A polished résumé is one of the most valuable things students graduate college with. It is important to have an updated resume on hand that you feel confident about, as you never know when a job opportunity or interview might arise. As a business student, I have received a lot of helpful résumé-crafting advice. I wanted to pass along the best knowledge and tips I have gained from sharing my résumé with professors and other professionals.
1. Define Your Sections
All résumés are going to be different due to varying experiences. Different majors and jobs may require that certain requirements be put on your résumé. However, some of the main sections you might have on your résumé would include your name and contact information, education, experience, skills, achievements, awards, and extracurricular activities. You should choose the sections that you feel most confident about.
2. Research prospective jobs that interest you
Research the jobs you want to apply for and look at their qualifications. If any of their requirements or qualifications apply to you, take the time to add them to your résumé. Many software platforms used by companies search for matches in your qualifications to what they are looking for. This could help your résumé get through to the next stage, where an actual recruiter will be viewing it. (See tip #5 for a continued discussion!)
3. keep it short and sweet
It is expected that college students don’t have very much experience compared to seasoned professionals, so a typical résumé is only about a page long. You want the recruiter to be able to skim over your résumé in about 30 seconds. Even if you do have a lot of experience, you should condense your information down to the things that are only relevant to the job you’re applying for.
4. Make sure everything is organized and consistent
If you are using a template, make sure it is simple and everything matches up. Organization and consistency are key here. Everything should follow a coherent and consistent font size, color, and spacing theme. Headers are the exception to this rule, as they can be a slightly larger size and/or a different font. Also, make sure the dates are all formatted the same and organized in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent at the top.
5. Using AI tools can be really helpful
AI is the wave of the future, and although many people don’t like it, it can be very beneficial for things like this. If you are a Ball State student, you get free access to VMock through Cardinal Career Link. You can log in using your Ball State credentials, and you will get 10 free uploads per semester. When you upload your résumé, it will give you a score based on the presentation of your résumé, skills and competencies, and the impact of your words. VMock also gives you feedback and tells you what you can do to fix the small details and get a better score overall. I highly recommend that you take advantage of this because it was a lifesaver for me when I created my résumé.
6. Simplicity is key
Many people like to decorate their résumés and make them look visually appealing; as much as you might want to do this, I highly advise against it. It can become too cluttered and take away from your professionalism. Another tip that goes along with this is to not include your professional headshot on your résumé either. Keep things simple and organized, and save the decorations for a portfolio instead!
7. Proofread!
This is one of the major reasons why employers will not even consider someone’s résumé. If there are a lot of spelling or grammatical errors, it proves that you did not take the time or energy to review what you wrote. This sends employers a bad message about what kind of employee you might be. You should read over everything and even have a friend or family member read through it as well. You can also use a grammar checker online, but sometimes they aren’t always accurate, so be aware.
Everyone’s résumés will be different based on their experiences, majors, and career paths. Just make sure you spend enough time on it and put all your effort into creating something you are proud of. Your résumé is an important part of your professional brand, and you can use it to network yourself and gain advantages in your career. It’s time to go get started on that résumé and nail all your job interviews!