Resumes-- we’ve all heard of them and we are all supposed to have one… but how exactly do you go about writing one? Or how are we supposed to make ourselves look hirable in a specific field, when we’ve barely dipped our toes into the workforce? Or, just plain HUH?
These seem to be common questions asked among many college students and young adults as they go about trying to write this magical piece of paper called a resume. Although it can seem overwhelming, time consuming, and honestly kind of confusing-- writing your resume is a piece of cake.
Essentially you are just putting down all the cool stuff that makes you, you-- while also showing you know a thing or two about the field that you’re trying to go into. Let’s say your only job experience is as a bartender or a waitress; you might think that has nothing to do with the field you’re going into but guess what, IT DOES! Any type of job when you’re dealing with or serving other people is a great way to speak on your customer service and communications skills.
OK so you get the point; you can take pretty much anything, and figure out a way to apply it to how great you would be for whatever said position you’re applying to.
Now comes the tedious part; the formatting. You can find all sorts of templates and ideas here, but in the meantime I’ll give you a general idea!
The essentials are:
1. Your name
2. Your contact info // social media links // online portfolio link
3. College you attend(ed) and GPA (if it’s good!!)
4. Your experience, followed by skills you gained from those experiences (press release writing, strategic marketing, etc.)
5. Additional skills that your future employer may be looking for or that are mentioned in the job description which you're applying for.
Basically, what you’re trying to do is show your potential future employer how and why you’re a good fit for their company. Happy resume writing!