Do all new grads know these 4 “resume” tips? — Wheelhouse Solutions

A friend of mine asked if I’d look at his son’s resume.

He is a recent grad and about to enter the workforce with a shiny new Degree.

I was of course happy to oblige.

As someone who has interviewed, hired, and managed countless entry-level folks, I was looking forward to helping him jump into the labor force and put that degree to work.

It had been a long time since I had put myself in the shoes of a new grad and it got me thinking of how I would approach the working world knowing what I now know.

This was my reply…

Heyo!

I spent some time looking at the resume and also thinking about how different it is to enter the job market these days.

So there are a couple of ways to look at this. 1. It’s really hard to get a job (the traditional way). However, 2. people have never been more accessible and the ability to stand out is there for the bold.

On just resume alone, I’m focusing on what I would change vs all the praise. I think the resume is good but what he does outside of that will be what gets him a job. In his position, it’s tough to find applicable experience to things that he’d like to do. Just keep that in mind:

• It looks like every other resume. There are tons of resume builders out. Quick google search I found www.zety.com. They might charge a small fee to use it. If it’s a 1-time fee it might be worth it. Just to stand out a bit. If you keep digging you can find a free one but also, you get what you pay for. As long as you can pay $5 and cancel anytime, it could definitely be worth it.
• Get a LinkedIn profile asap. Great to start now. I included some links I found on how college grads can still have an impactful LinkedIn page. This is honestly where most recruiters try to go. Bonus points if you can get someone to write you a quick recommendation on there.
• Get and USE a Gmail address — Don’t use your “.edu” one. You’re not going to use it forever.
• When you write your work history, try and focus on what the outcome was vs what the task was. If you can use numbers, that’s what you want. It also shows that you weren’t just a seat warmer, you really understood the business and how it operates. Apply this approach to all the job tasks listed if you can.

For example:

Instead of: Reviewed, evaluated, and categorized incoming financial documents, including invoices, purchasing
contracts, and order amendments, from recently acquired companies; verified information for
accuracy and appropriateness.

Try: Increased efficiency (or Department output) by 20% by reorganizing the way that they reviewed, and categorized financial statements, etc.

Resources:

• 10 Tips for Student & New Grads from LinkedIn
• 6 Things Every New Grad should have on their profile
• 3 LinkedIn headline strategies for students that are better than “recent graduate”

You should also check out, So good they can’t ignore you by Cal Newport. I think it’s the right mindset for this time in his life.

Honestly, I could write or talk about this subject for hours. Tell him to reach out anytime and I’d be happy to talk with him.

Cheers,
Greg

What are some of your, “Entering the workforce” stories?

Originally published at https://www.wheelhouse-solutions.com on September 11, 2020.