Know someone at the early stages of their career? Share this and help them fix that weak resume.
The last story I wrote for The Snack provided helpful information for young people as they embark on their career journeys. This story dovetails into that one and talks about resumes. If you’ve ever spoken to me about resumes, you know I love them. Perhaps too much. Sometimes I feel myself turning into Young Sheldon, or maybe, “Older Sheldon,” when I geek out on resumes.
So, what is the big deal about resumes? A resume is a physical manifestation of your strategy for building a career; it’s a marketing document that positions your skills, experience, and history in a way that compels your target audience to want to speak with you. A great resume is truthful, easy to read, and quickly speaks to the reader.
For younger people, resumes differ from professionals with even a few years of experience. Heck, young people wonder how they’re going to fill the page sometimes. As for me, how do I keep 38 years in the produce business on no more than three pages?
Let’s start with a few suggestions:
The vertical format features your marketable attributes well and fills the page more easily. If you’re using this format and find you need to go to a second page, you’re either oversharing or should move to the horizontal format.
1. Do not lie or exaggerate.
2. Do not try to be who you’re not. The employer knows that you’re young and is not expecting the skills and experience of someone 10 years deeper in their career.
3. Accentuate your strengths. For example, if you worked at Starbucks, do NOT share all the details. It typically doesn’t add value. Frame it this way:
4. Don’t write: I stacked cups, cleaned the machines, and swept floors.
- Do write: I learned to solve problems in a fast-paced environment.
- Do write: I learned to work as a team member with a variety of people.
- Do write: I learned the value of customer service and staying calm even when customers are upset.
A few words young people can use on a resume:
- Learned
- Solved
- Reinforced
- Developed
- Coordinated
- Volunteered
- Researched
- Organized
- Assisted
- Presented
- Demonstrated
- Contributed
- Facilitated
- Adapted
When my daughter, Jordan, was 15, she set her sights on snagging her first summer job at a vet’s office. Crafting her resume was a joint effort, pulling in her skills from school, gigs like house-sitting and pet-sitting, office cleaning duties, and her volunteer work at the SPCA. It was solid for someone her age. I prepped her on what to say and how to present herself.
With nerves of steel, Jordan strolled into the vet’s office solo, introducing herself as a student at the local hospital in search of a summer gig. The receptionist/Gatekeeper, promptly shut down any hope of an opening. Undeterred, Jordan gracefully asked if she could leave her resume anyway.
To her surprise, the Gatekeeper’s reaction wasn’t what she expected. As she scanned through Jordan’s resume, her response was a string of “wows.” Sensing the opportunity, she asked Jordan to hold tight while she consulted with the doctor. Minutes later, Jordan emerged victorious—she got an interview and a job!
I missed the whole scene, waiting in the car, but hearing it from Jordan was a thrill in itself.
Resumes do matter. Carpe Diem!
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