Due to limited experience, the lack of notable workplace contributions, and overall uncertainty of what information to include or exclude, developing a resume can become quite a daunting task for a graduate. Not only will they be competing with fellow students, but quite possibly, hundreds of graduates from other colleges, institutes, universities and business schools. The '15-seconds-to-grab-attention' ruling is just as relevant at graduate level, as is the importance to develop a dynamic document that will capture the reader's interest from the go-get. So let's review what information could be considered for inclusion.
As with any resume, to enhance the document it must be focused on the career goal, providing transferable skills, knowledge and competencies, relevant to the position being applied for. This could include:
Education;
Your education is obviously going to be the most recent achievement that is relevant to your career goal; however are you able to distinguish yourself from other graduates? For instance, did you receive special recognition, honors or awards? Did you attain the highest marks in your class? Were you a member of a special committee that can demonstrate involvement and contribution of innovative ideas? Did you tutor other students on a particular subject that you excelled in? Were you a member of a debating team, or other special group?
As you can see, the list is endless and will demonstrate your willingness to get involved.
Work experience:
This could include projects or work experience required as a part of your diploma/degree, which can certainly provide you with an excellent opportunity to demonstrate hands-on experience within your chosen field.
Part time employment concurrent to your academic pursuits can portray your ability to manage your time and resources in order to fulfil both work and academic workloads. Even if the position was not in the industry being targeted, you can still identify skills that could be utilized within your new workplace. This could include communication with customers, colleagues or senior management; problem solving; and meeting deadlines, to name a few. Again, consider any contributions or achievements, or notable actions that can demonstrate initiative and problem solving abilities.
Collate information regarding the accountabilities and tasks that you were assigned - what were you involved in? Were you presented with opportunities to increase your knowledge and skills that could set you apart from other staff? If so, what were these projects? What challenges did the role present, and how did you overcome them? What were the actions you took and the resulting outcomes? Did you secure any notable achievements? Did you contribute ideas toward overcoming problem situations?
