5 Resume Tips for Business Majors

As I was updating my resume, I wondered if there were any resume tips I was missing that could help me improve my resume. So, I decided to do some research, and share some resume tips for business majors.

Top tips for improving your resume are as follows: 1) It is better to create your own resume format instead of using a template. 2) Bold your headings instead of changing their colors and fonts 3) Keep your resume to one page 4) Take out your address 5) Add in your LinkedIn address.

Let’s look into what these resume tips for business majors in more detail below.

1) It is better to create your own resume format instead of using a template.

I found that many, if not most, of the popular resume templates contain complex formatting and tables. Although they might look visually appealing, they can actually be harmful to your chances of getting noticed when applying online. When submitting your resume online now, most companies are using resume reading programs.

These programs are called applicant tracking systems (ATS) and will have a tough time processing information mired in complex formatting and tables. So, think about utilizing simple formatting features like bold, tab, and bullets to organize your content.

Note that if you are in a more creative specialization you have a little more room to get creative with your resume.

For example, if you are a marketing major and are applying for a creative marketing job or internship, you want to let that creativity shine in your resume. So, maybe do some unique formatting that highlights your strengths and gives the reviewer a glimpse at how you can add value to the team if hired.

2) Bold your resume headings instead of changing their colors and fonts

Be sure to avoid the use of color fonts, designed backgrounds, images, and shapes in the document as they are also tough for applicant tracking systems to recognize.

The best way to make your document seem more organized without different colors and fonts is to use the bold feature.

Using bold to highlight your education or job titles gives the same attention-grabbing potential without making the resume look like it’s “too much.” You want to make sure that your resume looks professional and presentable both in-person and online – bold allows you to do that.

3) Keep your resume to one page

As a young professional, a one-page resume should be the goal. As you continue in your professional development journey gaining experience, a two-page resume will become more acceptable.

From my research and experience, it is important to always have your education, work experience, and professional development/extra-curricular on your resume as a young professional or college student.

Some additions can be added depending on what you are applying to or the industry you are applying within. Starting out though, those three areas are the main must-haves to fit onto the one-page resume.

4) Take your address out of your resume

Remove your address from your resume. The address does not need to be there. It provides no usefulness to you. It should not be there unless explicitly asked by the company you are applying to. Plus, by removing your address you are giving yourself more room to add information pertinent to your education, work experience, and professional development/extra-curricular activities. At most, though, you should put your city, state, and zip code.

5) Add your LinkedIn address to your resume

Adding your LinkedIn address is the new personal address but way more important. Linking your LinkedIn profile on your resume is a must for college students and young professionals today. If a company likes your resume and wants to learn more about you, you have given them the exact location where they can learn more. Now, this step does assume that you have a LinkedIn profile to link. If you don’t, be sure to make one. It’s free and can be your tool for learning about the careers and industries of interest to you.

Check out my article titled “Why You Need to Start Networking” to learn more about how LinkedIn can help you. Be sure to put this address somewhere easily noticeable – I put mine right below my name with my email.

Putting It All Together

As applications continue to move online, and our resumes become more subjected to these new technological reviewing systems. We have to adjust to ensure that our resume can move to the top of the stack. Bonus tip! Put the words from the job description into your resume. The computer most likely will be looking for those words and it will help your resume get noticed!

Additionally, think about finding ways to submit your resume in person. Whenever you can add a face to the accomplishments it helps increase the likelihood that you will be remembered. It also makes you stand out since very few people will have submitted their resumes in person. You might even get an interview right there on the spot – it’s happened to me before.

All in all, make sure that your resume has been reviewed by multiple people with multiple different opinions. This ensures you know your resume is appealing to many different people. Once you’ve completed your resume and landed an interview, come back to this blog to get some tips on interviewing!

Read More: How To Ace Your Next Interview With This Killer Technique

What are your thoughts? Any resume tips for business majors to share? Let us know in the comments below!

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