I have an eight-gigabyte jump drive. Bear with me for a moment... I'm going somewhere with this. I have every semester that I have been at college labeled with all my classes, and I also have a Resume folder. This is when you should start saying, "She has a folder...dedicated to resumes?"
Yes, I do. And you should too.
Let me explain the benefits of having your resumes organized.
First, resumes are important. You might need one at any moment. For example, I was just asking for a letter of reference and she asked for a copy of my resume. And ta-da, I pull out my flash drive, print her a copy and bring it right back to her. Plus, you always needs a resume for a job application. Whether it is on-campus or an internship, people are going to want to see your resume.
Second, resumes show what you have done. Your resume is your guidebook. It shows your positions, accomplishments, and activities. It gives prospective employers an excellent look into your business life. Now, this is why I have a folder. You should cater your resumes to each specific job you apply to.
Third, your resume should be catered to each position you apply to because no job is the exact same. For many companies/businesses/schools each position will be somewhat different. And because of this you will need to cater your resume according to your strengths and what the job will require.
You might be asking, "WHY?!" It's a simple answer - No employer wants to look at the same canned resume that everyone else is looking at. You should add a personal touch to your resumes.
Take me for an example - I am interested in applying for an Event Programming position at Brockport. My resume for this position is going to look drastically different than my resume if I was applying for an Office Assistant at Career Services. Your resume should be used to your advantage. Push your skills and abilities that you would use the most at your prospective job. Taking my example I work and help set-up several events at Career Services so when I am getting my resume ready for the Event Programmer, I will make those bullets most important. Now if I was applying to be an Office Assistant I would use the skills that I gained doing office work - answering the phone, filing, taking message, and so on.
Why is this important? Let me answer that with a statistic...63% of HR managers report that spelling errors are the most annoying mistakes they see on resumes. Other top mistakes include - Resumes not customized to the position (30 percent). Beyond the statistics though prospective employers aren't going to be as interested in you if you are applying for 18 other jobs. They are looking for someone motivated and committed to their company. By making your resume custom and personalized you can still apply to many jobs.
I'm not saying your need to make a brand new resume for each job you are applying for, but with a few minutes tweaking your resume you have a better chance of getting noticed. Recruiters like to see that you are customizing your resume to fit their job description. It can only help you in the end.
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I'm a senior at The College at Brockport (SUNY). Majoring in Communication studies with a concentration on persuasion, and minoring in political science with an interest in American politics my future career field is mostly unknown, but through many internships I have great experience and good knowledge about the things I may want to do. This blog will mainly address topics of dealing with the real world, internships, and getting through college alive!
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