Free Resume Help for Michigan High School and College Grads, June 24

Canva Pro Image

Free Resume Writing and LinkedIn Webinar for Michigan’s 200,000+ Recent High School and College Graduates, June 24.

Level Up Your LinkedIn and Slay the Resume Game Post-Grad is a free webinar for Michigan high school and college graduates who may need help getting employment after their recent academic journey has ended. The program, being held on Zoom on Mon. June 24 at 10 a.m., is also open to young people who have graduated from college, have been working in a first job, but might be looking for their next employment opportunity. Offered by career counselors at Gesher Human Services, one of the largest human service agencies in Metro Detroit, participants will be receiving instruction from the organization’s career staff, most of whom are Certified Professional Resume Writers through the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics,

95,080 high school students graduated this year from public high schools in Michigan; figures from Education Data show around 108,590 college students graduate each year in Michigan with around one quarter of those earning advanced degrees. While more than half of high school students will go on to college, and the number is increasing, that still leaves a sizable number of 18 and 19 year-olds who need help in getting their first job.

“Young graduates can feel lost in the resume abyss and have little idea how to network effectively,” explained Gesher’s NEXTGen Employment Specialists Rachel Jaffe, who is a Certified Profession Resume Writer. “Our webinar is designed to help them create a fire resume that will get them noticed by recruiters and help them land that dream job.”

Tips for creating a successful resume from Gesher Human Services include:

• Customizing your resume to match the specific job description and requirements. Review job postings carefully and ensure that the skills, qualifications, and experience you highlight in your resume are relevant to the job.
• Use action verbs such as “developed,” “managed,” and “created” to describe your achievements and responsibilities in previous roles.
• Quantify your accomplishments by including numbers, percentages, or other measurable outcomes. This will give employers a better sense of your abilities and show that you have a track record of success.
• If you have one or two words left over on a line, adjust the spacing between characters in a proportional font to make it fit on one line; it looks “clean” and allows you to save a line of space if you need to use it somewhere else.
• Write the resume from the third person point of view. Do not use “I” statements or write it from the first-person point of view. You may include some “I” statements in a cover letter to give it more of a personal touch but the resume should always be written from the third person point of view.

In 2021, LinkedIn stated that $100 to $700 was a good price range for resume writing,

with some services charging much more, but a 2023 survey of 90 professional resume writers by Career Sidekick found that the average cost of a professional resume was $527. However, graduates and other job seekers can access free assistance for resume writing from Gesher Human Services by contacting employmenthelp@geshermi.org.

To register for Level Up Your LinkedIn and Slay the Resume Game Post-Grad, go to the events page at geshermi.org or click here.

About Gesher Human Services

Gesher Human Services is a non-profit organization providing a bridge to hope and opportunity for people at work, at home and in the community. It is dedicated to helping people across metro Detroit lead more stable and fulfilling lives through workforce development, career mobility, behavioral health, inclusion programming and residential services that serve all metro Detroiters while meeting the needs of the Jewish community. The organization works with job seekers, people with disabilities, older adults, and the community at large to provide skills, support, and equitable opportunities for people to succeed. Uniting two of metro Detroit’s most influential Jewish human services agencies, JVS Human Services and Kadima, Gesher brings over 110 years of combined experience facilitating equitable employment opportunities and better mental health outcomes for residents. With a network of more than 400 employees and volunteers across 25 locations in southeast Michigan, Gesher delivers a continuum of services and support that directly impacts the lives of over 26,000 individuals and families annually. More information at www.geshermi.org.