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For the recent grad, tips for taking the mystery out of good resume writing

(ARA) - Is there anything that strikes more fear in the heart of the recent graduate than putting together a job resume? Maybe a job interview, but first things first: you need to have a resume.

So, what is a resume really? "In a nutshell, it's you on paper," says Jenny Mleko, director of career services for The Illinois Institute of Art—Schaumburg. "Your resume is a marketing tool designed to create interest. It highlights a history of achievements and details your work history."

According to Mleko, recruiters tend to only look at your resume for about 20 seconds, so it is extremely important to have a resume that catches someone's attention. For the recent grad, Mleko recommends including a career objective which should be broad as far as what the candidate is looking for, but can also be tailored to a company or position. She also encourages grads to include their technical or traditional skills and coursework that is related to an industry or job they hope to enter.

Amy H. Lee, director of career services at The Art Institute of Las Vegas, believes that in addition to including a clear job objective, a chronological listing of employment, freelance work, or internships, "presentation is key to any good resume." Lee says resumes should be brief, concise, and easy to read. Since many grads of The Art Institutes enter creative fields such as graphic design, web-design, marketing, or advertising, Lee says their resumes need to be visually appealing and well-designed.

"I like to see resumes that use an eye catching type face that stands out from the norm of Arial and Times New Roman," says Lee, but she draws the line using "unclear graphics or illustrations, cartoonish fonts, or cutesy visuals."

Becky Bates, director of career services, The Art Institutes International Minnesota, urges grads to keep their resume brief, usually no more than one page. She says a cover letter on the same paper as the resume is "a must." And though it may sound obvious, "I always urge our grads to make sure all typographical, grammatical and spelling errors have been corrected."

Photos, personal information like height or weight should never be included in a job resume. In addition, Bates urges grads to omit a personal section—a listing of hobbies, social activities or clubs—unless they contribute to a job objective or are particularly relevant to the company a grad is applying to.

Julie Smith, current general education department chair and former director of career services at Brown Mackie College—Kansas City, adds that any job descriptions included in a resume should contain action verbs that draw attention to accomplishments and problem-solving abilities. "Your resume will pack a greater punch if you employ powerful verbs that demonstrate an action," Smith says.

Other keys to an effective resume for the recent grad include:

• Avoid usage of "I" or "My" in statements; for example, "Designed a new logo for company," instead of "I designed a new logo."
• Do not include references on your resume; they should be on a separate sheet.
• Always start your work experience with your most recent position; be clear about the name of the company and dates of employment.
• Have friends or colleagues review your resume.
• Don't lie.

Once your resume is finished, the next step is getting the interview. For that step, Jenny Mleko says that while sites like Monster, CareerBuilder, Hot Jobs and Coroflot are good resources. "There are thousands of other people using these same sites and employers are flooded with resumes." Instead, she suggests, gather a list of potential employers by either doing a job search, or opening up the phone book, and start making cold calls. "You'll have a much better chance of having your resume noticed if you take that extra step," she advises.

To learn more about The Art Institutes or Brown Mackie College schools visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz or www.brownmackie.edu/news.asp.

Courtesy of ARA Content