Every junior faces the same stress and confusion, when thinking about their future after school. There are three phases we all encounter: Panic, deep breaths, and taking action. We panic because we realize that graduation is just two years away and we have very little experience. After panicking, we decide to put on our big girl/boy shoes and begin looking for internships and leadership positions. Eventually, we finally have something to work with, and we create that resume.
I never knew how to create a resume. My journey started as a freshman and absolutely no one could help me. Why? Well, how often is it that you come across another advertising major who knows what they are doing? Pretty slim. After a few years of asking professionals and researching, I can finally write a guide to help others like me. Luckily, three years of asking “What do you want a resume to look like?” at UF AdSociety’s AdCouncil Q+A, gave me a head start.
How the Process Begins
Begin by opening a basic word document. Utilize this document to plan out what is going to be on the resume. This will be your master resume document. You need to record all your experiences, positions, clubs and skills. Each point of experience should have the position name, company, date, and location listed in that order. An example is below! Below the position should be a BRIEF description of what you accomplished. The person looking at your resume will only be looking at it for a maximum of six seconds. Your description should be listed as bullets using only active verbs.
Social Media Intern
Statusphere
January 2022 – April 2022
Gainesville, Florida
Placement
Placement is everything when it comes to a resume. Remember, the employer is only looking at it for six seconds. Your objective or goal should always be the first words your employer reads. That means, bold it at the top of the page. Don’t burry your lead, your objective is the strongest part of your resume. Say what you want to do or what you are good at doing. Next, keep your education on the bottom of the resume if you are a new graduate. An employer wants someone who has been working for a long period of time. If they see you graduated this year, they will toss the paper to the side and won’t read your experience.
Design
Advertising is all about branding. A resume is just your own personal brand. It is bold and unique with a splash of creativity. (Emphasis on the splash.) An employer should look at your resume and say, “hmm… this is someone I want to meet.” Your design should be simple, but strong. Too many embellishments can distract the employer from your real goal: Who you are as a worker. You need section arrangement, font selection and size adjustment. It is important to not go overboard with the design. It is not about how pretty the paper is, but how easy it is to read.
#Extra
To make sure your resume is perfect, it must be tailored to the job. Your resume will change with each job you apply for. Therefore, we have the master document. When applying to a job, only show the experience that relates to the job. Typically, jobs will have skills that they are looking for. These are called key words. Use these keywords in your resume so they notice that you are the person they need. For a finishing touch, add your contact information. This should include your social media, email, phone, and your online personal portfolio.
Making a resume is as simple as that! Think of it like your Instagram profile. What do you want to leave as a first impression?