By Elyse N. Ryan March 6,2012 5:08 p.m.
Picture this, you’re sitting at your computer staring at a blank Microsoft Word document. You’re a senior trying to write your first resume. What kind of style should you use? What kind of information should you include? Objective statement or no objective statement? That is the question.
Staff member of the Lamson Library Writing center, Jane Weber says, “make the document pleasing to the eye.” A resume for an entry-level position should only be one side of one page. This sometimes may mean you have to adjust the margins and font, but it can be the difference between landing the interview and getting tossed in the trash. Plymouth State University Business Department Head, Robert Nadeau believes, “Your resume is your chance to sell yourself.” Nadeau, a very successful humans resources director before coming to PSU explained the top four things current employers are looking for in their entry level applicants:
What Employers Look For:
1. Job stability and success patterns
2. Work ethic
3. Differentiation like unique courses, internships
4. Students paying for all or part of their education
The use of adjectives and action words in your description of previous employment tasks should be vibrant and show that you can that you can make decisions. When you are faced with the decision to pick and choose what information to put on your resume about previous accomplishments and employment opportunities, it is more appealing to only include the accomplishments that relate to the job you are applying for.
As daunting of a task that resume writing may be, you always have resources. The difference between getting a job and becoming a statistic of the un-employed college graduates starts with your resume.
Take this piece of good advice from Jane Weber, “Try to approach resume writing with a positive attitude. You might really enjoy the process and have some fun. It’s like writing an autobiography: you get to decide what’s important and emphasize it. Many writers feel validated after a resume-writing session because they realize their experiences add up and they have much to offer prospective employers.”
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