College Grad Resumes Need Help

According to a recent poll by CollegeGrad.com, the #1 entry level job site, 72% of college grad job seekers don’t have a resume yet or say theirs needs help.

The entry level resume is critical to successful job search, said Brian Krueger, president of CollegeGrad.com. College students and recent grads should make developing a world class resume their top priority if theirs is nonexistent or not already perfect.

Developing a resume from scratch, or revamping an outdated resume is probably not a college student’s favorite activity. Yet Krueger points out that having a resume is a necessity in the job search for networking, applying to jobs and interviewing for jobs.

The resume will not get you the job, said Krueger, but you will not get the job without it. Any time you make a serious job contact, it will be a requirement.

The resume may seem like only a first step in the job search process, but in reality, it is a professional reflection of the candidate. Krueger advises putting in the time to develop the best reflection possible, especially since the resume is often the first professional image the recruiter sees.

However, he cautions against resume inflation. The resume is not a work of fiction, said Krueger. While it should emphasize the positive, it should never emphasize what does not exist.

For college students and recent grads who need help with their resume, CollegeGrad.com provides information on developing world class resumes, including more than 200 quickstart resume templates for more than 30 majors. Resume information, sample resumes, customizable templates and more can be found by visiting www.collegegrad.com/resumes.

Following are the overall survey results:

How good is your resume?
Needs help - 45.2%
Perfect - 28.0%
I don’t have one yet - 26.8%

The survey was conducted nationally using an online poll placed on the CollegeGrad.com home page during September 2006. The results are based on approximately 850 respondents.