Tips & Resources

Skills

Ever wonder what skills employers are looking for and what types of things you should be preparing yourself for?  Well, wonder no more. 

Take a look at this report that identifies the skills in highest demand in 2020.  You may be surprised…

Future Skills 2020 Research Report

Preparation is key when searching for an internship or career opportunity.  The steps are easy, but they can take time.   So, plan ahead and use these tips to land your internship or job…

Resumes

Make an appointment with someone at your school who can help you prepare your resume.  There are several online resources, but working with a professional will lead to the best result.  When you come to your first meeting, bring a draft of your resume that includes the following items:

• Relevant coursework
• Relevant work experience with dates
• Student activities or extra-curricular participation (highlight leadership roles)

Your resume should always be specific to the internship or job that you are applying for.  It is a good idea to keep a generic resume on file to document your achievements, however, this resume should never be used for an application.  Be sure to modify your resume so it is relevant to the job description.  Carefully read the job description to determine what skills are necessary and make sure your resume highlights those skills through your coursework, jobs, or extra-curricular activities. 

Make sure there are NO TYPOS or grammatical errors.  Your resume will be discarded if there are errors.  Have someone else proofread your resume to look for mistakes that a spellcheck feature won’t catch (such as there, their, they’re). 

Resume example 1                               Resume example 2

Cover Letter

All resumes should be accompanied by a targeted cover letter.  This is your chance to introduce yourself and essentially sell your applicable job skills and experiences to a prospective employer.  It should highlight your top qualifications for the job or internship you are applying for and make the reader want to continue on to your resume.  Employers will often skip resumes that do not have a well targeted cover letter attached. 

Networking

You know the saying…it’s not what you know, it’s who you know…

While the saying is not entirely true, there is some truth.  It is important to network and talk to professors, career counselors, and professionals about your career goals.  Attend career fairs, or other career-related events on and off campus to start building your network. 

Interviewing

Interviewing is your opportunity to showcase your achievements and apply your work to your future career.  Prepare questions and answers that you think the employer may ask you.  Some employers will want to know about your technical capabilities, so bring examples of your previous work.  Other employers are going to have “behavioral based questions” which are interview questions that are giving examples of how you have addressed challenges or opportunities in the past.  Pick 10-15 questions and prepare answers so you are able to think on your feet during the interview. 

In addition to preparing questions and answers for the employer, be sure to formulate questions that will help you in your decision making process.  Remember, this is just as much an interview for you as it is the employer.  The company and job should be a good fit for you what you are looking for, and you may need to ask some questions to be sure this is a good opportunity for you.

For ideas of potential interview questions, visit the Society for Human Resource Management.

Be Yourself

Searching for a job or an internship can be a stressful time.  If you remember to act yourself, be honest, and keep a positive attitude, employers will sense your confidence in your abilities.  This will leave a positive impression in the mind of the employer.

Dress to Impress

When dressing for an interview, look to professional business standards.  Clothes should always be wrinkle-free and shoes do matter!  Often a person will look at your feet prior to looking at your face.   If you are unsure of the best option for your interview, check out the company and do your best to mirror current employee attire.

Men:  A suit is not always necessary, but it does depend on the interview.  A button-down shirt with coordinating tie and dress slacks will be the best alternative. 

Women:  Slacks or a skirt are equally appropriate.  If you choose a skirt, the length should be at or around knee-length; never wear a mini-skirt or tight-fitting skirt to an interview.  A matching suit jacket is a good option, but not essential in most circumstances.  Necklines should be conservative, and solid colors are best.  As a rule your clothing should not be louder than you so leave the flashy colors and patterns behind on interview day.