Resume Tips for Recent College Graduates

As a new graduate, you may be missing an important aspect of a resume—relevant skills and work experience. When writing your resume, therefore, you’ll need to concentrate on showcasing your transferable skills rather than your work history.

If you haven’t already done so, the first and perhaps most important step in writing your resume is choosing your career focus. Employers who read your resume want to see that you have skills that are relevant to the position you’re applying for, so you absolutely must do this before writing a resume.

The next step is identifying the skills and attributes that will be relevant to the positions you’re applying for. The easiest way of doing this is to look at job ads and find out what employers are looking for in terms of both practical experience and professional attributes.

Even if you have little or no work history, your college education has provided you with many skills that will be important in the workplace.

• Leadership skills
• Time management
• Written and verbal communication
• Problem-solving
• Analytical skills
• Computer skills

The key is showcasing your transferable skills—those skills you’ve gained at college that you can bring to the workplace.

The same principle applies for any jobs or internships you may have had during your college years. Any transferable skills you gained can be added to your resume, even if the job itself was not directly relevant to the positions you’re interested in now. Don’t overlook the value of unpaid work experience—anything and everything counts, as long as the skills you list are transferable, and relevant to the type of job you’re seeking. This can include volunteer work, fraternity, sorority and campus club positions as well as internships.

As a new graduate your big selling point is usually your education—this means you can include a more extensive education section than you might on a standard resume for a more experienced job seeker. Including a high GPA adds value to your qualification and you can also add a summary of completed courses.

Choosing a format for your resume is the final step before you start writing. If your relevant work experience is limited, a hybrid format that includes elements of both chronological and functional formats is best. This allows you to highlight your transferable skills and downplay your limited professional experience.

For a resume example, you can view our Free Entry Level Resume Example.

Also, please review our Resume Writing section for resume examples, tips and tools.  If you need more help, please consider using a Career Counselor.