Travel Experience for Your Resume

Often students wonder if it's worth their time and money to study abroad or with the National Student Exchange experience.  My response is always the same... YES!!  Not only will it broaden yourself as a person and give you opportunities to experience something you otherwise wouldn't have, but it also looks great on a resume!

Why Employers Care About Travel Abroad

The Journal Online has a nice article about how studying abroad increases employability, which came from a study by the Council for Industry and Higher Education entitled Global Horizons and the Role of Employers.  It discussed these points that many students who've studied/traveled abroad.

• Comfortable and enjoy working in a diverse office environment
• Willing to work and travel all over the world for the job
• Bring additional language skills and culture awareness to the company

The article continues to explain some of the personal reactions by employers.  Here are a few reactions by employers:

"In a global economy, these skills and competencies are increasingly sought by employers, and students with this experience will find that their employability is higher than without it.”

“The value of [a student’s] international experience goes beyond purely the acquisition of language – it lies in the ability to see business and personal issues from other than your own cultural perspective."

How to Incorporate Your Abroad Experience into a Resume

There are many ways to add your study/travel abroad experience to your resume.  The IPFW Career Guide is one resource which provides examples on how a typical study abroad experience might be explained in a resume.  Check out the Career Guide HERE, and go to page 17 for an example.

Basically you have 2 options: 1) List it in your Education section as another school, or 2) List it as a separate section and expand upon your experiences and learning components. Salisbury University has a pretty good online resource for other ideas on how to incorporate your study abroad experience in a resume.

Job Search Strategies in a Tight Economy

The Office of Career Services at IPFW held a workshop for alumni and community members. We discussed the importance of a strong resume and cover letter and how this is like your sales-pitch to a potential employer with hopes they'll buy the product, you.

Other topics covered in the workshop included:

• Networking - the majority of jobs are never publicly advertised; it's about who you know and who knows you; different ways to network in groups, individually, and online.
• Job Searching - utilize job board websites that are specific to your career focus, and follow up; view it as your full-time job and set up your "office" for productivity.
• Interviewing - this means you're qualified for the job, but the employer wants to hire someone that fits the companies mission; RESEARCH the company & send thank you letters.
• Coping with Job Loss - process any negative feelings you're having about past employers or your current situation so it doesn't affect your interview; set small achievable goals to help reach your large goal of gaining employment.

Here's the presentation given during the workshop. There are more resources on our website at www.ipfw.edu/career.

Job Search Strategies in a Tight Economy

View more presentations from Karen Obringer.

10 Things to Leave Off Your Résumé

10 Things to Leave Off Your Resume

By: Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer

Job seekers do themselves a disservice when they send out résumés with too much information. Employers don't have the time or the patience to sift through irrelevant information like your hobbies, interests or how many grandchildren you have. Just stick to the basics and you're good to go.

Here are 10 things to leave off your résumé and why:

1. Your picture
Why to leave it off: Unless a job posting specifically asks for your picture (and very few jobs will), don't include it just for fun. Not only are your looks irrelevant to your potential as an employee, but you're putting employers in a bad spot. If they have a picture of you and choose not to hire you, it's possible that you could come back with a discrimination lawsuit. In most cases, they'll throw your résumé away without looking at it, to avoid the issue altogether.

2. Interest and hobbies
Why to leave them off: Unless your interests and hobbies have something to do with the job you're applying for, there's no reason to include them. If you want to show how your passion for art would be an asset to a graphic design position, that's one thing. But telling employers that you love to skydive on an actuary application is another. In general, make any applicable connections between your hobbies and the job in your cover letter. Better yet, save them for the interview when you're asked what you like to do outside of work.

3. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors
Why to leave them off: Most employers assume that if you're OK with sending out a résumé littered with typos and mistakes, you'll have the same lack of concern for the work you do as an employee at their company. While spell check picks up most errors, it can miss something major -- did you work the late night shift? Or did you forget to include the "f" between "i" and "t"? -- so have several eyes look over your résumé before sending it out to employers.

4. Personal attributes
Why to leave them off: Similar to sending a picture with your résumé, your height, weight, age, race or religion are all unimportant to an employer. Though it's illegal for employers to discriminate against applicants because of any of these factors, some will do so, regardless. Keep everything on your résumé pertinent to the job, and you'll be fine.

