Hollie writes:
I am wondering what are your three best pieces of advice for someone fresh out of college starting a resume?
The Career Doctor responds:
I like a challenge — and believe me, holding me to just three pieces of advice is a challenge for me! So, here goes.
First, get a hold of as many resumes of recent college graduates as you can get your hands on. Looking at these resumes will help you decide what you want to do with your resume. Your college’s career-services office should be able to help you get a hold of some samples.
Second, get some expert career advice. Again, you can start with your college’s career-services office, which probably has some handouts on resumes. You could also visit some resume Websites. My Website, Quintessential Careers, has a list of the best resume sites in our Resume Resources section. Finally, you could also go out and either buy a book or go to your local library and borrow a book on resumes. A good one for recent grads is Resumes for College Students and Recent Graduates (VGM), but there are plenty of others.
Third, remember the purpose of your resume as you are writing it. A resume is a document that describes your work experience, your education (and any special training you have), and your skills. What makes an excellent resume, however, is marketing. You have to consider yourself a product, with the employer as the buyer … why should the employer buy (hire) you? Your resume is a key marketing tool in your employment search. You can read more about resumes — as well as the keys to a successful job search — by reading The Job-Search Domino Effect.
