Episode 55: Resumes for New Grads: What Works
Episode Descriptor
Amy L. Adler shares how new graduates can craft resumes that highlight their real strengths without relying on gimmicks, AI shortcuts, or overly designed formats. She explains why good resumes come from asking the right questions, how they differ from LinkedIn profiles, and practical ways to uncover accomplishments—even in true entry-level roles.
Episode Recap
Breaking into the job market as a new graduate can feel intimidating, but in this episode of the Two Marketing Moms Podcast, resume expert Amy L. Adler offers practical advice to help students and recent grads stand out. As president of Five Strengths Career Transition Experts and a Certified Master Resume Writer, Amy emphasizes that strong resumes aren’t built on gimmicks or fancy designs—they’re built on clear, authentic storytelling and strategic thinking.
Lead with Your Story, Not Your Job Titles
One of Amy’s biggest tips is to move beyond simply listing tasks and instead frame your experiences with the CAR method: Challenge, Action, Result. Whether you’re stocking shelves at a grocery store or running a student club, you’re learning transferable skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. Telling the story of how you contributed and what impact you had helps employers see your potential—even at the entry level.
Make Smart Use of AI—But Don’t Let It Replace You
Amy warns against overreliance on AI tools to generate resumes, which can lead to bland or inaccurate documents. Instead, she recommends using AI to refine your own writing or brainstorm interview questions. This approach helps you maintain your authentic voice while still benefiting from technology’s strengths.
Focus on Readability and Relevance
Recruiters skim resumes quickly—sometimes in just six seconds—so formatting matters. Amy suggests clear fonts, plenty of white space, and 10–12-point text. Show soft skills through concrete examples rather than listing them and contextualize hard skills with timelines and outcomes. Design elements like colors or branding are fine in creative industries, but photos and overly complex layouts can backfire in applicant tracking systems.
Think Beyond the Resume
Finally, Amy encourages grads to align their resumes with their LinkedIn profiles and to be strategic about the roles they’re applying to. Look at several job descriptions, find the common skills or qualifications, and focus your resume in that “overlap” zone. This not only saves time but also positions you as a stronger candidate.
Amy’s bottom line: A great resume for new grads comes from thoughtful self-reflection, compelling stories, and clean presentation. By following these principles, students can transform part-time jobs, internships, and campus activities into a professional narrative that gets them noticed.
Episode Transcript
Kelly Callahan-Poe:
Welcome to the Two Marketing Moms Podcast. I’m Kelly Callahan Poe, and today’s episode is called Resumes for New Grads: What Works. Joining me is Amy Adler. Amy is the president of Five Strengths Career Transition Experts, specializing in resumes and career portfolio development. She’s a Certified Master Resume Writer, a Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert, a former Toast of the Resume Industry Award winner, and a current judge. Thank you for joining me.
Amy Adler:
Hello. Thank you so much for having me today.
Kelly:
Today’s topic is really relevant right now for rising juniors in college who are rushing to get resumes together for summer internships, and for new grads entering the job market. Your expertise is in resume development for C-suite executives, right?
Amy:
Correct. But I’ve worked with students as young as high school.
Kelly:
Is creating a resume for a new grad just as challenging as it is for a C-suite executive?
Amy:
Sometimes it can be even more difficult. We’re working with students who don’t have the life or career depth that someone with 20 or 30 years of experience might have. It’s up to us as resume writers to help students figure out what they bring to a future internship or employer—and to convey that authentically. It should feel true to them as young professionals, and it should help their audience understand exactly what they bring to the table.
Kelly:
Especially for new grads or interns, it’s all about showcasing your skills. How do you help them unearth their skills and accomplishments, even from part-time jobs, internships, or campus activities? Do you have a process for this?
Amy:
Showcasing skills in context is key. Let’s say someone worked at a grocery store—at the register, in the warehouse, or stocking shelves. That speaks to teamwork, customer service, and technical expertise. Employers don’t expect everything from a college junior, but they want to see energy, the ability to learn quickly, and transferable skills.
If we’re talking about marketing, maybe they’ve worked on campus or in clubs—those experiences can be reframed to support a marketing role. That can become the centerpiece of their resume story.
Kelly:
What are some common mistakes you see in entry-level resumes that turn off employers and recruiters? And how can students avoid them?
Amy:
I can’t speak for every recruiter, but one common issue is the lack of storytelling. Students often just list tasks: I did this. That’s true, but it’s not compelling. We use the CAR model—Challenge, Action, Result—to help students tell stronger stories.
Let’s say you helped your boss with a project. Maybe you built something that made their job easier, and it continued being used after you left. The challenge was your boss needed something; the action was your work; and the result is how it benefited someone else. That’s a much more impactful story than just listing duties.
Kelly:
That CAR method is a great way to frame it. One big topic now is AI. When is it smart to use AI in developing your resume, and when does it go too far?
