How to Build a Strong Resume for Entry-Level Jobs

What if I told you your cover letter's first and last sentences determine whether you get interviews? Recently, I was reviewing cover letters with a client who couldn't figure out why she wasn't getting callbacks for marketing positions. After looking at her application materials, the problem became immediately clear. "Your cover letter is killing your chances." Her opening line was the classic "Please accept my resume for consideration of the Marketing Manager position within your organization" — and she never actually asked for an interview at the end. So, how do you write cover letters that actually get read? Use these powerful techniques instead: S — Use a sticky hook Forget "To Whom It May Concern" or "I'm writing to apply for..." Instead, try one of these attention-grabbing marketing-focused openers: "If your company is struggling to generate qualified leads despite increasing ad spend, I have the solution you've been looking for." "Innovation. Growth. ROI. If these marketing priorities align with your vision for the Digital Marketing position, we should talk." "Do you need a content strategist who can double your organic traffic and boost conversion rates by 35% within six months?" W — What's in it for the employer? Hiring managers are reading your letter thinking, "Can this person drive results?" Make it clear from the start that you understand their marketing challenges and can provide measurable solutions. I — Information This is where you provide brief, compelling evidence of your marketing qualifications and accomplishments. For example: "By implementing a targeted social media campaign for XYZ Corp, I increased engagement by 78% and drove $125K in new revenue within 90 days." F — Fast segue Transition smoothly to your request for an interview. For example: "With this proven marketing expertise in mind, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your customer acquisition strategy." T — To-Do Here's the #1 cover letter secret that DOUBLES your chances of getting interviews: actually ASK for the interview! "I'm excited about the Marketing Director position with ABC Inc. and would appreciate the opportunity to discuss how my experience driving successful campaigns can deliver similar results for your brand. Please call me at (number) to schedule an interview at your convenience." By simply asking for the interview, you've shown initiative and clarified what you want — something most candidates completely overlook. What cover letter techniques have worked for you? Have you tried asking directly for the interview?

“How can I get work experience without work experience?” This is a catch-22 that some students and recent graduates often encounter as they navigate their early career journeys. ⭐ Here are a few ways I got around it and some things I recommend: 1️⃣ Take free certifications, courses, fellowships, and boot camps There are so many online certifications and courses for technical and nontechnical industries—a few are free, too! When I lacked experience, I took a few of these to sharpen my skills, and I included them on my resume and LinkedIn. Some platforms I recommend include Acadium (marketing courses), LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Skillshare, Grow with Google, Verizon Skill Forward (technical courses), and of course, YouTube University. Bonus: Free fellowships and boot camp programs are great too! A few I recommend are COOP, Colorwave, CodePath, Kode With Klossy, Springboard and CareerFoundry - ProFellow is a great website for finding fellowships. 2️⃣ Apply for professional development programs These programs are usually for those who don’t have much work experience and partner with Fortune 500 companies for program support and to hire program alumni. In addition to internships, they provide mentorship, career development workshops, and a robust alumni network. Some programs I recommend include MLT Career Prep, INROADS, The LAGRANT Foundation, and SHPEP (pre med/health). 🎯 You can find a list of programs here: https://lnkd.in/gzrai8Bn 3️⃣ Complete micro-internships or externships These programs are usually less than 4 weeks, project based, sometimes paid, and a great way to beef up your resume by doing projects with cool brands. You can find opportunities like these on platforms such as Parker Dewey, Extern, and Forage 4️⃣ Do freelance work When I started my marketing career, I created my own agency where I worked with small-owned businesses. This helped me stand out in my interviews and further grow my portfolio. Create the work experiences you need to get the job you want. 5️⃣ Hyped up my extracurriculars and passion projects In college, I was heavily involved in my sorority and did a lot of work in recruitment and managing our digital branding. Throughout my resume, I emphasized my wins using Google’s XYZ format to highlight my leadership efforts and show that I was a well-rounded candidate. I also ran a college & lifestyle blog which helped me grow in my marketing, graphic design, and communications skill set. By having it listed in my resume as work experience, it was always a hot topic in my interviews Don’t be afraid to share on your resume who you are outside of work because the lessons you learn in those experiences can translate into transferable skills for the workplace. 💌 and while you're at it, check out my YouTube video to help you find some of these opportunities: https://lnkd.in/gm3PB-ae #earlycareer #internships #jobhunting #entryleveljobs

