Recently a question came up on the CDI member forum about new graduate resumes and whether it was acceptable to put classroom-based projects in the experience section.
It immediately prompted me to get on my soap box and start preaching as I have VERY strong opinions on how important it is to fully sell new graduates and their unique “experience” and skill set.
When a resume writer tells me they love writing new graduate resumes because they are fast and easy, I cringe inside.
The only thing more complex than a new graduate resume (done right) is a resume for a career changers or an IT project manager who constantly changes companies and projects!
Unlike experienced working professionals, to truly sell a new grad, you’ve got to pick up and examine every piece of the puzzle that makes up their story. This unique approach allows you to turn basic new grad data into extraordinary story-telling that gets results.
Listen, I know I keep saying ‘new grad’ but most of the same principles apply to career changers as well, so keep that in mind as I’m not going to write ‘or career changers’.
So hang in there, and if you’ve seen this lesson before, it’s time for another look as I’ve just added to ‘after’ ATS-friendly new samples for the candidates I use as projects below.
In this lesson, I’m sharing my unique expertise and strategy gained as an award-winning job placement director (top placements for 7 years out of 11 campuses in 2 countries) for a business school, college, and university.
Topics covered include:
- Big, yet common, mistakes in new grad resumes.
- Puzzle-piece approach to writing new grad resumes.
- Unusual materials you must review to get at the winning data.
- Understanding how to cross the bridge with unrelated experience.
- How to get around paid experience vs. book learning.
- Keywords for new grads with no related work history.
- Content strategies for objective headers, summaries, keyword sections, coursework, awards, and more.
- Ways to play up information that initially appears to be irrelevant.
- Appropriate page length for new grad resumes.
- Easy strategy to close 4-figure new grad resume sales.
While these new grad projects are complex and time-consuming, they can be extremely profitable and rewarding. While 4-figure sales are fantastic, nothing feels better than watching a new grad start their fabulous career in their field of training, thanks to you.
So, get ready to dig into this in-depth lesson.
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Resumes for Dummies, 8th Edition >>
Additional Resources (Free for members)
Secrets to Writing New Graduate Resumes (Video Lesson) – follow up to this core lesson
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Get Targeted Testimonials to Easily Close Sales & Boost Your Business (Core Lesson) >>
Is this concentrating on college grads or high school grads?
All of the samples except one are for college grads as that was my specialty as a college placement director. My approach, however, is for teasing out what someone has done outside of work, so it would be the exact same principles. You’d just walk away from the webinar without a lot of physical examples for high school grads.