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THE ULTIMATE RESUME
GLOW-UP GUIDE

written by OLIVIA WETTENGEL

June 26, 2024

Summer is the perfect time to get your ducks in a row for another semester in the fall, and upgrading your resume should be high on your to-do list (as we so wisely advised in our article, “Off for the Summer? Make the Best of Your Break with These 12 Tips”). As college students know how to do well, we’ve done our research and collected the best pointers for giving your resume a glow-up. Keep reading for your all-inclusive guide to up your chances of landing a job after graduation!

First comes first: Decide what to include in your resume.
We have found from experience that the two best sources of doing this are:
  • Ask your loved ones, colleagues, teammates, past bosses, or leaders you trust to describe you–your talents, skills, characteristics, etc.
  • Compile what they say into their respective resume sections for a robust personal description!
  • Use an online resume builder to rack your brain of any & all past accomplishments, roles, jobs, & more.
  • These websites will help you organize your past into an impressive, logical summary of why you’re the perfect hire.
  • Some of our favorite resume-building websites from free to less than $3 are:
Resume Genius
My Perfect Resume
Resume now
Then, choose the format that best fits you and your dream job.

Indeed.com has an amazing list of resume formats with recommendations and explanations. Read here!

Be specific & brief.
Those looking to hire don’t want to spend a half hour reading your whole life story. They want to know who you are as a professional and why you would be a good asset to their team. Keep your resume to one page, only on the front side. If you have to, you can use a bit of the back page as well. Include numbers (i.e. raised capital at last job by 12% from 2019-2021), as well as names (which would change the previous example to “raised capital at Stark Industries by 12%”. Be sure to use action verbs, too. Words like “contributed to”, “planned”, “augmented”, and more show you actually do stuff. Get it?
Make it readable.
Don’t cram all your words into the front page using font size 4.5. Quality over quantity! Use a legible font size and a professional font. A good rule of thumb is to never go below 10-point font, and to make sure that even your grandma can read it!
Here’s our favorite: Don’t forget to include your social links!

It’s 2024; the world basically revolves around the internet. Make sure you have a well-built LinkedIn profile with a QR code or username at the end of your resume, just in case your employer wants a little extra scoop about his or her future employee. Odds are, they probably will.

Cater to your audience.
Remember, each company you apply to is different. Each job you interview for will have different expectations than the last. So, don’t just mindlessly print off your resume without a quick checkup. For each resume you send, spend a few minutes editing it to cater to your targeted audience. Put the accomplishments you think they’d like to see most at the top, switching around the order and removing items if you need to. This will show your future boss that they are important to you!
Finally, use Grammarly!

Once you’ve typed out everything and are about to print or send, run your masterpiece through this free grammar-checking software to ensure you look like you know how to spell. This last and commonly overlooked step is a vital one that sets you apart from the rest.

Career strategist and author John Lees explains that it’s not just a resume; “it’s a marketing document.” You are marketing yourself to your dream company through your resume. So take it seriously! Don’t be afraid to brag a bit.

These important tips and tricks are the secret medicine to giving your resume the glow-up it needs to take its place as the reigning resume in your industry before you even graduate.

Picture of Olivia Wettengel

Olivia Wettengel

Olivia is a current Journalism major at Brigham Young University. She has contributed to her school's various publications since high school, and currently works as a Marketing Intern at Book & Ladder, Inc. With a first-hand view of college life, Olivia brings experience and passion to the content she creates for The Open Book.
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