The semester and year is coming to an end. That means achieved accomplishments and hopeful opportunities for the start of the new year.
However, before grabbing those diplomas and finalizing all of your hard work, take down some notes about a few tips that may help out your resume before applying to those employers.
Resumes may sound like a foreign word to some of students; however it is a much needed tool in finding a future career.
Now don’t start writing down everything you’ve done since middle school, considering it necessary experience. You need to know some do’s and don’ts of creating an effective resume.
First off, you should consider what type of resume that you need depending on the position you are applying for. Three types of resumes as stated by VSU’s Office of Career Services are chronological, functional, and combination.
A chronological resume focuses on your work history, however don’t put down every job you have ever had in your life time.  This is the appropriate type of resume format if you have a current job or worked previous jobs that relate to the position that you are applying for.
A functional resume is a type that would be good for focusing on your skills instead of your employment. If you haven’t had a job in awhile, this may be the right format for you being that you can elaborate on your duties and qualifications you have for the position.
Now if you have recently had a position with strong skills and qualifications, you would want to use a combination format. This would be the chronological and functional combined.
Okay, so now that you know the different types, let’s get into how to organize all of this information.
There are usually about 7 sections of a resume. They are the heading, objective, education, relevant experience, skills, awards and honors, and a reference section.
The heading should include an up to date address, phone number, email and contact numbers. Remember, you are looking for a job and expecting employers to contact you. Voicemails and email addresses must be professional.
The objective of your resume can be optional; if it is included you should make sure that it specifies what exactly you are looking to do in your career or position. However, this should only be a sentence or two at the most, remember some employers do ask for a cover letter and more information can explained there.
Your education should obviously have the schools that you have most recently attended starting with college. It wouldn’t be a good look to put your elementary school on there. Your grade point average should only be included if it is a 3.0 or above, you want to make yourself look good, if it is below you can’t do that.
Relevant experience should include jobs in the field held as well as internships. However, skills should include programs and software used related to that position.
Awards and honors should be included as well, however if you have activites that you have been a part of, you can also considering adding this as a section of your resume or using it instead of your awards and honors section.
Finally, you should include a reference section of different employers and relevant people that would recommend you for a position. However, most reference sections say available upon request. By doing this, you allow employers to ask for your references during an interview. Therefore, you should keep a list on hand neatly typed for your employer, as well as informing your references that they are your reference.
I hope that this information was helpful, and I wish all the best to you all in the search of your careers. Remember for all of your career needs, contact Career Services located on the second floor of Powell Hall West. Here you can apply for any jobs available and get helpful pointers on resumes and more. You can also visit their website at http://www.valdosta.edu/career/