Update your resume now that you've had your first job
How does it feel that you're now a fully integrated part of the "adult" world? Still retaining that spark of excitement that propelled you forward during your job hunting days? Or now markedly less excited and a great deal more cynical, just waiting for that bonus before submitting your resignation letter? Or are you just looking for a different job in the same industry?
Regardless of your reason for looking for another job, you should know by now that this means radically revising your resume to suit your current job description. That old out-of-college resume format simply won't do. Less certain now? No worries, we're here to help you out.
Below are four things that you need to keep in mind when updating your resume after your first "real" job.
1. Rearrange the order
For a fresh graduate looking for a first job or an internship, the education part of your resume might seem to be the most important section since it holds the most information. Fast forward, hopefully a year or more, and you already have what recruiters want from professionals such as yourself: experience. Naturally, this should be the first section of your resume if you want hirers to take your applications more seriously now that you have work experience.
Future recruiters wouldn't put too much stock on your education history, they are most likely to be interested in the technical skills you learned in your first job.
2. Put an executive summary
The executive summary or the summary statement is what recruiters call your"elevator speech."Basically, it's a short summary of what you have to offer"¦ or your sales pitch to the company you're targeting or any potential employer. This should be personally customized, containing information about yourself that makes you stand out from other applicants at the same level. The executive summary should focus on the things that the new employer wants to know about you.
Think of it as a short, formal, and written answer to the question"Tell me about yourself"that can be found at the very top of your resume, just below your name.
3. Buff up your work experience section
Now that you're part of the professional world and have at least a year of experience under your belt, your resume should include as much information as necessary about your first job. This part of your resume should contain what you're actually doing at your current job, the people you're working with, and the reason why that work is important for your current company.
Simply put, you need to paint a picture of what you do in your first job for recruiters so that there would be no confusion on their part as to what you actually do and what they are expecting from applicants.
4. Minimize your college references
Shuffling the education part of your resume down, just above your references, shouldn't be the only action that you'll take against all college-related on your resume. Purge it of some of the unnecessary educational references in your resume such as your organizational or club commitments, what your GPA is (unless it is very exceptional), or any stuff about high school that you included when padding your mostly empty resume.
You don't need those references anymore now that you have work experience, of which you can further maximize on with a Technical Skills section.
Below is a resume sample for professionals who already had a first job.
TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE
Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton, Yorkshire, England | +1666-6666 | [email protected] ÂPassionate and talented sales apprentice working at a magical antique shop for almost two years now handling priceless and often cursed family heirlooms and artifacts. Aiming to use my excellent repertoire of warding and cursebreaking skills, offensive and defensive magic, charms and hexes, and ancient soul magic and rituals to match the qualifications you're looking for in a Professor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. WORK EXPERIENCE Sales Apprentice (1945 "“ Present)
Borgin and Burkes, Knockturn Alley
Responsibility:As a Sales Apprentice, I help Mr. Caractacus Burke handle clients wanting to part with their treasures or looking for neat additions to their family collection of magical antiques. I have reached and exceeded the annual quota marked by Mr. Burke and am instrumental in gaining priceless artifacts such as Hufflepuff's Cup, Slytherin's Locket, and Ravenclaw's Diadem.
Achievements:Revenue increased by 15% every year, broken the curse of 77 cursed objects, updated the failing wards of the antique shop to keep the thieves and competition out, experimented on various applications of soul magic.
 TECHNICAL SKILLS EDUCATION
- Soul Magic 5/5
- Cursebreaking 5/5
- Warding 5/5
- Offensive Magic 5/5
- Defensive Magic 4/5
- Charms 4/5
- Hexes 5/5
- Dueling 5/5
- Wizarding Britain Core Subjects (1938 "“ 1945)
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
GPA: 10 NEWTs (8 - Outstanding, 2 - Exceeds Expectations)
Relevant Coursework: Defense Against the Dark Arts | Charms | Care of Magical Creatures | Transfiguration | Potions | Arithmancy | Ancient Runes | History of Magic | Muggle Studies | Divination
Achievements:Â Slytherin Prefect (1944 "“ 1945), Head Boy (1944 "“ 1945), Dueling Champion (1939 "“ 1945), and recipient of Special Award for Services to the School (1943)
ADDITIONAL SKILLS
- Excellent Magical Language Skills (Parseltonque, Goobledygook, Mermish)
- In-depth knowledge of offensive hexes and defensive charms
- Familiarity with ancient and recent wizarding lore
- Efficient in magical warding and cursebreaking
- Adept with curses and counter-curses
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