Information in this post blog post was obtained from Hubspot Blog, SproutSocial, The Balance Careers and BeamJobs.

As a new graduate, you are excited and ready for all the things life has to offer and throw your way. That mountain you have climbed for 4 years, you can finally stand on top of and plant your flag of accomplishment. Now, while we don't want this excitement to go away or be short-lived but unfortunately, life must move on. The question for most new college graduates then becomes, "Well what's next?" or "What jobs should I apply for?" Well, here I am to give you a start to answer that question. First, you must build and prepare a solid resume so that when you're ready to go out and pursue those opportunities you're already one step ahead. In this post, I will give you a few tips that could not only make your resume stand out but maybe even get you that dream job you desire!

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Tip #1: Always Include Your Contact Information

While this step may seem pretty self-explanatory, according to Ira Hughley, senior technical recruiter at HubSpot, "You would be surprised to know how many really good resumes I've come across with no contact information." Make sure to include your entire name, email address, and location. However, just include a city and state in your home address. While your location may not be important to the job itself, because more jobs are remote than ever before, employers still need to know your general location for tax and legal considerations. This also means that references that are too local should definitely be removed, as your CV will likely reach a wider audience than before.

Last but not least, make certain that your email address is professional. While MSN and AIM usernames are no longer in use, many of us still use addresses we created before we started working.

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Tip #2: Design Your Resume Using a Template That Fits The Tone of Your Industry

When it comes to hiring, every business has its own unofficial procedure. Traditional creative industries, for example, allow (and in some cases encourage) resumes to include some individuality. This might include everything from including a photo on your resume to employing vibrant colors and illustrations. Follow the tone that is most appropriate for your industry - there's no need to reinvent the wheel when the guide already exists. According to HubSpot Blog, you should use as much white space as possible, on one to two pages that showcase the value you bring. Add the technologies, skills, systems, or programs that you have hands-on experience working with. This can range from technical tools, such as Tableau and HubSpot down to simple tools like POS systems, Microsoft Office, or Google Suite. With a unique and optimal design, it will be hard for your resume to not catch the eye of a recruiter.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself when choosing your design and formatting:

• Have you used a resume template so the layout of your resume is visually appealing and easy to read?

• Is your resume too creative (For instance, if you're applying for a creative position and have formatted your resume as an infographic, is it really simple enough to read, or is it best to save that creativity for your portfolio)?

• Have you made use of common formatting conventions that make content easier to read, such as bullet points and header text?

• Are all items properly aligned? For example, if you've right-aligned dates, are they all lining up in tandem with one another?

• Are all links you've included clickable?

Once you have answered some of these questions it is time for your editing, final review, and submission.

Tip # 3: Highlight Hard and Soft Skills

You should mention both hard and soft abilities in your resume because they are two sides of the same creative coin. Hard skills are more concrete and measurable, such as knowledge of social media platforms and software, such as Sprout, or abilities such as content production, bilingualism, and photography. Communication, hard work, and attention to detail are examples of soft talents that are more abstract but crucial.

Experts suggest limiting yourself to six to 10 of your most relevant skills to keep them concise and trustworthy.

Job descriptions for social media professionals will include a mix of hard and soft skills, so look at job postings you’re interested in to identify which are most relevant.

Tip # 4: Use Keywords From the Job Description

Customizing your social media CV and talents for each job you apply for will help you get into the top 5% of applicants before a person views your application.

Many larger firms use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to analyze resumes and search for relevant keywords in order to discover the best candidates. Keywords can help you avoid falling through the automatic gaps and make you stand out once you're in front of a hiring manager's desk.

According to SproutSocial, here’s how you can translate the keywords identified above into the work experience section of your resume:

• Developed cross-platform brand and content campaigns across our TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter channels

• Led the creation of a video content strategy to grow my company’s TikTok channel by X views and videos in X months

• Created data reports to share with cross-functional collaborative partners from the Marketing, Content and Partnerships teams

While these may be examples for people with the experience already, you can use what you have learned and projects you have worked on to fill out this same information.

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Resources

Bretous, M. (2022). Resume Tips to Get You The Job You Want, Straight from Recruiters. Retrieved 26 February 2022, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-write-a-resume?hubs_post-cta=blognavcard-marketing

Cox, L. (2022). How to Write a Marketing Resume Hiring Managers Will Notice [Free 2022 Templates + Samples]. Retrieved 26 February 2022, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-write-a-standout-resume

Doyle, A. (2021, November 5). Hard skills vs. soft skills: What's the difference? The Balance Careers. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/hard-skills-vs-soft-skills-2063780

Greet, S. (2022). 27 Resume Tips for Landing Your Dream Job. Retrieved 26 February 2022, from https://www.beamjobs.com/resume-help/resume-tips

Hill, C. (2022). How to craft a data-driven social media resume that stands out (template included). Retrieved 26 February 2022, from https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-resume/

Top 150 Resume Skills Employers Want In 2022. (2022). Retrieved 26 February 2022, from https://www.beamjobs.com/resume-skills