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How Do I Write A Resume After Graduating From College?

Graduating from college is one of the proudest moments you can feel, but it straight away raises the question 'how do I write a resume for my first post?'.

by PaulRobertson

Graduating from college is one of the proudest moments you can feel, but it straight away raises the question 'how do I write a resume for my first post?'.

Receiving your diploma validates all the hard toil you put into your training, all the all-nighters you pulled before exams. Your graduation ceremony makes you realise how much tough work you put in as a student, and how soon you will be opening the door to a full range of employment options. All of a sudden, it hits you - how will you get a job that requires experience if you have none?

As a new college graduate, you are entering the workforce at entry-level jobs so the subject of how do I write a resume is not as ambitious as it may first look. Your likely employers have highly reasonable expectations. They expect you to have graduated from college and that your major is in line with the business you are applying for. They realize that you likely have some unrelated experience as an intern or from a summertime occupation, but that is OK. They would like to get some references - from your professors or most recent supervisors - so that they can obtain a better view of your personality and work value-system. This sounds pretty fitting, doesn't it?

By penning what is known as a 'functional resume' you can show your potential employer that you are a good prospect who knows the answer to 'how do i write a resume correctly'. Functional resumes centre on your qualifications, not your employment timeline. This style of the resume highlights what skills you possess, rather than where and when you acquired or utilize them.

In other language, instead of listing your experiences by your vocation titles, your resume will contained sections titled by your skills such as verbal and written communication, client satisfaction, task management, etc. Most people advocate that students who have merely graduated use the functional resume.

Begin your resume by stating your work objective. Your employment goals must be your own. Your objective should be particular to the placement you want, and must indicate to your employer how you mean to make use of your training and how this position will help you evolve your experience. Your training should be listed next. Write down your school, school location, year of graduation and your major. It can be helpful to include your GPA, specific courses you have taken, or any honors you have received while in school.

Next come your professional skills. This area will have sub-headings as they pertain to particular qualifications you wish to promote, such as communications, client relations, managements, etc. At this point you may be asking yourself 'how do i write a resume covering experience when I haven't had any full time work?' Well, in this section you can use any experience you have that relates to the sub-sections, including your part time jobs, internships, volunteer positions, community help work, or school-related activities. Only include a work experience/work history section if you have held part time jobs when in school or have had internships you'd like your employer to know about.

This listing should only enclose dates, titles, companies, and locations without listing any of your responsibilities, since you are covering them in the most recent segment. It is well worthwhile listing any activities that are relevant to your career objective such as association memberships and sporting squad activities. For instance, if you were an editor of your school paper, and you are trying to get a job at a publishing corporation, make sure that you have this experience in your resume.

Your references will be in the very last segment of your resume. As a young graduate, it is to your benefit to include references on your resume, and give your employer everything they could do with to consider you as a qualified candidate for the job. It will prove initiative if you include this information before they ask you for it.

Before you begin applying for jobs, take advantage of your school's employment centre and have one of the mentors there reexamine your resume and help you perfect both the content and the format. They can without doubt help with your final efforts to resolve the issue of 'how do i write a resume' and armed with the final well-scripted product, you will be ready to take the professional domain by storm.

About the Author: Frank Cole