Want to learn more about how to create a resume as a student? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
Companies with interesting job vacancies are often looking for “experienced” candidates to show up for an interview, where they are to then discuss their skill sets mentioned on the resume and persuade the interviewer that they are the best candidate.
But what’s a student with little job experience supposed to do? How do they compete?
The answer is to include the most relevant information in a resume, and discuss how they show your skills in the interview. Here are some tips to inspire you and help you get hired.
Write a Unique Cover Letter
A unique and relevant cover letter is essential for catching the eye of that perfect employer. Include a genuine and brief discussion that highlights why you want to work for the company, and what types of skills you can contribute.
- Include relevant industry keywords
- Include your career aspirations for the next few years
- Mention where you are at in school (eg: if you have completed your degree)
- Mention what drew you to the job ad or company
Learning how to create a resume as a student isn’t that hard in itself. But your cover letter will really show recruiters and hiring managers how you communicate, and why you are doing what you are doing.
A shorter cover letter is fine, too. Just be clear and genuine about your intent on working with the company.
Discuss Academic Projects
When a recruiter wants to hire a student, they’ll probably be interested to hear about the academic projects you worked on during the course of your degree. This would give them insight into your skills and knowledge.
It’s also a good idea to discuss how you tackle projects. For instance, you can mention the role that you played in group projects, strategies for staying on-task, and how you play to your strengths.
When learning how to create a resume as a student, don’t underestimate the importance of experiences like:
- Industry-specific dissertations
- Co-op placements
- Internships
- Case studies
- Group projects
- Advanced courses
Almost any workplace or position will appreciate solid project management skills, so don’t skip this step.
Include Relevant Extracurricular Activities
Volunteer positions and other non-work activities can say a lot about you. When you’re learning more about how to create a resume as a student, keep a running list of all extracurricular activities and choose which ones might be the most relevant.
These non-work activities can help the recruiters understand your personality type, your attitude towards life, and your personal interests and potential, all of which are valuable for them to identify whether you’ll be able to fit into the organizational culture of the prospective company.
Here are some examples of how you can use non-work activities to highlight relevant skills:
- Debate team members are probably good at persuading and selling
- Sports show coordination and teamwork skills
- A volunteer job in health care might demonstrate empathy and compassion
Internships
One of the best tips for how to create a resume as a student is simply getting on-the-job experience. You can do this via internships during school or as a new graduate.
Students who have multiple internship experiences are perceived as goal-oriented, passionate to work, and able to handle responsibilities from a young age.
Even if it was just a short-term or part-time task that you worked on merely out of passion without even getting a stipend or any kind of compensation, internship experience can still add great value to the work experience section of your resume.
For your resume and cover letter, frame your internship experience in a way that lets the recruiter know how you were able to familiarize yourself with the working environment in a short period of time.
And if you’re applying for a job that you’re not quite qualified for but you’re interested in the company, you can always ask if they have internship positions available.
Leadership and Management Skills
Leadership skills are incredibly valuable when it comes to getting hired. You probably started to develop this early on in life in some context.
To consider where you have leadership skills, consider where on your resume you can offer real-life examples of:
- Problem-solving skills
- Communication skills
- Emotional intelligence
- Project management skills
- Teamwork skills
- Self-management skills
- Time management skills
When you’re wondering how to create a resume as a student, don’t skip past experience where you were in a leadership position. This could be in various contexts — even something like babysitting could be relevant.
Employers will want to know that you’re responsible and able to problem-solve.
Many kinds of life experiences can give a good glance into your talent to lead others and get a job done. Hence, if you feel that you have leadership skills in you, the best way to validate that is by talking about it in your resume and during the job interview.
Stay Patient and Confident
Ambitious students may be anxious to land their very first job even before they get their final transcripts or degree in their hands.
But many employers don’t care how much effort people put into their studies until they are able to envelop their educational qualification with meaningful, real-life work experience and recommendations.
And whether you’re a student or not, a job hunt almost always takes time, and rejections can be frustrating. You’ll probably be rejected at some point during the job search. Use interviews to gain a better understanding of yourself and of what kind of organization you would truly fit into.
On the other hand, applying to multiple jobs and having a few interviews can also remind you of your strengths and key skills.
The best advice for how to create a resume as a student is to keep going and update your resume as you learn more about yourself and your career aspirations.
When a student is confident about his/her potential to excel, they would do anything to come up with a perfect resume to convince the employer that they have what it takes. But never fudge the truth. You’ll find that your true experience takes you a lot further in your dream career.
Don’t Give Up!
Understanding how to create a resume as a student isn’t too hard — it’s what you do with your cover letter and interview in relation to the experience listed on the resume that counts. But an excellent resume is paramount to catching that recruiter’s eye.
Excited? Go for it! And don’t forget to include your contact details in all the excitement, so that you can be called for the job interview as soon as possible!
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