How Your Resume Should Look If You’ve Never Worked Before

Here's how to make a resume if you've never had a job.

Pixabay user Typographyimages

For every high school or college graduate, the period immediately following graduation is one of great confusion. The long-established tradition is that in order to properly enter the adult world and the job market altogether, each of them has to produce a resume.

However, constructing an impressive resume can prove to be a challenge for young people with no work experience. To build the resume that will get the desired job, a few tips have to be taken into consideration.

Structure of a Resume

Before starting to add content to the resume, it should always be kept in mind that the layout is important. An easy to read resume is much likely to be taken into consideration and scanned thoroughly by a recruiter than a resume overburdened by information.

Set an Objective

Setting an objective when applying for a job shows the employer that despite his or her age. The applicant wants to commit to the desired company and position. Commitment, dedication and loyalty are very valuable to managers and team leaders. A few words toward a career objective should be the first thing on the resume.

A key tip when setting an objective is to not mention the desired pay level directly. For example, if an applicant is attempting to get a job at PetSmart, they should either subtly inquire how much the company pays on average or wait until this is disclosed to him by the recruiter.

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Focus on Education

Those in charge of hiring completely understand the position of a fresh graduate with no experience. As such, their entire focus is on the educational and achievements section of the resume. This should not only include academic accomplishments like grades obtained and exams passed, but also extracurricular activities, internships, and volunteer work. Well-written, this section can almost entirely make up for the lack of actual work experience.

Turn Lack of Experience into a Strength

Having no experience is not the early professional death-sentence it is painted to be. In reality, many companies gladly fill their entry-level jobs with young people that have no experience. This is because they can mold successful applicants to their work style and methods.

List other Skills

Being young in today’s world almost always entails a higher level of understanding when it comes to online and social media platforms. Most students do not look at this type of know-how as “resume material”. But in fact, employers look for this type of knowledge during the process of recruitment.

By taking these tips and recommendations into consideration, someone with no prior work experience can successfully present themselves as a viable hire to the potential employer.

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