Resume Strategies for Graduating Seniors
A Personal Note from Sandra Podesta
Resume Room
Founder and Host
Congratulations, Graduate! Now what? How do you compete against all the experienced candidates flooding the job market, no thanks to corporate downsizing and layoffs? Good News! It’s not as tough as you think. For starters, you probably don’t have the high salary requirements of someone older who may well have a mortgage and a family to support. What’s more, employers may bet you won’t consume as much of the shrinking employee benefits pie. So how to present yourself as a candidate bursting with experience and maturity? Here are some tips to help you:
Format your Resume to Fit: The traditional chronological resume draws attention to employers, job titles and dates – not much help for students. Instead, consider using a skills-based resume to highlight your unique mix of strengths, talents and accomplishments. Like what? Read on.
Make Student Experiences Pay Off: A paycheck isn’t all you earned at summer and on-campus jobs, internships and volunteering. You acquired essential skills that are meaningful to employers -- such as time management, customer relations, problem resolution and the ability to communication effectively with clients, colleagues and senior management. If you operated a small business with others working for you, you learned how to hire, fire, train and supervise staff, and how to schedule projects and handle a payroll. As a reporter for the school newspaper or secretary of your sorority, you possess sought-after writing talents and are adept at coordinating facts, figures, dates and details and meeting deadlines.
Talk about Tech: Your generation’s fluency with the ever-expanding universe of software programs, internet applications and social networking sites is enviable – and appealing. Be sure to include these specialties on your resume, particularly when sending it to advertising and marketing firms as well as small businesses eager to broaden their customer bases.
Congratulations, Graduate! Not only do you offer advantages over more experienced candidates, you’ve got plenty of vital skills to offer as well. Be sure that your resume presents them in a way that will convince recruiters and employers you can deliver genuine value to the organization. As always, we're here to help!
A Special Opportunity for Colleges
College Placement Officers, when your hands are full helping students search for jobs, who has a helping hand for you?
If your students and alumni need more time than you have to give, Resume Room can help. Our live, online workshops provide expert resume guidance quickly and affordably. Your students discover tools, tips, strategies and techniques for strengthening their resumes instantly, including:
- How to highlight key strengths, relevant coursework and practical experience clearly and convincingly.
- How to appeal to recruiters and employers, attract attention, create a positive impression right away.
- How to translate summer jobs and internships into business skills gained, responsibilities fulfilled, team and leadership abilities honed, successes achieved.
- How to demonstrate the unique benefits they -- as students -- can deliver to an organization.
With prices starting at just $29.99 per person, your students will appreciate the referral…and you’ll appreciate the time savings!
To discuss private sessions branded exclusively for your organization, please fill out the form below:
