Majoring in careers would not be a complete job hunting resource without an exploration of the resume. Throughout the next few articles, we will delve into everything a college student needs to know about writing an entry-level resume, from formatting to content. But first, a review of what a good resume is and is not, because without the proper mindset, you can’t expect to write the proper resume.

A resume is a fifteen-second TV commercial.

We have written about how, in the job application process, you are out to sell yourself. Well, the resume is a vital component of the self-marketing process that is unique among all the others for two reasons.

First, almost every time someone important reads it, you won’t be present. During interviews, career fairs and networking sessions, you are there to clarify and elaborate on any details about yourself that might come up, but a resume is a one-way line of communication. As if writing an advertisement, clearly state each of your positive selling points. Draw attention to all the reasons you are a great fit for the position and forget the reasons you’re not, because you’re communicating on your terms, and unlike a TV advertiser, you’re not legally bound to include the fine print.

The second similarity is the time-limit. The average amount of time anyone important will spend looking at your resume is fifteen seconds, so make sure key selling points jump off the page in a succinct way. A TV commercial that tries to cram a minute’s worth of information into fifteen seconds will lose your interest every time, so don’t try to fit an interview onto a page.

A resume is not a diary.

Too often, people organize material on their resume according to which experiences and accomplishments they themselves find most important. Your resume isn’t a page-long record of your personal triumphs. It is a compelling argument that you are the best fit for a particular position at a specific company. If you are writing your first resume and you don’t have a specific company and position in mind, then stop, find one, research it, and start over. If you’re applying for an internship in accounting, you should have more content about your experience working at the bank than you do about captaining the crew team. It doesn’t matter if the former demanded one-fifth the time and dedication; it is what they will care more about.

A resume is a trading card.

Most of us had some exposure to trading cards during our childhoods. Whether they dealt with baseball, pokemon, or something else, the idea was the same: list the important attributes of each player/character in a standardized format on a simple template so that they may be easily compared and traded around. As cynical as it is to regard your own resume in this light, it’s always advisable to keep in mind the mentality of the employer, and hiring managers have long seen the value in the trading card approach. They collect innumerable resumes online and from career fairs, only to take a closer look at a few, pass around some more to other managers, and stow away the rest. Then when it comes time to pick the top ten they want to interview, they’ll take advantage of the standardized trading card resume template and quickly sift through their pile, grouping and ranking according to several predetermined factors (GPA, year of graduation, relevant experience).

It is important to keep this functionality of the generic resume in mind before setting out to create the most original resume anyone’s ever seen, because if the hiring manager goes to rank his ten qualified candidates by prior work experience and yours is the only one without that section, he may find it convenient to do some easy prioritization right off the bat and send you straight to the bottom. This is not to say your resume should be void of personal touch – it’s all about the happy medium.

A resume is not an English paper.

Unless you’re applying for a position in writing or publishing, its readability matters more than its eloquence. Don’t get me wrong, proper grammar is crucial. There’s no quicker way to degrade the content than to write it incorrectly. However, communicating such functional information in your most flowery language is unnecessary, unorthodox, and can hurt your chances if it comes off vague or pompous. How much does Bill Gates resemble Shakespeare? That’s how much your resume should resemble an English paper.

A resume is a plan.

The best professional resume writers agree that a resume should be about the future, not the past. The most important thing you can include is a professional goal, called an objective statement, because more than anything, employers want to know why you are applying for their open position. This can give them an idea of how committed you are to that line of work, how likely you are to accept an offer, and how likely you are to stick around long-term, which are all more important to your success in the position than any one skill or experience. And who knows, maybe being forced to put your primary goal down on paper will give you a renewed sense of focus that can get so easily lost in the job hunt.

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