This ENTRY LEVEL resume got interviews at Palantir Technologies, Amazon, Microsoft, Google & here are the reasons why: 1. Strategic Information Hierarchy: - Education is rightly placed at the top (May 2024 graduation). - Clear, bolded section headers (EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, PROJECTS, ACHIEVEMENTS, TECHNICAL SKILLS) guide the reader's eye. - Consistent date and location formatting on the right margin keeps it tidy and easy to scan. (MAKE IT EASY FOR RECRUITERS!) 2. Quantifiable Achievements Everywhere: - "achieving a 23% reduction in latency" (Amazon) - "reduce API load by 30%" (Amazon) - "HackWashu Hackathon 1st Place" - Metrics demonstrate the impact of their work. 3. Action Oriented & Tech Specific Descriptions: - Starts bullet points with strong verbs: "Optimized," "Implemented," "Directed," "Spearheaded," "Engineered," "Developed." - Specific technologies (Spring MVC, ElasticSearch, DynamoDB, ASP.NET MVC, React Native, C++, Python, GPT) are embedded WITHIN their bullet points. 4. Clear Progression & Diverse Skill Application: - Internship experiences show solid software development fundamentals in different environments (Amazon, U.S. Bank). - Projects demonstrate versatility across different domains: full-stack mobile app development (FitnessPal), systems programming (CLI Replication), algorithmic trading (WUSIF Algo Trading), and AI application (Hackathon). - Shows growth through application of diverse skills and technologies in practical settings. I've been lucky enough to have mentors who have shared their resumes with me and I want to do the same for others. Find what VERIFIED resumes landed people interviews at Google, Meta, Microsoft: https://bit.ly/3HKbsOO Not every resume should look like this. I’m sharing it because this is what’s actually working in today’s job market. For me, I never had anyone share their resumes that got interviews at companies. It was always a black box. And if this post helps even one person get a foot in the door, then I’ll keep sharing.

Like many of you, I'm not a huge fan of cover letters. Times have changed and I think cover letters made more sense in an era where hiring managers were doing their own hiring, companies received just a handful of applications for each role, and interviewed many of those candidates. But in a world in which people are submitting hundreds of apps? They make less sense. And many companies have turned off this feature/requirement because they don't have the capacity to actually read them. (Y'all might remember Nicole Fernandez-Valle going super viral for sharing her hot take on cover letters a few years back!) That said, some companies do still require them - and care a lot about what's in them. AND I think they can help for career changers in particular. So I wrote a blog post to cover this topic for Teal - I'll drop the link in comments. My top 3 cover letter tips: 1. Write a general template for each job family. Your cover letter for a customer success role and a marketing manager role should look different. Highlight accomplishments specific to that type of work (this is particularly important if you haven't held relevant titles!) You can then tweak the first and last paragraphs to make them applicable to each company instead of writing a fresh cover letter for each one. 2. Make sure that your cover letter adds something new. If all you do is rephrase your resume, then it's not really serving any purpose. So deep dive into a really relevant project, or highlight something outside of work (like from volunteering or a leadership organization or hobby or side hustle) that may not have made it on your resume but is really relevant to the company. 3. Highlight company-specific info. I saw one of the BEST cover letters I've ever seen last week from someone who was applying for a company that does astrology work. They highlighted how their own astrological chart aligned with the role. It was so creative and really highlighted their passion for what the company does. (CHANI - I'd love to make an intro!) If I were applying to a job at United Airlines, I'd mention that I was a 1k for 6 years, and have taken over 500 United flights and will go out of my way to book United. If I were applying for a job at OpenAI, I would talk about how I use ChatGPT daily, and how I'd used it in my own application process. If I were applying for a job at Notion, I might talk about my enthusiasm for their new calendar launch. These are things that aren't going to show up on my resume, but can differentiate me from people who aren't as familiar with the company, product, mission, etc. And the upside of having a cover letter handy is that even if it's not required to apply, it's something you can quickly edit and send to a recruiter or hiring manager and gives you a reason to reach out - of course I wouldn't do this for every job, but it may make sense for those jobs that fall in the "dream job" category.

