Every international student needs the best resume writing tips to stand out in their study application and job applications. Find helpful resume tips to support your studies application and secure a perfect job with little work experience.
Creating a well-articulated resume is necessary for landing a competitive job and securing your admission with ease. It might seem like a tough hill to climb, because most students are confused with the right information to include.
In this article, we dive into some helpful and best resume writing tips for international students.
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Read Also: How to Stand Out in a Competitive Job Market
BEST RESUME WRITING TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
- Showcase your educational accomplishments
In crafting your resume, you are expected to include academic information from the last 2-3 years. If you are in your first year, you can include high school and relevant experiences. Pay attention to the followings while discussing your academic milestones:
- List your academic awards or recognitions like scholarships or making the Dean’s list.
- Highlight significant academic projects or research that showcase relevant skills for the job or field.
- Your GPA should be mentioned if it is very strong and relevant to the field of study or job needs.
- Include all additional academic certifications or completed training programs.
Read Also: Job Opportunities in the USA for Ghanaians
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DISCUSS YOUR RELEVANT SOFT SKILLS
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One of the essential resume writing tips for international students with limited work experience is discussing their soft skills in the best possible way. Some of the transferable skills that you bring with you into any workplace, include communication, problem-solving, adaptability, team collaboration and interpersonal skills.
Use action words to articulate all relevant skills with concrete examples of how you developed each skill. Use bullets and accomplishment statements to provide evidence of the skills that the employer or admission committee are looking for. These soft skills display how you will be a valuable member of the team when accepted.
Make sure you represent all your strengths, skills and experiences – including your paid and unpaid work, extracurricular activities, and volunteering experience.
Read Also: Job Interview Coaching for International Students Abroad
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DEMONSTRATE YOUR PROJECTS AND VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE
It is beneficial for international students writing resume to demonstrate experience in personal projects, family business or volunteer work. This helps you showcase your variety of skills and achievements that make you as a job candidate more attractive to your potential employer.
Ensure these projects are relevant to the position you are vying for, and be specific on what you did and what you achieved.
Learn More: How to Check in After An Interview? Here’s How
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PROVIDE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
This includes your email address and phone number. It makes it easier for the employer to reach out to you on their decision about your application. It is unnecessary to include personal details like your age, nationality, marital status or photo.
Learn more: Three Questions to Ask After a Job Interview
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INCLUDE YOUR LANGUAGES PROFICIENCY
It is a good idea to indicate your bilingual or multilingual strength. This can give you an edge over all other candidates. You do not need to do unnecessary disclosure of your English competence, as this is already assumed since you are studying at an English speaking university.
Learn more: Job Search Tips for Ghanaians in the UK, US and Canada
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DISCUSS YOUR IMPACTS
It is important to highlight the impacts you made while sharing your accomplishments in your work experience, as an individual and as a team member.
Learn more: Stand out in the International Job Market
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USE STANDARD BUSINESS SALUTATION
Use standard formal salutations when writing your resume (e.g Ms. Mr. Dr.) if you are sure of their gender. On the other hand, using “dear hiring manager” would be appropriate if you do not know their full name or gender.
To end your resume, use “yours sincerely” above your name.
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BE HONEST AND SHOWCASE A GROWTH MINDSET
Instead of bragging to be an expert in your field, portray a growth mindset in your application. Show that you are willing to learn and build on your existing knowledge.
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Some academic institutions and visa officers might ask for documents to verify your claims on the resume. It would be disappointing to be caught in a lie and it can put your application at risk.
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CHECK YOUR GRAMMAR AND SYNTAX
The right use of words and right spelling in your resume is expedient to convince the reviewers. Check your grammar and syntax for all documents. You can use grammarly to check what you have written. Avoid flowery words that are not used in the context of job application.
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GET OTHERS TO PROOFREAD AND GIVE THEIR OPINIONS
One of the most important resume writing tips for international students is to get someone else to proofread the letter and give their honest feedback. You are stepping into a competitive job market, and some errors you belittle can be a turn-off for employers.
A knowledgeable friend, family member or an advisor can help you proofread what you have written. They can even remind you of certain achievements you may have forgotten to add.
TIPS TO CATCH REVIEWERS ATTENTION IN YOUR RESUME
- Keep your sentences short and relevant.
- Use bullet points to highlight most relevant information. This makes your resume easy to read.
- Use a 10-12-point font size
- Fonts like Arial, Calibri and Times New Roman are easier to read
- Avoid listing hobbies that are not relevant to the field.
- Your resume should be one or two pages long.
- Update your resume style with free design tools like Canva. Good formatting and use of a contrast colour can modernize your resume.
Conclusion
We hope this article helps you to identify the important resume writing tips for international students with limited or no work experience.
To craft a compelling international student resume, it’s important to show specific skills, abilities, experiences and educational milestones. Now that you have read how to craft a resume that shines, go and shine! even if you have limited experience.
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