How to uncover hidden work-history gems for a stand-out resume
Clara Perez, career advisor, ResumeGiants
Six seconds — that’s how much time a hiring professional generally spends on a resume before deciding whether it hits the wastebasket.
For this reason, it is essential to catch their attention fast. One way to do that is to treat a resume like a treasure chest full of hidden gems. By considering what relevant experience actually means, diving into often-overlooked sources of experience and finding a way to use social media accounts, workers can craft stand-out resumes.
Relevant experience sources go beyond work history
Relevant experience, a common buzzword in the hiring and career development world, is defined as any education, skills or experiences directly related to the position a worker seeks.
Applicants can get an overview of what’s relevant by carefully reading the job listing and looking for crucial details such as years of experience required, minimum education levels, skills, computer programs, tools and the like. Additionally, applicants can highlight relevant experience outside the workplace or school.
The story of relevant experience doesn’t end when people clock out at the end of the day. Once applicants identify the challenges they faced, problems they solved, achievements they’ve accomplished, the skills used and what they learned, many situations can count as relevant experience if they relate to the position an applicant seeks.
Academic and volunteer work can contribute to valuable hard and soft skills
While it’s standard to include education — degrees, school and graduation year — on resumes, not everyone thinks to include the projects they worked on throughout college. Applicants can list a specific class they took, a research paper or a case study they wrote that applies to the position they’re applying for.
Past volunteer work could also be relevant to a current job search. For example, if someone’s hard work skills were classroom management, child supervision, event planning or budgeting, some soft skills that may go along with those could be leadership or teamwork.
Applicants can also add pro bono services they may have provided while practicing their current skill set, such as graphic or web design. Applicants can highlight more of their skills by structuring volunteer experience like a work experience portion of their resume.
Group activities, memberships and internships help applicants demonstrate leadership and teamwork
In addition to academic and volunteer work, group activities such as clubs, student organizations and professional memberships are excellent places to demonstrate leadership and teamwork. Applicants who highlight memberships related to the field in which they’re applying — or their desired career field — can help establish themselves as experts and demonstrate their passion for the subject.
While many may be tempted to omit internships in favor of paid work experience, internships directly related to a desired job should be included in an applicant’s relevant experience. These can be listed on a resume or a LinkedIn profile in the experience section in the same way someone would add a paid position. However, it’s essential to include the words intern or internship in the job title.
Part-time freelance work and publications help establish initiative and motivation
Freelance gigs, even if someone does this in their spare time, can be a goldmine to include on a resume if the work aligns with the job that person is seeking. Full-time freelancing or not, including it just like any other work experience — even if the dates overlap with other jobs — shows initiative and self-motivation. Employers are very familiar with freelancing and unlikely to balk at anyone taking on side work.
Another way people can establish themselves as experts in their field is through published writings. Amazon Kindle and similar platforms enable self-publication options where applicants can publish a how-to guide or educational reference. Other options include identifying established websites that accept guest post articles. All of these types of publications are worth adding to a resume.
Some hobbies represent transferable skills for resume inclusion
Many people are cautioned against including hobbies on resumes. This advice is with good reason: these details can take up space and detract from professionalism. However, carefully selected personal activities can demonstrate skills needed for a job that weren’t part of previous work experiences.
For example, hobbies such as these have the potential to include transferable skills, including photography, videography or video editing, public speaking or performing arts. Continuing education and professional development (i.e., workshops, online courses, seminars, etc.) also qualify, as do coding, building computers, app or video game design, web or graphic design, fine arts, language learning and creative writing.
Social media accounts can be an effective tool for highlighting some of these hidden gems. Dedicating a portion of a resume to highlight social media engagement statistics can be helpful for anyone applying for marketing or social media management roles. Social media can also enhance people’s career narratives by showcasing images of their achievements or projects they are proud of.
Connect the dots between resume and cover letter for a complete narrative
After workers determine the additional relevant skills and experiences to add to their resumes, they’ll need to connect the dots to form a narrative of their careers. By researching the company and role, applicants can understand what the job requires, choose the accomplishments that align most closely with those and highlight them in their resume and cover letter.
When describing these relevant experiences, the STAR method — i.e., identify the situation, task, action and result — may be most helpful. Every applicant’s life is full of hidden gems of experience. It’s essential to take the time to find them and put them on display so the world can see their value, too.
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