How to build a killer resume before you graduate

Preparing for life after graduation? It might seem far off, but if you do start now, you'll have a head start on everyone else. How do you create a resume that quickly lands you a great job? Recruiter Jorn shares his insider tips with you.

Know what you want

With deadlines, exams, and theses, landing your first job may seem like a distant dream. But before you know it, it’s here. The most important – and also the hardest – thing is to know what you want to do after graduation. Once you figure that out, you’ll know where to focus and which internships, extracurriculars, courses, and part-time jobs will boost your chances in the job market.

The first step is to recognize your motivations and talents. A one-on-one conversation with a recruiter can help: they know how to find the right traineeships and can tell you what’s needed to succeed.

Internship on your resume?

An internship allows you to gain work experience in your field for a few weeks or months. You learn what a job in your industry is really like and collaborate with experienced colleagues. That looks great on your resume!

Recruiter Jorn explains that this internship should take place during your studies, not, for example, the six months after graduation.

Jorn: “Otherwise, you might as well start a traineeship right away.”

Do a board year

If you get the chance, it’s smart (and fun) to take a leadership role in a student or sports association during your studies. In addition to building a network, you’ll learn leadership, planning, and teamwork.

Jorn is very clear about whether you should include a board year on your resume. “Absolutely. Any form of volunteer work or other extracurricular activities is worth mentioning, as long as they are relevant,” says Jorn. “For example, being on the party committee at the local scouts is not.”

Should you include your part-time jobs on your resume?

Including part-time jobs on your resume is a good idea, as long as they are relevant. Your resume doesn’t need to be filled with ten different part-time jobs; it’s better to keep it short but impactful. In any case, if you’ve worked a lot during your studies, it shows that you take responsibility for your own finances.

“If you’ve been a working student at PwC or another Big Four company, I definitely want to read that as a recruiter. In fact, any part-time job related to your studies or the job you’re applying for is important,” says Jorn.

And what about your grades...

Grade transcripts are highly relevant during your studies, but once you’ve graduated, they lose much of their significance. Recruiters hardly pay attention to your grades and certainly don’t need to know your final score for every subject. The only time they’re interested is if you graduated cum laude or have an exceptionally high GPA. Jorn says, “I care much more about who you are and where you’re headed, rather than the grade you got in a bachelor’s course.”

Gaps in your resume

What recruiters pay close attention to is whether there are any so-called gaps in your resume. “I want to see the exact months and years for each activity you’ve started and completed. If it took you four years to finish a three-year bachelor’s, that’s fine, but I do want to read an explanation for it,” advises Jorn.

Such an explanation could simply be: “due to personal circumstances,” as long as it’s clear. Providing clarity is better than being vague, and it increases your chances of getting an invitation from recruiters.

Incomplete degree

The same goes for incomplete degrees. If after a year or two you realize that a degree wasn’t the right fit, it’s a good idea to include that on your resume as an explanation for a gap.

“You really don’t need to be ashamed of it,” says Jorn. “But people need to understand their situation. If you’re 27 and just graduating with your bachelor’s, you need to make it clear on your resume why it took so long and what you learned from it.”

How to include travel on your resume?

The same applies to a year of traveling abroad during a gap year: list the travel on your resume as an explanation for the gap. “It’s seen as good for your personal development, but it doesn’t make much of a difference in terms of educational development,” says Jorn.

Golden tip

Finally, the golden tip for a great resume as a recent graduate: share more about your education than just the degree you’ve earned. “If you studied Computer Science, briefly talk about your thesis and which courses you enjoyed the most and why,” says Jorn. “That way, I’ll better understand what drives you and which direction you want to go.”

A strong resume shows who you are, what you’ve done, and most importantly: where you want to go. The more your resume tells your unique story, the greater your chances of standing out among other candidates. Recruiters like Jorn are here to help. Take that first step and build your future!

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