Resumes

[breezymarie82]

I was reading the blog post Be Prepared and the first point talked about having a resume that was always up to date.  I was wondering, since i am a college student without much experience, what sort of activities should i include on a resume.  Also is it considered bragging to include awards i have received or leadership roles that i have held?

[LMSM]

Hi, breezy.  No, it isn't bragging to include your awards and accomplishments on a resume.  Your performance in the past is what a potential employer will use to gauge your potential performance in the future, so by all means, include achievements.

College students without an extensive work history need to include activities and strengths that demonstrate skills that might transfer to a potential job.  Among these would be leadership, meeting and exceeding goals, scholastic excellence, teamwork and anything that shows your commitment, dedication, and willingness to go the extra mile.  Part-time jobs can sometimes be listed as well as long as you can identify skills you had to utilize to do them that might transfer to a new employer. 

Without experience, you have to set yourself apart from other candidates who do have experience in a different way.  Hiring very often is not just about experience doing a job.  It's about the aptitude to do it.  You may not have done it, but you may have done something that shows you can.  Even more than that, any employer will want to see that you have the drive and determination to do it.   Showing a history of setting goals, striving to achieve them, being willing and capable of learning, and enthusiasm go a long way in establishing yourself as a viable candidate with employers.

Lynn