Around this time every year, most college grads start scratching their heads — almost to the point of baldness — wondering how in the world to write their first resume.To write a first resume that works, keep these four points in mind … 1) Act like a professional The competition for jobs is fierce right now, so you must present yourself in the best possible light. 2) One page is a good length You don’t have to tell your life story in your first resume. Far from it. “Very few new college graduate resumes should be more than one page long,” “Any work experience not related to the job you’re applying for should be left off. Although it’s great that you had a paper route from age 10 to 14, for example, that isn’t relevant to an employer considering you for a civil engineering position,” 3) Stick to the truth Avoid the temptation to sprinkle your resume with buzzwords and skills you don’t actually have. “It annoys hiring managers when they call applicants for an interview, only to find they can’t explain what’s on their resume,” It’s more than annoying to claim more knowledge on your resume than you actually have. It’s flat out lying. And it will cost you dearly when an employer finds out — and they always do. 4) Finding a job is a full-time job Too many first-time job seekers believe employers will magically find them if they just post their resume to a few job sites. “Posting resumes to high-traffic job sites is just a starting point. New college grads need to use their career service offices. They need to network. In short, they need to regard the process of finding a job as a full-time job,” Whether you’re a recent graduate or experienced professional, you should never sit back and wait for your next job to find you. Because you may be in for a very long wait. |