The job market is sometimes heartless and cruel. It’s a tough world, but luckily we know how to improve your resume to land that dream job.
When you have just finished your studies, it can sometimes be difficult to find a job right away. You will soon be told that you have too little work experience (five years of specific work experience is difficult at 20) or that you need to gain more general experience first.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to give your resume that extra boost, and we’ve already given you nine.
Volunteer
Volunteering outside your country or state is especially good on your CV. It shows that you have seen different places of the world and know about important issues such as poverty or simply helping others. In addition, it shows that you are sympathetic and can work hard.
Travel
You will probably have to take a job below your level of specialization first, but this will give you a chance to save a little for an interesting trip – not a vacation.
Even if you have less money, you can work in local places, such as a farm, during your trip to earn money over and over again to travel further. Anything that makes your life more interesting will also make you more interesting to an employer.
Look for specific courses
You may think you’re done learning after you graduate, but this is rarely the case. You may have been told during a job application that you lack certain knowledge.
You can then acquire this with a course. The mere fact that you have taken an extra course shows that you are eager to learn and grow.
Join a professional body
You may have guessed it, but this is a group of people who have done the same kind of training. They hide under professional names such as “lawyers,” “economists,” “architects,” and so on. It always looks good on your CV when you know to which profession you belong.
Earn more degrees
Unfortunately, your swimming diploma does not count on the job market. What does work well are diplomas that show that you have a high level of a language such as English, French, or Spanish.
You don’t have to start a second study immediately, but training yourself by getting more diplomas always helps.
Start publishing
Start a blog where you write articles about the topics you want to find a job in the future or see if you can write a guest column about your experiences with this.
Also, if you have an academic level, you can try to do research and publish it. This way, you can show something of your work during a job interview.
Have more documents ready than just a motivation letter and CV
For example, make sure you put together a nice portfolio of your work that you can send along with your letter and CV.
Letters of recommendation from your internships or old employers also always do well. This way, you will be remembered faster, and it immediately becomes a little more personal.
Create your website
As mentioned before, having your blog for your articles is always a great idea. But you can also create a website where you show all your other work.
Especially if you work in the creative sector, it is useful to have a professional website including a contact page and examples of your skills.
And above all: you are never too late or old for an internship
It may sound a bit demotivating to have to work after graduation without getting paid for it, but if you don’t have any practical work experience yet, it is very important to gain it first.
Also, look for startups; the younger the company, the more likely you are to be hired. Prove yourself! There are also internships abroad that reimburse your living costs and accommodation.
