Body-Building your

Resume/CV

Starting out in a new sector can be a scary thing,

whether it’s your first job after graduation or a career
move later in life. But there’s no need to panic. Here, Chris
(an Associate Brand Manager with Reckitt Benckiser in the
US) offers some priceless advice on how to beef-up your
CV and get your foot in that door.
1. Summer Internships: A student summer job can
mean much more than a little extra spending money.
Tracking down a summer internship will let you start
building a network of professional contacts and
references. And, whilst they aren’t always paid
(unfortunately less so in the current economic climate),
4. Interests & Activities: You might be surprised to hear
they do all offer the kind of experience that will increase
your chances of getting good paid employment
further down the line.
To find them I recommend using job aggregators,
like Indeed, SimplyHired and LinkUp. Craigslist in the US
is also a great place to search local opportunities. And
never forget the power of the search engines, such as
Google! Try searching for specific companies or types of
internships. You might be surprised by how much you find.
5. Entrepreneurial Ventures: If you are creative and
2. School-Year Internships: Companies and organizations
are always in need of interns even after the end of
the summer so, if your academic schedule allows some
flexibility, try using the search tips listed above and
checking with your career center for opportunities.
This kind of placement will give you just as much valuable
6. Social Media & Blogging: As companies and
experience, references and contacts as a summer
placement – and may even prove your commitment more!
3. Volunteer Work: Voluntary work offers you a great way
to get involved in something you care about and to build
your leadership and team-work skills at the same time.
More than this though, it tells potential employers something
about yourself: as Corporate Social Responsibility continues
to become increasingly important it shows that you share
their commitment.
Finding community projects and voluntary roles is never
hard. You can contact local charities directly, check the
local newspapers for opportunities or search online. If you
want to think bigger, you can search for online directories
of volunteer opportunities for worldwide work.
just how interested potential employers are in what you
do outside of study or work. The organizations you belong
to, the sports you play, the things you enjoy in your free
time. These are often more fun than work, but they also
help you build up your resume and provide you with
valuable leadership experience. Invest yourself in your
clubs and activities, and pursue more responsibility and
leadership positions when opportunities arise.
entrepreneurial, potential employers want to know.
So tell them about your ambitions and your business ideas.
If you’ve launched or run your own business in the past
make sure they hear about it in your CV. Employers value
innovation, ambition and an entrepreneurial approach.
organizations get more involved in social media channels,
these are becoming an essential way to make yourself
stand out. Become an expert on LinkedIn, Facebook and
Twitter. Check out new social media channels, business
and sector specific ones in particular. You can even
consider blogging on career-relevant topics; it’s a great
way to establish your personal brand and use it to sell
yourself in your career search. Google’s Blogger and
Wordpress are two great platforms to help you get started.