Posts filed under 'jobs & working'
Now that you know the basics of résumé writing, let me fill you in on some of the most common questions college students have about how to write a résumé. (And don’t forget, you can download the sample résumé at the end of this post!)
How Long Should it Be?
A good résumé will be only about 1-2 pages. There is no strict requirement that it be ONLY one page; you can definitely stray onto a second page if you need to-just remember to keep your wording concise.
Even if you don’t have a lot of experience, try to fill in at least one page. You can always add more details about your previous positions or extracurricular activities to fill the white space.
How Far Back Should I Go When Listing Jobs?
My personal opinion is that you can list anything you did during high school as long as you are still in college. Once you graduate college, it’s better to rely on your collegiate achievements, and let high school go.
Do NOT list anything from pre-high school years, like your reading award in 6th grade, or your babysitting job in 8th grade. I can almost absolutely guarantee that your potential employer does not want to read that far back into your life. In fact, listing that far back will probably make you look like you haven’t achieved much since then-so be on the safe side and leave that stuff out.
Can I Put My Cell Phone # as a Contact #?
Yes, but make sure your voicemail sounds professional! It needs to say at least your first name, and make sure it is appropriate for potential employers to hear.
Same goes for your email address–I suggest getting a secondary email address that is just “YourName@emailservice.com” to use for professional purposes. You could also use your basic school account if appropriate.
What is a Cover Letter? Do I Have to Include One With Every Résumé?
A cover letter is a brief letter stating which position you are applying for, why you are interested, and what qualifies you for the position. It’s a great opportunity to personalize your message to a particular employer and add information about your personality, which may not come through in your résumé.
You should definitely include a cover letter with your application and résumé. It will show your potential employer that you took some extra time to customize your communication for their business, and it also positions you to come across as mature and professional. If you apply by email, include the cover letter as the body of your email, and your résumé as an attachment.
Monster.com has a nice collection of sample cover letters that can help you get started.
Where is that Sample Résumé Download You Promised?
Download your sample résumé right here! Just remember to replace all the sample info with your own info!
photo: Big Apple by windchaser
March 25th, 2008
It’s hard to know how to start a résumé when you haven’t had a lot of job experience. Luckily, there are some handy tips and tricks that can help you make your resume look healthy even if you haven’t had a lot of jobs.
Check out the steps below, and you’ll have your own résumé written up in no time. (Check back next time for a downloadable .doc copy of this sample résumé!)
- Primary Contact Info
This is easy-just your name, your primary contact number (cell phone is fine) and your email address. TIP: Make sure your email address & voicemail are professional! It’s easy to set up a new email account, and an inappropriate email address could cost you the job!
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- Addresses
Usually you could just put your address with your primary contact info, but college students have a unique situation. Your “Current” address should be wherever you live now-your dorm, apartment, or wherever. Your “Permanent” address is probably going to be your “home” address (parent’s house, grandparents, etc.).
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- Education
Even if you are just out of high school, you should still list this. If your GPA isn’t so hot, you can leave it out.
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High School: Make sure you at least mark down the school name and grad year.
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College: Write down your current grade level, Major & Minor (if you’ve chosen them), and school. If your Major GPA (the GPA listed for all the courses in your major) is higher than your overall GPA, you might want to list both.
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- Paid Experience
This is your previous work experience. You can enter anything relevant-even if you’ve maintained a website for your mom and only gotten $20 for it, that’s still paid experience!Try to use “active” verbs, and use specifics if they help you seem more capable. Instead of “Was in charge of answering phones” you “Managed call center with 4 lines.” Especially write down anything unique or valuable that you did to change your workplace for the better.
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- Extracurricular Activities
Use this space to list your unpaid activities, like volunteer work, club participation, honor society, etc.
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- Computer Skills
Employers are very interested in computer skills, so feel free to write down things that seem very basic or easy to you (like “blogging,” for example. I wrote that on a resume and it was one of the key things my employer wanted to talk about during the interview).
Next time I’m going to be offering a downloadable copy of this sample resume, plus I’ll write up some more résumé tips (like how far back to list, how long it should be, etc.) so don’t miss out!
(Update: Here’s a link to those extra résumé tips–you can also find the free download there!)
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March 20th, 2008
Have you ever googled yourself, just to see what would come up? Well, you might not be the only one.
A few months ago I read an article about how a LiveJournal blog kept one student from being admitted to Reed College in Portland. I looked a little further into it, and found out that over the past year articles about Facebook & MySpace affecting students’ ability to graduate and find jobs after high school have popped up in the Washington Post, U.S. News, and the New York Times. In fact, my own supervisor told me that he googles potential employees before hiring!
Protecting Yourself
With potential employers-and colleges-able to gain access to MySpace, Facebook, personal blogs, and lots of other information online, you need to rethink the “anonymity” of the internet. Here are a couple ideas that may help you protect your privacy online:
- Limit Access. Facebook and MySpace both offer options that limit who can view your profile; they also have options that allow people to view only the portions of your profile that you specify. Most blogs have this option, too.
