this style of resume – TP Javeton WebNet

Recent graduates seeking employment

Graduating from college is one of the proudest moments an individual will ever experience. Receiving that diploma validates all the hard work s/he put into that education, including the many all-nighters s/he pulled before exams. An individual’s graduation is a measure of all the individual’s accomplishments as a student, and opens the door into a world of career choices, job searches, and 40-hour workweeks.

Moreover, if you are that recent graduate, the realization about getting a job that requires experience, and how you will go about doing it, suddenly hits you; especially if you have no actual work experience. As a recent college graduate, you are entering the workforce at entry-level positions with almost any company that hires you, and your potential employers have very reasonable expectations; because they expect you to have graduated from college, and that your major is in line with the job you’re applying for.

They also anticipate that you have some experience, a summer job, or some kind of an internship; but they are not requiring years of professional experience. They would, however, like to see a few references from your professors or previous supervisors, so that they can get a better idea of your personality and work ethic. Sound reasonable so far?

Functional resume highlights qualifying skills

The best way to show your potential employer that you are a perfect candidate for the job is to create a functional resume, since functional resumes focus on your qualifications, not your career timeline. This style of resume will also highlight the skills you have, rather than where and when you acquired or utilized them. In other words, instead of listing your experiences by job titles, your (functional) resume will contain sections titled by your skills, such as verbal and written communication, customer satisfaction, project management, etc.

The functional resume style is highly recommended for, and most often used by, college students seeking internships or their first jobs out of college. In structuring this kind of resume resume you begin by stating your career objective, while making sure that your career goals are personal; but your objective should be specific to the position for which you’re making application, and should convey to your potential employer how you intend to utilize your education, as well as how this position will help you develop your experience.

Your education should be listed next, and in doing so you should list the school you attended and its location, your graduation year, and your major. It may also be helpful to include your GPA, specific courses you have taken, and/or any honors you have received while in school. Any professional skills you have acquired should come next; and this section will include sub-headings as they relate to specific qualifications you want to promote, such as communications, customer relations, managements, and so on.

Career objective, clarity, mentor review!

In the professional skills section you can utilize any experience you have that relates to the sub-sections, including your part time jobs, internships, volunteer positions held, community service work, or school-related activities. However, you should only include a work experience/work history section if you have held part time jobs while in school or have had internships you’d like your employer to know about. This list should only include dates, titles, companies, and locations without listing any of your responsibilities, since you will have covered them in the previous section.

Memberships in any clubs during your school years should be included in a section for activities, in which you will list only those that support your career objective. For example, if you were an editor of your school paper, and you are trying to get a job at a publishing company, make sure you include this experience in your resume. Your last section should list references; and as a new graduate, it is beneficial to include references on the well-written resume you prepared for yourself to ensure that you give your potential employer everything s/he needs in order to consider you as a qualified candidate for the job.

You have nothing to lose by providing this information ahead of being asked for it; but before you start applying for jobs, take advantage of your school’s career center and have one of the mentors there review your resume and help you perfect both the content and the format. Just remember that, with a well-written and appropriately styled resume, you are prepared to take the professional world by storm. Good luck!

Aligning education with experience

There is a special style of resume known as the Internship Resume; and as implied by its name, this style of resume is composed with the goal of obtaining an internship in a desired field. While Internship resumes are known to be chronological in format, they have a different set of goals than a resume created for purposes of acquiring a full-time professional position.

First and foremost, the objective is not to further an individual’s career, but rather, to gain experience and skills in a given field in order to expand on his/her education, an asset which will later be instrumental in obtaining a position in that particular industry.

Second, internships do not require professional experience; they are simply a way for college graduates and other youngsters who lack experience to gain such experience which can later be utilized to obtain a full-time job using what was learned during the internship.

Third, these types of resumes are more focused on academic achievements than on work background, because applicants must demonstrate that the desired internships are logical extensions of their studies. With this in mind, college students – new or returning – typically utilize this resume style to get their foot in the door with companies they might ultimately desire to work for after graduation.

Resume conveyances of priorities

Much like any other professional resume, the internship resume should contain an objective with which the applicant conveys to a potential employer how such an internship aligns with his/her studies; what s/he can bring to the table; what s/he hopes to gain out of the experience and how s/he will apply the newfound skills once s/he is out in the professional world. Essentially the applicant is convincing a potential employer that s/he is the best candidate for the internship, and that s/he will learn the most, as well as the fact that the experience is integral to professional growth.

If you are, or will soon be the subject of an internship resume, keep in mind that when composing your resume for an internship, you will need to highlight your education first. However, you should do more than just list your previous degrees, or degrees in progress. Point out the classes you have taken that qualify you for the internship, and indicate how your major is in line with the internship and how this experience will help you in your future studies.

After you indicate your objective and your education, list your qualifications, and make a list ahead of time of all the skills that qualify you for the internship. Review your list and prioritize it because most frequently made mistake in resume writing is in not prioritizing the supporting information and allowing most of your strongest skills to fall at the bottom of the list. Consider what qualifies you for the internship and list those qualifications first so that your employer recognizes that you are a great fit for the position.

Resume should include all your skills

Your work experience can help, but is typically not a make or break point in getting an internship, but if you have any work experience, go ahead and include it in your resume. You should also make sure to prioritize your responsibilities as they relate to the given internship and be mindful to indicate any experience you have in sharpening your inherently employable skills: skills which extend beyond your education and technical abilities, such as communication, customer relations, team work, taking charge, etc.

As indicated earlier, applying for an internship is somewhat different than applying for a full time job; but along with your internship resume, you will want to submit references. For any employment experience you’ve had to date, include your supervisor’s name, title and contact information so that your potential employer can obtain any information that might prove helpful to you, like recommendations.

In addition, it will be greatly benefit you to have recommendation letters from your professors, because they can identify your skills in terms of your dedication, work ethic, enthusiasm, interpersonal communication and interaction with others in your classroom. Employers look for these skills because they want to assure that you will be a good fit for their team, even if your role is short term.

Ask for and include recommendations

You might also want to ask two or three of your professors for their recommendation. Simply provide them with the contact information of your potential employer, including an email and a physical mailing address, so the letters can be mailed to that employer directly. Or, ask your professors to place their recommendation letters into sealed envelopes before giving them to you in order to assure that the information is confidential.

If possible, include your transcripts with the resume as this will be a great indication of your commitment to your education, providing of course that your grades are good. Your transcripts can only help in getting you the internship. As a final step, proof your application materials; and feel free to seek assistance from your school’s career center. You have only one chance to make a great first impression so do it well, and you should be in good enough position to get the internship of your choice.