Business Careers
A resume that lists every subject argues for no job
Business students often have plenty to show: a summer project, a society role, a live case, a family shop. It is usually buried under a list of subjects and a generic objective. This session shows how to choose a target role, put the right evidence in front of a reader, and make LinkedIn say the same thing without exaggerating a word.
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A recruiter reads for a reason to say yes, and gives it seconds.
A recruiter or a hiring manager looking at a stack of business-graduate resumes sees the same things over and over: a list of subjects, a vague objective, a project titled but not explained, and a long skills list. Nothing in it tells them which seat this person wants or why they would be good in it.
Employers also look people up. A LinkedIn profile that contradicts the resume, or says nothing at all, raises a question the student then has to answer. Treating the two documents as one story, told twice, is both easier and more convincing.
What the session works through
32 topics across 7 areas. Seven steps, from choosing a role to checking the profile.
Choosing the Role the Resume Is ForThe decision comes before the layout.5
- Naming one role in a line at the top
- Reading two or three postings for that role and marking the common asks
- Deciding what to move up and what to leave out
- Keeping a master resume that holds everything
- Making a short copy for each application
Internships and Summer ProjectsThe strongest evidence most business students have.5
“Summer intern, sales” becomes a description of which customers, which task and what happened, in two lines a reader can ask about.
- The business problem or question the work addressed
- What the student did, specifically
- Tools and methods used
- A result or finding, stated honestly
- What the student is permitted to say about a company's confidential data
Never state a number you cannot explain how you reached.
Academic and Live ProjectsWhen there is no internship yet.4
- Course projects, case competitions and live projects with a business
- A market study, a financial model or a campaign plan, explained rather than titled
- Group work: which part was yours
- Linking to a report, a spreadsheet or a deck, if it can be shared
Campus, Club and Family WorkReliability counts, and it is easy to leave out.4
- Society, committee and event roles with real responsibility
- Budget, sponsorship, logistics or team size, stated only if accurate
- A family business or a part-time job
- Volunteering and tutoring
Skills, Tools and CertificationsEvery line is a question the interviewer may ask.4
- Excel, accounting software, presentation and analysis tools: listed only if used in real work
- A certification connected to something the student actually did with it
- Languages the student can work in
- Cutting anything the student could not discuss for three minutes
A long skills list the student cannot defend is a liability.
Layout and AccuracyPlain, readable and checkable.5
- One page for most freshers, a single column and standard headings
- Real text rather than images or tables, so people and software can read it
- Dates, marks and grades exactly as on the marksheet
- Job titles as they were held
- Spellings of company names, tools and the student's own college
Background checks compare the resume with what colleges and employers confirm.
LinkedInThe same story, in a different format.5
A profile is not a place to claim more than the resume does. It is checked by the same people.
- A photo, a headline that names the target role and a short “About” section in plain words
- Experience and projects that match the resume
- Skills and recommendations that are genuine
- Contact settings, and what is public
- Connecting with seniors, alumni and recruiters with a short, specific message
What students bring
- Their current resume, printed or on a laptop
- One or two postings for the role they want
- Details of any internship, project or club work
- Their LinkedIn profile open on a phone or laptop
What students leave with
- A marked-up resume and a reworked first version
- A master resume and a one-line target
- A LinkedIn headline and “About” draft
- A list of changes still to make that week
How the session runs
A short opening on how a recruiter reads a business-graduate resume, then work in small groups where each student's own resume is read with a reviewer who screens applications in their job, and reworked in the room. The profile exercise follows, using each student's own phone or laptop. Group sizes depend on how many reviewers attend, so we agree numbers with the college beforehand instead of promising a figure.
What your students leave with
- A target role stated at the top of the resume
- Projects and internships described by what the student did and what came of it
- Club, event and family-business experience written as real work
- Skills trimmed to ones the student can be questioned on
- A LinkedIn profile that matches the resume, line for line
- A master version, and a habit of tailoring a copy for each application
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
One role, one story, told the same way everywhere.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.