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What is the most important thing I should put on a resume?

I am going to be applying for jobs in the near future and am looking for advice from other people as to how I should write my resume. #resume

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Dominika’s Answer

If you're a student creating a resume, the most important thing to highlight is your education section. This part of your resume is crucial because it reflects your current major focus and showcases your commitment to your chosen field of study. Here's how to effectively emphasize your education on your resume:

Education Section
- Institution Name: Include the name of your school or university.
- Degree: Specify your degree type (e.g., Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science) and your major.
- Expected Graduation Date: If you haven’t graduated yet, mention when you expect to.
- GPA: Include your GPA if it's high (typically 3.0 or above) and can bolster your candidacy.
- Relevant Courses: List courses that are relevant to the job you’re applying for, especially if you lack related work experience.
- Academic Achievements: Mention any honors, awards, or scholarships that demonstrate your academic excellence.

How to Maximize the Impact of Your Education Section
- Tailor Your Courses: Customize the courses you list to reflect the skills or knowledge important for the job you're targeting. For example, if you're applying for a tech job, list programming or software development courses.
- Include Academic Projects: Detail any significant projects or research that relate to the job. This can illustrate practical skills and initiative.
- Highlight Leadership in Extracurriculars: If you hold or have held leadership roles in school clubs or organizations, especially those relevant to your field, include these to show leadership and dedication.

Other Key Sections for Student Resumes
- Relevant Skills: This can include both technical skills (like software proficiency or laboratory techniques) and soft skills (like communication or problem-solving).
- Work Experience: Include part-time jobs, internships, or volunteer work. Even roles that may not be directly related to your field can demonstrate soft skills like teamwork, leadership, and time management.
- Certifications: Any relevant certifications that add to your qualifications should be included.
- Extracurricular Activities: Show your involvement in school or community activities, particularly those where you have taken an active or leadership role.

Since work experience might be limited as a student, emphasizing your educational background, relevant coursework, and any academic achievements or projects can significantly enhance your resume. This strategy not only fills out your resume but also highlights your potential and readiness for the professional world. If you'd like to see more examples of what to put on a resume, I recommend checking this guide: What to Put on a Resume (Best Things to Put)
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Hanleigh’s Answer

Hi! First, you do not need to include a summary or an objective. Your experiences should include 3-5 robust descriptions about relevant skills and accomplishments acquired on the job. I think any experience like internships, organizational leadership, jobs, and many other positions can be great experiences to include on your resume. Remember, not all of your experiences have to be a traditional job. You also have an opportunity to include any volunteer, awards, and education.
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Katy’s Answer

It depends on the job you are applying for but in general, relatable experience
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Lindsey’s Answer

The single most important thing you can put on your resume is relevant experience and skill sets to the job you're applying to. The bulk of your time spent crafting your resume should be ensuring the bullet points in each of your experiences align well or in some capacity with the skill sets the job requires.

Lindsey recommends the following next steps:

Always have someone look over your resume before sending it out. A second and even third set of eyes WILL make it stronger, especially if you send it along with the job description.
When you have a particular job in mind, come here to CareerVillage.org and share it with the community. Ask Pros what they think you should highlight/make clear on your resume in order to get noticed by this company.
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Fiona’s Answer

A resume should have a section on education, work experience/volunteering experience, and any relevant or interesting extra curricular activities or other skills you may have. For work experience/volunteering experience, you can have short descriptions of what the work entailed – this is good to show the skills you obtained, however, ensure to keep this short and succinct. You can choose to include a mission statement (a sentence or two) at the top. Remember that resumes are a marketing document for yourself – keep it short, concise and succinct.
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