LIFE

Whether you're applying for your dream school, the internship you've been longing for or a job in your hometown, your qualifications and skills are *everything* to a recruiter. As much as we'd like to demonstrate everything we know in an interview, most companies and schools won't even take you that far without a piece of paper that tells them every impressive thing about you: your resume.

While perfecting your resume is a little time-consuming, it's *so* essential for showcasing your talent and intelligence.

Here are some of the best tips (tested and approved!) for writing a great resume ASAP:

1. Prioritize your experience
While it's tempting to show that you have an extensive work history, it's not necessary to list your last babysitting job when you're applying for a position that's unrelated to childcare. Rather than including fluff jobs, such as that one, include your leadership experience in clubs or groups and your most relevant work history and skills. Sometimes, less is more. The caveat: If that's the only work experience that you have, be sure to list it. 

2. Organization is key
After you've decided where your priorities lie for your resume, divide it into sections. Contact Information (email address, phone number and address will suffice), Education (where you go to school, the years you attended and any key accomplishments, like being a member of the National Honor Society) and Previous Experience (the jobs you've worked and for how long) should all be outlined individually within your resume, and you can include Skills (such as Adobe Photoshop, editing, etc.) and Volunteer Experience as space allows (especially if you want to work at a non-profit!). 

Within each section, make sure you're using bullet points to describe your work history, not paragraphs. No recruiter wants to read a novel about your professional life (and you'll be able to go into detail in your cover letter). After you've polished each section, make sure that your resume is only one page. We can't stress that enough!

3. Keep your contact info professional
This one speaks for itself, but it's one of the most important resume tips. Everyone has an email address that we made when we were 9 that's still hanging around, but all good things must come to an end, and that is one of them. Rather than using "sparklygirl657@yahoo.com," transition to something more formal and ready for the workplace, like "firstname.lastname@gmail.com". The format is really up to you, but using your first and last name is a surefire way to stay professional and be remembered.

4. Update your resume for every application
This may sound like a pain, but if you don't update your resume every time you apply for something new, you may find yourself forgetting to change an objective statement or including experience that isn't relevant to the job you're applying for. It takes some time, but you're much more likely to get the job or internship if they can tell you're putting effort into your application materials.

5. Use white space with purpose
If you want to modernize the format of your resume and keep clutter out, some white space is important. That said, too much of it can make you look underqualified and underprepared for the position. To get the best of both worlds, use a template (Kickresume offers them to college students for free) that best fits the information you're inputting to create the most profesh look for your resume.

6. Stay consistent (and don't overshare)
Finally, make sure you're keeping your formatting consistent to avoid having your resume tossed before it even makes it into the hands of the recruiters. A good rule of thumb is keeping all of your font at Times New Roman, 12 pt. to avoid any mishaps along the way, and make your spacing wide enough to read each line. Don't overshare your professional goals, and don't put your references on your resume (although, you should have them available upon request).

With these tips, you should have a perf resume and a newfound confidence for your professional self — get excited!

What helped you the most while writing your resume? Tell us in the comments below!

Photo credit: GIPHY

by Logan Potter | 3/28/2019