Anyone on the job market knows about the importance of the résumé. This is typically an employer’s first look at who you are and what you bring to the table. That’s why it’s crucial that you can make your résumé stand out from the rest.
- Lead with the most relevant
information. This refers to both
categories and individual bullet points. You want to lead with the most important
information on the top and left-hand side of the page, as well as within
sections.
- Your personalized LinkedIn URL.
At the top of your résumé with the rest of your contact information, you
can add your LinkedIn URL. Need a personalized URL that’s not full of random
numbers and letters? Go to your profile, and on the right side you’ll see an option to edit "Public profile & URL.” If you need assistance with this, schedule a LinkedIn
appointment with a career advisor.
- Course projects. If your
résumé is lacking in terms of work experiences, you can include projects from your
classes. Just list the name of the project and/or course and include a few
bullet points highlighting what you did. Remember: coursework experiences do
count as work experiences!
- Relevant coursework. By
listing relevant courses, you can demonstrate that you have foundational
knowledge in key areas related to the job you’re applying for. You can also
show that you’ve learned specialized skills in a specific area of study.
- Skills as categories.
These can be comprised of hard skills (e.g., programming languages, statistical
analyses, data analysis), soft skills (e.g., communication, leadership,
problem-solving), and transferable skills (e.g., customer service, research
skills, presentation skills).
- Extracurricular activities. Adding these to your résumé can demonstrate leadership potential. They also can help highlight transferable skills that you otherwise may not be able to show on your résumé.
Looking for some examples of résumés as you build your own? Download our Career Guide and review the guidelines listed on p. 26 of the PDF.