How to Make an Entry-Level Resume Work for You

The most nerve-wracking part in beginning any job search is definitely the foot-in-the-door, and for me that has been my resumes and cover letters. It has been hard for me to decide what should be included in my resume as a recent graduate, because it is still a very inexperienced or entry-level one. I don’t, however, want employers to read my cover letter and resume and think “this candidate has no experience,” and so tweaking an entry-level resume into a competitive resume, while still being honest, has become my task. Luckily, I have some relevant internships and courses that add to my field of study but I found that adding any and all activities, especially the ones highlighting leadership capabilities, is the way to go. Details matter, and any way that I could make something I did in the past relate in a positive way to the current job I was seeking were added.
One tip I learned was that it is not only the content in the entry-level resume that is important, although that is a big factor, but also how it looks on paper. In my opinion a well-formatted resume and cover letter draws the eye to it—the first step—and then when potential employers read it, make sure you sell yourself well. The most important feature is a clear objective or direction on which to focus your resume. For me, realizing that I wanted to highlight my international experiences and my journalistic abilities—and the relationship between the two—helped focus my resume greatly. I knew what to include, and what not to include, and how to make everything emulate this focus. It showed employers what I wanted out of my job, how their company would help me achieve my goals and what assets I had that would add to their organization.
You don’t have to take my word for it, however, collegegrad.com has an extensive entry-level resume section on its website as well as resume-resource.com and even jobsearch.about.com, and I’m sure a host of other websites. It is possible to take a less-experienced entry-level resume and make it into a competitive and strong portrayal of what you have to offer.