THE BILINGUAL JOB FAIR BLOG

Didn’t Go to College? How to Build a Resume that Showcases Your Skills

August 11, 2009

It seems like every week you hear: “The business world is becoming more competitive.  The world needs educated people who are experts in different fields.” However, in the US, there are many high school students who do not want to, or feel they can’t attend college.  This article is for you.

Probably one of the biggest fears my friends with kids have is to hear the words, ‘I am not going to college.  I want to work instead, and buy a car, or get an apartment with my friends.’ Those words bring anguish to some parents, because they think that their children’s future might not be as bright as they had hoped.  But once parents realize that their kids are serious about not pursuing college, they accept it and decide to help them succeed.

If you are one of the young adults who decided that college was not for you, you still need to put a resume together and sell your abilities to prospective employers.  Like any other resume, you’ll have to include your work experience, attributes and qualifications.

Here are some quick resume tips for you:

• List high school classes you excelled in. For example, ‘Excelled in math classes throughout high school, including geometry and algebra.’ This comment can help you, especially if you want to work in a field in which a lot of math is required.

• Mention your volunteer work, or other accomplishments, like your Eagle Scout, Gold award, or any other impressive volunteer award.

• Describe your attributes, such as if you consider yourself to be a hard working person, if you are disciplined and stick to it until you get the work done, if you’re team oriented, or if you are a positive person with great determination.

• Discuss your computer knowledge of Excel, Word, or your web site design experience.

• Be sure to mention if you are bilingual. This could be very important to the employer because they might have a lot of customers who speak the two languages that you do.  Tell them if you are fluent in two languages, and also if you can write in two languages.  Being bilingual may give you an edge, and may mean higher pay.

• In the ‘objective’ section of your resume, (usually at the top of your resume) explain why you’ve chosen a specific field and how you plan to excel at it.  For example, ‘Goal is to prove myself as an auto mechanic, to go through the necessary training, and to excel at Smith Motors for years to come’. Write a specific objective for each individual employer.  This will set you apart, and the company will know that you go the extra mile, rather than just having a ‘generic objective’ for all companies. For example, ‘to work at a company where I can build upon my career’ is too generic.

• List part-time jobs you had during high school, such as ‘worked at the city parks during the summers of 2008 and 2009’ or ‘free-lanced as a sports or news-writer at my local newspaper’. You can then list the managers you worked for, as references.  If they will attest to your attributes, your sense of responsibility, and your desire to be a part of a team, then you have better employment possibilities with the prospective company.

• Please make certain that you do not have anything offensive in your Facebook or in My Space pages. Employers do check these sites to learn more about you, and some feel like your aptitudes are like the people/friends you associate yourself with at these sites.

• Once you have written your resume, let two or three other people read it and critique it, so you can make certain that you have the best possible resume.  Allow a professional resume writer to help you.  Keep in mind that you are creating your first impression on your hoped-for (intended) employer.

• Apply at places where you can create a career; at companies where you would feel passionate and proud to work, for years to come.  If you don’t feel the passion and or the drive to do it, perhaps you should re-consider applying at that company.  Remember that you might be spending numerous hours, days, weeks and years of your life at that company, and you should get a certain degree of happiness, pride, and stability by working there.

• Most of all – make certain that this is the path or field you want to follow with your life.  Your career building has to start somewhere.  Be aware that not going to college might limit your options, so you need to consider your choices more carefully and demonstrate your work ethic.  This can build upon your work experience and can make your resume better, for the next employment opportunity.

My personal belief is that you should train at something. If you don’t want to pursue a four-year college degree, or can not, then try to go to your local two-year community college.  Seek out a Career Counselor at that college and speak to them about your likes and dislikes about certain vocations, and see if they can help you find the right field; a job that can accommodate your interests, and a field that can fulfill your dreams.  We all have to pay our bills when we grow up, and I think that you would rather be happy in a job that you love.  That’s why your decisions and seeking advice from professional career counselors is so important.

However, if in the end, you decide not to go to college, I wish you the best.  I truly hope that you will do your best at whatever you choose to do with your life, and that you make yourself irreplaceable at your chosen vocation.

Filed under: Resumes & Letters

Tags: bilingual job, career tips, job search, resume tips