How many times have you edited your resume? Whether you’re a first year or a super senior, you should constantly be building your resume. Keep your long term career goal in mind and rack up jobs, internships and volunteer experiences that will set you apart from the competition. Forget the resume rigmarole, ASI’s here to give you some tough love with our top 5 resume do’s and don’ts.
1. Start with school.
Your education should be one of the first things an employer sees on your resume. After all, it’s what has gotten you this far so, give Cal Poly some credit. Your resume should read: “California State Polytechnic University, Pomona” along with your expected graduation date. For all you over achievers, feel free to include any academic honors such as making the Dean’s List as well as relevant class projects.
2. Keep it chronological.
Most employers prefer chronological resumes over functional ones. In other words, arrange your resume by date starting with your most recent job rather than by job function like sales, programming, customer service, etc.
3. Accentuate your accomplishments.
Don’t just focus on the responsibilities of each job, but highlight your accolades. Prospective employers want to see what you can bring to the team, so wow them with the value you’ve added to your previous organizations.
4. Be descriptive!
A good rule of thumb is to structure your resume with bullet points and use an action word to start off each sentence. You can find examples of effective action words on the Career Center’s website or stop in for a complete Career Center student guidebook packed with everything from interview tips to landing an internship.
5. Make your resume irresistible.
Nobody wants to read a cluttered resume. Be sure yours is aesthetically pleasing and consistent in look and feel.
Now that you’ve got the basics, start editing and stop by the Career Center Monday – Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for drop in advising.
They’ve also got events all week to help you refine your resume, network with prospective employers, and help open doors for future careers.
The Career Center will host Resumaniac on Tuesday, April 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a one-on-one opportunity for students to have working professionals review their resume! They will also be helping students dress for success with their Career Center Clothes Closet event. Feel free to walk by the Career Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and search through the racks of free professional attire.
Once you’ve got all the gear to land a job, come out to the Spring Career Fair at the University Quad on Thursday, April 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Director of the Career Center, Tom Munnerlyn, encourages students of all majors to visit the Career Fair.
“The economy is picking up, but students still need to be networking and making connections with employers … this is the perfect opportunity,” says Munnerlyn.
What are you waiting for? Take the first step to land your dream job.
