ROCK your resume! Be ready for career fairs and fall interview season

September is always a busy time for career fairs and the start of the fall interviewing season on our campus. To gear up for these events, it's critical to have your resume ready to hand out to employers. So, how can U ROCK your resume? 

U

se this 4-step formula for your experience descriptions:

Skill: What did you get out of performing this duty?

Structure: Put result into a statement.

Verb: Start with action verbs.

Clarify: Ask yourself who, what, where, when, why, and how many. Using this formula, take your description from “greeted customers” to “developed communication skills by greeting an average of 15 customers per shift.”

R

esults sell! As you describe your work experiences, volunteer positions or projects, be sure to share what you accomplished. Don’t let your resume just read like a job description.

 

O

rganize your resume sections from most important to least important as you go down the page. For now, list your education section before experience since you are spending most of your time working on your education.

C

ount! Numbers add impact in your resume. If you trained new employees, share that you trained 5 new employees. If you lead the fundraising efforts of your organization, share that you raised $500. Even if you think the numbers are small, they still paint a clearer picture.

 

K

eep it brief. Rather than sentences or paragraphs, use bullets, list items in columns and write descriptions in phrases. Try to keep to a page if you are an undergraduate. Those with extensive experience or advanced degrees may need to go past one page.

 
If you need help rockin' your resume, come see us in Career Services. For walk-in assistance, visit us Monday through Friday, 12 - 3. On Wednesdays in September, we're extending our walk-in resume help during Resumania where you can stop by 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. without an appointment. If you want some additional help as you prepare for the career fairs and fall recruiting, call 540-231-6241 to make an appointment with a career advisor.

What's your biggest question you still have about your resume that we didn't address above?