The document provides tips and tools for recent college graduates to improve their job search efforts and resumes. It recommends doing a 30-second resume test to focus the resume on key skills. It also suggests developing accomplishment stories, a positioning statement, professional biography, target company list, contact list, reference list, letters of recommendation, networking agenda, job search tracking system, and making sure the resume is well-edited and concise. Social media like LinkedIn and networking are emphasized as important ways for graduates without much work experience to enhance their job search.

1. College Grads ~ Resume Review
Frank Alaniz
Missouri Workforce Regional Liaison
SLATE Missouri Career Centers

2. 30 Second Resume Test
◦ Take your resume and fold the name/contact
information towards the back of the
document
◦ Fold the employment history section towards
the back of the document
◦ Look at the remaining section of your resume.
If I as an employer have only 30 seconds to
determine what skills and accomplishments
you are bringing to my organization does the
remaining section of your resume reflect
those skills?

3. Job Seekers Toolkit
 Accomplishments Stories
◦ Write five or six compelling stories about school or
work-related tasks that made you proud.
 Positioning Statement.
◦ Prepare and practice a “15-second commercial” about
who you are, what you’ve done in the past
(academically and professionally, if applicable), and the
particular strengths you can contribute to an
employer.

4. Toolkit
 Professional Biography
◦ Write a one-page narrative of your career in the
“third person” – as though someone else wrote it
about you
 Target Company List
◦ Make a “wish list” of adjectives that would describe
your ideal employer, such as size, location, industry,
culture, and environment. Then research specific
organizations that meet those criteria and put them
on a list of 35 to 50 “Target Companies.”

5. Toolkit
 Contact List
◦ Compile a list of all the people you know personally
and professionally, including their contact information.
Remember that approximately 80% of new
opportunities are secured through networking.
 Professional/Academic References
◦ List colleagues or professors who would “sing your
praises” if asked about you. Contact each of them,
and get approval to use their names on your list of
references.

6. Toolkit
 Letters of Recommendation
◦ Request letters from four or five respected business
colleagues or academic associates, which will be
printed on their professional letterhead.
 Networking Agenda
◦ Write out a full networking discussion or script so
you will know exactly what to say in the networking
discussion – how it flows, what to expect, how to
react to the other person’s comments, etc.

7. Toolkit
 Tracking System
◦ Keep a detailed record of your job search activities,
including phone calls, networking meetings,
interviews, cover letters, etc. This is essential to
keeping your process organized and productive.
 Resume
◦ It’s the last on the list, but still indispensable. And,
it has to be GREAT. Be sure your final resume is
carefully edited and succinct (no more than two
pages) with a layout that is easy for the eye to
follow.
Ford R. Myers, a nationally-known Career Coach – www.careerspecialreport.com

8. Typical College Resume
Tracy Q. Graduate
123 Main Street
Anytown, MO 12345
777-888-9999
tracygraduate@hotmail.com
OBJECTIVE: Human resources representative position in the Cleveland area.
SUMMARY: • Human resources internship with JP Morgan Chase.
• Magna Cum Laude graduate with BBA in Human Resources.
• Proficient with MS Office, Lotus Notes, Windows XP and the Internet.
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources, 5/2011
Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois
Graduated Magna Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.6 on a 4.0 scale
Courses taken included:
Human Resources Management Labor Relations
Personnel Law I & II Corporate Communications
Management Theory Human Relations
Industrial Psychology Union-Management Relations
EXPERIENCE: Human Resources Internship, May 2007 to August 2007
JP Morgan Chase, Columbus, Ohio

9. Resume Guide

10. Summary Statement

11. Accomplishments

12. Skills

13. Experience

14. Education

15. Cover Letter

16. Information

17. Skills

18. Recap

19. Internships

20. Internships
http://www.quintcareers.com/grad_internships.html

21. Overcoming Lack of Experience
 Before you revamp your resume, research your target job on Monster/Career Builder and
review the job descriptions. What skills, abilities and credentials are listed as desirable? Do
you offer competencies, personal attributes or unpaid experience that compensate for
your lack of work history? How would the employer benefit if you were hired?
 Weave Your Unique Credentials into Your Resume Whether you've chosen a
functional or combination resume, you need compelling content to convince hiring
managers to give you a chance. Consider these areas when developing your resume:
 Experience: Part-time positions, temporary employment, volunteer work and related
hobbies are all valid forms of experience. Focus on your achievements and contributions
to show you are a results-oriented worker.
 Key Skills and Abilities: Incorporate the skills that would be valuable to employers,
such as foreign languages, technical capabilities, organizational ability, interpersonal and
written communication aptitude, creative problem solving, research ability, customer
relations, the ability to rapidly master new concepts, the ability to work independently or
as part of a team and leadership potential.
 Students and New Graduates: Describe courses, school projects, internships and
extracurricular activities that are relevant to your career goal.

22. Experience
 If you lack work experience related to your goal, include
your internships and practicum in your experience section.
Give examples of actual assignments, challenges you faced,
your contribution, and the results and benefits to the
employer.
 When describing unrelated jobs, keep the descriptions to a
minimum. For example, if you waited tables to help pay for
college but your goal is software engineering, you don't need
to provide a description of your day-to-day food service
responsibilities. Just include your employer's name, location,
job title and dates. You can briefly include any extra
responsibilities you were given as a result of your
performance or special recognition (such as Employee of the
Month) to help demonstrate your strong work ethic.

23. Networking
 Facebook ~ #1 Job Search Portal
 LinkedIn ~ #1 Recruiting Portal
 Twitter ~ Over1,600,000 jobs tweeted in
the last 60 days
 Google+ ~ Next Social Media Giant?

24. Job Searching with Social Media

25. LinkedIn for Students

26. LinkedIn for Students
 A better job search experience for students and graduates
 While anyone can search and view job listings on the public Student Job Portal, Linkedin
members with a completed profile and connections have a much richer job search
experience:
 We recommend jobs: Based on your education and interests, we’ll recommend jobs
specifically targeted to you – right on your home page or with optional email alerts.
 Put your network to work: Each connection you make expands your network, adding
people who can provide insights into opportunities, or who can even help you land a job.
Connect to fellow students and see where they’ve found jobs, reach out to alumni whose
companies are hiring, and leverage the networks of your parents, family friends or
mentors.
 You can research companies: LinkedIn’s Company Pages provide rich insights to help
you explore where you want to work. Learn who companies hire, what products and
services they sell, what professionals are saying about them, and who you know who
works there.
 Companies find you: At the end of the day, it’s also a great opportunity to be found by
leading companies. Companies continually comb LinkedIn’s member profiles for the best
candidates. The more complete your profile, the better your chances of being found.
 Find opportunities worldwide: The Student Job Portal is available in all languages
currently supported on the site – and you’ll find jobs from top employers in locations
around the world.

27. Questions