Writing your first resume can be very daunting, especially if you have little to no work experience to speak of. This is a common problem for students, and a lot of them go about addressing this problem the wrong way – they either apply for jobs that do not require a resume, or they turn in a resume with little to no content.
DO NOT LEAVE YOUR RESUME BLANK!!!
Every person, including you, has skills and knowledge that you can show off, even if you have never worked a day in your life. The challenge is for you to discover and transcribe these skills and knowledge into words. Students, for example, can look to relevant courses and educational achievements – what skills did you pick up from some of your classes? Did you strengthen your written communication skills, for example? Did you increase your knowledge of marketing principles and practices?
Students can also write about relevant courses in the same way they would write about a past job. They can provide a brief description of the course, for example, along with “key roles” undertaken and “achievements” that resulted because of their work.
I would highly advise catering each resume toward the job you are applying for. Take a look at the job description – does it list qualifications or skills that they are looking for in a candidate? Try to include these somewhere in your resume.
Most job seekers are qualified for the positions they apply for, whether they have years of professional experience or not – the challenge is to figure out where you’ve picked up these skills and to transfer that knowledge onto paper.
