Johnny C. Taylor Jr. is working on your HR questions as part of the USA Today series. Taylor is the world’s largest HR professional society and the president and CEO of the Human Resources Management Association, author of “Reset: A Guide to Leaders to Work in an Era of Trending Times.”
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Question: I am a university graduate and would like to start a career in software engineering. What should I include on my resume with two internships as professional work experience? – Karin
Answer: Congratulations on your degree in Software Engineering! Starting your career is an exciting milestone and your resume is the key to opening those first doors. You may feel that your experience is limited, but don’t worry. You will probably get more relevant skills and achievements than you understand. Step-by-step breaking down the resume creation process.
Let’s start with a clear summary. Your resume should start with a short, intensive statement that highlights your technical strengths, career goals, and the types of roles you are targeting. Think of this section as the elevator pitch. It’s your chance to grab the attention of your employment manager and set the tone for your remaining resume. For example, you might say, “A recent graduate school of software engineering who has a proficiency in Python, JavaScript, and Cloud Computing, looking for a role in full stack development.”
It emphasizes internship. An internship is gold when it comes to introducing professional experience. Instead of listing tasks, focus on what you have achieved. Employers want to see the impact, so use action verbs to quantify contributions if possible. For example, instead of saying “I worked on a test,” “I developed an automated test framework in Python, reducing manual QA time by 40%.” This approach not only demonstrates technical skills, but also demonstrates the ability to produce results in real-world situations.
Don’t forget about academic or personal projects. If you work on a Capstone project, join Hackathons, contribute to open source software, or build something independently, these experiences are just as valuable as an internship. They demonstrate their passion for initiative, creativity and development that extends beyond the classroom. Include specific details, what was built, the technology used, and challenges overcome. Also, if you have a GitHub profile, portfolio website, or LinkedIn page, please link to your resume. Recruiters love to see concrete evidence of your skills.
Adjust the resume for each job. One of the most effective ways to stand out is to customize the resume for each application. Carefully review your job descriptions and identify the key skills, tools and technologies your employer is looking for. Next, adjust your resume to highlight their priorities. This extra effort not only favorably helps resume scores with the applicant tracking system, but also shows employers who did their homework.
Remember that your resume is a living document. As you gain more experience and improve your career goals, it evolves. For now, focus on introducing the possibilities and values that you bring to your team. Good luck as you take this next step on your career journey!
The opinions and opinions expressed in this column are the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of USA Today.
