Is your résumé holding you back from landing your dream job? For 22-year-old journalism graduate Abhisha Nanda, the answer seems to be a resounding yes. Despite a strong educational background from Humber College (Advanced Diploma in Journalism, 2022-2025) and a determined job search targeting roles like reporter, anchor, and producer, Abhisha has applied to over 200 positions since August 2025 without concrete success. She's casting a wide net, applying for everything from part-time to full-time and contract roles, and actively networking on LinkedIn, even securing an opportunity to submit an audio tape for a part-time on-air hosting gig. Yet, the feedback loop has been frustratingly silent, with many initial screening interviews being conducted by AI, leaving her feeling unheard. 'I felt like it wasn’t fair,' she expressed, 'because if I’m putting that much effort into applying for a position, the least I can expect is human feedback.'
But here's where it gets controversial... Abhisha's core challenge isn't a lack of effort, but a puzzle she can't quite solve: 'I still haven’t been able to figure out what exactly I should be putting on my application so I can get more interviews.' She’s perplexed by the inconsistent results, where the same application sometimes yields interviews and other times leads to being ghosted. What if the problem isn't what she's doing, but how she's presenting it?
Carli Fink, founder of Foreseeable Futures, a career counselling practice, acknowledges Abhisha’s commendable persistence, noting that connecting with industry contacts and classmates is a vital skill, especially in today's competitive job market. After reviewing Abhisha's résumé, Ms. Fink offers actionable advice to help her gain momentum and secure more interviews.
Seek Professional Support – It Might Be Free!
Ms. Fink’s first recommendation is for new grads like Abhisha to explore the career services offered by their alma mater. Many universities and colleges provide these services free of charge to current students and recent graduates, and sometimes even for years after graduation. This is an excellent way to get professional guidance on your résumé without incurring significant costs. A career professional can be instrumental in helping you articulate your experiences and skills in a way that highlights your impact on potential employers. As Ms. Fink puts it, 'Working with a professional can help ask the right questions to pull that information out of you.'
Reimagine Your Skills Section: A Table of Contents for Your Career
While there’s no single 'perfect' résumé format, Ms. Fink emphasizes the importance of structuring your résumé to tell the most compelling story. Currently, Abhisha's résumé features a 'Skills' section near the bottom. Ms. Fink suggests moving this section to the top, right after the professional summary. This strategic placement can transform your skills section into a 'table of contents,' allowing hiring managers to quickly grasp your core competencies. This way, they can get a snapshot of your abilities upfront and then delve into the details in the experience section if they are intrigued.
Quantify Your Skills: Show, Don't Just Tell
Simply listing skills like 'background research' or 'data analysis' isn't enough to make you stand out. Ms. Fink points out that while Abhisha possesses many valuable skills, such as reporting and fact-checking, it’s unclear the scale or impact of her work. To truly differentiate herself, Ms. Fink advises Abhisha to go through each skill and ask: 'How much am I producing? How quickly? And how often?'
And this is the part most people miss... Instead of just stating 'managed social media,' quantify it! For example, if you grew a social media account from 300 to 500 followers in six months, include that specific achievement. Similarly, mention the number of new subscribers to an e-mail newsletter, the monthly visits to a news article you wrote, or the growth in podcast subscribers. This demonstrates tangible results and the difference you made. Even if numerical data isn't always available, you can still provide context. For instance, a 'fact-checking' bullet point could detail how many articles were fact-checked weekly or monthly, along with the outcome, such as 'caught significant factual errors and ensured more accurate information before publication.' This level of detail transforms a generic skill into a powerful demonstration of your capabilities.
Consider Geographic Flexibility: Expanding Your Horizons
Ms. Fink also raises an interesting point about geographic distribution. She notes that sometimes, recent journalism graduates consider relocating to cities with less competitive job markets than the bustling Greater Toronto Area. If it's a viable option for you, exploring job opportunities outside of major hubs could provide a significant advantage by placing you in a smaller applicant pool.
So, what do you think? Is the emphasis on AI screening interviews a fair hurdle for new graduates? And when it comes to résumés, do you believe a skills section at the top is more effective? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below – let's discuss!
