Many of your students may already be applying for on-campus jobs, summer internships, or even full-time post-grad opportunities. I guarantee you, every single one of them has gone through dozens of iterations of their résumés in search of the best one to apply with. Many of them may be brimming with questions: “How do I format my résumé?”, “What action verbs should I use?”, “How do I even begin to write a cover letter?” We’ll be breaking down how to best build your student’s résumés as well as provide any relevant career resources to set them up for success and to help them land that first interview!
How to get Started on Your Student’s Résumé
Your students may be at many different points in their career readiness. Whether they have no formal job experience, only extracurricular experience, or a handful of internships under their belts, orienting them to the right starting point is key for setting up to make the best résumé for them.
When it comes to starting on fleshing out your student’s résumé, make sure to have them list out all the experiences they’ve had. This will help them scope out which experiences to include on their résumés and how to best highlight them.
If they feel they have limited professional experience to speak to, such as a formal job, redirect them to mention any extracurriculars, classes, or independent projects where they have been able to foster valuable skills. If they have ample experience, consult them on which experiences to best highlight within their résumés according to what best speaks to the role(s) they are applying to. Remember, résumés should remain under one page (except for students in the health/medicine and education industries), and students should not mention any high school experience after their junior year of college.
Remind your students as well that it is recommended to tailor their résumés for each application they submit. Although not required, it can increase the chances of a résumé getting reviewed by the hiring team and securing that first interview. We recommend having multiple versions of their résumé that align with each type of role they are applying to and tailoring even further for specific positions they are especially excited about.
If your students need helpful resources that facilitate writing and polishing résumés, the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills offers an abundance of tools that can help them with every step along the way!
Quinncia
A fantastic tool you can introduce to your students to is their new job-AI best friend, Quinncia. Quinncia is an AI-driven career readiness platform that helps students optimize their résumé, practice their interview skills, and enhance their LinkedIn profile. The platform provides immediate, personalized feedback on résumés to ensure they align with industry standards and highlight key achievements effectively.
How Do I Get My Student Started on Quinncia?
- Direct your student to activate their account by clicking on the appropriate login link below. Have them enter their UConn email address and log in with their NetID/Password.
- Upload their current résumé (or use the provided résumé templates within Quinncia)
- Receive feedback within minutes. Discover where they’re already succeeding and make improvements based on the personalized suggestions Quinn provides.
Get your student started with Quinncia
Résumé Guide
If your students are looking for specific templates, guides, and inspiration to start writing their résumés, we offer a one-stop guide to assist in résumé writing. Breaking down topics from résumé types to optimizing documents for the applicant tracking system, our Résumé Guide for all students, covers everything your student will need to get their résumé ready for applications.
Additionally, we have a Résumé Guide for Graduate Students, including everything graduate students may need to refine their résumés. From figuring out what content sections to include in résumés to writing cover letters, this guide aims to provide graduate students with the tools needed to succeed in post-grad professional opportunities.
Sample Résumés
We have a wide array of résumé samples at students’ disposals. Our collection of résumé samples is organized by Career Community and features examples of many common résumé content areas. UConn students and alumni can visit the 12twenty Resource Library to view these résumé samples. We encourage students to view résumé samples from multiple Career Communities to gather diverse inspiration for their own résumé development.
Résumé Review Appointments at the Career Center
If your student needs further guidance on how to make their résumés, refer them to 12Twenty for career coaching with the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills. 12twenty is your student’s one stop shop for all things career related!
12twenty is an online platform where UConn students can connect with staff at the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills for career coaching as well as access other resources and tools to enhance career development on campus. Career Coaching with the career center offers guidance on résumé building, polishing, and/or finding relevant résumé templates to give your students a starting point for their documents.
