Don't sell yourself short

This evening I was discussing, with a law student from China, her resume. In a paragraph regarding one of her previous jobs, as a judicial intern, she wrote about her responsibilities of cataloging files, conducting research and observing trials. When I saw her this evening, I asked her for more details about that job. Well, it turned out that she was one of several interns from her law program, at her university, in that courthouse. Not only that, but she actually was the supervisor of these other interns. Even better: she was the liaison between the court and the university, meaning that she reported to one of the deans of her university regarding this intern program. None of this information appeared on her resume. I made clear to her the importance of including this information, because it shows leadership and responsibility--traits that a prospective employer wants to see.

When you are preparing a resume or preparing to attend a job interview, don't sell yourself short. Go through what you are doing and what you have done. Don't just list tasks and responsibilities. List your accomplishments as well. How can you show responsibility and leadership? How can you show that you added value to the place where you worked? Take the time to think these things through, because they will only help you later.