From Pizza Guy To Professional: Three Resume Tips For New College Grads
As a career coach, I'm often asked by new college grads how
to write a compelling resume when they have little or no
professional experience. How can you demonstrate the
ability to perform in a professional capacity, such as
accounting, marketing or engineering, with a resume that
includes positions like pizza delivery guy, car wash
attendant, or quick-stop market cashier?
If you find yourself in the same dilemma, don't despair!
Here are three tips to write a new college grad resume that
will capture the attention of employers and win you
interviews.
1. Highlight Your Potential
One of the top reasons employers hire recent graduates is
the opportunity to mold new hires to their own corporate
culture and work philosophy. This hiring strategy
motivates employers to look more for potential than for
specific experience-a secret that not many graduates
realize.
No matter what jobs you have held, there are sure to be
things you have done that show your potential. You will
attract more employer attention if you pack your resume
full of those examples. For instance:
* How you solved problems on the job
* How you went beyond the call of duty to satisfy a customer
* When you thought of a new way to do something faster
* How you were able to help your supervisor or co-workers
meet an important goal
In a work world full of mediocre plodders, drive and
ambition is hard to find. Smart companies value candidates
with the potential to solve their future corporate
challenges.
2. Demonstrate Your Work Ethic
Employers are interested in finding new talent with strong
work ethic. One way to illustrate this is by showing how
you juggled school life and real life. Indicate with each
employment entry how many college credits you handled while
employed full or part-time. A student who has had to work
during college has learned to manage time wisely, set
priorities and make the best use of limited resources.
These are qualities that every employer values.
In addition, you might want to include any internship
experience you have. While the experience might not have
been a paid position, it can still showcase your ability to
work in a professional capacity. And semester-long school
projects can also be a good opportunity to demonstrate your
ability to perform, working well with a group and creating
a finished product.
3. Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Employers are always looking for future leaders. You can
illustrate this with extracurricular and volunteer
activities you participated in during college. List
positions of leadership as well as committees you helped
chair. Don't forget to include how you benefited those
organizations. For instance, how you:
* Helped organize a fund or membership drive
* Planned an annual event that drew X% more than the
previous year
* Recruited entertainment to promote an on-campus event
* Led a campaign that resulted in a change of campus policy
Coursework also offers opportunity to demonstrate
leadership, as well as team-building ability. Be sure to
include examples like:
* When you led a team of classmates in a research project
that resulted in publication
* How you created a class presentation that led to greater
insight into a complex subject
The time and effort you spend incorporating these three
tips into your resume will lead to better job opportunities
right from the start. Don't be like many who spend their
first few years out of college fumbling from one dead-end
job to another. Start your job search off right with a
resume that illustrates your potential, work ethic, and
leadership, and soon you'll be on the path to a rewarding
professional career.
----------------------------------------------------
Deborah Walker, CCMC is a career coach who works with
recent college graduates preparing them to compete in the
toughest job markets. Her clients gain top performing
skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary
negotiation. Learn more about Deborah Walker, career coach
at:
http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com
to write a compelling resume when they have little or no
professional experience. How can you demonstrate the
ability to perform in a professional capacity, such as
accounting, marketing or engineering, with a resume that
includes positions like pizza delivery guy, car wash
attendant, or quick-stop market cashier?
If you find yourself in the same dilemma, don't despair!
Here are three tips to write a new college grad resume that
will capture the attention of employers and win you
interviews.
1. Highlight Your Potential
One of the top reasons employers hire recent graduates is
the opportunity to mold new hires to their own corporate
culture and work philosophy. This hiring strategy
motivates employers to look more for potential than for
specific experience-a secret that not many graduates
realize.
No matter what jobs you have held, there are sure to be
things you have done that show your potential. You will
attract more employer attention if you pack your resume
full of those examples. For instance:
* How you solved problems on the job
* How you went beyond the call of duty to satisfy a customer
* When you thought of a new way to do something faster
* How you were able to help your supervisor or co-workers
meet an important goal
In a work world full of mediocre plodders, drive and
ambition is hard to find. Smart companies value candidates
with the potential to solve their future corporate
challenges.
2. Demonstrate Your Work Ethic
Employers are interested in finding new talent with strong
work ethic. One way to illustrate this is by showing how
you juggled school life and real life. Indicate with each
employment entry how many college credits you handled while
employed full or part-time. A student who has had to work
during college has learned to manage time wisely, set
priorities and make the best use of limited resources.
These are qualities that every employer values.
In addition, you might want to include any internship
experience you have. While the experience might not have
been a paid position, it can still showcase your ability to
work in a professional capacity. And semester-long school
projects can also be a good opportunity to demonstrate your
ability to perform, working well with a group and creating
a finished product.
3. Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Employers are always looking for future leaders. You can
illustrate this with extracurricular and volunteer
activities you participated in during college. List
positions of leadership as well as committees you helped
chair. Don't forget to include how you benefited those
organizations. For instance, how you:
* Helped organize a fund or membership drive
* Planned an annual event that drew X% more than the
previous year
* Recruited entertainment to promote an on-campus event
* Led a campaign that resulted in a change of campus policy
Coursework also offers opportunity to demonstrate
leadership, as well as team-building ability. Be sure to
include examples like:
* When you led a team of classmates in a research project
that resulted in publication
* How you created a class presentation that led to greater
insight into a complex subject
The time and effort you spend incorporating these three
tips into your resume will lead to better job opportunities
right from the start. Don't be like many who spend their
first few years out of college fumbling from one dead-end
job to another. Start your job search off right with a
resume that illustrates your potential, work ethic, and
leadership, and soon you'll be on the path to a rewarding
professional career.
----------------------------------------------------
Deborah Walker, CCMC is a career coach who works with
recent college graduates preparing them to compete in the
toughest job markets. Her clients gain top performing
skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary
negotiation. Learn more about Deborah Walker, career coach
at:
http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com
posted by Hugh Harris-Evans at 12:53 AM
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