[Career Skills Toolkit] Resume Writing Tips

Hi, here are a couple articles I thought would be of interest:

How to Write a Résumé When You Have Little Work Experience
For students who struggle with what to highlight on their resume when they have little work experience, check out this article. The 4 strategies are:

1. Emphasize your education
2. Create an “Awards and Honors” section
3. Get creative with your experience
4. List your skills

Key takeaway: “Use any assets you have to your advantage when writing your résumé, and they will shine far above your lack of work experience in the eyes of a potential employer.”
 

Can Your Resume Beat the Bots? How to make it ATS-friendly
Did you know that approximately 95% of Fortune 500 companies rely on applicant tracking system (ATS) software to collect, sort, scan and rank resumes and job applications? How can you best optimize your resume so that it’s “ATS-friendly”?

Here are a few top tips:

1. Know Your Opponent – in this case, you’re up against the ATS which stands for applicant tracking system.
2. Word Choice & Keywords Matter – it’s about keyword optimization, but use keywords sparingly and intelligently. The keyword here is "intelligently" (you can't simply dump keywords on your resume and expect that will get you an interview. You need to be smart about how you use these keywords and whether you have these skills!)
3. Keep it Simple – use a simple, clean design for your resume
4. Balance is Key -- While resume-scanning software has become increasingly popular, it has not replaced human recruiters
5. Be Specific, Not General – customize your resume to the job you are applying to!
6. The Place to Shine: A Cover Letter – it could be the perfect opportunity to really differentiate yourself from other applicants

Read the rest of the article here.

Do you have questions on resume writing? Check out the below resources:

• If you have any questions regarding how to best showcase your "assets" on your resume or if you want to learn how to optimize your resume with keywords so that it is more "ATS-friendly", please schedule a career advising appointment on Gies Groups or visit Gies Career Services (1033 BIF) during drop-in hours (Mon-Fri 10:00am-4:00pm). We are here to help!
• Feel free to revisit the Career Foundations online course -- Module 1: Resumes.
• For the resume writing workshop slides, resume template guide and sample action verbs handout, log into Gies Groups > MS Finance page > click the Files tab > Career Marketing Documents folder. If you encounter any issues accessing the files, please email Deb Hom at dhm@illinois.edu.