#1. Pick the Right First Job Resume Format and TemplateThere are 3 main resume formats you can pick from. Each of them highlights a different part of your resume.– Reverse-Chronological Resume - In this format, your work experiences and education are listed in reverse-chronological order.– Functional Resume - Instead of work experience, this format
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
focuses on your skills and achievements.– Combination (or Hybrid) Resume - This format focuses on both your skills and work experience.For 99% of job-seekers, we recommend sticking with the reverse-chronological format.While a functional resume can sometimes help for career changers or recent graduates,
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
it’s still nowhere near as common as the reverse chronological one.Plus, recruiters world-wide are familiar with the reverse-chronological format, making it a safer bet.
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
#2. Write Down Your Contact Information (Correctly)It’s important for the recruiter to have at least two ways of reaching back to you.Meaning, you should always provide your contact information in your resume. That includes:– First and last name– Email– Phone number
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
– LocationApart from these must-haves, you can also provide:– LinkedIn URL - This is a good way to complement your resume. It also makes the recruiter’s life easier since they usually check your LinkedIn profile anyway. Make sure all information is updated and consistent with your resume, though.– Relevant social media (like
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
Quora or StackOverflow) - Any social media that is related to the job position and puts you in good light should be included in your resume. In most cases. If you’re a developer, it could be projects on GitHub. Writer? Personal blog.– Website or blog - Again, this should be something related to the job. It shows your interest and dedication to the industry and how you spend some of your free time.
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
#3. Include a Resume ObjectiveRecruiters spend on average 7 seconds scanning each resume before deciding if it’s worth more consideration or not.That means your resume has about 7 seconds to leave a great first impression and convince the recruiter you’re the person they’re looking for.A good resume objective does that for you. A resume objective
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
is a 2-3 sentence snapshot of your skills, achievements, and career goals. Its purpose is to communicate your motivation for getting into the field and your interest in this particular position.This makes it ideal for the first job resume of a recent graduate or somebody who’s changing careers. Basically, any resume with no work experience.
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
Your resume objective should be tailored to the position you are applying for and highlight skills that will help the company achieve its goal. Use as many facts and numbers as you can to back up any statements or achievements.
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
#4. List Your Education (In Detail)For starters, you should know how to list your education entries correctly in the following format:– Program Name e.g.: B.A. in Information Systems– University Name e.g.: University of Chicago– Years Attended e.g.: 07/2013 - 05/2017– GPA (only if really high)
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
– Honors (If applicable) e.g. Cum LaudeExchange Program (If applicable) e.g. Exchange program in Berlin, GermanyApart from your skills, your education is the biggest selling point in your first job resume. This is not the place to be humble and play down your achievements! Write down your GPA (if it’s something
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
impressive), emphasize your honors, and most importantly, highlight your academic achievements by describing them in detail. What you can also do is list specific courses that you have taken that are relevant to the position you are applying for.
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
#5. Instead of Work Experience, Focus On ThisAs a recent graduate, the recruiter knows you don’t have any work experience - and that’s OK. As long as you’re applying for a junior or entry-level position, the experience isn’t something expected from you.Instead, the recruiter will be looking for other experiences
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
that enrich your profile, like:– Internships– Extracurricular Activities– ProjectsWhen talking about these experiences, format them just like you’d format your work experience.
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
#6. Highlight Your SkillsThe two types of skills you can mention on your resume are soft skills and hard skills.Soft skills are attributes that help you adapt to work environments, work in a team, and apply your hard skills effectively. They are related to your personality, social skills, communication, attitude, etc.Hard skills refer to technical
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
knowledge and specific tools. They are skills that one learns and applies directly to the job. Some examples of hard skills include:– Financial accounting– C++– Adobe IllustratorAlthough soft skills are becoming more and more in demand by employers, for your first job resume, we
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
recommend sticking to hard skills.Sure, attributes like “teamwork” or “critical thinking” are much appreciated by just about any employer. The thing is, though, the recruiter can’t really tell if you actually have critical thinking skills, or just listed it on your resume to fill space.Hard skills, on the other hand, are very easy to test.
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
#7. Mention Optional SectionsStill have some space on your resume?That’s not a bad thing! You can use this space to your advantage and add some other useful sections.Here are some ideas:1. Volunteering - If you have some volunteering experience, make sure to include it in your first job resume. Such a
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
section shows commitment, dedication, and a sense of purpose, something most recruiters will appreciate.2. Languages - With companies becoming more and more international, additional languages are always appreciated.3. Hobbies - You can show your genuine interest in the industry or field by listing some relevant hobbies/interests.
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
4. Awards & Certifications - Whether it’s an award from an essay competition in college or a certificate from an online course, anything that flatters your profile should be added.
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
#8. Stick to the One-Page Limit“How long should a resume be?” seems like an eternal dilemma at this point.Generally, the answer is: it depends.Since you’re making a first job resume, the answer is: definitely one page.Unless you have an extensive employment history that can’t fit into one page, there’s no
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How to Write Your First Job Resume
need to go over that limit.It’s unlikely that the recruiter will want to look at two pages of extracurriculars and hobbies.