College Students and Recent Grads Include Complete Contact Info On Your Resume
College students and recent grads: Is your resume working as hard for you as it could (and should)?
In
this article let's take a look at essential contact information you
need on every resume. Recently I've seen some that didn't include phone
numbers, even though they did include email addresses.
Here three points of contact you should have -at minimum- on every resume, and why they're important.
1. Phone number
Your
resume should always have a phone contact number. Your email isn't
enough. Give a potential employer or recruiter every possible way to
contact you possible. Be sure to include area code.
On your
voicemail be sure to leave a professional message acknowledging the
caller, and indicating a time frame by which you'll return the call. Do
not leave the generic mobile phone service-provided voice mail. It
doesn't confirm to the caller that they've reached the person they are
looking for.
"Hi, this is Jeremy Smith. I'm not available to
take your call right now, but please leave a brief message and a phone
number where I can contact you. I'll return your call as quickly as
possible."
Note if you are working on cross border job search:
- If your number is a non-US number, be sure to include the specific country code dialing information.
- If you're in the US working with recruiters outside the country, be sure to include the (+1) country code in front of your US phone number.
2. Email address
Be sure to also
include your professional email address. Using a school-provided email
may lead employers to question how they'll get a hold of you once you
leave school. Plus, as you launch your career you want to present your
new professional identify with an equally professional email identity.
Get
a Gmail, Yahoo, me.com or other ISP address that presents you in a
professional light. Use a first name.lastname@provider.com so employers
know exactly whom they're corresponding with.
Once you've got it
set up, be sure to put a professional signature block that reflects your
new young professional identity. Here's a suggested example for a
college student in the job search. Customize for your needs.
Jackson Martin
Oregon Statue University, Class of 2012
Major in Accountancy, with Minor in Finance - 3.5 Core GPA
Voice (+1) 123-345-6789
www.linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname
3. Your LinkedIn URL
When
you build a LinkedIn profile, you can generate a URL link that allows
you to tell people exactly how to find you on LinkedIn. You can see how
it's clear who the profile owner is.
To create your own LinkedIn Profile URL:
- Log in to your account.
- In the upper right hand corner to the left of your name, click the drop down arrow. Select "Settings."
- Under Helpful Links, click "Edit your public profile."
- Under Your public profile URL, click "Customize Your Public Profile URL". Select your URL name and LinkedIn will advise if it's available. If your intact name is not available, use some version of your first, middle and last name.
Once you've got your LinkedIn URL, use that as an
additional contact point on your resume. Because LinkedIn allows
potential employers to send you messages, it provides another option for
them to do so.
If you have your email and phone clearly
delineated in your LinkedIn profile as well (use a Google Voice number
and forward it to your phone if you don't want to publish your personal
number) you won't miss any potential connections.
