Resumé tips and strategies for students: How to stand out and get noticed by employers
June 21, 2019
The internet has lots of resumé tips and strategies for students getting ready to take the next step in their careers. Some of the information is great, but other advice can hinder more than help.
Your resumé and cover letter is your first introduction to potential employers. It’s an important document that you will build, edit and shape over many years, so you’ll need to ensure it’s free of grammar, spelling and typing errors and is up to date.
It’s also important to tailor your resumé and cover letter for each job application. This means you’ll have to modify and tailor it to demonstrate that your skills are related to the job posting. Yes, it’s a lot of extra work, but the effort will pay off in the long run.
If you’re looking online for help building your resumé and cover letter, you’ll have to make sure you’re using a trustworthy source.
Georgian’s Career Success team works with students and job seekers to create resumés and cover letters and offers tips and strategies to make sure yours is on the top of the pile.
Get an employer’s attention with these resumé tips
Your resumé is an advertisement that’s all about you. It should pique the interest of the employer enough to invite you for an interview. The Career Success team recommends you:
- Highlight your qualifications and skills specific to the job posting.
- Include an objective (why you’re applying for a specific position).
- Add headlines and subheads (objective, education and skills).
- Use keywords and phrases.
1. Highlight your qualifications and skills specific to the job posting
With the first section of your resumé, your goal is to capture the reader’s attention immediately.
Examine the job posting, focus on the key skills and qualifications you have that match the position you are applying for, and consider how you meet the employer’s needs:
- Talk about your skillset and unique value you can contribute to the employer.
- Clearly summarize your qualifications, experiences and education in terms of the company’s needs and values.
- Write in short paragraphs or use a bulleted list for ease-of-read consisting of four to six points.
- Identify the key skills you have that are most relevant to the position you’re applying for (keep each point focused on one skill).
- Use adjectives to describe how well you use the skills – make it unique to you!
- With the first section of your resumé, your goal is to capture the reader’s attention immediately.
EXAMPLE
- Dedicated customer service focus with the ability to work in stressful situations while maintaining a calm composure.
- Demonstrated excellence in patient care and communication skills that have been recognized by other health-care professionals and professors.
- Personable individual with outstanding communication, listening and interpersonal skills.
- Strong attention to detail required to record information correctly and maintain confidentiality at all times.
- Effective documentation, data entry and reporting abilities, with proficiency in a host of Microsoft Office software.
You can also do this in a paragraph format with supporting statements, which is a suitable approach for a candidate with more experience:
- Self-motivated international business graduate capable of increasing company revenue by demonstrating the value in setting and achieving targets and goals. Applies strong research and analytical skills to develop new business prospects. Can also assess and eliminate risks to optimize business opportunities and present results.
- Outstanding customer service support necessary to increase and retain customer base.
- Can establish excellent working relationships and easily communicate with people from other cultures, with written and verbal fluency in English, Punjabi, Hindi and French.
- Can adapt to changes quickly and easily, and navigate challenging situations with confidence, including high pressure and fast-paced environments.
2. Include an objective (why you’re applying for a specific position)
An objective statement is not required on a resumé. In fact, it might only be appropriate in a few specific situations. The objective statement:
- May be seen by employers as self-serving (employers want to know what you can do for their company – NOT want you want).
- Some employers view the objective as appropriate, for example, a brief objective statement may be effective for an entry-level client or one seeking a career change.
- Should be used with caution; if you have experience you should be marketing your experiences, and an objective statement is not likely going to be helpful.
If you use an objective statement, make it count:
- Keep it short – use two sentences maximum.
- Don’t be generic – tailor it to each position you apply to.
- Don’t make it all about you – it needs to meet the needs of the employer.
SAMPLE OBJECTIVE STATEMENTS
- To pursue an entry-level administrative support role in an accounting office.
- To pursue a full-time position that will use my outstanding communication skills and years of experience in sales and computers.
- To pursue a business co-op work term where I can expand on my current skills and abilities and contribute to the company’s mission of worldwide environmental sustainability.
3. Add headlines and subheads (objective, education and skills)
A simple headline-style introduction can quickly catch an employer’s eye. Think about how the headline of an article on Reddit or Buzzfeed draws you in. The headline on your resumé allows an employer to quickly and concisely see what makes you the right person for the job. The headline:
- is a brief phrase that highlights your value as a candidate, and
- is a preferred style to the objective statement.
TIP: Remember to choose words that showcase your strongest skills and attributes, then customize it for each job to show a “fit” between what you offer and what the employer needs.
If you use a headline, make it count:
- Keep it concise. It should be one brief phrase, not a complete sentence.
- Bold your headline so it looks like a title in your resumé; this will help it stand out and make it easier for those who scan and read documents.
- Use keywords that demonstrate your skills and/or experiences as it relates to the job posting; pick important words out of the job ad and use them here.
- Avoid cliches. Common phrases like “strong communication skills” may not set you apart from the competition.
SAMPLE HEADLINES
- Social media specialist: Expert in heightening organizational recognition and reach across social media channels.
- Sales associate: Building customer relationships with professional skills and a respectful attitude.
- Customer service professional: Tactful. Organized. Resourceful.
4. Use keywords and phrases
Keywords and phrases show you read the job ad closely and are tailoring your resumé to the needs of the employer. Including them shows the employer your attention to detail and the level of care you put into important tasks.
TIP: Keywords and key phrases are nouns and adjectives that employers use to describe the job posting. Read through the job posting to select keywords and determine what words and phrases the recruiter is focusing on. If you use keywords, make them count:
- Keep it tailored to the job posting: Use keywords and phrases the employer uses in the job posting.
- Find keywords and phrases in the job posting to highlight in your job application.
- Mix it up: Use different types of keywords or synonyms, including soft skills and hard skills.
SAMPLE KEYWORDS AND PHRASES
Key skills include:
- Assisting customers with their needs and training sales clerks.
- Handling returns and exchanges and stocking and facing shelves.
- Initiating private shopping appointments and building floor displays.
Core competencies include:
- Medical expertise and relationship building.
- Team building and presentations and negotiations skills.
- Solving problems.
Get help with your resumé and land the job you want!
Georgian’s Co-operative Education and Career Success team are here to help you in a number of ways:
- Through the career/co-op resources on the MyGCLife.ca.
- With a direct career consultant or co-op consultant meeting on your campus.
- By being available at the Career Hub in room B115 at the Barrie Campus.
Hours:
- Monday to Friday
- 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Get your resumé started with some of the tips in this article, then drop in for help refining your resumé, cover letter, interview skills, or any number of important career building skills.
Originally posted June 21, 2019, and updated Nov. 12, 2025.