Career Center Overview Resume Writing

1
Career Center OverviewResume Writing

• Haley Sims
• Assistant Director/Career Counselor
• 09.12.08

2
Overview of Services

• Counseling/Advising
• Chemistry Chemistry, pre-health
• Haley Sims Erin Lowery
• hgsims_at_vcu.edu erlowery_at_vcu.edu

3
How Can We Help?

• Assessments what am I interested in?
• Exploring career goals / options
• Resume cover letter reviews
• Interview preparation mock interviews
• Job search assistance internships, co-ops,
  part-time, full-time

4
How Can We Help?

• Salary negotiation
• Considering graduate school
• Choosing between job offers
• What to do the first year on the job

5
Our Website

• www.students.vcu.edu/careers
• Resume writing / C.V. writing
• Cover letter writing
• Interview preparation
• Rams Recruiting
• Career Fairs
• On-campus interviewing

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Events and Workshops

• View the Rams Recruiting calendar, Career Center
  flyers or my blog
• FBI Information Session Monday, 09/22, 3-5pm,
  Commons Theater, Student Commons
• CIA Information Session Wednesday, 10/01,
  4-5pm, Virginia Room A, Student Commons
• Career Fair Prep Week (9/30 10/06)
• Career Fairs
• Wednesday, October 8, 10am-3pm
• Wednesday, February 4, 10am-3pm
• Pre-Health Interviewing Workshop

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Rams Recruitinge-Recruiting

• Search for co-ops, internships, part-time,
  full-time jobs
• Sign up for events like the Career Fair other
  workshops
• Receive relevant emails from your Career
  Consultant
• Rams Recruiting

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Username Password

• Name Brittany A. Kline
• VCU email klineba_at_vcu.edu
• Birthday 09/07/89
• E-recruiting Info
• Username klinebavcu
• Password 0989

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Action Plan

• Sign up for Rams Recruiting
• 2. Update your resume and references
• 3. Look for job descriptions you're interested
  in
• a. Search Rams Recruiting
• b. Check local employers' websites (Science
• employers handout)
• c. Talk/network - you never know what will come
  up in everyday conversation
• d. Informational Interview see handout
• 4. Begin writing cover letters for the positions
  you're interested in.
• Samples and handouts are on my blog
  blog.vcu.edu/hgsims

10
Action Plan

• 5. Practice answering common interview
  questions from our handout
• Have a friend ask you questions
• Try InterviewStream
• Schedule a mock interview with me
• Participate in the Mock Interview Program

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Action Plan

• 6. Brush up on Salary Negotiation skills
• a. Visit www.quintcareers.com and check out the
  tutorial in the Career Toolkit (left of the page)
• b. www.salary.com local search
• c. National Association of Colleges Employers
  (NACE) average offer July 2008
• Bachelors 45,106
• Masters 56,605
• Ph.D. 68,933
• d. If they ask for salary requirements, you
  always give a range (between 5-7,000 dollars) and
  you can list this information in your cover
  letter if youre not sure where to do so.
• 7. Track everything (in a notebook, Excel, etc.)
• 8. Practice good etiquette

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Resumes

• Content
• Format
• Appearance
• Sample Chemistry resume on my blog
• Resume Guide

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Resume Content Format

• Name Contact Info
• Objective
• Education
• Relevant Courses
• Relevant Coursework
• Technical Skills
• Laboratory Equipment
• Laboratory Procedures
• Computer Skills

• Relevant Experience
• Research Project or Course in detail
• Volunteer Work
• Job/Internship/Co-op
• Other Work Experience
• Honors Activities

14

• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________

15

• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  _____________
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain the Analytical Chemist position at
  Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals,
• Inc., utilizing my laboratory skills to further
  the mission of the organization.

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  ______________________
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain the Analytical Chemist position at
  Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals, Inc., utilizing
• my laboratory skills to further the mission of
  the organization.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Minor Biology
• Anticipated Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  ______________________
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain the Analytical Chemist position at
  Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals, Inc., utilizing
• my laboratory skills to further the mission of
  the organization.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Minor Biology
• Anticipated Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0
• TECHNICAL SKILLS
• Laboratory Equipment
• ? microscope ? micropipette ? centrifuge
• ? vapor hoods ? spectrophotometer ? buret

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain the Analytical Chemist position at
  Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals, Inc., utilizing
  my laboratory skills to further the
• mission of the organization.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Minor Biology
• Anticipated Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0
• TECHNICAL SKILLS
• Laboratory Equipment
• ? microscope ? micropipette ? centrifuge
• ? vapor hoods ? spectrophotometer ? buret

