7 Resume Tips Every Recent College Grad Should Read

7 Resume Tips Every Recent College Grad Should Read7 Resume Tips Every Recent College Grad Should ReadCraft a strong resume that says youre ready for the workforce. Use these seven tips to help you send the right message to prospective employers with your resume.Ditch the objective statementWeve all seen an objective statement that goes something like this Looking for an entry-level position that will help me gain skills and allow me to contribute to an organization. This tells the reader nothing about the persons goals or relevant skill-set. Instead of your run-of-the-mill objective statement, use the space to give the reader your elevator pitch. In three to five sentences, explain what youre best at, most interested in, and how you can provide value to a prospective employer. We call this your professional summary.Include relevant key wordsIncorporate common terms and key phrases that routinely pop up in job descriptions youre interested in applying to (assuming you honestly have t hose skills). The ATS ( Applicant Tracking System ) software is programmed to scan your application for specific buzz words to determine if youre a likely fit for the role. You typically have to make it past that check point before a human will ever set eyes on your application.Describe your contributionsUse bullets under each job description to describe how you contributed or supported your team or managers projects and initiatives. A recruiter or employer is not expecting you to have a long list of professional accomplishments when youre fresh out of school thats one of the reasons why your education section is above your work experience on the resume. However, they want to get a sense of what youve been exposed to and if its relevant to the role theyre filling.Play up your strengthsYour relevant work experiences and internships are key selling points to employers. However, if you dont have much experience to list, focus on highlighting the areas where youve shined the most. For example, if youve received a number of awards for academic achievement, such as academic scholarships or making the honor roll, then create an Honors section below your education information. If you were cum laude, include that in your education section. If your GPA (cumulative or in your major) is brag-worthy, then include it next to your degree. If not, leave it off and focus on your other accolades.Highlight your leadership skillsAs an entry-level professional, theres more flexibility with the resume format. For instance, it might make sense to divide your experience into Relevant Work Experience and Additional Work Experience sections so that your relevant internships are at the top of your experience. Other students can benefit from including a Leadership section after their Work Experience to highlight their involvement in leadership programs or volunteer work, or to mention any positions they held within extracurricular activities.Include a skills sectionDont assume an employ er knows what skills you possess. If youre well-versed in social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, list them. The same goes for your familiarity with Microsoft Office Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook. Depending on the role youre pursuing, these skills could be valuable selling points.Keep the presentation cleanThe average recruiter looks at a resume for 6 seconds, so stay away from crazy fonts, colors and images. You want the focus to be on your qualifications, not the photo you included. Be consistent in how you represent locations (Atlanta, GA vs. Atlanta, Georgia) and time (Summer 2012 vs. May 2012 August 2012 vs. 05/2012 08/2012). Stick to a black font thats easy to read on and offline, such as Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Tahoma or Times New Roman, and a plain white background.Click on the following link for more information on crafting the right resume.