How a College Grad Resume Differs from Someone With More Experience
As a career advisor to college students, I've reviewed thousands of resumes. Many recent grads (and their parents) have questions about new grad resumes vs. someone with more experience. Much of the online resume advice is geared toward more experienced candidates, but your resume needs to be different to stand out after you graduate college.
It can be challenging to know what to put on your resume to make you stand out, especially if you feel you don't have a lot of experience (and don't want to brag about yourself). But when you know what to have, you can create a resume relevant to where you are in life right now and what you want to be doing when you get hired.
Here are three ways your resume will be different as a recent college graduate…
Your Resume Format
Your Education
Your Experience
Your resume format
As a recent graduate launching their career, the format and look of your resume should align with the jobs you're applying for and the industry you're trying to work in. The same resume format won't work for all jobs or industries. For example, if you majored in accounting or business, your resume will look very different from the resume of a recent grad with an animation or graphic design degree.
You may need to research the perfect resume template for your major and/or job field. One place to start is your college career center, which often has examples of resumes on its website for each college major.
Pro Tip! Consider creating a designated email address just for job searching. Setting up an email address just for job search correspondence will make a professional impression on employers and help you to keep all your applications organized.
Education
Now that you've completed college, one thing you'll want to make clear on your resume is that you have graduated! This sounds basic, but I've seen a lot of resumes where you can't tell if the student has already graduated or will be graduating in the near future. Be sure your education information is easy to find for recruiters, too. Towards the top of the resume is best.
You'll want to have some additional information on your resume that may differ from people with more experience. For example, you'll want to add your GPA, college honors (think Dean's List), and any awards and scholarships you received while a student. Don't forget to add any study abroad experience as well.
Experience
Your resume needs to list your experience too, but you'll likely get contradictory advice about what to keep on–and take off–your resume. As a recent grad writing your resume, the best rule to follow is to list the most relevant experience you have to your major or industry first. For example, if you had an internship where you worked in a role or at a company related to your major, list these experiences at the top so employers can see them.
If you didn't gain much (or any) relevant experience while in college, don't panic! You'll want to list on your resume the experience you do have first. Part or full-time jobs, college work experience (think on-campus jobs), and any volunteer experience can count.
Pro Tip! If you worked or volunteered during high school (think barista or food pantry volunteer)--especially for a year or more–consider keeping it on your resume. You might get advice to remove anything before college, but keeping this experience on your resume could be a great way to demonstrate you're a valuable and loyal employee–things your next employer would be thrilled to know.
Let’s sum it up
These are just a few essential elements of a well-written new grad resume, but whatever is on your resume, remember this:
Be sure your resume format is aligned to the job and industry you want to get hired in.
Include your honors and awards you received while a student. Add study abroad experience too.
Consider keeping work or volunteer experience from before college on your resume if you were there a year or more.
Let Collegiateca help
This all might sound overwhelming–and it can be! If you'd like an expert review of your resume (or help creating the perfect resume and cover letter for your major), get in touch with Collegiateca. Book a career advising appointment today to get started or a Discovery Session to learn more.