Is Your Resume Perfect?

Hey Everyone!

So last Friday, my friend and I were down in the Office of Residential Services, and we were bored. He was working on his internship application and starting showing me his resume, and I started showing him mine. One thing led to another, and soon enough, we were in a competition with each other to see who had the better resume/resume format. We printed both of them out, and covered the beginning part with our name and objective and then decided to ask around the office.

I was really excited because by this point, I had used the CDC on at least 6 different occasions for resume critiques. Asking all the staff in the office, one by one, everyone starting picking his over mine and I had been completely defeated. Surprised, I asked each one as to why they chose the resume they did, and they all said the same thing; “His resume looks more visually appealing at the first glance, and all the different sections can be easily identified”. Even though I lost completely, I was really happy that I got bored and went down to East Hall and ran into my friend.

Tips to take from this experience: I am very competitive. Don’t compete against a friend who has been at WPI a year longer and has utilized the CDC just as much, if not more. On a more serious note, it is very important to focus on the content of the resume, but make sure it is visually appealing as well. From an employer’s perspective, the resume that is more appealing to the eye will be the one they are drawn to and will look at first.

Make sure all your sections in the resume (Objective, Education, Skills, Experience, etc.) stand out so employers can easily spot them. Finally, don’t be fixed on one format; just like the content that gets updated, you should be willing to change your format as well.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to read my fellow Peer Advisors’ blogs: Sam , Gianna

Until next week,

– Omesh