This is one of the most important things I’ve learned about resumes, and most don’t do it. Not doing this can hurt your chances of getting an interview 👇 Your resume 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 a description of what you are 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 for. Your resume 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 a collection of your 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 to the job you are applying for! Here's a simple example: A Project Manager's resume that describes what they are 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 for looks like this: - Delivered the project on time and within budget. - Communicated updates regularly to all stakeholders. This is a terrible way to "stand out" - In this example, every Project Manager is responsible for delivering projects on time and budget, and for communicating with stakeholders. In other words, there's nothing 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 about this person's resume. Your resume has to show: - Evidence that you have the experience they are looking for (Tailored resume) - Evidence of the value you bring to the team (Your past accomplishments) To write a resume that 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭, here’s what you should do 👇 Write 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, not what you were responsible for : - What did you do? - What was the impact? - How did you accomplish it? Use the “𝐗 + 𝐘 + 𝐙” formula to write accomplishments: “Accomplished [𝐗] as measured by [𝐘], by doing [𝐙]” 🛑 Instead of writing: “Delivered a project on time and budget” ✅ Write this: 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 [𝐗]: “Launched ____ project” 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 [𝐘]: “1 month ahead of schedule and increasing ROI by Z%” 𝐁𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 [𝐙]: “, by creating a new communication process that allowed low and medium risk tickets to be pre-appproved, reducing friction during development” Together X + Y + Z: “Launched ___ project 1 month ahead of schedule and increasing ROI by Z%, , by creating a new communication process that allowed low and medium risk tickets to be pre-appproved, reducing friction during development” 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 help you show that you have the experience companies look for in 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 of a project that had impact to customers, your team or the organization. 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 your 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 to the job you are applying to will increase your chances of getting an interview. Adding more colors, graphs and random keywords will not. A few extra tips as you go through your accomplishments: 1. Not every accomplishment will have a number (impact). It’s ok, try to have as many as possible. 2. Accomplishments tailored to the job you are applying to >>>> accomplishments you believe are the most important. 3. You can skip the XYZ formula and instead write them as: Verb in past tense + what you did + the impact it had. ------ 🚀 Need help with your resume or Product Management interviews? Check out my comment below for THE BEST resources 👇 #productmangement #resume

I've reviewed >100k resumes in my career. So many people make easy to fix mistakes. Here's what I wish everyone knew before submitting an application: Contact info - Include email, linkedin, github/portfolio - Show the actual linkedin url, don't hyperlink with different link text - Include city / state (or relevant to country), full address isn't necessary - designers: password protect at your peril, resume reviewers are lazy Use standard resume template - Order should be Name / contact details --> work xp --> education - Work xp should be listed most recent --> least recent - Use specific dates (month + year) - No sensitive info (DOB, Citizenship, Marital Status, Religion, etc) - No pictures - No skills / jobs chronology "side-bar" 🙄 - No skills / accreditations alphabet soup at top of resume No "fun" stuff - No weird colors (just black) - No "fun" font selection - *Designers, this section doesn't apply to you* Be concise - Max 2 pages - No more than 6 bullets per job - Bullets should be no longer than 1 line (no wrapping text) - Distill, distill, distill - resumes ARE NOT exhaustive - Do not use evasive language (unclear dates, titles, etc) - Use commonly understood (but select) metrics to exhibit impact Errors - No spelling errors!!! - HAVE SOMEONE ELSE PROOFREAD!!!!!!! ------------------------------------------ Resumes are not a place for innovation. More is not better. Be selective and thoughtful. Accept that you will get very little attention from resume reviewers - your job is to decide what to communicate in that very short span. Your resume is a MARKETING TOOL - it's intended to help you get an interview. It is NOT intended to document all of your experience. That's what the interview is for! What else belongs on this list? Any ya'll disagree with? ------------------------------------------ 👋 Follow me (Jordan Mazer), Caitlin Cooke & Jordan Carver for more tips just like this. 🏃♀️ Join the a16z speedrun talent network here: https://lnkd.in/geyt5f9b

