Everyone is concerned with “resume builders” these days, but what exactly does that mean? How can you build up your resume this summer?

There are lots of things you can do to get your resume "recruiting ready," and some are things you may not have considered!  “Experience” is a very broad term, and as college students, anything that makes you a more well-rounded individual is positive in the eyes of employers.  The important thing is to avoid doing NOTHING (i.e. sitting on mom’s couch all summer), and vow to do at least one thing that you can add to your resume to make it stronger.

Here are my top ten pieces of advice for resume-building summer plans:

1. Get a summer job – any job!  (add to the Experience section of your resume)
   1. If you need flexibility, consider signing up with a staffing agency (like Robert Half), who places candidates in short-term assignments
   2. Relevant accounting experience is ideal, but by no means a necessity.  Any job will teach you responsibility, but ideally aim for jobs that will expose you to an office environment.
2. Attend Summer Leadership Programs (add to the Activities section of your resume)
3. Take the GMAT – the score is good for 5 years, and this typically encouraged for admission to any MAcc program. (If you score a 600 or better, add to Education section of your resume)
4. Take an Excel certification course online or at your local community college (add to the Skills section of your resume)
5. Enroll in summer classes to get ahead (and make good grades to boost your GPA)
6. Do a job shadow or externship (add to the Experience section of your resume)
   1. Work experience does not have to be paid to look good on your resume. Ask family friends or other people in your network if you can spend a few hours or days watching what they do (unpaid), so you have a better idea of the profession.
7. Study Abroad (add to the Education section of your resume - WATCH FOR NEWS ABOUT THE SOA'S NEW STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM - COMING SUMMER 2022!)
8. Study and sit for the CPA Exam (if you are not doing the AU MAcc program and will have 150 hours)
9. Community Service (add to Activities section of your resume)
   1. Habitat for Humanity, church mission trips, food banks, etc. – anything you do to help others in need is a great addition to your resume!
10. Review AU student organizations to determine what you’ll get involved in this fall.  Some may even have opportunities to help out in the summer (add to Activities section of your resume).
    1. If you don’t have free time to devote to extracurriculars, then consider joining academic honor societies (may not host meetings).