How to Write a Resume From Someone Who’s Never Written One
This semester alone, I have become quite an expert on the art of writing resumes. Fact is, you don’t need to have written a single draft to know exactly what the finished product should look like. Nothing’s new; most employers want to see the same thing. Contact information, bullet points, schooling/experience, and relevant skills are just a few of the classic resume features. You could Google search “how to write a resume”, close your eyes, click and scroll randomly, and then read whatever’s in front of you. And that’s how you write a resume! So, I guess I’m not actually going to tell you step-by-step how to write one, because what’s the use in regurgitating already existing content for the thousandth time?
I went to a resume workshop not too long ago, thinking I’d perhaps leave with a completed document that I could be proud of. Instead, I couldn’t help but feel like an internet search return grew a mouth and was reading down it’s list of resume-must-have’s. Don’t get me wrong, it was all useful information. But as I sat there, dreading the trek through the rain back to my car, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d be happier and equally as knowledgable had I stayed in bed and turned to Google instead.
Wow, this went from informational to critical way quicker than I had intended. At any rate, I’m going to end this by complaining about the fact that everyone is able to give you generic pointers about writing A resume, but never about writing YOUR resume. And this is the reason why I still lack a resume on my file. Because I know what categories I need, but I don’t know how to fill some of those categories. When writing a resume, it all comes down to: do not draw attention to yourself, but also do. Stick to the script, but don’t be boring. You have to decide what information about you is both relevant and enticing, without being too experimental. You have to be able to figure out the things about yourself that make you interesting, and you also have to be able to make uninteresting things about you sound interesting. Good luck!