Amy:
The worst use is when someone copies a job posting and tells ChatGPT or another tool to write their resume. It won’t sound like you, and it might invent things you haven’t done. Plus, it ends up looking bland—just like all the other resumes generated the same way.
A better use is to take something you’ve written and ask AI to punch it up or identify what’s missing. It can prompt you to think deeper—but it shouldn’t replace your voice or your story.
I recall a CEO of a digital marketing agency posting on LinkedIn about getting two identical AI-generated cover letters for a writing position. That’s ironic, and it disqualified those candidates immediately.
Another risk is using tools that promise to send your resume to hundreds of job listings. They can generate false information about you that you can’t back up in an interview. Be very careful.
Kelly:
That’s a great point. But once you’re past the resume screening and you’re prepping for interviews, do you recommend using AI to anticipate questions?
Amy:
Absolutely. That’s a smart use. Take the job description and ask for potential interview questions. Just be careful they’re relevant and not beyond your experience, especially as an intern.
Kelly:
Earlier, you told me that resume writing is about good writing and good questions—not just filling in blanks. Can you elaborate?
Amy:
I’ve been writing resumes for 16 years and editing professionally for more than 30. Writing is my craft, but the key is asking great questions. If I’m not asking the right questions to understand a person’s background, I can’t write a strong resume.
For job seekers, asking yourself those questions—Where am I strong? What do I need to work on?—leads to better introspection and storytelling. Those stories become your resume content, and you can speak about them in detail during interviews.
Kelly:
Let’s take that a step further. A resume is storytelling. You have to be able to summarize your story in 30 seconds. When you’re writing those bullet points, you’re preparing to verbalize them, right?
Amy:
Exactly. Rambling doesn’t help anyone. When I first interviewed for jobs, I definitely rambled. But over time I’ve learned: be concise. Start with the punchline—Let me tell you about a time I helped my boss do something better. That grabs attention, and then you can share the context and the outcome. Quick, clear, and impactful.
Kelly:
Right. I read that recruiters spend an average of six seconds looking at a resume. That’s basically a glance. So how do you stand out in six seconds, especially when you’re just starting out?
Amy:
Great question. First, be sure you meet the basic qualifications—those are sometimes even built into knockout questions in the application. If you don’t meet them, you won’t get considered at all.
In your resume, you want a few really strong CAR statements—maybe three or four. Make sure they’re concise, with good white space between them. Don’t use 9-point font. Keep it readable—10 to 12-point depending on the font. Print it out and have someone older, like a parent, review it. If they can read it easily, you’re probably in good shape.
Kelly:
That’s good advice. What about hard skills versus soft skills? Do you recommend listing soft skills?
Amy:
Yes, but show them in your bullet points instead of just listing them. For example, instead of writing “team player,” describe a time you collaborated with senior managers and interns to launch a campaign. That shows teamwork in action.
For hard skills like Google Ads, the key is context: showing when and how long you’ve used them. That timeline adds credibility.
Kelly:
Okay, a more controversial question: what’s your opinion about listing interests on a resume?
Amy:
They can help or hurt, depending on your audience. If your interest aligns with the company culture, it could be a great icebreaker. But if it’s something risky, like skydiving, it might raise concerns. If you have room at the bottom, consider it, but it’s not a must-have.
Kelly:
How about graphic resumes; colors, pictures, visuals?
Amy:
There are two parts to that: design and functionality. Visually messy resumes are hard to read. Text boxes and design elements can break when resumes are uploaded into online systems.
If you’re going into a visual field like graphic design, sure, show off your skills. But test it: copy-paste everything into a plain text file and see if the order makes sense.
And please, don’t include a photo. Some companies will exclude resumes with photos to avoid bias. LinkedIn is the place for your professional headshot, not your resume.
Kelly:
Coming from advertising, I like seeing a well-designed resume with branding and a photo. But I get that it can be risky.
Amy:
And I appreciate your view. There’s room for creativity, custom fonts, branded colors across your resume, website, and business card. But keep the resume readable and functional.
Kelly:
Got it. Let’s switch to resumes versus LinkedIn. Should the content be the same?
Amy:
For new grads, it can be nearly identical. Just make sure you’re not sharing confidential information. Over time, you can evolve your LinkedIn to be more narrative, more about your journey. But having something there is better than nothing. Copying from your resume is a great starting point.
Kelly:
Any final tips?
Amy:
Yes. Think about what kind of job you want. Look at several postings and imagine a Venn diagram. Your resume should hit the middle of that overlap. That way, “tweaking” your resume becomes quick because you’ve already done the thinking and strategizing.
If you see a job you love that’s outside that overlap, figure out why. Maybe it’s a whole new direction, and that’s okay, but then you’ll need to rethink your strategy.
Kelly:
Really valuable insights. Thank you, Amy. If anyone wants to learn more about Amy Adler, I’ll include her contact info and social links at twomarketingmoms.com.
Amy:
Thank you so much.
Amy L. Adler Contact Information
