7 tips for an exceptional entry-level resume

Jan 25

You have just graduated college and you’re new to this whole adulting thing. You’ve spent a few fearful days scrolling through job listings wondering how you will ever compete with industry professionals and capture the interests of future employers. This is where your entry-level resume comes into play.

An entry-level resume places your education, skills, achievements, and activities at the forefront when you lack the work experience of higher-level professionals.

I sat down with Michele Dye, founder of Dyenamic Career Goals and a former hiring manager, and she has 7 tips that will improve your resume.

Here’s what you need to know about writing an entry-level resume that will have potential employers saying, “you've got potential!”

1. Keep it simple

Instead of looking to websites like Pinterest or Canva for flashy resume templates, look to a resource such as Microsoft Word to generate a clean and professional resume.

Try to avoid distracting elements such as:

Colors
Images
Icons
Columns of text

While a resume with fancy fonts, artsy graphics, and fun borders might look attractive to

you, it will not look this way to a hirer. In fact, these elements can keep your resume from successfully passing the applicant tracking system (ATS).

2. Lead with your education

Placing your education section towards the beginning of your resume will let prospective employers know that you have recently graduated from college. This will help the hirer better understand your work experience (or lack thereof).

You can include any relevant coursework within your education section to show employers that you have applicable knowledge in your field. For example, if you are applying for a social media coordinator position, this is the perfect opportunity to list all those social media classes you took in college.

3. Include internships as experience

You may be asking yourself, do the internships that I did in college count as work experience? Absolutely! Internships, regardless of whether they were paid or unpaid, can be added to your work experience.

When listing internships on your resume, you can note the nature of the job, whether it was part-time or full-time, and you can indicate how many hours per week you completed. Doing this will help the employer understand the scope of your internship experience.

4. Ditch the objective statement

Let’s face it, objective statements are outdated and old-fashioned. They are typically poorly written and do you more harm than good, especially for a young professional.

They lack new or useful information for the reader and they tend to be…self-centered. A potential employer typically wants to read a resume and determine what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.

5. Don’t include references

References are upon request. Your resume page is definitely not the place to list any past employers or supervisors.

This does not mean abandoning your references altogether. Online applications typically have an option to upload your references separately from your resume document.

6. Include a skills section

While sometimes overlooked, a skills section is crucial for letting your employers know

what your strengths are as a young professional. Take some time to think through all the industry-related skills you have acquired that would contribute to your success in the job you are applying for.

Whether you have a second language under your belt, or you are proficient in Microsoft Excel, the skills section is the ideal place to showcase these skills and talents.

7. Include a leadership section

Were you an officer of an academic club or student organization? Were you ever in charge of a volunteer project? Did you hold a leadership position in your fraternity or sorority? If your answer is yes, then you can create a section dedicated to your leadership experience. This is a great opportunity to showcase your leadership skills to your potential employer.

Free Resume Review!

For a limited time, Dyenamic Career Goals is offering a free resume review. Click here to submit your resume.

Paula Colon

Paula Colon is the content marketing intern for Dyenamic Media LLC. She is a sophomore at the University of South Florida and is majoring in mass communications.