I’ve reviewed 2000+ resumes for AI/ML roles in the last 5 years. Here are 7 tips to make your resume stand out: 🔸 Tip 1: Showcase End-to-End Project Work Describe projects where you took an idea from concept to deployment. Outline the problem, data collection, model development, validation, and deployment. Demonstrate your ability to handle the entire lifecycle of an AI/ML project. 🔸 Tip 2: Quantify Your Contributions with Real-World Impact Use concrete metrics to quantify your achievements, such as 'Reduced customer churn by 20% through predictive modeling' or 'Increased sales by 15% with a recommendation system'. Real-world impact is more compelling than theoretical knowledge. 🔸 Tip 3: Highlight Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams Showcase your ability to work with data engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders. Mention specific instances where you collaborated to deliver impactful AI/ML solutions. 🔸 Tip 4: Emphasize Deployment Experience Highlight your experience with deploying models into production environments using tools like Docker, Kubernetes, or cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, and Azure. Include specific examples and the impact they had. 🔸 Tip 5: Include Open Source Contributions If you’ve contributed to open-source AI/ML projects, list these contributions. Mention any significant pull requests, issues resolved, or your role in major projects. This demonstrates your commitment and expertise. 🔸 Tip 6: Focus on Recent Technologies Mention your proficiency with LLMs, reinforcement learning, or other generative AI technologies. Highlight any recent work or projects involving these technologies. 🔸 Tip 7: Keep Up with Industry Trends Stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in AI/ML. Mention any relevant courses or technologies you have learned and always keep that tab up-to date. This shows your dedication to continuous learning and staying current in the field. #ai #career #resume

I landed my first internship at a Fortune 100 with NO prior work experience. Everyone has to start somewhere, but what the #&%@ do you put on a resume when you have no work experience? 😂 Here's what I did & how you can replicate it ⬇️ Getting the first internship [or first job] is, in my opinion, one of the hardest you'll ever do in your career. It's a perpetual "chicken before the egg" problem ~ how do you get experience if everyone requires prior experience? The reality that no one talks about is that you can't apply to a role with a blank/empty resume, so you have to get *some* form of experience. This is the step that people often skip over: resume *building*. Here are three areas you can build your resume in, all of which I have done: 🛠️ Project experience -- projects are the EASIEST way to gain experience since you don't need anyone's permission, approval, or supervision to do it. Here are some example projects for different career paths ~ mobile & web apps (software engineering), investment memo or thesis (venture capital), product prototype/design, and strategy (product management). 🛠️ Competition experience -- want to test your abilities under pressure? And potentially win awards & cash prizes? Enter competitions! I won $12K+ from hackathons (SWE/PM), engineering pitch competitions (ENGR/Biz), startup pitch competitions (PM/Biz) and case competitions (Consulting). 🛠️ Work *Lite* experience -- fellowships, externships, micro-internships, etc. Basically, any form of "relevant" experience. These types of opportunities typically have less competition, can be slightly easier to attain, and don't have the same type of requirements/requisites as internships and full-time roles. You have to start somewhere; not only will these experiences fill your resume, but they'll also give you more confidence in the job search! Once you've built your resume, write it like a pro using these guidelines: ✅ Use the Google XYZ method ~ this is like the golden rule for resumes, and it goes, "Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y], by doing [Z]." ✅ Use your resume to TELL A STORY ~ use descriptive adjectives, strong verbs, and consistent bullet points to create a cohesive story that makes you look like THE perfect candidate for the job. ✅ Use an ATS-friendly format ~ this isn't too difficult, but it's a HUGE stumbling block for applicants. If your resume can't be read by an ATS, you will likely get auto-rejected. 😳 🧠 Want to avoid the mistakes I made & see THE resume that got me my first internship at an F100 with NO work experience? Comment your email & I'll send a copy straight to your inbox! 📥 #internships #earlycareer #newgrad #summerinternship

