Skip to content
  • Job Openings
  • Career at Barton
  • Departments
  • Our Locations
  • Culture
  • About
  • Blog
  • Job Openings
  • Career at Barton
  • Departments
  • Our Locations
  • Culture
  • About
  • Blog

Dos and Don’ts of Resume Building in College

Posted on: July 18th, 2018

Avatar photo

written by

Barton Team

Share this article:
  • envelopeemail
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
More often than not, young adults will not draft a formal resume until they enter college. Creating your first resume can be a daunting task, and making the necessary edits to perfect it can be even more distressing. We’ve all been through the struggle, so here are some dos and don’ts of college resume building that are sure to guide you in the right direction!
Don’t make it too long

In your early 20’s, there’s no reason for your resume to be longer than a page in length along with an additional page for a cover letter. If you find yourself struggling to narrow down a long list of jobs, campus activities, and community service, try to focus primarily on the tasks, activities, and skills that are relevant to the position you are applying for. You should be able to summarize each experience you have in one or two bullet points which you can then expound upon in a formal interview. This article from Monster.com goes into further detail regarding resume length.

 

Do show a wide variety of experience, and make it exciting

In the limited space you have to show your worth to a potential employer, be sure to showcase a range of activities and skills that you possess to give a “big picture” idea of who you are. What makes your unique experience a valuable asset to the company you are applying for? Mention awards, study abroad experience, clubs, athletics, and other activities that will make a hiring manager want to bring you in for an interview.

 

Don’t copy and paste from the job posting

This might sound like a no brainer, but it happens. Hiring managers are going to disregard your resume immediately if they see that you were too lazy to come up with a creative means of proving that you are “a diligent worker who is proficient in Microsoft Excel.” If you see a specific qualification in the job description that you possess, be sure to highlight that within your experiences, but make it unique, exciting, and relative to you.

Do tailor your resume to each position

It’s going to take a little bit of work, but highlighting specific elements that pertain to each job you apply for will make a world of difference to the person reading it. For example, if you see that a company is seeking competitive employees, highlight activities such as a college sport or debate team you were on in order to show that you would fit that role. Additionally, any hobbies or interests you have that might spark a connection with a hiring manager are always a plus and will make them value the effort you took to personalize your resume for their specific position.

Don’t falter in formatting

Colored and hard-to-read fonts, large paragraphs of text, and lack of uniformity will make your resume impossible to read and distract from the material itself. A simple, straight to the point, uniform resume will allow hiring managers to focus on what you actually do rather than how you put it on paper.

 

Do have someone proofread and assist with style

It’s easy to overlook grammar and formatting errors when you’re staring at your laptop screen for hours on end. Whether you visit a career counselor, a trusted professor, or another professional, getting an additional set of eyes to read over your resume is crucial. You should visit them more than once, too- from when you first begin drafting a resume to when you make your final edits, having a second opinion can be the key to putting your best work down on that paper.

Barton Associates hires entry-level, money motivated individuals who are looking to grow within a company. Once you’ve finalized your bulletproof resume, head over to our careers page to submit your application!

Avatar photo
About Barton Team

We're Barton Associates, the Locum Tenens Experts. We work with thousands of hospitals, medical practices, and organizations across the United States and its territories that need talented providers for short- and long-term engagements. Inspired by the pioneering, humanitarian work of Clara Barton, the Barton Team recruits physicians, PAs, NPs, dentists and CRNAs in a wide variety of specialties, so that we can quickly place them in locum tenens assignments nationwide.

More Content Like This

States Lifting Bans on Elective Procedures [COVID-19]

While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused certain states to ban hospitals and other medical facilities from performing elective procedures, we are now seeing some of these bans starting to lift. Originally intended to help dedicate resources to fighting the virus, the bans will no longer be in effect in the...

States Lifting Restrictions on Dentistry Procedures Right Now [COVID-19]

While bans on dental procedures have varied from state to state during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now seeing some of these restrictions starting to lift. Originally intended to help dedicate resources to fighting the virus, we have seen changes to the rules for dentistry in the following states. Read...

resume tips and how to explain resume gaps

How to Explain a Gap on Your Nurse Practitioner Resume

How to Explain a Gap on Your Nurse Practitioner Resume So you’ve taken a few years off of work and now you have a gap in your nurse practitioner resume. Because the unemployment rate during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic hit over 14%, you can rest assured that many people...

How to Build a Resume That Will Land You a Job Interview

Your resume has less than 30 seconds to make an impression on a potential employer. That’s only about the length of a typical TV commercial. Your resume must quickly convey critical information that hooks the staffing manager’s attention. Otherwise, he or she will become disinterested and move on to the...

Blog Topics

  • About Locum Tenens
  • Barton News
  • Careers
  • Careers Tips & Advice
  • Finance Tips
  • From Classroom to Career
  • Health Tips
  • Healthcare News and Trends
  • Holiday Humor
  • Interview Tips
  • Job Search Resources
  • Job Search Tips
  • Licensing and Credentialing
  • Locum Heroes
  • Networking
  • On The Job (post) Tips
  • Other
  • Pre Job Tips
  • Resources
  • Social Media Tips
  • Staffing Tips
  • Travel Tips

Popular Posts

  • 3 Benefits of Doing an Internship
  • 5 Things to Bring to Your New Job
  • Don’t Let Student Loans Steal Your Holiday Spirit!

Latest Posts

  • How To Find An Affordable Work Wardrobe
  • How To Spruce Up Your Resume With Volunteer Work
  • What To Do After A Job Interview
  • What To Do During A Job Interview
  • What To Do Before A Job Interview

Follow Barton

FacebookInstagramLinkedInTwitter

Phone (855) 895-3550
Email talentacquisition@bartonassociates.com
  • Job Openings
  • Career at Barton
  • Departments
  • Our Locations
  • Culture
  • About
  • Blog
FacebookInstagramLinkedInTwitter
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Service
  • Barton Corporate
  • Privacy Portal
  • California Residents: Privacy Notice

© Copyright 2023 Barton Associates All Rights Reserved