As a recent grad you may not have years and years of experience in your chosen field. How do you create your application materials, resume and cover letters, to reflect the potential you have?
1) Look at all the experience you do have – whether its professional experience you were paid for, volunteer experience, college club and group experience, etc.
2) Instead of just looking at the title you held, take a look at the skills you gained, the responsibilities you had, and the true day-to-day tasks you completed.
3) Make a list of how those relate to the positions you want to be offered.
4) Now include those skills, responsibilities, and talents in your resume and cover letter. This is how you tailor your application materials to the type of position you desire, instead of having a static way of describing an experience the same way for lots of different types of jobs.
5) In your cover letter especially, highlight what you’ve done in your various experience that relates to the job you’re applying for. Even if this wasn’t specifically in your job title or job description, but was something you did and relates to the position you want, definitely highlight it.
Don’t let your lack of work experience hold you back from describing your ability and potential in applications. Be willing to see your previous experience through many different lenses and you will see how you really DO have relevant experience to offer.
Darcy Holoweski
Certified Career Coach
P.S. Are you in the ideal career for you? Find out if you’re in the right career with our Ideal Career Quiz.
