How to Fill That Resume as a College Student

You might be thinking that as a student, you don't need a resume yet. You may be wondering what you would even put on it.

The truth is, every student, even incoming university students, should have a resume ready to hand out at a moment's notice. As you start looking for campus jobs, part-time gigs, internships and job fairs, having your CV clean and current is going to save you a lot of stress.

Here are some helpful pointers.

Some work has already been done, you just need to document it

You DO have things already ready to add to your resume, even if you aren't starting college until next semester.

Community service, part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, awards, internships, relevant projects, volunteer efforts, leadership roles you took on and even what degree you are working toward are all excellent things to include on your resume.

If it's looking a little more, well, blank, then you'd like, you might get the kick you need to really start hustling this summer.

Keep things in order

Reverse chronological order, that is. The most recent accomplishments and positions you fulfilled should be listed first.

Start thinking about which items are perhaps a little too distant to include. As you rack up more experience, delete some of the less pressing and less current things.

Update your CV periodically

Make it a point to revisit your resume at the end of every month or two. The more often you edit it, the less likely it is that you will forget to add in that awesome recognition you received, or event you took charge of.

Have someone else read it before you send it off

Humans make mistakes. Have a trusted friend or family member give your CV another read before you start handing it out. Trust us on this one. You can also utilize CTX to give it a gander. Submit your resume to get feedback from Concordia professionals.

Check out, but stray, from the templates

If you aren't great with design, using a template as a guideline for your resume is a great idea, but be careful! There will be other candidates who will probably be using that same template you found online, and you want yours to stand out.

Use a unique header, a pop of color and a professional border to set it apart from the rest. Don't get so artsy that it's not clean and easy to read, though.