Often highlighting the little things on your resume can be the toughest. It’s a given you’ll talk all about the previous jobs you held, what you accomplished there, and how it prepares you for the opening for which you’ve applied. Job seekers often have trouble highlighting, or overlook, the little things on their resume that might actually equate to big job success. Don’t. The little things might just make a big difference for job seekers on their resumes.
Here’s a story for you. In college I was a tour guide for my university. It was a fun experience, nothing crazy, but when I got to the real world taking prospective students around campus never really felt like an important space filler on my resume. My touring career was instead relegated to the ‘Awards and Accolades’ position of my resume. During one interview, I used my tour guide experience to answer a question. The interviewer stopped me and said, “You were a tour guide?” I said I was, and she told me nicely that I really should highlight that on my resume. She too had been a tour guide and said she understood the skills it took. Having someone in a hiring position tell me I should better highlight my tour guide experience was a lesson learned: highlight those things that truly give you valuable experience, rather than just a paycheck.
Instead of burying the little things at the bottom of your print resume, or the end of your video resume, make them stand out more. If you were or are in a club, in a leadership position or other position of power, add it to your work experience. It’s possible your role as treasurer of your sorority will peak more interest than that year you spent as a waitress in college. Rake through your resume and figure out what is actually important. Never underestimate the power of experience, even if it doesn’t have the sexiest label.
A job seeker’s resume is a short composite of all the things that make him or her the best candidate for the job. Make sure to highlight all the things that make you, you. Just because it doesn’t have a salary attached doesn’t mean you didn’t do valuable work.
What are some of the “little” things you highlight on your resume? We’d love to hear how our job seekers make the most of their resume retail space.
IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by katerha
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