The Graduate Resume Guide
by Natalie Kobica
How do you use your resume to sell yourself if you have little or no work history?
The key is focussing on the skills, knowledge, and attributes you have gained and developed from study, extra curricular activities and any work experience that are relevant and transferable to the workplace.
Present your strongest selling point first
Your strongest attribute should always be the first section presented after your personal details in order to catch and retain the reader's attention.
For graduates or school leavers this will almost certainly be your education. Be clear on your course of study including subjects or majors and names of institutions. Include information relating to any awards won or special achievements made. Unless requested, don't attach academic transcripts or other details regarding marks gained. A simple summary will suffice - eg. "Successfully completed", "Passed with honours," etc.
Include all work experience
Follow up your education section with specific and concise detail regarding duties and responsibilities of each part-time, casual, voluntary or study related position you have held, no matter how brief or simple the job was. This is your chance to give factual evidence of work based skills including initiative for seeking work experience in the first place and time management by juggling both work and study - a competitive advantage over others who did not work while they were studying.
Detail transferable skills
Think about your extra curricular activities - have you gained any skills an employer may be interested in?
Teamwork, communication and leadership skills are good examples of what employers commonly look for in any vacancy. Your involvement in the school football team, university debating club or as a scout leader is factual evidence of you experiencing and practising these skills.
Include such information in your resume but make sure it is relevant for the workplace. For example: "Going to the movies" is unlikely to gain you any extra merits.
Remember, you are likely to be competing with candidates who have the same qualifications so it is absolutely vital that you are able to show an employer you have more than just a formal education.