Internship opportunities and academic achievements can only get you so far. Eventually, you will have to face preparation for “the real world” outside of the college bubble. You’ll need to write a cover letter and brush up on Resume Writing 101. Without the tools necessary to market yourself as “the next best thing,” you’ll have little chance of finding a great job. Once you understand the basics of writing a resume and cover letter, it will be time to brush up on interview etiquette and how you’ll need to sell yourself further to gain employment. The world is competitive and you may need to jump through more hoops than individuals in the past, but you’ll be happy to know there are many resources available to help you.
John Logan is a human resources manager for the ZS Associates management-consulting firm in Princeton, N.J. and he shares some resume writing tips to help job seekers stand out from the pack. “I find that most resumes do not provide enough details for me to understand the scope of the candidate’s work,” Logan complains. He says that a good resume will detail specifics, such as the number of people supervised, the size of a project budget, sales figures or the estimated cost savings. “Anytime you can quantify your accomplishments, you give them more credibility,” explains Brian Howell from The QWorks Group. Some estimates say that at least 40% of your bullet points should have measurable metrics in them. Think in terms of comparative sales volume, the number of people you hired or led, the amount of money you saved, your success in completing projects based on goals, revenue-generating initiatives, process improvement and cost containment.
Human resources personnel come across all kinds of resume writing nightmares, they say. Some resumes arrive without a cover letter, which is immediate cause for dismissal for many recruiters. Other resumes and cover letters appear to be obviously generic. Perhaps all the bullet points have the exact same job description or the cover letter doesn’t speak to the position being advertised. “Resumes are auditions without the benefit of you being around. I will decide if you are a match for my job/client within 20 seconds,” says Lisa De Benedittis, president of Elite Staffing Services. “Your resume will speak volumes about your communication skills. Do you use words to demonstrate your value or is it boilerplate? Did you put thought and effort into this audition?”
Students can receive college assistance with their resume writing long before they’ve left the academic environment. Free services can be sought at student career centers. Peer mentors will go over your resume with you and point out areas that need improvement. Some people meet with former employers or student intern bosses to discuss how they might reword their job accomplishments and descriptions to grab attention from future employers. Some communities also offer resume skill building programs to help local individuals shine. Since there is so much competition in the job world, seeking help from as many sources as possible is wise.
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