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Okay so you’re done with school and have graduated with all the skills you need to start the career of your dreams. Now you just need to go out and find a job. If you graduated with CBBC Career College our career services folks will provide you with guidance and tips to make sure that you’re putting the best foot forward and really maximizing your chances of getting hired quickly and in a great role.

One of the things that they’re there to help you with is crafting the perfect resume. It can be a daunting task! How do you take all of the training and knowledge that you’ve gained in school and in your past jobs and package it up into such an important document? How do you make sure that you’re going to stand out from the pack and make the impression you need to get your foot in the door?

To help answer those questions and get your resume to the top of the pile, here are a few handy tips to consider when crafting your next job application.

Spelling and grammar matters!

It’s true. You may have all of the knowledge in the world but if your employer is immediately struck by bad grammar and spelling errors you’re definitely not going to come across in the professional and polished way that you want. Make sure you’re proofreading your resume and cover letter and listening to spell check. It’s also completely worth it to have another set of eyes to look it over before you hit send.

Don’t sell yourself short

You may think that a previous career that you had will have no bearing on your current job search. After all, what does working at The Gap have in common with being a dental assistant? The answer is EVERYTHING! Even jobs that you think aren’t related can provide valuable stepping stones to your future. That job at The Gap taught you to be punctual, to work hard at a job that can be exhausting, to manage great relationships with customers, be responsible handling the cash in the till, and to maintain a clean store. Your former employer will absolutely find those skills useful and it will add to your overall appeal as a candidate.

Don’t get font fancy

Yes a loopy script font can be fun, but at the same time it’s not easy to read. Choose something that is professional and easy to read so that your resume is user friendly.

Let your personality shine through

Say that you’re applying for a role at a really fun and relaxed start-up. The tone of your resume should match the culture and the brand of the organization. Maybe they have a ping-pong table in the office and you know this from social media. Under hobbies list “Reigning Ping-Pong Champion”. you’ll probably make the recruiter giggle and have made yourself a lot more memorable. Remember, you can be professional and fun at the same time.

Don’t embellish

A lie will always catch up to you. Yes pumping gas may sound a lot fancier if you call yourself a “petroleum transfer engineer” but when the recruiter notices that you inflated your position you definitely won’t make a great impression. Just be yourself. You are absolutely enough!

Be specific

Employers need to understand what you’ve done and accomplished. For example:

1. Worked with employees in a restaurant setting
2. Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant with $2 million in annual sales

Both of these phrases could describe the same person, but the details and specifics in example B will more likely grab an employer’s attention.

Highlight your accomplishments and NOT your duties.

Your resume needs to show how good you are at your job, but it’s all too easy to slip into a mode where you simply start listing your duties. For example, if you say you “attended group meetings and recorded minutes” you’re basically just repeating your job description. Instead, go beyond showing what was required and demonstrate how you made a difference, providing specific examples. Instead say “recorded weekly meeting minutes and compiled them in a Microsoft Word-based file for future organizational reference”. Boom! You went from adequate to invaluable just like that!

It’s time to change your life. It’s time for an education from CBBC Career College.

The BEST thing you can have on a resume is a quality education. Get a leg up in the job market NOW (don’t wait!). We would love to chat with you more about our exciting programs that will get you job-ready in less than a year! To learn more and to connect with us, visit us here!