Your application materials are your first impression with prospective employers.
The resume is typically organized into sections arranged from most important to least important. The following topics are designed to help you highlight your experience in a way that is compelling to hiring managers.
Contact Information
This should include your name, address, phone number and email address. Make sure that the e-mail address is professional looking and does not include slang or other inappropriate items.
Professional Objective
Prepare a brief, clearly defined statement indicating the field or position in which you are interested. Your career objective represents the theme of your resume, with the remaining information supporting your goal. If you are interested in more than one career field or position, you may need to have different resumes for each professional objective.
Education
For each post-secondary degree, start with the most recent.
- List college or university followed by your degree, major and graduation date.
- List grade point average of a 3.0/4.0 scale or better. If your GPA is less than a 3.0, you may want to identify only your major GPA.
- If you have worked during college, consider highlighting relevant job experience.
Qualification or Skills
You may want to include a section that briefly summarizes any skills or qualifications you have gained from work experience and/or extracurricular activities that relate to your professional objective.
Don't forget the cover letter!
A well-written cover letter should accompany your resume when applying for a job. It should explain why you're a qualified candidate, highlight your skills and accomplishments, and identify why your experience makes you qualified for the job.
Cover letter basics are as follows:
- Address the letter to a specific person, by name when possible
- Get straight to the point. Describe why the employer would benefit from hiring you
- Make sure to use simple but direct language
- Refer the employer to your enclosed resume
- Ask for an interview and let them know that you'll be in contact to set up a time that is convenient for them
College Student Resume Examples