unless they’re relevant to the position to which you’re applying. 

One final note: Don’t feel your resume has to be a certain length — one page or less, for instance — just because you’re beginning your career. Although you don’t want to add fluff in order to make yourself seem more qualified, it’s OK to run past a single page.  

Remember that one size does not fit all when it comes to resumes. Take the time to create a quality document that shines a light on your most marketable skills and experience, and you’ll give yourself the best shot at landing an interview and, ultimately, the job.