Tips for College Student Resume Writing
If you’re a college student seeking a job, you might need a resume. Many students feel intimidated at the prospect of writing a resume, because they feel they don’t have anything worthwhile to include. The good news is that no matter how much, or how little job experience you’ve had, you can write a great resume that will make employers take a second look. College student resume writing is both similar and different from the types of resumes you may write when you are out of college. The format may be the same, but your level of experience may of course be different.
If you are a student who is seeking their first ‘real’ job and don’t have any experience to include on your resume, don’t despair. There are some great ways to write a great resume regardless of how much work experience you’ve had in your chosen field. First, make sure you’ve got a good word processing program, a printer, black printer ink and some high quality resume paper. You don’t want to print your resume on plain white paper. Choose a heavier weight paper with a muted color like ivory and a very light texture. At your local office supply store you will find paper especially designed for resumes.
You may want to start off with a mission statement or objective as the first entry of your resume. This is a statement which outlines your intention and explains in a nutshell why you want the job and why you feel you are the right candidate. Then, you can focus on your education. Be sure to mention any awards you’ve won, your grade point average, any volunteer work you’ve done and your main area of study. If you’ve had any summer jobs, even if they’re things like babysitting or working in a restaurant, include them. Pay attention to the wording you use to describe your duties. A well written description can make even the most menial job sound like a valuable experience.
When it comes to college student resume writing, the focus is ultimately on your education as well as what you intend to do, not what you’ve done. You will need to outline the knowledge and personal experience you have which relates to the position for which you are applying. A winning resume is one that is honest, well-written, professional and descriptive without being too wordy. If your resume meets those characteristics, you just might find yourself heading to an interview for your dream job!
