- 1). Format your resume chronologically if you have prior work experience related to the job you’re seeking or functionally if you do not. Chronological resumes focus immediately on your work history, while functional resumes focus immediately on your skills. If you’re graduating without a wealth of work experience, or choosing a new career than you held before, it’s better to have employers focus on your skills than your work history. If you have experience in the career you’re seeking after graduation, a chronological resume will showcase your strengths.
- 2). List skills that apply to the job you’re seeking. You may use skills you’ve learned while in school and at previous jobs. If you find yourself struggling to list your skills, think about general skills that apply to any job. For example, time management, good communication and excellent teamwork are skills almost every employer wants in a candidate.
- 3). Write down your accomplishments and awards you received while in school. One way to effectively diminish the weakness of your work experience is to show employers what you’ve accomplished while in school. Examples of accomplishments include serving as president of a committee that tackled a problem on campus and increasing awareness about a certain issue at the school.
- 4). List your graduation date as “Expected” or “Anticipated.” For example, if you are expecting to graduate in May 2012, you would write, “Expected graduation date: May 2012.”
- 5). Mention if you’ve been on the dean’s list and include your GPA if it’s above 3.0. Avoid listing your GPA if it’s under 3.0, because it may negatively affect an employer’s perception of you as a candidate.
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