How to write a resume as a newbie

It’s been just a few months since you donned the cap and received your degree on stage, and you are looking for your first job . But every job advertisement you come across is asking for some sort of professional work experience. How exactly do you translate the experience of your summer job cashiering at your uncle’s deli on a resume for an accounting position?

When writing a resume as a newbie in the industry, you have to emphasize other aspects of your life to highlight job-related skills. Experience does not exclusively come from paid work, and recruiters know this. Your education, extracurricular activities, projects, interests, and publications can all add something valuable to your resume. Here’s how you can write a winning resume as a young professional:

Create the outline and template

Creating a resume outline will help you gather your thoughts and facts. Think of it as drawing a mind map to revise a difficult lesson. In your resume outline, decide the sections you are going to add to your resume. Then, determine the facts that you are going to mention in each section. Once you have all the information you need in one place, it is time to create your resume template. Go for a chronological resume format or a hybrid resume format . These formats will ensure that your resume has a good flow.

Highlight your education

As a recent graduate, you can lead your resume with your education. A strongly written education section can add a lot of value to your resume. Elaborating on your education will help you highlight job-related skills that you have acquired during college. Here are a few things that you can add to the education section of your resume:

• Relevant coursework – Highlight the coursework of your degree that focused on technical skills.
• GPA – Only mention your GPA on a resume if it is 3.5 or above.
• Honors – Have you received academic honors at college? Then, mention them as well.
• Related projects – If you have completed any projects related to the scope of the job, highlight them.
• Certifications – Your professional credentials will make your resume stronger.

Mention the experience

Just because you haven’t done any paid work in your industry, it does not mean that you don’t have the right kind of experience. There are many activities that you can emphasize on your resume to bring out your experience, such as:

• Volunteer work – Create a separate Volunteer Work section for your resume. If the voluntary jobs you had are similar to the new job, even better. Volunteer work also emphasizes your passion, community involvement, collaborative spirit, and interests.
• Part-time jobs – Did you tutor kids during your college years to cover your bills? Then, your part-time work experience must go on your resume. List down the part-time jobs you have done with the relevant years and achievements. Part-time work will help you showcase your employability on the resume.
• Extracurricular activities – If the new job involves a leadership role, you must mention how you were the President of the Swimming Club at college on your resume. Extracurricular activities such as clubs and societies, sports, or student council can help you highlight collaboration skills and leadership skills on your resume.

Add the right skills

The Key Skills section of your resume is an important resume element. This is a section that most hiring managers pay extra attention to, so it is wise to have a well-written skills section for your resume . Since you don’t have a lot of formal experience to go on your resume, you need to show potential employers that you have the right skills for the job. Have a good mix of hard and soft skills displayed on your resume. Go through a few job descriptions for the same position before writing your resume. It will help you identify the commonly requested skills by employers.