Professional documents do not define people, but they do represent them.

For college students, it is imperative that documents such as transcripts and resumes accurately represent interests, experience, and level of education.

“Your resume is really the first impression that you are going to make upon the employer,” Amy Rowell, senior career development specialist at Georgia Southern's Career Services said. “First impressions are lasting impressions.”

The interview process and potential hiring of a person are contingent on the impression that a resume makes.

There are certain things that employers look for on a resume that students may not be aware of Rowell said.

“If you have leadership experience, then we want to be able to highlight that and show how you have acquired those experiences as well as things like volunteer experiences,” Rowell said.

Georgia Southern University is home to a variety of organizations and clubs that students can participate in.

These organizations can give students a resume boost because they have leadership positions that students can fill.

“It’s kind of like telling your story,” Rowell said. “It’s telling all the great things that you’ve done.”

Another important thing to remember when constructing a resume is to quantify as much data as possible Rowell said.

“Instead of just saying that you worked the cash register, you can say that you handled financial transactions in excess of $5,000 daily,” Rowell said.

Employers look for more than a brief description of job responsibilities. They typically would like to know the details of what an employee was responsible for from day to day.

If you trained people at a previous job, state how many people you trained Rowell said.

Another important element to a resume is experience. Experience is often valued as much as a higher education by some employers.

“We actually recommend that students get at least a year’s worth of relevant experience prior to graduating,” Rowell said. “We definitely encourage internships. We definitely encourage co-ops.”

Getting involved in career fairs is another thing Rowell stressed. Career fairs offer students the opportunity to network.

“We can help you learn how to talk to employers and make connections because 75 to 80 percent of jobs are found through who you know,” Rowell said.

Even though a resume may seem to be just another piece of paper that attempts to define and categorize a person, its value is undeniable.

“Think about what can I do to build my resume because your ultimate end goal is to get a good job upon graduation. To get to that point you have to have a quality resume,” Rowell said.