As we near the end of the semester many students are thinking about graduation. This means thinking about jobs, portfolios, resumes, auditions, interviews and all of the fun and chaos that comes with finishing college. As students we are so fortunate to have the resources to help us be successful after graduation, but are awe taking advantage of them?

If you are about to graduate, use your Columbia resources. Ask your professors to look over your resume, to help you build your portfolio, ask for feedback and edits on these items so that you can have the best representation of yourself possible when you leave school. We have access to the Columbia Career Center and Handshake which are both amazing resources to help you find jobs and internships in your field.

Here is what job postings on Handshake look like with filters on to help find the right job for me.

A tip that I was given when I graduated with my Bachelors was to have one piece of your resume that pops. I keep my name in bold purple letters at the top. It is in a professional format, but the way the purple stands out helps people remember my resume after looking through a stack of 50 applicants. I also frequently edit and update my resume; both of these techniques have helped me get interviews for 90% of the jobs I apply for. That does not mean the job is always the right fit or that I always get the jobs I apply for, but these have at least helped me make an impression and get an interview.

Another tip I have to improve your resume is to take classes on LinkedIn Learning and Udemy in areas that would enhance your resume. Some of these might be de-escalation training, customer service, coding, empathy in the workplace, diversity and inclusion or various other classes based on your career field. I recommend these platforms because you get a certificate at the end of courses you complete and these can be listed on your resume as well as attached if they are particularly relevant.

Udemy has course for all sorts of things, add-ons for general work or career specific classes.

Take twenty minutes this week and spend some time on your resume, cover letter, portfolio, website or a combination of these. Ask for some feedback and make changes. Now you can feel like you have taken a step towards navigating life after college.