Help Me Make a Good Resume?

[dj_mocok]

Anyone got tips for making a nice resume?
I'm basically just graduated (bachelor of business) and don't have much experience.

Well, I worked in a cafe for 3 years or so and currently working at Target (running 1 year), but those are not much if you apply for business-related field type of job.

So what should I write/put in the resume, and if we don't have much to "show", what's the best way to make the resume still look good? Or anyone got a nice resume layout that I can use?

My work colleague says putting your coloured picture (passport sized) sometimes help too. What do you reckon?

Thanks in advance guys.

 

[kin0kin]

Im on the same boat

just grad this May....gonna get a copy of official transcript today before I start writing my resume...experience wise...nada...it's funny how most jobs require 1-5 years of experience...makes people wonder where do others get the 1-5 years experience at the first place if all jobs have such requirements

I was told it doesnt matter...though

 

[kiwirugby]

To begin, I would suggest jotting down some ideas in three major categories:

Academic preparation (major areas of focus and any honours)

Work experience (and don't forget any community service or volunteering you may have done)

Key areas of strength (take a look at this and see what employers care about: http://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/whatwork/

In addition, I would suggest jotting some ideas down about career interests and goals, both occupational and academic, and let potential employers where you are trying to go, in the short term and longer term.

If you have any testimonials or references (or you can get them) around the three categories above please collect these as supporting evidence for what you jot down.

Don't be modest, but be honest!!!

Hope this helps.

 

[vcoheda]

i would run searches on google for "sample resumes" "sample cover letters," "sample thank you letters." That will give you plenty of ideas. Also, check careerbuilder.com. Another site with lots of useful infomation.

 

[BrookR1]

Focus on the specific projects you worked on while in college and describe your role and how you helped each project succeed. Build a portfolio so you can show samples of your work when you go in for an interview. Check the job boards at school to see if there are any internships available to you. You may have to work for less money (or even for free) until you get your foot in the door. Do side projects for friends/family and list those. Join a professional trade organization and list that. Every little thing helps.

 

[rb67]

I have never seen a resume sample with a person's picture and all the workshops I've been too have never mentioned it.

I used to have the same problem you did. You want to start off with your education. Underneath your degree and where you went to school, you want to have a short list of classes you've taken that you think are relevant.

If you have extra space, I would put a brief statement of purpose as the first thing saying that you are looking for whatever kind of job. Make it sound good.

Following your education is work experience. There are two ways of doing this. You can talk about what you did. When you do this, make sure you don't just give a job description. Instead, say what you DID. The second way is talking about your accomplishments in the job. When I had little experience, i used the 2nd way.

Any activities or prizes in college should definitely be listed followed by skills and interests.

Here are two sample resumes. The first one is one of my earlier ones where I didn't have much experience. The 2nd is a newer one. I prefer the layout of the 2nd one as it is much cleaner. I had a friend help me work on the 1st one as I was in the same boat you were in.

1st resume
2nd resume

Oh yeah, and final tip: always save a copy of your resume as a pdf. If you apply online, you can't be sure it'll look the same on their computer and they get to see all the lines. PDF will look cleaner and more professional. Also, when you go print it out and you are in a rush, you don't really have to double check to make sure word did anything weird.

 

[rb67]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrookR1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Focus on the specific projects you worked on while in college and describe your role and how you helped each project succeed. Build a portfolio so you can show samples of your work when you go in for an interview. Check the job boards at school to see if there are any internships available to you. You may have to work for less money (or even for free) until you get your foot in the door. Do side projects for friends/family and list those. Join a professional trade organization and list that. Every little thing helps.

x2

 

[BrookR1]

I almost fogot; your local unemployment office will have resume workshops you can attend. They will sit with you one on one and teach you how to write a resume and they will critique it for free. It's also a good place to begin your employment search. It's a terrific resource. If you ever get laid off, you WILL become familiar with this place. Best to become familiar with it now so it's that much easier if you are laid off in the future.

 

[Denim]

If you don't mind spending some money, there are plenty of professional writing services that create great resumes. I used Resume Edge a couple years ago and they did a great job. They also offer a package with the resume and posting the resume on a bunch of sites (career builder, jobs.com, etc). The job boards didn't pay off for me directly, but head hunters found my resume and contacted me for other positions. The resume they created for me was worth the money.

 

[robm321]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denim /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you don't mind spending some money, there are plenty of professional writing services that create great resumes. I used Resume Edge a couple years ago and they did a great job. They also offer a package with the resume and posting the resume on a bunch of sites (career builder, jobs.com, etc). The job boards didn't pay off for me directly, but head hunters found my resume and contacted me for other positions. The resume they created for me was worth the money.

How much do they charge aprox?

 

[pkshiu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj_mocok /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, I worked in a cafe for 3 years or so and currently working at Target (running 1 year), but those are not much if you apply for business-related field type of job.

You never know. Depending on what you are doing and have done at Target. Participated in teams for improving something at work? Gotten good customer feedback from helping customer? Made suggestions to company that made a difference? Handled any out-of-ordinary situaton? All of these can be put into a one or two sentence bullet point that highlight your people/business skills.

"did something that made a difference for my customer/employer" type of example always look good on resume.

Good luck!