If you’re a fresh college graduate, you may not have much to put on your resume. Keep in mind, when you’re entering the job market your resume has less to do with your experience and more to do with how you present yourself. Make your resume stand out to get you a job interview and help you land a great career.

If you have minimal work experience, play up the qualifications it took to be successful in that job. If you’ve worked in the hospitality or service industry, note that you had to handle money. If you’ve been a lifeguard, showcase on your resume that you are certified in CPR and can handle many high-pressure situations.

If you’ve held many part-time or entry-level jobs then you should keep your work experience whittled down to only the jobs that are pertinent to the career you are currently applying for. Any jobs where you had to handle clients or customers, or where you were promoted should be included on your resume. Jobs that you held for six months or less can most likely be left off your resume. Also remember to:

• Keep it short. Your resume should only be one page, and if necessary, never more than two. A well-crafted resume should include the following:
• Header with contact information
• Summary of qualifications
• Pertinent work history
• Any degrees obtained – note if you graduated with honors
• Relevant extra curricular activities (volunteering, any clubs where you held a leadership role)

Here is what you can leave off your resume:

• SAT scores
• Employment that lasted six months or less (unless it directly relates to the job you are applying for)
• Athletic organizations (unless directly related to the position at hand)

Keep your resume up to date. Before you send your resume to a potential employer make sure all work history dates are accurate and current. Make sure your most current contact information is on your resume as well, because you want to be sure an employer can get a hold of you if they need to.

Polish your resume by making sure it is free of typographical errors and if necessary ask a friend or school advisor to read it over. Send your resume in an electronic format that is easily read by all computers and label it with your Name_Resume_CurrentDate so your potential employer knows exactly what it is. Include a premium cover letter and wait for the call that they want an interview!