Pre-Post graduation job search!(2)
https://thefrustratedrecruiter.com/2018/01/08/pre-post-graduation-job-search1/ Last article we talked about starting your career. The first step we discussed was getting an internship in your field of study. That’s easier said than done. There are millions of students that are going to college in the US. (this is an estimate) Now, every year millions are applying for internships. Do you think there are millions of internships available? You guessed it, there are not. But TJ, isn’t there a shortage of talent in the job market? Yes, there is. That’s shortage of experienced talent. In this scenario how do you set yourself apart from the crowd? There are many ways to do this. First, having a killer resume. I mean the good kind, not the kind that makes the viewer want to stab their eyeballs out. I have felt this way looking at resumes before. Second, would be to have an updated LinkedIn Profile. – This one will be covered in the next article. Let’s talk resume. Few basics here: Contact Information – Name, Phone number, email address (get a gmail email address, city, state and zip. Summary/Skills- DO NOT include adjectives i.e. dedicated, mature, driven. These are subjective terms with no real measurements to them. Experience- WAIT WHAT? Aren’t you getting an internship to get experience? What is this cyclical hell? Don’t worry, we will talk about this. Education – Important part. List your major, school, expected year of graduation and (drum roll please) your GPA. BUT only if it’s higher than a 3.0 or 3.5. We will touch base on this one as well. Let’s start with summary: Something short and sweet. “Computer science student with experience in coding in C#, Java, SQL, JavaScript, AngularJS.” Or “Communication student with various published projects on the school newspaper” Skills: This is a bulleted list of technologies or skills you have acquired i.e. C#, creative writing, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Indesign. Things that you have experience with, not just in classroom but also outside. Experience: Here comes the ringer.
What are you doing besides going to school? Are you working? Do you have extra curricular activities, are you part of a sports team?
Even if you are working at the student bookstore, list that on there. How does this job prepare you for your internship? Make a connection, but don’t take it too far. The connection should be reasonable. If you are applying for a communications job, how does working at the bookstore help you with your verbal and written communication?
Are you part of a club? Do you serve as an officer of the club? Write that on the resume.
Education: If you don’t have a GPA higher than a 3.0 you need to tell the viewer what you bring. I am a strong advocate of the fact that your GPA doesn’t encompass all that is YOU. But during internship this matter. I worked 60 hours a week during almost my entire college experience. That mattered more than my GPA to most companies. But there are still companies and majors that will require a 3.0 GPA to even be considered. Keep that in mind. It’s safer to leave the GPA off your resume if it’s not their minimum requirement.