Tips: Resumes - Part 1 of a 3 part series

Occasionally, I'll get asked how I managed to work my way into BBH NY and Campbell Mithun, and naturally, the conversation always leads towards three things: Resumes, phone interviews and personal interviews. More specifically, people ask me what I did or didn't do in regards to each of them.

Anytime I offer my advice, I emphasize that I'm not the authoritative person on any of the subjects, so I'm always glad when I can get the inside scoop from the people students need to impress - recruiters.

Susan Engle, Director of Human Resources at Mediasmith, recently spoke with students of San Jose State's advertising club about what students need to do to get noticed for entry-level positions. Though recruiting varies from shop-to-shop, Susan provided some solid info about what she looks for in an applicant.

Today, I'll share what Susan recommends students should do to make their resume more appealing. Check back later this week for tips on phone interviews and personal interviews.



Resumes:

1. Resumes should be one page - no more, no less
   
2. Always proofread your resume; Resumes/cover letters should always be free of grammatical errors. Though it sounds easy enough, you'd be surprised how many times I've seen resumes that have simple spelling errors that make you wonder - is this person actually in college? (oh man, like I should talk - I'm a horrid speller but because I know this, I proofread several times - unless it's on this blog :p)
   
3. Don't lie or inflate your resume - trust that a recruiter can sniff out a liar
   
4. The skills section counts! Susan explained that though there is software that students won't get training on while in college, she can judge if a student has the disposition to learn a new tool by how proficient they are with the software available to them
   
5. Incorporate buzzwords from job-postings into your resume
6. Include something about yourself - like a hobby. This allows the recruiter and applicant an opportunity to relax. My resume states that I have a mac'n cheese recipe that will make me famous - it ALWAYS gets brought up in interviews (yes, the pic is my MnC - drooling is completely appropriate)
   
7. Change your objective for the position - in other words, if you're applying for the position of media tracker don't leave that you're desperately wanting to work the dressing room of Urban Outfitters on your resume
   
8. Mention projects you've worked on only if you feel that they are stellar and wouldn't mind sharing them during a personal interview

I'll have the next post on phone interviews up by Wednesday, in the meantime, feel free to ask questions in the comments section.