“Sorry, we’re looking for someone with more experience.” Where will you get experience if they don’t give you a chance? I know how much it hurts. During my last job search,h I kept getting: • “You need a master's or PhD” • “You’re not skilled enough” I felt alone and got really low. The constant rejection can make you feel stuck, frustrated, and unsure of how to move forward. What I know is: Experience isn’t just about what you’ve done, it’s about what you can do. And you don’t need a fancy job title to prove that. You can: 1. Highlight transferable skills. Think about the skills you’ve developed in past roles, side projects, or even hobbies. Employers care about problem-solving and initiative, not just the jobs you’ve held. 2. Show proof through projects. Can you solve problems? Prove it. Build small projects, volunteer, or take on freelance work, even unpaid. A well-built portfolio carries more weight than an empty resume. 3. Network with intention. Most jobs are filled through relationships, not applications. Start building connections in your target industry. Show genuine curiosity, ask thoughtful questions, and let people know what you’re working toward. The job search is tough, but rejection doesn’t mean the end. It just means you need to reframe how you present yourself. Experience is about proving you can add value. No experience? I helped many clients with 0 data experience to land $80k+ jobs. We can build a plan together if you want, just let me know.

If you're a jack-of-all-trades who struggles to talk about your background, this one is for you ... I hear this a lot from struggling job seekers: "I'm a generalist. I have a diverse background, and I don't know how to talk about it." Or, "I'm a quick learner, I took on many tasks, and I wore many hats." Or, "I did the work of x job title, but I never had x job title." If this describes you, the struggle is real. And here's how I tell my clients to overcome it ... First of all, a mindset shift: 👏 THE JOB SEARCH IS NOT ABOUT YOU. 👏 IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS. 👏 These companies have a pain point - they have a problem/want/need and they're willing to spend money (i.e., hire someone) to solve it. ❗It's all about your results and impact - how you can help THEM solve THEIR problems or pain points. Too many times I hear job seekers say, "Here's my background, here are my skills" rather than saying, "Here are my skills, and here's how they will help YOU." Here's my favorite line: "You're looking for someone who can do x, y, z. I've done it before. Here's how I've done it and here's how I will help you." Sounds great, right? Here's how you get there ... ✅ Find 2-3 jobs that interest you. (If you're looking at different job titles, find 2-3 jobs per job title.) ✅ Copy + paste the job descriptions into a document. Highlight the keywords and key phrases. Now organize those keywords and key phrases into categories. I tell my clients to look for the following categories: 1) WHAT YOU DO - WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM (What are the outcomes they want from this job? What are the goals for this job?) 2) JOB-SPECIFIC TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES (What does the company want you to do in that job? What are the tasks and responsibilities?) 3) WHO YOU ARE - YOUR PERSONALITY (What kind of person are they looking for in this role?) 4) SKILLS (List the hard and soft skills, especially items like "knowledge of x software” or “communicate effectively.”) (You might find other categories to add, that's great! This is just a starting point.) ✅ Now look at these keywords and key phrases - what are the common themes? What skills are necessary to complete the job? ❗If you're a jack-of-all-trades struggling to talk about your background, this is how you do it: THROUGH THE LENS OF THE JOB(S) YOU WANT NEXT. I tell my clients all the time: "Your potential employers are telling you exactly what they want, it's in the job description. Let that be your guide." Study your list of keywords and key phrases from your ideal job descriptions, then use those exact words and phrases in your resume, LinkedIn profile, networking situations, and job interviews. I'm rooting for you. 👊 ♻ Please repost if you think this advice will help others. ***** Hi, have we met? I'm Emily and I'm on a mission to get the #greenbannergang back to work, one actionable step at a time. #jobsearch #jobhunt #jobseekers