What are some out of the ordinary things that students do that could be resume boosters?
Or what resume boosters are out there that differentiate students with one another? Hard or easy, doesn’t matter.
Thanks!
First and foremost, proofread, proofread, proofread!!! This is one of those times in your life when attention to detail is absolutely critical!!!
I’m sure you’ll get lots of resume hints, so I’m going to answer the question you didn’t ask: what about the cover letter??
To be honest, I think it’s sometimes the most overlooked opportunity in the entire job search process. So many people google cover letters, change the name and address, and send it off with a well crafted resume. What a HUGE missed opportunity!!
Your cover letter is a golden opportunity to inject a little “you” into the process. It’s the one thing that will separate you from all those other resumes that read almost exactly like yours-- young adults, new to the job market, with good GPAs and minimal real world experience. It should leave the reader thinking “Now THAT’S an applicant I want to meet!!”
Your cover letter should not be generic-- absolutely no downloading anything!!! It should be addressed to the person in charge of hiring-- two minutes on the computer can get you that info. It should not rehash what’s in your resume. Instead, it should focus on something concrete that illustrates that you will be a good employee.
For example, let’s go with my area of experience and assume you’re trying for a teaching position. Your cover letter can tell the story of one kid you worked with in student teaching to whom you made a difference. Doing so will show that you CAN and WILL do all those things that others are promising in their generic, downloaded cover letters.
Seriously, it deserves at least as much effort as the resume.
Thank you for your response, I have some experience with writing cover letters. And hopefully next year when I intern, I will be able to utilize that.