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- Google Yourself. Seriously. Run a google search on your name, and see what comes up. Try the other popular search engines, too. If there is anything questionable-that includes inappropriate jokes or anything-try to get it taken down!
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- Guard Your Words. If you have something to say that could possibly taken the wrong way by a potential boss or admissions officer (or anything that is too personal for them to know), you’re better off NOT posting it in a public place. Instead, keep personal comments safer by writing them in more private correspondence like emails or IMs. And if someone else leaves a questionable comment on your page, better make it private or delete it-just to be safe.
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Oh, and if you don’t like your current job or boss, you might want to leave that tidbit out of your profile. Just in case.
Promoting Yourself
Facebooking college committees and employers don’t have to slow you down-in fact, if you play your cards right, it could even be a good thing. Why waste the opportunity to promote yourself if they’re looking anyway?
Think of your social networking sites as dual-purpose-not just as a place to connect with friends, but also as a sort of virtual résumé. It’s totally fine to have appropriate personal info & photos up to share with friends-your future boss will probably still hire you even if you have a penchant for action movies-but don’t neglect to point out your strong points, and even past work experience (if you feel comfortable sharing that).
You can also use sites like Facebook, MySpace, or a personal blog as a portfolio. If you’re an artist or a writer, for example, consider posting some of your pieces for viewing (unless they’re copyrighted by someone else, like work you may have done for a previous employer). It’s an easy way to offer access to your body of work.
photo: cloak 3 by vivre
February 14th, 2008
Who else wants to earn some extra cash over winter break? Don’t let these few weeks of freedom pass you by—here are a few ways to make a buck or two over the break.
Seasonal Employment
If you can think of a company that is busy during the holiday season, you can probably bet that they take on seasonal employees (people who work only during the busiest weeks of the year). Most retail stores are hiring extra help (check your local mall), or you can check with shipping companies like UPS.
Scholarships
In her post on 5 Ways for Students to Earn Cash this Winter Break, Deborah at the Pay for College Blog recommends using this time away from school to apply scholarships. You aren’t distracted by schoolwork, and you have time to do research on which ones in you might be eligible for (AND to research the sometimes random topics, like “Why are fire sprinklers so important?”)
Stock Photography
Kelly at Hack College suggests signing up at iStockPhoto.com and submitting your best photos as stock images. It’s an easy way to make a few bucks if you’ve got the time and talent for it.
Sell Your Textbooks
Don’t let textbooks sit under your bed collecting dust—sell them during break before the new semester starts! There are a lot of sites you can use—I usually go with amazon.com or half.com.
Work for Parents or Neighbors
See if you can pick up work for your parents, neighbors, or your friends parents over the break—you could serve at a party, do chores around the house, spring clean, babysit, wrap gifts, do yard work, shovel snow, clean out a garage, wash cars, or housesit.
Write for a Website or Magazine
Have an idea for an article—or even a short story from a class assignment? Try submitting to a magazine or website. Associated Content is one website that pays for articles. You can also check out a copy of The Writer’s Market from the library and submit articles or short stories to magazines.
Did you like this post? Don’t forget to share your own thoughts and money-making ideas in the comments, or subscribe to keep up to date on my latest college tips & tricks!
Photo by mushanga
December 17th, 2007
When I started school at UCSD, my parents thought I could earn my half of my college
expenses by working really hard over the summer. That may have been true when they were in school, but college costs have skyrocketed, and for most kids, that just isn’t possible. I had to work and take out loans to finally get my degree.
But is it really a good idea to get a job during school? Here are a few things to think about as you make that decision.
You are a Student First
Both you and your employer need to be aware that your top priority is your education. That means that you need to decide how many hours a week you can work and still thrive as a student, and schedule work hours around class and study time. You also need to talk to your employer ahead of time if you will need time off to take an exam or to study extra.
You Need Balance
For most of my college career, I was a full-time student taking 16 units (4 classes), and I worked about 12-15hrs/week while school was in session. Some students can handle more, some need to work less. I had to plan my time carefully so I could study, do homework, get to work on time, and still have some time to hang out with friends.
Using Student Loans
Most students can’t earn their entire tuition and do well in school, so don’t think it’s a bad thing if you do have to take out student loans. The goal is to keep your debt low, but you also need to perform well in your classes (so you don’t have to pay even more to retake them!). You also need to consider your physical and emotional health—overworking yourself can be seriously harmful to both. So cut yourself some slack, and if you need to use loans to supplement your earnings, just be sure you do your research so you get the best deal!
You can learn more about paying for college at the Pay For College Blog. Browse through the archives for articles like how to get a discount on tuition and other smart tips.
October 10th, 2007
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