Why You Should Start Writing a Resume as a Freshman

Many freshers put off writing their resumes and CV for as long as possible. After all, most of them don’t intend to apply for “real” jobs until after they graduate, and part-time jobs most of them work while in college usually aren’t particularly demanding in terms of qualifications. However, it is never too early to start working on your resume. While the start of your professional career may seem a long way away right now, the best thing you can do is put some effort into it as soon as you arrive at college, or even earlier. And here is why.

1. The Earlier It Is Done, the Less Will Be Your Stress Later

You may not need a resume right now, and you may not even think of looking for a job or an internship for a while, but you never know when the circumstances may change. Perhaps tomorrow you will find yourself facing an excellent opportunity, and the only thing you need to act upon it is a resume and a cover letter. Having it written beforehand will save you from frantic attempts to compile something at the moment’s notice.

2. A Resume Is a Growing and Evolving Thing

A resume is not something you just write and keep on using later on. The best course of action is to regularly review, revise and edit the existing resume depending on your latest achievements as well as tips and tricks you have learned. You may want to look over your resume at least every half a year, see if you can change some of its content, and do some editing. Only by working on it regularly for a prolonged period can you create a truly outstanding resume – it is not something that you simply sit down and do in a moment.

3. It Can Help You Put Things into Perspective

A resume is an expression of all your current achievements, qualifications, and successes. Few people think about such things consciously; having to write a resume forces them to do so. You may suddenly realize, “Well, it seems that my achievements and qualifications aren’t all that impressive. I have virtually nothing to show for all my years of study and extracurricular activities”. It is better to come to such a conclusion earlier rather than later because it gives you an opportunity to rectify things, shows you in which direction you have to develop. Even if you believe you are doing alright, it gives you a clearer picture of what you should strive for.

4. Writing a Resume Is Difficult

Writing a resume is a daunting task. It is ten times more difficult if you are doing it for the first time. If you do it when you have plenty of free time, when you are under no pressure, when you can return to it multiple times, it makes the process significantly more approachable. Fortunately, these days you can easily find services where you can hire a resume editor online to assist you in this endeavor, or even get a professional resume writer to prepare one for you. This way you can at least get some idea of how it is done.

5. It May Help You Right Now

Even if you do not intend to do it now, you may want to apply for a scholarship, a part-time or on-campus job later. Doing it usually involves a fair bit of paperwork, and having a well-thought-through resume ready can save you a lot of time and energy. Moreover, the ability to present your application faster may mean the difference between getting the position and having it handed to somebody else. Of course, you may always hire online writers and editors to help you, but finding decent specialists also takes time, and you will not have much of it.

6. You Will Impress Recruiters

While recruiters usually do not look for freshmen to hire them for internships or other positions, you can make an impression exactly by being a freshman who attends a recruiting event and has a resume prepared for such an occasion. If you say something like, “In what format should I send you my resume, PDF, or DOCX?”, it immediately gives the impression that you are serious about your intentions and your approach to professional development.

While writing a resume may not look like an optimal way to spend your time either during the last summer before college or during your first year there, setting aside some time to work on it can lead to significant rewards further down the road. Read some guides, hire an editor, consult specialists and prepare a resume you can be proud of right now. You will thank yourself when you won’t have to do it later on.