Career Center Overview Job Search Resume Writing

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Career Center OverviewJob SearchResume Writing

• Haley Sims
• Assistant Director/Career Counselor
• 11.19.09

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Overview of Services

• Counseling/Advising
• Forensic Science majors
• Haley Sims
• hgsims_at_vcu.edu
• http//blog.vcu.edu/hgsims (no www.)
• If youre pre-health, youll see
• Erin Lowery (erlowery_at_vcu.edu)

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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

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How Can We Help?

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

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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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Action Plan

• 1. Update your resume and references
• 2. Look for job descriptions you're interested
  in
• a. Search Rams Recruiting
• b. Check local employers' websites (Blog ?
  Handouts ? For majors ? Scroll to yours ? Science
  Employers)
• c. Talk/network - you never know what will come
  up in everyday conversation
• d. Attend Career Fairs and other events
  Wednesday, Feb. 3
• e. Conduct an informational interview
• 3. Begin writing cover letters for the positions
  you're interested in
• http//www.students.vcu.edu/careers/docs/JobSearch
  Correspondence.pdf
• Samples and handouts are on my blog
  blog.vcu.edu/hgsims

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Action Plan

• Practice answering common interview questions
  from our handout
• www.students.vcu.edu/careers/docs/Interviewing.pd
  f
• Have a friend ask you questions
• Try InterviewStream
• http//vcu.interviewstream.com/
• Schedule a mock interview with me
• PPD, Dec. 4, 845-11, Contact Susan Wall to sign
  up Susan.Wall_at_ppdi.com

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Action Plan

• 6. Brush up on Salary Negotiation skills
• a. Visit www.quintcareers.com and check out the
  salary negotiation tutorial in the Career Toolkit
  (left of the page)
• b. Figure out what to ask for
• www.salary.com local search
• http//www.glassdoor.com/index.htm
• http//jobnob.com
• National Association of Colleges Employers
  (NACE) average offer
• c. 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
• 9. Get a LinkedIn account www.linkedin.com
  use this guide to navigate
• http//www.students.vcu.edu/careers/docs/0910_care
  ers_social_ntw.pdf

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Resumes

• Content
• Format
• Appearance
• Sample Forensic Science resume on my blog
• blog.vcu.edu/hgsims
• 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

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

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  _____________
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain the Drug Chemistry Criminalist I
  position with the Springfield Laboratory
• within the Crime Laboratory Division at the
  Missouri State Highway Patrol utilizing
• my laboratory skills to further the mission of
  the organization.
• To obtain a full-time position within the field
  of Forensic Science utilizing my
• laboratory skills.

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  ______________________
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain a full-time position within the field
  of Forensic Science utilizing my laboratory
  skills.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science,
  Chemistry track
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
• 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 a full-time position within the field
  of Forensic Science utilizing my laboratory
  skills.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science,
  Chemistry track
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
• Anticipated Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0
• RELEVANT COURSES
• ? Crime Scene Search and Recovery Techniques ?
  Survey of Forensic Science
• ? Forensic Microscopy ? Forensic Serology
• ? Forensic Evidence, Law and Criminal Procedure

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Jamie T. Student 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA
23284 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu __________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__ OBJECTIVE To obtain a full-time position
within the field of Forensic Science utilizing my
laboratory skills. EDUCATION Virginia
Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA Bachelor of
Science in Forensic Science, Chemistry
track Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Anticipated
Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0 RELEVANT
COURSES ? Crime Scene Search and Recovery
Techniques ? Survey of Forensic Science ?
Forensic Microscopy ? Forensic Serology ?
Forensic Evidence, Law and Criminal
Procedure TECHNICAL SKILLS Laboratory
Equipment ? microscope ? micropipette ?
centrifuge ? vapor hoods ? spectrophotometer ?
buret Laboratory Procedures ?
electrophoresis ? immunoassays ?
spectroscopy ? cell and tissue culture ? gram
staining ? pure culture techniques Computer
Skills ? Microsoft Word ? Microsoft Excel ?
Microsoft PowerPoint ? Microsoft Access ? C ?
Photoshop
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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain a full-time position within the field
  of Forensic Science utilizing my laboratory
  skills.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science,
  Chemistry track
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
• Anticipated Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0
• RELEVANT COURSES
• ? Crime Scene Search and Recovery Techniques ?
  Survey of Forensic Science
• ? Forensic Microscopy ? Forensic Serology
• ? Forensic Evidence, Law and Criminal Procedure

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  _________________________
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain a full-time position within the field
  of Forensic Science utilizing my laboratory
  skills.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science,
  Chemistry track
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
• Anticipated Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0
• RELEVANT COURSES
• ? Crime Scene Search and Recovery Techniques ?
  Survey of Forensic Science
• ? Forensic Microscopy ? Forensic Serology
• ? Forensic Evidence, Law and Criminal Procedure
• TECHNICAL SKILLS

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  _____________
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain a full-time position within the field
  of Forensic Science utilizing my laboratory
  skills.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science,
  Chemistry track
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
• Anticipated Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0
• RELEVANT COURSES
• ? Crime Scene Search and Recovery Techniques ?
  Survey of Forensic Science
• ? Forensic Microscopy ? Forensic Serology
• ? Forensic Evidence, Law and Criminal Procedures

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• Jamie T. Student
• 907 Floyd Avenue ? Richmond, VA 23284
• 804.123.4567 ? studentjt_at_vcu.edu
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ________________
• OBJECTIVE
• To obtain a full-time position within the field
  of Forensic Science utilizing my laboratory
  skills.
• EDUCATION
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
• Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science,
  Chemistry track
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
• Anticipated Graduation Date May 2010, GPA 3.0
• RELEVANT COURSES
• ? Crime Scene Search and Recovery Techniques ?
  Survey of Forensic Science
• ? Forensic Microscopy ? Forensic Serology
• ? Forensic Evidence, Law and Criminal Procedure
• TECHNICAL SKILLS

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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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• 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
• Forensic Science Instructor
• Virginia Commonwealth University

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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
• blog.vcu.edu/hgsims