Writing a quality resume is one of the most important skills you can have as a young job seeker. But if you’re like many students or recent graduates, you may have no idea where to start.
Here are five keys to putting together a world-class resume.
Organize your information
The toughest part of any project is often just getting started. For many job seekers, that first hurdle involves deciding how to organize the resume.
The best solution? Start with the basics.
“The resume will typically lead with education and follow with professional experience such as any part-time jobs or volunteer work,” says Elaine Krehmeyer, president of career coaching business Career Revelations. “An early job seeker should focus initially on their academic experience and extra-curricular activities. Employers are attracted to volunteer experiences particularly when the job seeker has a leadership role.”
Keep it short and concise
What many young job seekers may not realize is just how briefly hiring managers will look over a given resume. Especially on the initial pass, a resume only has a few seconds to make an impression, so don’t overload it with unrelated information.
“Six seconds isn’t enough time to read a life story. If your experience is solid, you shouldn’t need to explain yourself; get right to the point and let your credentials do the talking,” says Jordan Wan, founder and CEO of CloserIQ, a sales recruiting platform for tech companies. “You never need more than four bullet points per job title or role, and your entire resume should fit on a single page. When it comes to resumes, less is more.”