As a senior who is about to graduate in May, I have been shoveling resumes and cover letters into employers' inboxes. If you are looking for an internship or a job opportunity that involves more than an application, here are some tips on how to improve your resume.
1. Career Services
If you're a college student you probably can schedule a time with a career service representative/counselor who can help you improve your resume, cover letter, CV, etc. Go to them because they can help you out by narrowing your experiences in college and being able to put them in a document.
2. Format
I know a lot of people, myself included, who don't know what a resume is really supposed to look like. Look at some templates online and try to emulate them or ask a professor or career counselor. The general rules are: one page, normal type, four sections with bolded tittles: Education, Work Experience, Skills, References. Gather all the information you have and can show on these topics and you will be good to go on the foundation of your resume. Now, it is time to chisel away at the marble to crate the art beneath, which is your refined resume.
3. Details
For your education section you should include: GPA, when you will graduate/when you graduated, and any accolades, awards, or achievements (Dean's List, etc.). Don't forget the location and name of your school and your major and minor as well. In the Work Experience section, put in your work experience, skills and tasks you did during your time there, and other experiences like internships and student leadership. You may want to separate these as to avoid confusion. Add your skills and references at the end. Make it short and sweet. Remember to add your reference's phone number and email for easier access to them. These are the most basic details that you should include in your resume. There are others but this is a good step forward.
4. Standing Out
Remember some important things that you have done or achievements that are important for the employer to know about you. Sell yourself. You're selling your services out to the market and the employers and companies that are trying to hire you are your potential customers. You also need to stand out above the rest. You need more experience or at least a wide range of skills for people to consider you. If you don't have these things, wordsmithing can go a long way. Use your words to persuade to the employers that you are worth their time and that you have skills that will line up with their ideal candidate that is stuck in their mind.
Lastly, do not lie. Exaggeration can only go so far because you will have to explain yourself if you are interviewed. Also, look at other people's resumes and gather more information about what makes a resume great; this will help you fit your resume to a style and format you prefer. Overall, make sure you are proud of what is on that resume and remember that you can always build on it with more opportunities.
