How to Write an Entry-Level Resume for Your First Post-College Job

How to Write an Entry-Level Resume for Your First Post-College JobHow to Write an Entry-Level Resume for Your First Post-College JobHow to Write an Entry-Level Resume for Your First Post-College JobIf building your first post-college resume has you feeling under qualified, heres what you need to know.Its the classic post-college dilemma You apply for an entry-level job that could start you on the path to the career you really want. However, during your interview you are told that you do leid have enough experience for the position.So, you need experience to get an entry-level job, but without the job, you cant gain experience. That makes sense, right?The key is to broaden your scope a little when it comes to the term experience. You went to college, you got your degree, and you did things that have helped you grow and learn its not like youve been hiding under a rock. You are a graduate who is full of potential. As you think about your resume, focus on that word potential. Its the key to building a great recent-graduate resume.Heres how you put that to work for you on your entry-level resume.Professional summaryThis space used to belong to the objective statement, which quickly spoke to what you were looking for in your career. The problem with that concept is that its telling prospective employers what you want, not what you have to offer.Enter the professional summary. The professional summary in your entry-level resume should be short and sweet, and it should tell the hiring manager what kind of employee you are by highlighting your best qualities. Thats that hard part. You need to be able to brag a little here. Are you a good leader? Do you have exceptional computer skills? Maybe you are a creative problem solver. Think about the things that you do best and how those skills will make you good at your job.Keep your professional summary to one or two sentences. For exampleCreative problem solver with a focus on goals and exceeding them. Able to communicate well with teams and provide motivation.Dont use a lot of buzzwords or try to pack this part with information. Just write a couple of quick sentences that you believe sum up your best skills.Tip Avoid using words like punctual on your resume. Punctuality is not a skill, its an expected behavior. Emphasize skills that you have developed over recent years.EducationYou may not want to hear this, but once youve entered the workforce in the adult world, your education will continually diminish in importance on your resume. It may be important on your recent-graduate resume, but once youve been building your career for 10 years, employers arent concerned about what you did in college or even if you got good grades.Thats the badeanstalt news. The good news is that for your first entry-level resume after college, it is still very relevant. List out your school, degree, and GPA. You dont need to list your coursework, but be ready to discuss it in an interview.Relevant experienceYou may think that you need to have a portion of your entry-level resume dedicated to work history. In most cases, thats true. However, if you dont have a real work history or have only held one job, you can shift the focus to your relevant experience.Heres where you really need to think about the last few years and what youve done to prepare yourself for a careerDid you work part-time while you were in college? Even if it was cashiering at a department store or waitressing at a caf, you gained experience. Think about the things you learned and how they are relevant to the job you want.Did you have an internship? If so, thats great List it and describe what you learned and accomplished while you were there.Were you a part of any clubs or organizations? What kind of work did you do? Did you hold a leadership position?Did you do any volunteering? Volunteering is a great way to utilize your skills and build experience, and it displays character.While you may not have an extensive work history, that doesnt mean you dont have relevant experience. Think carefully about what you can include in this section to make it shine.Tip The key word here is relevant. If you are looking for a job in sales and your baking club taught you how to make a mean cupcake, thats not relevant. Did you sell more cupcakes than anyone else? Now youre talking.SkillsHeres the section of an entry-level resume that can really do the heavy lifting for you. What were you doing in all of those classes? You were learning skills. Fill this section and show prospective employers what kind of potential you have. Dont talk about your classes or worry about examples, just list out the skills that youve developed over recent years.Computer skills Programs, languages, etc. List them all out.Foreign languages Having a second language under your belt is a huge plus in todays job market.Communication Believe it or not, communication skills are frequently lacking in job applicants. If you have done public speaking, group e mailing, etc., make sure youre displaying that ability.Trade skills Hopefully your education helped you learn some skills that are specific to the career field you want to enter.Problem solvingTime managementLeadershipYou dont want to go into how you gained each skill on your resume. This is a quick review of what you are bringing to the table. Be ready to discuss these skills and how you obtained them if you should get an interview.Tip While hard skills like being fluent in Spanish and being an expert HTML coder are fantastic, dont overlook soft skills. The abilities to communicate, manage your time, and lead others are harder for employers to teach, so they want to see that you are already proficient in these areas.RelatedAsk Amanda How Do I Create a Skills Section for My Resume?Sell yourselfAs your career grows, it will become easier to sell yourself and your experience. The first job out of college, while you battle the experience catch-22, is tougher and requires some creative thinking. Remember, employers arent necessarily looking to help you build a career. Theyre trying to fill a job and hire an employee that will make their company better.You do have skills. You do have experiences. If you want to get a foot in the door at your first entry-level job, you need to convince employers that the skills and experiences that you acquired during your time in school will help you become a star employee for them. If you dont have the experience they want, focus on the potential and show them that you can do this job and grow beyond. A well-written entry-level resume is the first step to launching your new career and building exciting new experiences.Click on the following link for more resume advice.Enter the workforce with a splash with a resume that impresses employers. Learn more about working with a professional resume writer from TopResume.Recommended Reading6 Ways to Rock Your First Entry-Level Job After GraduationTop Entry-Level Jobs for Recent College Gr ads14 Reasons This is the Perfect College Grad Resume