Tracy Reese, an Instructor at New Brunswick Community College (NBCC), shares her tips for adding substance and experience to a thin resume.
Hopefully, as you have progressed through your classes, you have been saving all the course outlines. If you have not saved your course outlines, ask your professors or instructors for a copy. When modifying your resume for each job posting you are applying to, pull keywords from your course competencies that align with the key skills noted in the job advertisement. This strategy will help solidify that you possess the key skills that the employer is looking for.
Building off utilizing key competencies from your course outlines, creating a skills-based resume rather than a chronological employment-based resume will allow you to highlight the abilities gained throughout your marketing program. As noted above, matching your soft and hard skills learned throughout your program to a job posting will let a potential employer know that you possess the skills they are looking for despite not having on-the-job experience.
Noting volunteer work on a resume can show the reader that you are community-minded, but for a student about to graduate with a ‘thin’ resume, you can get a lot more mileage from volunteering with the following approach. Seek out volunteer opportunities that not only align with your personal values but will also allow you to practice the skills you are learning in school. For example, if you are passionate about helping our local animal shelter, offer to help with creating a marketing plan, writing social media copy, or planning and promoting events. Plenty of charitable organizations would welcome the opportunity to have a student perform marketing tasks that would help raise their profile in the community. Future employers will gladly accept relevant volunteer experience in lieu of work experience.
Experiential learning opportunities provided through your coursework are a great way to show your skills in lieu of employment on a ‘thin’ resume. Experiential Learning projects with an external partner will allow you to complete a marketing skills-based project with a business or charitable organization. This type of project work will help showcase your skills in a measurable way, so don’t forget to note them on your resume. Inquire if your college or university utilizes experiential learning platforms like Riipen or Orbis. These platforms connect organizations that have course-specific projects to complete with students. The bonus for students using these platforms is the opportunity to network and showcase their skills with a potential employer when completing a project.
Whether you want to learn to play guitar, become an art director, host a podcast or anything else, while you may find people to help you along the way, no one is going to push you to succeed.
Whether your coffee chat is virtual or in-person, it goes without saying that you don't want to waste your connection's time – so come prepared. Take some time to write down specific questions to keep the conversation moving. It's a great opportunity for you to learn directly from a professional working in the business you want to get into – so don't waste it by coming unprepared.
Be curious, stay open to feedback, and never stop learning. Marketing is always evolving—what works today might not work tomorrow. Build your personal brand with authenticity and purpose.
