Six Resume-Writing Strategies for the Class of 2009

Amherst, New York (PRWEB) May 24, 2009

Once you've tossed your mortarboard in the air, what's the most effective way to toss your hat in the job-search ring? Always a concern for new graduates, the question is especially critical in today's job market where they will be competing with seasoned candidates willing to consider lower-level job offers.

"The good news," says Robyn Feldberg, President of the National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA), "is that there are proven resume strategies that will greatly increase your chances of landing an interview and negotiating a higher salary."

With the U.S. Department of Labor predicting a 14 percent unemployment rate for professionals between ages 20-40, the highest in over a quarter of a century, the 1.6 million graduates of the class of 2009 will need every advantage they can get. Having best-in-class career marketing documents has never been more important.

Understanding how new graduates are perceived is the first step in being competitive. "Hiring managers, and even graduates themselves, sometimes feel that little or no work history means the candidate is inexperienced. That is simply not the case," says Feldberg. She offers these tips to new graduates from the resume writing experts at the NRWA:

1.    Define your search and tailor your resume. With companies anticipating a 22 percent drop in new-grad hires this year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, generic, unfocussed resumes will end up in the recycle bin. Decide on the specific job you want and which industries you will focus on based on your training, strengths, and passion. Use on-campus or private career counseling resources to help.

Once you know what you want, read a few job descriptions that fit your target, adjust your resume writing strategy to address those specific requirements. It is often advisable to put your target position prominently at the top of your resume so that the reader will know what you want. You can qualify the title where appropriate with phrases like "seeking position as," "target," or "objective."

Identify words and skills that you see repeated in the job postings and incorporate those that apply to you. If you have more than one potential career path, be sure to rework your resume for each.

2.    Mine your experience. Use summer and part-time jobs, volunteer work, and major class projects to demonstrate your value. Again, remember to present expertise that is relevant for your goal. If you performed many functions as a member of the student council, but you are applying for a marketing position, you will want to focus primarily on the marketing aspects of your work.

3.    Stand out by developing your career brand. Personal branding is more than just a buzzword. It fulfills the promise its name, distinguishing you from the crowd, getting you noticed and remembered during your job search and beyond. There are a number of in-print, online, and professional resources to help.

Once your brand is created, make sure your resume, cover letter, and any online presence is expressing it. If you're not consistently delivering a brand message, you might as well not have one. A good way to establish your brand through resume writing is with a professional summary that tells potential employers how your skills and work style will boost their bottom line. Remember to follow that theme throughout the body of the resume as well.

4.    Clean up your cyber image. The number of companies Googling potential candidates is growing exponentially. Make sure they will like what they find when they search your name. Do a complete audit of your networking and personal Websites. Do your own search to make sure you haven't missed anything. Do this soon. It can take a month or more for search engines to reset and some online trash just never goes away.

Have you had your head buried so deep in the books that you have no online presence? Populate as many Web pages as possible with positive, on-brand information about you and your professional capabilities. LinkedIn.com, VisualCV.com, and social networking sites are good tools.

5.    Consider a functional resume format. What with summer jobs, multiple short-term internships, and a smattering of volunteer work and academic projects, using a strictly chronological format can be painful to the new-graduate resume writer and reader. An effective way to deal with this is to include your accomplishments in their own category with a title like "Representative Achievements."

You will want to connect each achievement with the appropriate organization, either within the text or by naming it in parentheses at the end. Also, do include a brief chronological listing of organizations and positions so that the reader can put achievements into context.

6.    Expand your search beyond job boards and career fairs. About a third of placements are made through networking. Keep in touch with your professors, fellow students, and anyone else in your personal network who might have a line on a job. Help them help you by being specific about what you're looking for and providing them with a copy of your resume.

Feldberg says, "Exceptional new graduates are always in-demand. They just have to make sure their resumes communicate their outstanding value."

To learn more about retaining the services of a professional resume writer, interview coach, or career counselor, please visit http://www.thenrwa.com. Go to Find A Career Specialist, Enter Your State, and click Submit to locate the professionals in your state who are ready to help you with your job search.

The National Résumé Writers' Association ( The NRWA) is the industry's leading not-for-profit, member-driven organization dedicated to promoting the highest standards of excellence in résumé writing through certification, education, and mentoring programs. For more information, please visit http://www.thenrwa.com or call (877) 843-6792.

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