The Right Way to Resume

As the semester winds to its end, many seniors—myself included—will begin their search for a job in their respective field. With diplomas in hand, a whole wave of graduates are on their way to find the entry level position of their dreams. As close as we are to reaching those brass rings and showing employers what we are capable of, there is one big obstacle standing in the way if you haven’t started one already: the resume. Along with the cover letter and the interview, this crucial step can be the key to landing yourself a great job once school’s out. 

The resume can be tricky, as there is no one definitive way of writing one. With that in mind, it does leave decent room for creativity. As much as you want to follow the proper format of a resume, you don’t want it to be so cookie cutter that it’s canned before you get a chance to display your strengths. Walking that fine line is not the easiest task. Luckily, your friendly neighborhood advice blogger is here to help, as I’ve just put one together myself. 

After talking over the resume writing process with Dan DiPrinzio of Arcadia’s University Relations, I want to address some of the taboos of the process before anything else. Your first step toward success, ditch the headshot. Unless you are going for an acting or modeling gig, it’s unnecessary and just takes up space where you could flesh out your skills. And that little tidbit about resumes needing to be one page is a myth. While many graduating students may not have a five-page manuscript to boast, having two pages elaborating on your accomplishments should not be seen as a negative. 

Hyperlinks can be great additions to your resume. If you have work displayed online, whether it be Youtube, the university website, or otherwise, people want to see it. Let your work speak for you since you are going to be hired for your work. If there is a quick and easy way to view your accomplishments, instead of simply listing them, it will only help paint a better picture of who you are. (Tip: Make sure to check that the hyperlinks work.)

Numbers are also an important addition. Whether you are helping a soup kitchen or writing articles, simple number crunching gives a better sense of scale. How many people have you served? How many people tune into your articles on average? My films on YouTube only have around 700 or so views, but that shows I took the initiative to understand my growth and that I have an eye for analytics. That really can go a long way in the age of social media, where numbers seem to be everything. And employers like seeing proven results.

Some people believe that you should attach your LinkedIn profile to your header so employers can check that out. I’d suggest against that, just because you can easily attach your resume onto your profile. Resumes and LinkedIn can work together like bread and butter so if you’re not on there already, make an account, attach your resume once it’s finished and send me an invitation to connect. Fun fact: I’m fueled by LinkedIn connections. And, of course, I’ve got another tip: Make sure the dates and other information in your LinkedIn profile match your resume.

Now that you have something to work with, a few sets of eyes on a working draft never hurts. Feel free to send your resume to professors, family members, co-workers. Trustworthy advice on a resume will only lead to a more assured conveyance of your ability to employers. Confidence really is key here, and it may take a few attempts for that to become clear. If you do not believe you are the perfect candidate for the job, no one else will either. 

According to experts on Indeed, tailoring your resume to the job you are applying for, formatting it to look professional and clean, as well as highlighting skills, are some of the crucial factors to successful resumes. The best you can hope for as someone applying is that you get noticed, so create a resume that will stand out and illustrate how much of an asset you can be to the company you wish to work for. 

Oh, and one last tip, grammar and spell-checking is on you.