What to Write in Your Resume (If You Have Nothing to Mention)
Simply Hired Staff
The time has come for you to search for a job, and that means writing a resume.
It’s not very difficult to write a resume, especially when there are so many tips and tricks around. Websites share articles on resume writing. HR managers share tips, too. Many successful employees share their experience in their personal or professional blogs.
But nothing works or helps you if you have nothing to mention in your resume.
Maybe:
- you are a graduate with no job experience
- you do not have any official job experience
- your experience is not professional enough
- your experience does not fit a job you are going to apply for
Lucky for you, you always have something to include into your resume to make it professional.
1. You DO have work experience
The problem for many young people when they start their job searches is a lack of work experience. They do not know what to write in a resume because they have not worked before. Even if you think you do not have experience, you have it.
Have you ever made something? Did you have work probation? Did you have any part-time jobs, even if they did not fit your major? Did you take part in any volunteer projects? Did you help anyone as a freelancer? All this information can be mentioned. Moreover, it may give a recruiter much more information than you think. It may tell the recruiter about your organizational skills, talents, your leadership potential, etc.
There are things that make you special. Put them in your resume.
2. Do not write a long resume
Your resume should be no longer than one side of one page. It’s easier for a recruiter to read, and it’s enough space to mention all information that may be important for a recruiter to know. This would include your education, all your achievements and your job experience. Yes, you have some job experience even if you think you don’t. Check the above mentioned section one more time if you still have some doubts.
3. Think about format
Pay attention to structure. Make your resume clear and easy to read because recruiters need less than 30 seconds to understand whether your resume is worth their attention.
Include paragraphs and lists. When you do not have enough facts to write in your resume, lists can help. Use them to mention your achievements, expectations for the job, your strongest traits and your educational courses. A recruiter can read it quickly and pick up information needed to understand whether you fit their expectations as an employee.
4. Your education is your savior
Graduates and other people with no work experience have thin resumes. The trick is to persuade a recruiter that your potential can compensate for your lack of practice. Mention all languages you speak, your major and all specializations from college, even if you consider them unimportant for your career. You can also include the topic of your dissertation, if you had one; it may help a recruiter understand what fields you know well.
5. References
Your former boss is not the only one who can give you a positive reference. You can get it from your college professor, for example. If you have experience working as a freelancer, you may ask for references from your clients. If you participated in volunteer projects, some references may be taken from those leaders as well. The Internet can help, too. Some positive feedback on LinkedIn can help a recruiter get an impression about you as a potential employee.
Important: Proofread your resume before sending it to recruiters. Do not let one grammar or spelling mistake kill your chance to get a job. If you are going to print your resume, use a laser printer to make the text look presentable.
And please, try to avoid all common resume writing mistakes.
Lesley Vos is a blogger for Bid4Papers company and teaches the French language. She will finish her first e-book this year and can’t imagine her pastime without reading. She is honored to be a guest contributor of many authoritative websites, including Recruiting Blogs, College Recruiter and College Puzzle Stanford.
