By: Taren Vaughan
The most important document that a job seeker needs to have is a resume. Resumes can vary slightly from person to person. But there are certain things that every individual’s resume should include other than contact information.
Job Experience Is Key
Your resume should contain job experiences that you have had. Job experiences can include internships, co-ops or regular jobs. Even if your internships are not paid, the fact that you gained valuable knowledge while doing them is more important. When including present and previous job positions in your resume, be sure that job responsibilities are listed in detail. Adding more detail to your job responsibilities can add to the significance of your position with that particular employer.
GPA (Grade Point Average)
Along with degrees received and the names of the institution(s) you attended, your GPA should appear on your resume. A good GPA stands out on one’s resume. GPA’s can be indicators of how hard working a person is. Potential employers do look at your GPA when considering you for job positions. If you have obtained multiple degrees, each GPA should be included.
What Are Your Achievements?
It is essential that you include all honors and awards that you have received in your resume. The achievements reflect one’s dedication to school work, organizations and community involvement. Because honors and awards are not given out to just anyone, the appearance of them on a resume is very impressive.
How Involved Are You?
The extracurricular activities that you are involved in should appear on your resume. These activities could be sports related, clubs, organizations, honor societies and volunteer groups. The activities section of a resume usually reflects the personal interests of the individual. Seeing that person is involved in various activities shows that they have the ability to participate in multiple things and dedicate a set amount of time to each one.
Your Spokespeople
When choosing your references, be sure that they are people who can really vouch for your character and work ethic. Don’t use someone as a reference that barely knows you. And especially don’t choose a person that you had a bad experience with. What occurred between you and that person may not have been your fault. But regardless of the situation, you don’t want to put yourself in that kind of predicament.
Your resume is usually the first thing that a potential employer receives. It can determine whether or not a person gets a call for an interview. Because of this, it is extremely important that you keep your resume updated at all times.