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain the Analytical Chemist position at
  Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals, Inc., utilizing
  my laboratory skills to further the
• mission of the organization.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Minor Biology
• Anticipated Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0
• TECHNICAL SKILLS
• Laboratory Equipment
• ? microscope ? micropipette ? centrifuge
• ? vapor hoods ? spectrophotometer ? buret

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  _____________
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain the Analytical Chemist position at
  Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals, Inc., utilizing
  my laboratory skills to further the mission of
  the
• organization.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Minor Biology
• Anticipated Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0
• TECHNICAL SKILLS
• Laboratory Equipment
• ? microscope ? micropipette ? centrifuge
• ? vapor hoods ? spectrophotometer ? buret

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ____
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain the Analytical Chemist position at
  Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals, Inc., utilizing
  my laboratory skills to further the
• mission of the organization.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Minor Biology
• Anticipated Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0
• TECHNICAL SKILLS
• Laboratory Equipment
• ? microscope ? micropipette ? centrifuge
• ? vapor hoods ? spectrophotometer ? buret
• Laboratory Procedures

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  ______________
• References
• Mr. Howard Jones
• Assistant Manager
• Chilis Restaurant
• 123 Main Street
• Richmond, VA 23228
• [phone]
• hjones_at_chilis.com
• Mr. Jones supervised me while I worked as a
  server at Chilis
• for two years.
• Dr. Anna Smith
• Chemistry Instructor
• Virginia Commonwealth University

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Resume Appearance

• Resume is printed on quality resume paper
• Resume is 1 page
• All of the pertinent information is there for
  work experience
• The word I is not used
• The objective is specific and the right one
• There is plenty of white space, but not too much
• Its not stapled or double-sided
• Your name is larger than the rest of the resume

• Margins can go out as far as .5 all the way
  around
• No grammar mistakes
• Consistency all periods or no periods
• Bullets or symbols are uniform throughout resume,
  not cluttered
• Font is no smaller than 11 point font
• 1 or 2 forms of highlighting are used BUT NOT ALL

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Steps to Preparing for an Interview

• Research the Organization
• Interview Practice
• Getting Ready
• Follow Up

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Research the Organization

• Their website
• Any literature youve been given
• Vault.com
• Newspaper
• Google
• Industry resources

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Practice!

• Practice answering common interview questions
  from our handout
• Have a friend ask you questions
• Try InterviewStream
• Schedule a mock interview with me
• Participate in the Mock Interview Program

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Getting Ready

• Get up early
• Shower shave
• Wear clean, ironed clothes
• Hydrate
• Natural makeup
• No cologne or perfume
• Conservative jewelry
• Clean cut fingernails
• Cover tattoos remove piercings
• Hair out of face

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What to Bring

• Copies of resume references on quality resume
  paper
• Padfolio
• Pen
• Questions for the employer
• Mints
• Crackers/Granola Bar
• Water

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Leave WAY Ahead of Time

• Dont be late.
• Do a practice run to the site if possible.
• Account for traffic, accidents, etc.
• Bring change for tolls.
• Take a deep breath outside the door gather
  yourself.
• Always be nice to the receptionist!

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Handshakes Initial Info

• Extend your hand first
• No death grips
• No limp fish
• Wait until you are asked to have a seat

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Be Yourself

• Relax
• Take deep breaths
• Sit up straight
• Smile
• Dont over- or under- gesture
• Take notes if you like

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Answering Questions

• Tell me about yourself personally
  professionally.
• Why are you interested in this position?
• Why should we hire you?

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Answering Questions

• They know youre human
• Use the STAR Technique
• Situation or
• Task
• Action
• Result
• End on a positive note

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Its Over!

• Well, not really
• Go home and write notes from your interview
• Write thank you notes mail them promptly (or
  email)
• Prepare to play the waiting game
• Keep looking

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Waiting Game

• You know the timeline
• They may be interviewing more candidates
• Be patient
• Review your notes from your interview
• Prepare for the possible second interview

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Patient, but Persistent

• Dont harass
• Its okay to call a week or two later, depending
  on answer to timeline question
• Call if you get an offer and you need to check in
  with first choice

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Salary Negotiations

• Never bring it up first
• Salary requirements salary range
• www.quintcareers.com
• Look at similar position descriptions
• Consider geographic location
• Benefits are part of it

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Benefits

• Dont ask first
• They should give details to you at some point in
  writing
• Usually HR can help you with any questions you
  might have

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Good Luck!

• University Career Center
• 1st Floor, Student Commons
• Across from Chick-fil-A
• Haley Sims
• hgsims_at_vcu.edu
• 804.828.1645
• Please fill out an evaluation online on my blog!