by JULIE COX

Are you job hunting this fall? Full time, or an internship? Writing a resume can be an arduous task, especially for students just starting out in their careers. Many students mistakenly think that they don’t have anything of much value to put on their resumes. Often, nothing could be further form the truth.

College career centers demand that the resume be only one page and on a standard, college approved format. Although it is true that most student resumes are one page, the rules may not be as strict as they seem, and students frequently miss opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned during their college year. Let’s take a look at three things every finance, or any business, student should consider.

  1. Find the right key words. The language used in job ads is one of the most important things to include in your resume. Before sending off your resume, really understand what qualifications and skills the employer is looking for and make sure your resume uses the exact same words as the job ad. If they want someone who can calculate return on equity and they use ROE, you use ROE too.
  2. Provide details. Don’t be afraid to give real details about some of your class projects that can demonstrate your knowledge of important finance concepts. For example, if you completed a case study, include the specifics of the subject company, what the goals of the assignment was and what your result was. If you worked in a group, this is also an opportunity to show your ability to collaborate with others or to lead.
  3. Include key courses you took. Include the major courses that you have completed and make sure your education is at the top of the page, not the bottom. Not all business degrees are created equal. Don’t make the hiring manager at Wells Fargo assume that you completed a banking course, tell them outright in your resume. You can also include some of your electives you took if you think that they add value to your career pursuits. For example, business communications may not be a required course for a finance degree, but having that knowledge would be beneficial in any position at a bank or corporation.

Now that you have the right information, what kind of format should you use? Here area. few pointers. Business resumes shouldn’t be flashy. They should be organized, streamlined, and easy to read. But more importantly, they should be easily read by applicant tracking systems (i.e., computers) and they should be easy for you to edit. Remember, you should be making changes to key words for every job you apply to. With that said, stay away from two-column resumes because they require tables or columns – both of which can be formatting nightmares. Keep it simple and focus on the content.

What’s next? Notice above that I mentioned that your resume should be easily read by “applicant tracking systems.” This is something few students consider when writing and updating their resume. You can give yourself a huge advantage over other applicants by understanding a little about these systems, and changing key words in your resume to optimize it for the job you are applying for. Let me show you here – HOW DO EMPLOYERS SCREEN RESUMES, AND WHAT CAN YOU DO TO OPTIMIZE YOUR RESUME FOR IT?