Writing An Entry Level Resume

When you're just out of college, an entry-level resume is your ticket to a professional position. A great resume convinces employers that your education and skills are an asset to the company even if you don't have an established industry track record. By using the resume to highlight crucial details and prove your abilities, you can make short work of the job search.

Unrelated Work Experience

The work history section is a sticking point on many entry-level resumes. It's important to include your past nonprofessional jobs; after all, a work history shows you understand the realities of sticking to a schedule, showing up on time and cooperating with colleagues. Unless the job was unusual or particularly demanding, leave out the traditional bullet points and choose a simple format that includes the job title, employer and dates. This communicates the important details without making it look like you're filling space. In general, avoid listing any precollege experience.

Unpaid Work

Your college history can be a gold mine of unpaid work that's relevant to potential employers. To determine what to include on an entry-level resume, pull the required skills from the job posting and find experiences that prove your abilities. If the employer wants someone who can help plan conferences and corporate meetings, mention how you successfully organized a campus-wide fall festival with 10,000 attendees. For a job that requires a special skill such as web design, include an entry about a website you designed and programmed for a student group. If you're going into a technical field, such as engineering or science, include undergraduate research positions, senior design projects or internships. Volunteer work and school leadership can also help employers understand what you bring to the table.

Contact Information

It can be difficult to decide which contact information to use on an entry-level resume, particularly if your living situation is in flux. If you're conducting a job search three or more months before you graduate, use your school address. For applications that might be processed after graduation, use your permanent address to ensure the materials reach you in time. List your cellphone number, rather than a landline, and choose an email address that you check regularly.

References

If your entry-level resume looks empty or sparse, don't fill space with oversized fonts or section graphics; employers can spot these tricks instantly. Instead, use professional references to add relevant, useful content. Choose three people who can speak to your skills in the industry or as a worker, such as your senior project adviser or a long-time boss. Include the person's name, title, relationship to you, phone number and email address. Make sure to get permission from each person, and pass on information about the jobs for which you are applying.

Writing an entry-level resume can be challenging, but the results are well worth the effort. With careful organization and content selection, you can turn a so-so resume into a persuasive and compelling job-hunting tool.

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