Resume writing for the first-time job seeker can be stressful. You must demonstrate how your education, skills, and training qualify you for the role.
Knowing how to write your resume can help secure interviews and land your first job. These methods can help.
Implement These Resume-Writing Tips To Help You Land Your First Job
Select a Resume Format
Decide which resume format would be best to help secure your first job. You want to emphasize your education, skills, and qualifications for the role.
Common resume formats for first-time job seekers include:
- Reverse chronological: List your education, recent achievements, and relevant experience, such as internships or volunteer work, in reverse chronological order.
- Functional: Focus on your transferrable skills, such as organization, communication, and time management.
Include Keywords
Focus on the keywords in the job posting for the role you desire. These words often are included in the sections listing the key qualifications and job duties and responsibilities. Highlight or write down these keywords to include in your resume.
Many employers use applicant tracking system (ATS) software to determine which resumes go to the hiring manager. Including relevant keywords in your resume shows you are qualified to fill the role. Therefore, you could be contacted for an interview.
Provide Your Contact Information
List your first and last name in bold font at the top of your resume. Include your city and state, phone number, professional email address, and LinkedIn profile below your name. Employers can use this information to contact you for interviews.
Write a Professional Summary
Include 2-3 sentences about your relevant education, training, skills, experience, and achievements near the top of your resume. This information helps attract employers’ attention and shows your qualifications for the role. These details encourage the hiring manager to contact you for an interview.
Describe Your Education
List in your Education section your highest diploma or degree, the name of your school, and your graduation date if it is within the last 3 years. If you are in school, provide your expected graduation date. Consider including your relevant coursework, academic achievements or honors, and grade point average (GPA) as well.
List Your Relevant Experience
Include in your Experience section any projects, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, internships, jobs, or other experience relevant to the job you want. List the title, name of the organization or group, and the dates of your experience. Also, use bullet points to demonstrate your responsibilities, skills, and achievements related to the role.
Mention Your Skills
Share 6-10 of your relevant hard and soft skills. Review the job description to determine which skills are most important for the role.
Examples of hard skills include:
- Software
- Foreign languages
- Social media
- Data analytics
- Blogging
- Programming languages
- Graphic design
Examples of soft skills include:
- Adaptability
- Organization
- Time management
- Communication
- Decision-making
- Teamwork
- Customer service
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