5 Ways Students Can Boost Their Resumes

Let’s face it… the COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the job market.

When it comes to the job market, many careers have been completely changed by ongoing lock-downs. Current students and recent graduates are faced with a particularly difficult challenge of entering the workforce during a completely unprecedented time.

COVID-19 has caused a fundamental shift specifically in experience requirements. Many students are seeing that entry-level positions are being taken by those with 3-5 years of experience. This leaves very few positions for anyone with little experience out of graduation. Unfortunately, it can be extremely discouraging when employers may not even consider your resume due to this shift.

We realize that this is an issue facing so many right now, so here are 5 top ways that you can boost your resume as a student or recent graduate. Let us know what you think in the comments!

1. Internships

It may not come as a surprise, but internships are arguably the best way to boost your work experience. Six or twelve month stints at great companies can sometimes be better for your career than regular positions. However, finding a great internship can be extremely difficult.

One key thing to remember about any professional internship is that each one will vary in terms of quality. When it comes down to it, employers want to know how working as an intern added to your professional skill-set. If you were just delivering coffee and running errands, the work experience really will not matter in the end. Here is a rough list of things to remember when applying to internships. Remember that not all internships are created equal!

Quality Internship Checklist

1. Time-Frame- In terms of experience, how many months are you looking to work? Most employers will screen resumes based on number of years, so 6 to 12 month internships tend to make for better opportunities. Internships that are short for the summer can be great as well, but should be more sought after by current students rather than recent graduates.

2. Work Experience- When interviewing for any internship, make sure to ask exactly what tasks you will be responsible for. Then ask yourself “Is this position going to add value to my career and resume?”. If the answer is no, look for other positions. Bringing people coffee may seem like fun at first, but hiring managers in the future can look down upon it.

3. Company- There may be differing opinions on companies to work for, but remember to be open when looking for internships. Even though larger companies may seem to look better on a resume, you will most likely not be able to work on many projects due to the size of the company. Smaller companies can allow you to experience and work on a lot more in a shorter period of time. This will come down to preference, but remember that company size does matter when considering opportunities!

4. Paid or Unpaid- If you browse LinkedIn at all, the topic of unpaid internships is often highly contested among many industry professionals. It is wisest to think about everything else before considering pay as a defining factor. If an internship is of extremely high quality and unpaid, it may be worth getting another side job in order to accomplish. However, remember to weigh your options. Unpaid internships are becoming less and less common.

Internships are always the classic answer for many people looking to enter the job market. They have become less available during the pandemic, but there are many companies looking for bright young minds. Always remember to check the quality of an internship with this easy list!

2. Micro-Internships

For many current students, things can get tough once classes start up. For many, this means that internships will only last for the summer months in-between semesters. What if I told you that there was an easy way to have flexible internships that would work with your schedule throughout the year?

Micro-Internships are exactly that.

While a traditional internship is more akin to an actual job, a micro-internship is comparable to a freelance or consulting gig. Essentially, you would help with one or two quick projects that took place over a very short period of time. Great micro-internships may allow you to do this multiple times for multiple projects as well.

While having a six or twelve month internship is desirable, working on some very high profile projects for large companies is extremely valuable to anyone starting their career. More importantly, due to the fact that you will basically be a contractor, every second of time spent working will be chock-full of relevant work experience.

Micro-Internships are a great choice for those in school looking to build experience as they work on classes. Check out the link below to read a Forbes article for more information!

3. Study Abroad Programs

For those that are interested in other cultures, study abroad programs can add some excellent points to any growing professional’s resume.

Study abroad is traditionally defined as a program that allows students to work and learn in a different country. While many individuals attend these programs as a means of experiencing culture and learning about another place, these programs are excellent professional talking points as well.

The key to utilizing your study abroad experience is learning how it has applied to your career path. The stronger the connection that you can make with your career and experience abroad, the more employers will care about it on a resume. Here is a guide to help out!

How to Use Study Abroad on a Resume

• If you worked during your study abroad on any industry specific projects, this is a great thing to mention in your work experience section.

• If studying was the main focus of your trip, include it in a separate section of your resume.

• Wherever the experience is listed, make sure to tie it back to your overall career. Include a brief explanation of the trip and explain how it informs your professional work.

Study abroad can be tricky to include on a resume. If you can figure out how to properly relate the experience, employers will be extremely impressed.

4. Start an Academic Club

Academic clubs are best defined as student centered activities that normally take place in a campus setting. Many college students remember their academic clubs fondly, but did you know that actually organizing one looks great on a resume?

If internships are not available in your area, and study abroad is out of reach, academic clubs are a great career booster for many current students and recent graduates. Although this may seem like a stretch by some work standards, here is a list of ways to use your club leadership on a professional resume.

How to Put a College Club on your Resume

• Emphasize your leadership skills by describing how you organized and motivated a team.

• Talk about what the club was able to accomplish under your leadership.

• Make sure to mention any specific data such as the total number of members.

It should be noted that a college club is not paid work experience. Therefore, you should utilize this experience in an experiences or skills section on your resume.

5. Start Your Own Business

If you are looking to really impress employers and gain some valuable skills, starting your own business is one of the best ways to accomplish both. By starting your own business, you can learn everything from marketing, to sales, to it support, and everything in-between.

Employers specifically want to know data about how you ran the business, so be prepared to share any sales numbers or other important information.

Although it may not be work experience in the traditional sense, working for yourself certainly belongs in the experience section of your resume.

We hope that this entry helped our current students and recent graduates boost their resumes! Let us know what you think on Instagram!