College students should do a lot in order to strategically set themselves in a position to land a good job. There are many common mistakes that college graduates often make when creating their CVs.
It’s important to include certain items when crafting your CV. On the other hand, it is equally important to leave several things out of your CV. Hence, it is important to know what to include and what to leave when it comes to CV writing.
The most important thing is to ensure that your CV shows a detailed sense of your qualities and strengths. Also, make sure your résumé is relevant to the company or job you are applying for. And don't make the following mistakes.
Forgetting to include employment history
Your employer needs to know where you have worked before, hence the importance of including an employment history. It is sad to note that many freshly graduated seniors forget to include their employment history. Well, they often assume that since they are fresh from college there is no need to include their job history.
You should include where you’ve worked before in order to assure your prospective employer that you have gained real work experience. However, if you sincerely don’t have any work experience, then it is important that you list your academic experience.
Excluding objective statement
An objective statement helps the employer understand why you are interested in the job. Fresh graduates often forget to include an objective statement which costs them a lot. An objective statement should be short and precise. It shouldn’t be long to the extent that it overwhelms whoever is reading it.
A CV objective statement also makes you outstanding among other applicants because it is unique and professional. It is advisable that you place your objective statement at the top of the CV. Some of the questions that you should ask yourself before writing your objective statement include: Why are you interested in the job? Are you just interested in making money or you have a passion to pursue that career? Failing to include the objective statement leaves your employer wondering why you applied for the job.
Failing to network on social media
It is important to realize the importance of social media networks in this digital age. There are many social media platforms that college graduates need to utilize. Recent study shows that many fresh graduates spend time on YouTube and Facebook as compared to other social networks like LinkedIn.
The survey shows that nearly half of freshly graduated seniors claim that they never use LinkedIn, while 78% are regularly on YouTube and 90% use Facebook. Well, as you can see the percentage is worrying because graduates are avoiding useful social networks like LinkedIn where they can benefit a lot.
LinkedIn has proven to be one of the best social networks when it comes to career networking and connecting employers with potential employees. It’s high time fresh graduates realized the compound strength of a deep LinkedIn network. Also, they should ensure that they connect with people they would like to meet in person. If possible, college students should consider creating their LinkedIn profiles while they’re still freshmen. After that, they should go ahead and connect with as many people and businesses as they possibly can.
Not applying for enough jobs
Nowadays, graduates feel reluctant to apply many jobs. They feel comfortable after applying to a couple of jobs and that shouldn’t be the case. It is advisable that you apply for more than 30 jobs and follow up with them. In fact, fresh graduates should treat getting a new job as their full-time job. Yes, it may sound silly but that’s the best way to go about this.
The best part is that you will eventually get many job offers and get the chance to choose the one that suits you best. In the meantime, you can consider pursuing alternatives. That said, you shouldn’t just sit back and wait for things to go your way. It’s upon you to get out of your comfort zone and actively pursue companies where you feel truly motivated to work with.
Excluding skills related to the job
When writing your CV, it is advisable that you include skills related to the job you are applying for. For example, if you have a working knowledge of customer service, motivated to work well, and you’re a fast learner, then including them in your CV will be relevant if you want to work at the front desk of a hotel.
It is advisable that you indicate what you are able to do even if you have little to no skills to the job you’re applying. Including any skill related to the job will assure the employer that you are capable of handling the job presented before you with ease. This also assures the employer that you can handle any situation that may arise at work. You can consider mentioning the fact that you were on your school’s newspaper team if you are applying for a writing position. Or you can include the fact that you’re an expert swimmer if you’re applying to be a lifeguard.
Not Including a Professional Contact Information
Many fresh graduates often make the mistake of excluding professional contact information in their CVs. Or in worst scenarios, freshly graduated seniors will list outdated phone numbers or old email address they no longer use. You want to make sure that an employer can reach you when they want to update you on the job application progress or if they are interested in scheduling an interview with you.
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