You need experience to land a job, but as a recent graduate, companies won’t give you the chance to get what you need. So, how should you start? A resume writing firm, such as Resume Prime, has tips and answers if “when to fix my resume” thoughts bug you.
How and When to Fix My Resume
Your resume will need a major rewrite if the following parts are present in it. They’re unnecessary and may do your resume more harm than good.
1. The Word “Resume”
Unlike most school papers, you need not label your resume “RESUME”. Since recruiters handle several copies daily, they’ll know one just by seeing it. In saving and naming your file include your full name, too, so employers will see that it belongs to you and not just to any candidate.
2. Full Mailing Address
Gone are the days when you need to place your full mailing address on your resume. Now that biases and identity fraud are prevalent, better exclude any personal info except your name, contact number, email address, and the URL of your LinkedIn account.
3. Unprofessional Email Address
While email accounts such as cherrylovesstrawberries.gmail.com is a great way to let others know your favorite fruit, employers won’t find it pleasant. Then again, better create a more professional email address that has your name in it and reserve it for networking and job search.
4. Photo
While many firms in other countries still ask for a resume with your photo, US companies discourage this practice. US-based firms that adhere to the Equal Employment Opportunity legislation deter their applicants from putting their picture and any personal data other than their contact info. Yet, the law exempts firms where physical appearances are vital such as in modeling or in acting.
5. Low GPA
No specific rule exists on whether to keep or remove your grade point average (GPA) from your resume. Yet, if your grade is lower than 3.0, you need not add it. Likewise, you can still put your school, graduation date, and awards, but don’t worry about the space.
6. Unrelated Work Experience
Get rid of extraneous work experience. Yet, if you have no relevant experience from internships or activities on or off campus, you may need to break the norm. Otherwise, if you can show and prove how such prepared you for the target position, it’s fine to list unrelated experience from your internship, part-time, or volunteer jobs.
7. Irrelevant Hobbies
Unless your hobbies relate to your target position, such as photography or videography to production or event planning, it’s best to exclude them from your resume. Further, it will waste space and time.
8. References
As an entry-level job seeker, you can only have a one-page resume. Make the most of it with relevant info on yourself instead of wasting precious space with a “References Available upon Request” statement at the bottom of your paper. In addition, most employers won’t ask for your references until you make it to the interview level. Hence, wait for it to come.
9. Negative Words and Ideas
Instead of placing what you haven’t yet accomplished, focus more on what you’ve done or are doing. For instance, you can replace “not yet graduated” with your expected year of graduation or the dates you attended school, and “limited work experience” with your earlier experience.
10. Misspellings and Errors in Grammar
Recruiters won’t allow glaring errors even if you’re a new high school or college graduate. After fixing your resume, take time to review it and ask someone to proofread it to check the details you might overlook. Likewise, spelling and grammar checkers come in handy.
Tips to Fix My Resume
After answering “how and when to fix my resume” questions, the next step is to convince employers that your academic success is transferable to the field you’re entering. Below are tips on how to flaunt what you have.
1. Define your selling point.
For an entry-level job seeker like you, it’s crucial to place a brief list of your credentials. This section will show what you can offer and how your skills can help your target firm reach its goals. Besides, create versions of your resume, custom made for each firm or job.
2. Stress your qualifications.
If you think you don’t have enough relevant work experience, you can put the Education section before it. In addition, list your academic awards and honors here. You can put your GPA, too, if it’s higher than 3.0. Further, adding a list of related courses is one great way to show you have a strong academic foundation.
3. Highlight your work experience.
Your work experience will help employers define how you are as a worker if they’ll hire you. Yet, since you’re a new graduate, you may lack the experience relevant to your target job or field. To sort out this condition, include your internships, practicums, class projects, and volunteer works under this section. List your assignments, challenges you faced, your contributions, the results, and their benefits to the employer.
4. Include keywords.
Since most employers use applicant tracking systems (ATSs), your resume should include keywords, which these systems use to filter applicants. To find the right keywords to add and to optimize your copy, review job listings for your target position. Possible keywords are job titles, educational credentials, and skills.
5. Choose the right resume format.
The combination or functional resume format will be ideal for new graduates than the more common chronological style. This setup will highlight what you need—your academic foundation, motivations, and key skills that can help employers meet their goals.
Since the thought “when to fix my resume” is unbearable, seeking help from a professional writing service is still a practical choice. Resume Prime caters to recent graduates and other job seekers. Chat with us or call 1 (888) 846-9272 for more info on our services.
Sources: www.thebalance.com | www.businessinsider.com | www.workitdaily.com | www.monster.com
