Five Résumé Tips to Get Yourself a Part-time Job
Are you a university student? Want to make some extra money, develop job skills, and get some valuable work experience before you graduate?
Part-time jobs, be it ‒ waiter, shop assistant, telemarketer, teaching assistant ‒ can make you richer (just a tad though) and more employable. So how do you begin looking for one? A well-constructed résumé (also known as curriculum vitae or CV) will certainly help you sell yourself effectively to employers.
Here are five ways to make your résumé, a written record of your education and work history, compelling!
- Functional vs. Chronological
There are as many résumé types as there are job applicants; each individual is unique and so is their résumé. Perhaps the most popular format is the chronological résumé ‒ work information is arranged beginning with the most recent job, followed by the one before and so on. Since college students may have little to no experience, it’s best to use a functional résumé, as it highlights the applicant’s skills rather than work experience.
When it comes to the format, choose wisely!
- Relate Past Experience to the Job
If you add details of some work, project, or assignment you did in the past that seems totally unrelated to the job you’re applying for, describe them in a manner that brings out some essential quality employers look for. For instance, if that past experience indicates that you are reliable or have a strong work ethic, employers are likely to take notice.
Every detail on your résumé should add value!
- Customise
Each job you apply for is different to the previous one; make small changes to your résumé so that it fits the job description posted by the employer. If a particular skill like teamwork, for example, is considered important in a job, emphasise that in your résumé; use clear examples to show that you can perform well as part of a team.
Your résumé should be tailored for the job you’re applying for!
- Highlight Education
Education often appears at the bottom of a résumé. If you are a student with very less experience in the target field, your education is the most valuable thing you have to offer – make sure it appears prominently. Add details such as the names of educational institutions, their location, extra-curricular activities, projects / courses completed (if relevant), etc.
The less experience you have, the more important your education becomes!
- Use Strong Action Verbs
Strong action verbs make your skills and achievements sound more impressive so remember to use them in descriptions. Let’s compare:
- Found ways to increase business during week days
- Identified ways to increase business during week days
- Did a course in creative writing
- Completed a course in creative writing
Words such as identified and completed increase the strength of your writing. Here’s a list of action verbs to get you started.
Always begin a description with a strong action verb!
Remember, an impressive résumé alone can’t get you hired, but what it can do is create enough interest in you to land you an interview. So, be prepared!