December 4, 2012

Executive summaries, objective statements and professional backgrounds are all different elements of a resume that students should be familiar with when crafting their own. While all of these details are not required on one resume, students can tailor the style, format and tone of their resumes to the type of roles they pursue. For those in the oil and gas industry, a straightforward, no-frills type of layout is key because the one thing that employers are looking for is that the candidate's talent and skills fits the stipulations of the job in question.

A Summary's Benefits
Have a lot of people applied to the job opening? If students are worried that their resumes will get tossed to the side with hundreds of others when applying for hot job opportunities, they might help boost their chances by providing a professional summary, or resume "hook." The intro should fall right after a student's name and contact information, and ultimately entice the audience with a clear, concise blurb about why they are perfect for the job. If they have had practicum experience or a past job role that aligns with exactly what the employer is looking for, then applicants should make sure to include this brief information right from the beginning.

While the introduction should be short, students must still spend time crafting, reading and rereading it several times to make sure that they have only included the most valuable and important information. Essentially, the statement will either lure the recruiter to continue reading further or lead them to discard the applicant and move on to the next one.

Be Honest
Even if students are lacking real world experience and have essentially picked up their skills in career training programs, they still should not fabricate or even exaggerate their prior work experience. Instead, applicants can just focus on the specific activities that have helped prepare them for this type of role, and use powerful verbs and adjectives to provide concrete examples for the reader. Ultimately, the point of a resume is not to trick a manager into hiring unqualified applicants - students should want to find a good fit as much as the recruiter does.

Proudly State Accomplishments
In life, resumes are one of the places where it is completely acceptable for people to talk themselves up to others. If students are proud of an award they received in an organization in college, they should certainly include that detail on their resume under the related category.

Students who are interested in pursuing careers in the oil and gas industry can enroll in the Oil and Gas Administration program at CDI College. For more information, fill out the form on the right.