(Cont’d)
Taking up where
we left off; if you are, for example, a recent college grad you might have a
few things to which you can refer and note on your resume.
If you maintained
a good GPA and held a job, part-time or more, while also pursuing your studies,
that’s an accomplishment. Especially since more people are choosing to finance
the whole thing; if you successfully managed your studies’ and a job, note it
on your resume. For example; I am aware that among companies that require a
college degree, some of them have a threshold that an applicant must have
maintained a certain level GPA to be considered. However, if they gained their
degree while also working during their studies or participated in sports, they
could have a slightly lower GPA and still meet the threshold of consideration.
This example illustrates one instance when noting this information on your
resume can make a difference and, if you don’t tell’em, how are they going to
know?
But use your head
and be aware that something you may be passionate about, such as voluntary petition
or food drives, are civic involvement that belong in the Personal Interest
section of your resume if you choose to have it on there. Also remember the
third rail of conversation with strangers about religion and politics. From my
own experience over the years, unless you are seeking to work for a non-profit
organization, volunteerism speaks well of your character, and that’s great, but
don’t expect it to carry much weight in the for-profit corporate world, sorry.
List it if you prefer but don’t expect the kudos you may think you are due. If
you went on a Mission for your church somewhere, well, it can’t hurt and it is,
of course, likely connected to your chronological time line if you’re trying to
connect all the dots. But if you list unpaid political activist stuff, be aware
that in our current hyper-polarized society, you are likely to alienate half of
those who might review your resume.
Especially for
those who are young, if after you’ve reviewed and sifted through everything and
still come up empty handed in the search for accomplishments, don’t worry, it
is to be expected. Everyone’s gotta start somewhere, that’s the way it is and
the way it should be; in the real world nobody really appreciates, nor
respects, anything gained that has not been earned with effort and merit
without some investment of sweat equity. Nobody is owed anything, nobody’s owed
a well-paying job, but everyone should be able to have fair access to opportunity
with a chance to prove themselves. So rhetorically speaking, you know the
cliché; when opportunity knocks are
you ready, will you be prepared to be at your best and are you yet doing
everything you could be?
Okay, so enough
of that - next! Moving on; if you don’t have any accomplishments to list, then
you can’t list what you don’t have. It doesn’t mean you are unemployable or
even less employable but it means that if you want to set yourself apart from
others, you will have to turn to other things that can accentuate what you have
to offer, as compared with other applicants, in the eyes of an employer.
Among the other
things may be letters of reference. References written on your behalf can be
for more than just a past employment verification. A reference letter can, depending on the content, carry some weight.
Performance reviews can also be helpful; letters of appreciation, the list goes
on, which brings me to another item you may want to add to your bags of tricks…
Next time we’ll talk
about something well suited for taking along to your first interview, as an
extension of your resume.
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