Career / Job / Employment Preparation
Guides | Jobs | Resumes | Cover Letters
Credentials | Interviews | Experience
Guides to Job Searching
Job Searching
Resume Writing
BASIC TIPS
- Have a friend or faculty member look it over for you.
- Ask your references before including their names
Don't let your references get surprise phone calls! Give them time to prepare and reflect upon your experiences. Offer to give them a copy of your resume or chat with them about your career goals.
- Read it over carefully to catch any errors that spell check doesn't catch.
- Take a draft to Career Development for additional suggestions
GENERAL RULES OF THUMB
- Length for Undergraduate Resume = 1 page + References (Masters = 2 pages + References)
- Use a variety of action words.
- Add details to bring depth to your work experiences.
- Be consistent in your formatting (indenting, bullets, etc...)
- Highlight your accomplishments with formatting.
- Formatting styles or breaks help separate your points so they don't run together or become hard to distinquish.
Cover Letters
- Develop separate templates if you are applying to more than one type of position.
- Have a friend or faculty member look it over for you.
- Be sure to check for spelling errors
- Take a draft to Career Development for helpful suggestions
References / Credentials File
- Start early - references are difficult to create at the last minute, particularly if your reference has a busy schedule or if deadlines are looming.
- References can be place on file in Career Development
- Be sure to ask relevant people for references.
- Faculty - particularly those in the relevant field with whom you have developed relationships or taken a number of courses from. Most graduate schools prefer faculty references.
- Faculty/staff - People you know well who have witnessed your involvement or leadership skills through groups or other activities on campus.
- Recent employers - particularly those who may be able to talk about your dependabilty or work ethic.
- Don't be afraid to ask whether they would be able to write a positive reference letter for you.
- If you are unsure if you are going on to graduate school or a career, ask if your references would be willing to write two versions of a letter, one for each focus.
- Provide your references with information about your future interests. Having a conversation with them or dropping off a resume or list of your activities, may help them when writing the letter. Some references may suggest that you even draft a letter yourself.
Interviewing Skills
- Talk to people in the field, and ask them what they look for in perspective employees or applicants.
- Schedule a mock interview with Career Development
- Attend activities such as the etiquette luncheon or the dress for success fashion show.
Experience
Gaining experiences in the field you are interested in can help set you apart from other candidates and show that you are dedicated to those interests.
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