IT is more critical than ever that college students use their résumés as a way of gaining competitive advantage. Your résumé is the recruiter’s first point of reference to you. You are the product, and the résumé is your marketing tool. A well-presented résumé with attention-grabbing details is the gateway to the job you desire. Conversely, a poorly formatted résumé will only serve as a barrier to advancing your career.

The significance of a well-written résumé

The main reason for having a well-thought-out, convincing, and professional résumé is to secure an interview. Recruiters on a daily basis receive a plethora of résumés and therefore you have limited time to get the recruiter’s attention. To create interest, your résumé must be clear, convincing, relevant and professionally formatted. Research cogently suggests that interviews are provided for only one out of every one hundred to two hundred résumés reviewed by most business owners. Regrettably, regardless of all the work involved in writing a successful résumé, recruiting managers or résumé reviewers usually scan résumés for as little as 10 to 20 seconds. Therefore, it is critical that your résumé succinctly presents the skills and accomplishments that are aligned to the job for which you are applying.

Crafting a well-written résumé

The résumé must be compelling and eye-catching, but it should not look like a colouring book. Your résumé must be properly structured and focused on emphasising your results and accomplishments.

There are three basic formats to write a winning résumé. Of the most common résumé formats, a combination résumé would work best for most college students.

1. Chronological: Typically, a chronological format is not the best option for students with limited work experience. This format provides a comprehensive history of one’s professional work experience which in turn highlights a lack of experience for a college student.

2. Functional: Students may be interested in this résumé format as it highlights one’s proficiencies and skill sets and downplays sequential work history. In fact, this may be a mistake. However, some hiring managers will automatically assume that you are trying to cover up something. With a functional résumé, one’s skills are presented exclusive of context, making the information difficult to follow.

3. Combination or Hybrid: This style incorporates elements from both functional and chronological résumés and is an insightful option for both traditional and non-traditional students. A hybrid or combination résumé, while also recording professional experience, helps you to show your most marketable credentials, expertise, and abilities.

Features of a winning résumé

The two most important features of a winning résumé are the objective and its summary, which includes a list of skills and achievements. In these two sections, how well you promote yourself and write about what you are good at will decide whether or not you are called for an interview.

1. Objective: The objective of your résumé is where you are telling the hiring manager why you are the perfect match for their work. It is necessary that you clearly talk about your career goals, and how best you will be able to support the company.

•Try to avoid using “I” in your objective. Put the priority on how you can satisfy the needs of the client rather than your own needs.

•Avoid first-person phrases and words.

•Additionally, write your objective such that it reflects the type of work and industry you are applying to.

2. Professional summary of qualifications: This could be the only part of the résumé that the employer reads in full, making this piece utterly critical to obtaining an interview. This section should address a succinct list of your strengths, abilities, and accomplishments. It is good to bullet point your accomplishments and include persuasive explanations of why you must be employed by the organisation. Once again, try your best to avoid writing in first-person. It is imperative that you list your skills in short, riveting statements, explaining your accomplishments.

Work experience, education, references

The standard way of structuring your work history and the degree of schooling is reverse chronological order. Begin with your current job and ensure that you provide brief sentences or bullet points detailing your accomplishments and/or outcomes. It is also necessary that these accomplishments are quantified. Colleges and schools that were also attended should be listed in reverse chronological order. In addition, begin with the highest college degree you have earned, then list other forms of professional training you have obtained.

Finally, do not put on your résumé, “references are available upon request”. This phrase is antiquated. The hiring manager already knows this. Also, do not put the names and contact particulars of your professional references on your résumé unless requested. You want to ensure that your references are purposefully contacted.

In the words of August Wilson, remember “the simpler you say it, the more eloquent it is”.

Daren Johnson is a business professor and educational leader extraordinaire. Contact him at professorjohnson414@gmail.com.