Five Ways to Step Up Your Resume — GVSU PRSSA – Grand Valley State University Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

It’s that time of year when college students start to scramble to find work for the summer. A thought that tends to race through people’s minds while scrolling through job postings is: “Am I qualified enough to land an interview?” Despite popular belief that prior internship experience will make or break your chances, there are many other ways to strengthen your professional skills and make your resume stand out from the rest. Let’s dive in!

Joining Clubs

Getting involved in different clubs, both on and off campus, is a great way to build your resume. Clubs especially help with developing communication skills and preparing you for being a part of a team. Sport teams, social clubs, and professional student organizations all look impressive on resumes, and I encourage you to take advantage of any leadership opportunities they offer. Grand Valley has hundreds of student organizations to get involved with that can offer professional development. Some clubs catered directly for Advertising, Public Relations, and Marketing students include the Advertising Club, American Marketing Association, Public Relations Student Society of America, and GrandPR.

Volunteering

Volunteering is a win-win for the community and your own personal development. Not only does it sound good to talk about giving your time to make a positive impact, but it can also help you find your passions in life. Volunteering at different organizations can help you decide what industry you would like to enter and the people you get along most with. Additionally, taking the initiative to host your own volunteer events or organizing product drives will show employers that you have strong project management skills. There are many local organizations you can get involved with to strengthen relationships within your community!

Joining Committees

Joining committees provides you with an inside scoop on how organizations are run. Many nonprofits and professional organizations typically have committees or boards that help organize events, programming, DEI efforts, or fundraising initiatives. Getting involved in a committee will expand your knowledge on a given profession and will equip you with problem-solving and collaboration skills. If you are interested in joining a committee, I recommend choosing an organization that means a lot to you and contacting the phone number or email address on its website to get directed to the correct staff member.

Part-time Jobs

Never underestimate the experience you can gain from part-time jobs. These jobs provide you with important skills that you can bring into your future internship or full-time career. These skills include time management, customer service, working under pressure, and responsibility. Plus, much of what you learn from part time jobs can be useful talking points for interviews. I recommend utilizing online resources to help make your part-time job skills shine on a resume and emphasize your experience even further.

Certifications

Lastly, taking the time to complete certifications shows that you are committed to learning more on your own outside of the classroom. Google is just one of many platforms that offer free career certifications which allows you to get virtual professional training. Certificates are a great talking point in interviews and reflect that you are a hardworking candidate. As you go through and earn different certifications, don’t forget to show them off on your LinkedIn profile and add them to your resume!

Do not feel hopeless if you can’t land an internship right away. As mentioned above, there are several other ways to gain experience and strengthen points on your resume. If you make a strong effort to put yourself out there and develop your skills beyond the classroom, your resume is guaranteed to stand out from the crowd.

About Amberly

Amberly Dzimira is a junior studying advertising and public relations with a minor in management. This is her first year with GrandPR where she serves as an Account Associate. She also serves on the PRSSA executive board as the VP of Chapter Development, the WMPRSA DEI committee, and is a District Ambassador for PRSSA national. She currently works as a Communications Assistant for Grand Valley's Alumni Relations Office and will be working as an Events Intern for John Ball Zoo this summer.