6 Quick Tips About How to Make Your Resume Stand Out without Work Experience
Are you about to start sending applications for your first job? When you don’t have any work experience, you lose a huge point of attraction. Most employers are not interested in the GPA or the types of courses you took during college. They are after applicants who don’t need much training, so they prefer hiring experienced people.
The good news is that there are entry-level positions open for candidates who don’t have any experience. Those are the positions you’ll be applying for. However, you’ll still need to show you’re qualified for them. How do you write a resume when you don’t have any experience to list?
Keep reading; we’ll give you the tips you need.
- What Will You Write in the Experience Section?
Why do you think employers want to see experience in the resumes of the applicants? The experience you have shows the skills you’ve developed. A hiring manager can easily understand what the applicant is capable of if they go through the list of their previous positions.
However, it’s possible to reflect those skills in the resume even when you don’t have working experience. These are the aspects you should focus on:
- Internships
- Volunteer work
- Summer jobs
- Extracurricular activities
What did you learn thanks to those experiences? What set of skills did you develop?
- Include More Information about Your Education
A traditional resume does include information about the candidate’s education, but it’s of secondary importance. When someone is applying for a high position and has a lot of experience, they won’t list their GPA and the favorite courses they attended at university. In your case, it’s okay to do that.
If you earned a high GPA, don’t hold back and mention it in the resume for an entry position. List other activities related to your education, such as team leading roles and extracurricular activities that inspired you to pursue this career. Maybe you worked in the library or you were a team leader of an important project? Maybe you organized campus events? Think; there has to be something you can list.
If you gained an MA or PhD degree, include the title of your thesis or dissertation project in the resume. If it’s relevant to the position you’re aiming for, that detail will trigger the interest of the hiring manager.
- Do Not Lie!
You think that listing a fake internship position in your resume will make it more attractive? Think again! Recruiters and hiring managers have their ways of checking the details and finding out the truth. Lying is a bad idea.
Many candidates tend to include an extra foreign language or skill in their resume, thinking there’s no way for the potential employer to check those details. But what if they ask you a question on that foreign language on the interview? What if they don’t and you get the job, but you get in a situation where you’ll have to use that language or skill?
Before you start writing the resume, get your facts straight. Remember: this is an entry-level position, so no one expects to see impressive experience in the resume. Be honest. If you have the skills and you show great interest for the particular position, that should be enough for an interview. If you think you don’t have the needed skills, it’s time to start taking courses.
- Be Unique and Specific
If this is the first resume you’re about to write, it’s only natural for you to look at some resume samples. They should answer your question: how does a perfect resume look like? You might even consider completing a resume template. The template will keep your content within the needed format.
This strategy is very risky. You’ll get too inspired by the samples, so you’ll use very similar sentences and descriptions. The template will give you a good format, but it lead you to completing the same type of resume the employers see every single day. The last thing you want is to craft a boring, lifeless resume.
Find your voice! The resume gives you enough flexibility to express it. It’s okay to look at samples and use a template, but always infuse some uniqueness in your resume. Do not be generic! Tell the employer why you want that exact position and what makes you the perfect candidate for it. That’s the only way to make your resume stand out.
- Highlight Your Desire to Learn
When employers are picking candidates for entry positions, they are focused on attitude. They want to see the desire of these people to learn and make progress in their career. Thus, you need to show you’re an active, inspired person through the resume.
Share information about college experiences where you showed your strong interpersonal skills and work ethics. If you’ve been part of a sports club, you should mention the traits of persistence, patience, and aim to constant growth that experience helped you develop.
- If You Can’t Write the Perfect Resume, Get Help!
It’s time to face the truth: many of the candidates for the same position will hire professional resume writers to help with their applications. These writers are aware of the standards in different industry, so they can turn dry information into an impressive resume. If you can’t do that for yourself, it’s perfectly fine to invest in this document.
However, you should make sure you’re hiring the right resume service. Don’t forget to check the best writing companies reviews, so you’ll recognize the most reliable websites. When you find the right service for you, make sure to collaborate with the writer. Share only facts, as well as information about the position you’re applying for. Give precise instructions regarding the resume format you want to get, and make sure to clarify the deadline.
Remember: the resume may make or break the deal. Although you don’t have much experience, a well-written resume can turn you into an attractive candidate. Hopefully, the tips above will help you overcome this challenge
Written by: Robert Morris is a writer and a life coach from New York. He enjoys sharing his experience with students and employees to help them achieve their career and personal goals.
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