What are some tips when it comes to making a resume?
I am currently looking for internships in the accounting field. I have never made a resume and don't have any work experience so I am unsure of how to start and what to include in my first resume. I am also wondering what do employers look for in a resume. #resume #internship #job-application #business #job #accounting #finance
23 answers
Irewole Akande
Irewole’s Answer
Your resume is a one page snapshot of personal, academic and professional experience. The following are the major things you'll like to show in your resume:
1. Name & Contact information
2. Summary (Not compulsory, but it can give a good overview of why they should hire you and what you you're looking to do)
3. Your education (Include your college, what you're studying, where you're studying, when you started to where you are now).
4. Skills (This is a rapid fire way to provide a list of skills you have, be it from education or from other activities - Languages, software you've used etc.)
5. Experience (This is the most important part of your resume. This can range from: paid work experience, volunteer experiences, college projects that can highlight or simulate paid work experience)
6. Activities (Not compulsory, this can be anything that could show you have that could show transferable skills or highlight other things that couldn't relate or connect to whoever is looking at it).
Irewole recommends the following next steps:
Soliman’s Answer
Chantel’s Answer
When building your resume', pair each bullet point with a detailed story highlighting your skills. For example, if you worked at a fast food restaurant, be able to speak to you experiences and skills developed. Also, don't be afraid to ask for others to take a look at your resume. An extra set of eyes to proofread is priceless.
Chantel recommends the following next steps:
Justin’s Answer
- Your resume reflects who YOU are and showcases your skills, accomplishments, and personality
- The resume is tailored to the position you are applying to.
I completely agree with what @Irewole has said in his previous answer but think that these two additional tips will set you apart from the crowd for whatever position you seek.
Justin recommends the following next steps:
Natalie’s Answer
https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Phrases-Performance-Appraisals-Evaluations/dp/1882423208/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2288T05U2MGJD&dchild=1&keywords=effective+phrases+for+performance+appraisals&qid=1619728372&sprefix=efffective+phrases+for+per%2Caps%2C560&sr=8-1
Aneree’s Answer
Lola’s Answer
Rose’s Answer
Katie’s Answer
Hi Victoria - Be concise and focus on your key accomplishments. What are some of the highlights of your work and academic achievements? Think about those things, rather than just listing your responsibilities. Also, be sure to review and spellcheck your resume!
Rachael’s Answer
Your resume is going to be one of the most important resources for you in order to apply for you internships. If you don't have work experience it can be difficult to fill out the page. I would suggest including all of your relevant accounting experiences (i.e. any coursework or extracurricular activities related), highlight your technical and soft skills, and point out leadership experiences. Positions will be looking for well-rounded individuals so harping on your other skill sets will be a way to make you stand out. I would suggest utilizing all of your resources to assist you in creating/continually improving your resume to reflect yourself (i.e. professionals within your network, college resource).
Richard’s Answer
Beyond that, clean and simple, with your interests at the bottom (hobbies, real interests, not subinterest in professional field)
Christopher’s Answer
Simeon’s Answer
Nick’s Answer
There is no required format but there are some good guidelines and it is probably safest to follow some type of template to start with. Different counselors at different schools will provide you with different templates. Most likely either template is acceptable. I agree with the other answers already posted as the main criteria that you should include. I think one of the most important things that I learned about a resume is that you should use the same tense when you are explaining your accomplishments. You can see several different varieties at the link below and any of them should do the trick.
https://www.myperfectresume.com/resume-templates
Haley’s Answer
Based on prior recruiting experience, you should definitely include your degree specific and overall GPAs on your resume. If it is not there, more likely than not, the recruiter will ask you what this is. Additionally, it's always a good practice to try to keep your resume to one page, as this will reflect the most important highlights about yourself. Make sure you are direct in what you are looking for in a career. When attending recruiting events, a lot of firms that attend are aware that college students do not have much experience in a particular field. I think the best thing you can add on a resume to highlight yourself are your recent accomplishments and unique experiences that help you stand out.
Holley’s Answer
You've already received so much great advice! One thing to add -- make sure you're truly giving yourself credit for the things you have accomplished. Like someone mentioned, it's important to provide bullets giving context to your experience. When doing that, we far too often sell ourselves short by describing our experience as "helped start..." or "worked with others to develop..." Don't be afraid to use "started..." or "co-developed..." on your resume instead. These are stronger and show more ownership, which is important and something your future employers will look for in a candidate. I've had to work on this myself on my resume in years past! Take credit for what you've done and never sell yourself short!
Bill’s Answer
I would agree that the best resume is well organized, concisely written and no more than one page. In addition, be sure that your mission statement is specific the position in which you are applying.
Best of luck in your pursuit.
Bill
Denise’s Answer
Dylan’s Answer
Be short and concise. You need to find a few items to market yourself and draw attention to these items. When employers look through stacks of resumes, they will probably spend 10-15 seconds looking at the resume. You need to draw attention their attention soon so that they will continue to look at your resume. Do not be afraid to be creative, this will help you stand out against the other candidates.
Shiqi’s Answer
Try to find out a couple templates for the industry. Make sure all your information are correct, accurate, and precise. Make sure in the role descriptions of each experience actually includes what you have done. Be specific about it and use stats to show your results if quantifiable. And read through it, think of yourself as someone reading your resume and ask yourself, would my experience and skills add value if you were to hire yourself to the company.
You should also have many, many rounds of revisions. Have your parents, your family members, your friends, and anyone you could think of to read through it, and ask for feedback. Getting feedback from another perspective is always helpful in terms of writing resumes.
Yolonda’s Answer
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=JuVYWUo2meE
Mikayla’s Answer
Hi Victoria,
I would advise you to take advantage of career services at your school as you prepare your first resume. Ideally, you should be able to set up an appointment with them to prepare and/or review your resume with you. As an outline, you'll want to include your name, contact info, and school with expected graduation date. Additionally, if you've had any jobs, even if they aren't relevant to the accounting field, you should include them. Past jobs may show evidence of multi-tasking capabilities, being about to work individually/in a team, and leadership, even if there were no accounting aspects. Because you've had no relevant work experience, it's also beneficial to include courses you've taken as well as software capabilities (i.e. excel)