Attention Students: The Most Important Part of Your Resume

School is back in session!

For college seniors, now is when the job hunt begins in earnest. For underclassmen, ditto, but for internships. And as someone who was a college student not TOO long ago, I feel like it’s my duty to offer some advice.

To be fair, I’ve probably made every job searching mistake known to man in my 31 years on Earth. Taking advice from me could be like taking financial advice from a random guy at the nickel slots. But I’ve also been through my fair share of recruiting processes on both sides. I’ve both sent out and seen thousands of resumes. And for college students, I can tell you there’s one part of your resume that can help you stand out from the pack.

The more professional work experience one has, the less weight this advice may hold. Nevertheless, I’m re-including this part in my resume moving forward and much of this information is valuable wherever you are in your career.

This part of your resume? Interests.

Showcasing Yourself as a Whole Person

In my second year of graduate school, I was a TA for the Introduction to Marketing class required for all Wisconsin School of Business students. In addition to imparting my nuggets of wisdom regarding segmentation and product positioning, I also offered to look over the resumes of many of my students.

As I looked over resumes, they were all very impressive. They had high academic marks. They were the leaders of campus organizations. Many of them had already interned at esteemed companies. Poor hiring managers – how do they choose among such outstanding candidates?

One day, one of my students sent me her resume. Like many of the resumes I reviewed, she was impressive. She had a 3.high-double-digit GPA, was on the executive board of a couple campus organizations and had already interned at a strategy firm.

But what caught my eye was the very bottom line, where she listed her interests: “Something, something, something, Russian Literature.” Hmmm. I asked her about it at office hours. She told me that her Russian grandmother was a bibliophile who imparted that love on her as a young child. I could see the passion on her face.

I’d hire her.

Standing Out from Your Competition

If you’re a student and reading this, no doubt you can add value to employers. But here’s the truth: lots of students have top grades. The classes you’re taking and the skills you’re building are almost certainly the same as your competition. There’s 100s of organizations on campus (at least at UW), and they all have presidents. Therefore, those aren’t going to be major differentiators.

Then you need experience, right? Yes, but most college students complete an internship by graduation, so unless you single-handedly saved a Fortune 500 company from the brink of collapse with your brilliant intern prowess, unfortunately your work experience won’t be a major differentiator either.  

But someone who has all of this and a deep interest in Russian literature? Truthfully, I know NOTHING about Russian literature. But I know that your interest in Russian literature makes you an interesting, engaging and passionate person. And most companies aren’t looking for workers, they’re looking for interesting, engaging and passionate people who will bring their whole selves to work.

Here’s another reason to include your interests —you may get asked about them in an interview. If you’re like my student, you’ll light up. It will break the tension in a nerve-racking interview and will allow your true personality to come to life.

And it’s a great way to build rapport with a busy hiring manager. To you, nailing this interview could change the trajectory of your life. To the interviewers, it’s another block of time squeezed into their already overbooked calendar because the recruiting staff likely guilted them into taking the meeting. Any opportunity to talk about Russian literature, or opera, or collecting vintage Hot Wheels is a nice respite to a stressful day.

Now, if you’re going to add an interests section on your resume, make sure its something memorable. If you state interests that include hiking, traveling, podcasts, Badger football, etc., those are fine but they don’t stand out. You need to get more specific. Instead of just “podcasts,” instead try “cryptocurrency podcasts.”

I can’t promise you that this strategy will land you the job of your dreams. But I know that most college students won’t have this on their resume. So if you take my advice, you’re one step ahead in the game!

Agree with my thoughts? I’d like to hear your thoughts below. Share this with any college students you know. And please check out some of my other articles:

How Stand-Up Comedy Can Help Your Career

Human Resources… It’s Like Player Personnel

A Problem Smartphone User Discusses The Future of Connectivity