The resume; a seemingly harmless and simple piece of paper detailing an individual’s work history, education, and skills.

In college, a resume is essential to securing a job once you have crossed that stage and accepted your coveted degree, but for many, creating a resume that is brief, but also wholly inclusive of one’s skills and capabilities, is a daunting task.

How can I possibly get everything that needs to be said about who I am as a person and what I am able to do in two pages or less?

This fear is entirely understandable, and you are not alone if you feel this way. Often times our resumes seem like a skeleton, with the basics laid out, but not the details that create the whole picture.

It is true that one of the most important factors in securing a job is your resume and all that it entails, though when the average hiring manager only takes 10 seconds to skim over a resume, it is imperative to make your most notable attributes stand out.

If you studied abroad in Italy and are proficient in the language, include both of those facts. If you were a legal secretary, include it and some specifics about what you did in that job. Keep in mind you want to highlight your skills as well as your achievements to make the resume as strong as possible.

The way of the resume is not dead, as it is very much a necessity, but with advancements in technology, it is also effective to use additional sources to fortify your information. Among these additional sources, one of the most popular is a portfolio.

 Portfolium

A portfolio can be assembled as hard copy or digitally using sources such as The Portfolium, and is a great tool for putting your knowledge and skills into action for the hiring manager.

A portfolio allows candidates to have entries for each activity, hobby, skill, and piece of work experience they may have. That being said, the most important reason to have a portfolio is the ability to have any and all examples of your work, be it in the class or outside, in one place and easily viewable by potential employers.

The first step in securing that job is to make a resume that stands out with your best attributes and is something you feel you can stand behind proudly. After the resume, the next step is to make your portfolio exemplify all that you are, or want to be seen as.

If you were an accounting major, but minored in music, show that and upload examples of your work. A portfolio gives people the ability to add a little more personality and depth to any resume, thus allowing what makes you unique shine through.

This blog post was contributed to Resume Target by Katelyn McCullough of thePortfolium.com


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