We all have been there completely clueless about what to write on our first resume to make it stand out and appeal to potential recruiters. Many students often think that since they don’t have work experience yet, they can’t make an enthralling resume. However, creating a compelling resume doesn’t have to be intimidating. There are many ways to highlight your achievements, experiences and skills even without any prior work experience when you apply for your first job.
We live in a digital age where even educational institutions are readily adopting digitized school learning management system and other software such as eLearning portals, attendance and admission management system, smart classes and likewise. Many online sites may help the students in creating a splendid resume with proper layout. However, before you begin writing a resume, keep in mind that the purpose of creating a resume is to make sure that the recruiter sees you as a strong candidate who they think will add value to their organization. In order to do this, you should know exactly what the recruiters are looking for. After identifying and researching job postings of interest, you can note down all the keywords you find in those postings such as the required skills mentioned most frequently. Now, make sure that you focus on these keywords while writing a resume and highlight any relevant knowledge or achievement you have. Here are a few useful tips to create your first job resume which will go a long way in impressing the potential employers. So, without further ado, let’s dive in…
Highlight Academic Achievements-
For a student, education is the single greatest asset which they should definitely highlight in their resume for creating a strong impression on potential employers. Ideally, you should mention your educational qualifications towards the top of the page in your resume. Apart from mentioning your school and graduation degree, make sure to mention any other achievement of yours, even if you think it’s inconsequential.
Mention Your CGPA-
Needless to say, make sure that you mention your GPA if you performed well in your school and university examinations. If you studied abroad or have some extraordinary academic achievements, do not forget to mention them. Recruiters appreciate and are impressed by the academic achievements of freshers, so make sure that you highlight these.
Highlight Relevant Experience-
Even though as a fresher, you might have little to no work experience whatsoever, you can mention plenty of other related experience you have had at your college or university. If you were a member of any clubs, organized any major event, took on volunteer work or took any internship during your time in college, make sure that you highlight all that stuff. These things should be mentioned under a related experience heading in your resume.
Achievements-
After mentioning your experience, you can briefly mention the tasks and responsibilities you took on in your position. You should focus on mentioning any achievement or success you had while holding that position instead of simply mentioning what you did in that position or job.
Mention Your Skills-
The most important part of the resume is where you highlight your skills as it is the part which the recruiters mainly focus on to decide if you are someone who will be able to add value to their company. In order to make sure that your resume catches the attention of potential employers, you should highlight those skills which are mentioned in the job listing. This will go a long way in creating a strong impression on the potential employers and ensure that your resume is not lost in the sea of resumes.
Mention Keywords-
Make sure that you prepare a list of keywords which include the most frequently mentioned qualities and skills in the job description. Refer to this list while writing your resume and include these keywords in your resume multiple times. This will let the recruiters know that you are a great fit for the job and that you will be a valuable asset for the company.
Creating your first resume doesn’t have to be intimidating. In order to get ahead of the competition, you should avoid the common mistakes people make while creating a resume and follow the tips mentioned in this article which will help you in landing your dream job even without a lot of work experience.
