How to write a great resume that makes you stand out
The ultimate guide on finding an internship, part 1
This is a 6 part series that shares what I’ve learned in the way of finding my own internship placement. Today, we’ll be looking exactly what you have to write to make yourself stand out from other applicants.
1. Make your resume relevant to your employer. If you want to stand out, this is the secret. You want to show your future employer that you are the candidate it needs to fulfil its needs and wishes. Every company has a different goal and mission so they will ask different things from you. However, This is the number 1 mistake I’ve seen my classmates make. They only write 1 general resume and send it to a bunch of companies. BITCH 👏 STOP 👏 RIGHT 👏 THERE 👏 No two companies are the same, they each deal with different problems and have a different approach and business model. So it is damn right stupid to send the same thing to all of them. If you do that, you’re just digging your own grave. Save yourself. Love yourself. Don’t go through all those rejection letters when you could have pretty damn well avoided them. I’m sorry if I come as blunt but PLEASE listen!!! Take your time and research profoundly the companies you would like to work for. Read their website, stalk them on all social media and specifically LinkedIn. Try to get a hold of their culture and values. This is so important, I will devote the second part solely to this. So follow me if you don’t want to miss it.
2. Learn about the market. Doing research first can give you a headstart, even if you don’t have relevant experience. When I say learn about the market, I mean studying the area of expertise you want to focus and learn as much as you can. In my case, I study entrepreneurship and retail management, a very broad subject. However, I knew I wanted to focus on digital marketing so what I did was research what exactly falls under it, what employers are looking for, what software they use, what branch of it interested me the most, if there’s demand for it (very important!) and expected salary.
Tip: the more demand, better the pay. So try going into a niche.
3. Try getting some experience beforehand. If you can find a part-time job that is related to what you wanna do, then take it! As a student, you can’t really expect to be paid a lot, but what counts is the experience you are getting because this show you really are interested in learning about the trade. Personally, I started this blog almost a year ago. I also took some courses on Google Academy and surprisingly it gave me some opportunities and I got a gig as a social media assistant for some restaurants. When I went to the interview, the manager was really surprised by the fact I willingly took some courses to learn to work with Google Analytics and absolutely loved the fact I blog. So it doesn’t have to be something grand, as long as it shows you are motivated and willing to learn.
4. Write only the relevant information and a catch. Every resume follows basically kind of the same structure. You have your contact info, work experience, educational background and skills. You’ve done your research on what the company wants and needs so please don’t write everything you’ve ever done and experience on the resume. Even if you feel tempted to, do not do it. Write only what is truly relevant that you think can also benefit the company. As students, chances are that we don’t have relevant work experience. If this is the case, highlight your skills and coursework that you have done at your university. If you have worked on projects that are linked to other organizations besides your university and it is relevant for where you’re applying, write it down. And you should consider writing a summary statement. A summary statement is a sort of pitch and is a perfect method of summarizing why you are a good candidate for the position and what you have to offer for the company. You can find more information about writing one here.
To wrap it up, if you really want to stand out, you have to make it personalize your resume for each organization you are sending it to. Which is why you have to do your research on the job market beforehand so you know exactly what companies are looking for and if it is a right fit for you. Don’t be afraid and start getting some experience too. Whether it is by applying for a part-time job, following some courses or your own projects that are also related to what you want to do. And lastly, write the relevant information. Don’t write everything you’ve ever done as it can make your resume rather long and incoherent. Try making it short and to the point instead so they can quickly asses if you are a good fit. Don’t forget to write a statement summary to pitch yourself up.
In the second part, I’ll be talking about what I looked for in companies, how I determined if I could be a good fit for it, build criteria and help you see what companies are looking for candidates.
