This is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of La Voz News.

You do not need a stacked resume to get a job, nor should you be mass applying to positions without care. In 2025 the job market is unrecognizable to even that of 2020 as the world experienced a global pandemic; you need a modern approach to be successful.

As someone who has sat on both sides of an interview table as the interviewer and the interviewee, I have picked up a few things. 

For resumes, everything counts as experience.

Resumes are usually the first barrier of entry to landing an interview. Recruiters typically look at resumes for six to seven seconds to determine if you are a worthy applicant, so it is in your best interest to craft yours carefully.

When I first started applying to jobs at 16 years old, the only experience I had on my resume was president of UNICEF and a few other club officer roles at my high school, which felt like nothing at the time. I was worried I would never land a job because it felt like every position, even entry level, needed over two years of  experience. 

So I was surprised to hear, when I finally landed my first interview, what earned me a seat at their table. My soon-to-be manager shared that she was impressed that I managed to run a club through the pandemic and my experience made me stand out as an applicant. 

Now, when I help my friends who are new to the job market with their resumes, I like to ask them about their lives. What do you like to do in your spare time? Are you part of any non-profit organizations? Anything you might brush off as unconventional work experience might make you stand out as an applicant.

For example, I have a friend who wants to apply to biomedical positions but stopped herself  because she “didn’t have any laboratory experience.” However, we took the same biotechnology class in high school, where I saw other students turning to her when they needed help understanding how to perform DNA tests or specialized lab equipment. 

She proved her laboratory competency in that class, so now that course, and all the skills she learned from it, are printed on her resume, and she is starting to apply for the entry level jobs she felt unqualified for.

Make sure that you highlight how your experience is relevant to the job you are applying for. In short, if you add non-traditional, or even traditional, work experience to your resume, be prepared to explain it during an interview and in your resume. 

Additionally, many companies have adopted artificial intelligence to complete their initial selection of resumes, so if you find yourself rarely getting an email back, do not take it personally. My main way to combat this issue is formatting my resume according to the “Harvard resume template” instead of a colorful Canva template so the software can read it easily. I also make sure to include keywords clearly, such as: accomplished, initiated and numbers highlighting statistical accomplishments.

Practice, practice, practice.

Once you get your first interview, I want you to take a step back and take a breath. You already made it halfway through the journey. 

Once you get an interview, you essentially already have the job. A company has already shown that they think you are qualified by asking to meet you, all that’s left is to introduce yourself in person. I appreciate this thought process because it alleviates much of my anxiety and lets me think clearly. I have, so far, earned every job I have interviewed for.

I interviewed for my first job in 2022 through a virtual meeting. I anxiously sat in front of my iPad, two hours before my scheduled Zoom, going through lists of the most common interview questions and practiced my responses. Because my interview was conducted online, I kept a document with my main talking points open on the side of my screen to reference if I ever needed support, which was really useful.

Practicing before the interview helped me feel confident that I was prepared for the interview and be more calm. Since then, I have adopted the habit of researching a company twice; before I apply and again before the interview. I review all of the basic questions I expect to be asked when a hiring manager wants to get to know me. 

I highly recommend practicing your responses aloud to get comfortable with language that “sells yourself,” because it can feel uncomfortable bragging about all your qualifications and why you are the best candidate for a particular position. 

This habit has ensured an interview question has never caught me off guard, and I have walked into every interview confident that I am worthy of a role. 

Imposter syndrome, the feeling of doubt that you are worthy of certain accomplishments, is something difficult to overcome. However, everyone feels it, even those you look up to. I have spoken to people decades into their career who still go through phases of doubt, and the best thing to do is to continuously work towards becoming the person you feel like is deserving of everything you wish for.

Dress well

Everyone has heard the saying, “dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” Consider a twist on the phrase and “dress as the version of you who will get the job, not the one who won’t.” 

Clothing helps me step into a version of me, almost like getting into character, that is comfortable and self-assured. Not only does dressing well affect the way you are perceived, but it has given me the confidence to walk into unfamiliar territory with my head held high, and one less thing to worry about.

Lastly, I want to reaffirm interviewing is a skill, not something you are born with. Do not be deterred if you have to work to be good at it. I am the last person someone would deem extroverted; however, arriving prepared for interviews has helped me feel natural in uncomfortable environments.