“I Have a Degree, Why Can’t I Get an Interview?” Resume Writing for Recent (or Soon-to-Be) College Grads

Something that many people don’t tell you when you go to college is that, in most cases anyway, there will not be someone waiting to offer you a job as soon as you walk across that stage. The reality is that finding a job, especially with our economy, can be a job within itself.
Taking the time (even before graduation) to learn about resume writing is one way you can help to give yourself an advantage over other graduates. Below are some tips for helping to make your resume one that gets you that ever important interview. The most important thing to keep in mind when learning about resume writing is that the more time you spend preparing to write, the better your finished product will be, and the higher the chances that the goal of the resume (to get an interview) will be accomplished. Preparing to write includes everything from deciding which style you will use to deciding what information to include, even researching the company you are applying with. Researching the company and the specific position being applied for will allow you to be able to design your resume in such a way that you are presented as the best person for the job. Because most college graduates have a fairly limited amount of work experience that is often unrelated to the position being applied for, the way the information is presented is different from those with a more extensive work history. The combination style of resume writing, which combines the chronological and skills based formats, is a fairly efficient way to present this information. This type starts out by highlighting the specific resume skills you have that apply to the position (and includes specific examples); the next section should be the education history and then, finally, the work history. You could also include any awards and/or honors you have received, leadership roles in clubs or student government. You should limit this list of accomplishments to your college (and maybe senior year) years, though; your potential employer really doesn’t care if you won the spelling bee in the second grade.Don’t be afraid to look for resume help. The Internet has an abundance of free resume resources that can assist you in creating a great piece that gets you interviews.