Top 5 Resume Tips for New Graduates
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Stepping into the professional world can be both exhilarating and daunting. You’ve done the work, you know you’re ready, but you keep seeing: “previous experience preferred.”
Sound familiar?
Right now your resume might feel as empty as an AI love song, but fear not. With the right strategy you can strike a perfect chord and start landing interviews.
So where do you start? Here are five resume tips to power up your job search.
#1: Add a Summary
Your resume is an opportunity to differentiate yourself from other graduates by revealing your unique fingerprint of education, skills, and experience that separates you from other applicants.
To ensure that employers understand your value, create a resume summary section that includes a “value proposition,” a quick statement that weaves together your internship hours, degree, years of experience, industry, and key selling points. Check out our video on how to write a winning resume summary.
#2: Emphasize Your Education
Spotlight your new diploma by posting your education at the top of your resume.
Under Education, include your college, major, minor, graduation date, honors (definitely note that you’re a member of Phi Sigma Pi), GPA (if it’s impressive), and even your relevant coursework. Ask yourself: what details will differentiate me from other applicants with the same degree?
#3: Quantify Your Achievements
The Experience section of your resume offers space to describe any professional, internship, or volunteer experiences you’ve gained and how they relate to the job you’re targeting. Many entry-level resumes use bullets to describe what they DID. You can do better.
To avoid merely rehashing a job description, take your bullets further by quantifying your achievements. Describe your output (how much you produced), results (how much you contributed), or savings (how much time/money you saved) using specific numbers and percentages.
Quantifying your achievements answers the question on any manager’s mind: Is this person going to cost me more than they are worth?
#4: Add a Leadership Experience Section
The experience on an entry-level resume doesn’t have to be limited to professional jobs; extracurriculars count too!
You can add a Leadership section that outlines the roles and accomplishments you tracked within Phi Sigma Pi—such as committee involvement or the Executive Leadership Program—or through other service organizations, clubs, sports, etc.
#5: Use Keywords from the Job Description
In 2021 Forbes reported that over 90% of large companies used Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan resumes. Today that number is even higher.
The best way to ensure that your resume matches a job description is to borrow 6–8 keywords from the posting and add them to a Skills section. The keywords can include a mix of technical and soft skills. Just make sure they actually align with your skillset.
To maximize your chances, customize your resume for every application by adapting the keywords to match each job posting.
#6: BONUS TIP — Design Matters!
Want to make a strong first impression on employers? You’ll need a sleek, professional resume design that ATS can easily scan. Download our FREE ATS-friendly resume template HERE to set yourself up for success.
Conclusion
When crafting your resume, be as specific as possible about the achievements you present. Prioritize the accomplishments from your experience and education that are most relevant to the job you’re seeking.
Use keywords, examples, and quantifiables to describe your positive impact. Including these details isn’t bragging! It provides evidence of the value you’ll bring to your first full-time employer.
They’d be lucky to have you.
Want to Power Up Your Job Search?
Phi Sigma Pi members and alumni receive 25% off The Job Seeker’s Treasure Chest, our signature digital toolkit built to help you write stronger resumes, smarter cover letters, and land interviews with confidence. Click here to claim your discount!
By Jillian Kinsey
Founder of Red Pen Wench, an industry-leading career services company specializing in resume writing, LinkedIn optimization, and interview coaching