5. References
Why to leave them off: Many job seekers still include references on their résumé or they include a line that says, "References available upon request." This tactic is not as effective as it used to be. Jack Harsh, adjunct professor at the University of Richmond Robins School of Business, says that when he receives a résumé with references attached, he gives them virtually no weight. "They seldom are specific to the role my company seeks and are not meaningful in considering qualifications or traits of successful candidates," he says. Wait to broach the topic of references until you're asked for them.

6. Minute details
Why to leave them off: Hiring managers don't need to know the details of every task you've ever done in every job you've ever had. It's just too much information, and usually half of that information isn't relevant. Employers want to be able to see at first glance that you're a great candidate, so pick out those details that are most relevant to the job for which you're applying and omit the rest.

7. False information
Why to leave it off: Plain and simple, no one wants to hire a liar. Don't say that you have a master's degree if you've only earned your bachelor's; don't say you're presently employed at a company if you've recently been fired; don't list your salary history as 20 percent higher than it was. Everything you tell an employer can be verified, so play it safe and be honest.

8. Flair
Why to leave it off: No one wants to look at a résumé on fluorescent paper, covered in crazy fonts and symbols. Similarly, links to personal Web sites, your photo-sharing site, or strange e-mail addresses can also be left off. Employers are less likely to respond to likes2party@email.com than just DMiller@email.com.

9. Negativity
Why to leave it off: Never put anything negative on your résumé. Don't include your reasons for leaving. If you left the position due to a layoff or you were fired, for example, bring it up only if asked. Never write anything bad about a previous employer. Don't explain gaps on your résumé by stating that you were in prison for 10 years for killing your husband. Keep your résumé all positive, all the time.

10. A selfish objective
Why to leave it off: Employers are trying to determine whether you're a good fit for their organizations, so everything on your résumé should point to your experience. Employers would rather see a summary of qualifications that displays your accomplishments and background than a generic objective statement like "To gain experience in..."

Volunteering is food for your Soul & Resume

It's the Holiday Season and a time of the year when people recall the good and bad times of the past year. Unfortunately, there seems to have been more sad times than glad times with the economy still in a slump and unemployment rate at its highest in years.

Still, I am always amazed at how during our darkest hours we tend to look for a beacon of light and bring that light to spread joy to those less fortunate. Many people do extra volunteering, donate to charities, or find small ways to brighten someone's life.

Volunteering is one of the best things you can add to your resume, but most people forget. A candidate that has volunteer experience sends a message to his/her potential employer that he/she has a strong work ethic, will go above & beyond the 'call of duty,' can time-manage, and has a passion for something outside of his/her required work and life duties.

If you haven't volunteered, check out some local opportunities like at a soup kitchen, church, various non-profits, or the United Way could even be a good place to start. It's always good to spread joy and tidings of thanksgiving, especially this time of year.

Please enjoy this video clip of one of my favorite holiday specials. The characters learn the truth behind the song Here We Come a Wassailing and the importance of spreading JOY!

Self-Assessment and Decision Making

Last night I presented to a group of students pursuing their GED about career planning, namely self-assessment and decision making. I utilized a packet of handouts developed by Smith College's Career Development Office given to me by a colleague--the packet covered interests, skills, values, an experience log, the importance of support systems, and accomplishments. The accomplishments handout seemed to elicit the best response from the group, and it got me to thinking about using it every time we write a resume or interview for a job.

Think about it: most of us are really uncomfortable "bragging" about ourselves on a resume, never mind the interview. Does that come from a lack of self-confidence, or from lack of practice talking about ourselves that way? You can practice speaking highly of yourself till the cows come home, but believing it is a totally different thing. So then it becomes a confidence issue. Maybe a way to tackle that is thinking back on our life accomplishments (education, work, volunteering, helping out a friend, hobbies, etc.) and acknowledging what we gained from these accomplishments.

So I've got a challenge for you: make a list of 5 accomplishments you've experienced throughout your life. Then, list the skills you obtained from that achievement, as well as the characteristics or qualities that allowed you to complete those accomplishments. An example...

Accomplishment: Earning a 3.0 GPA for the semester
Skills: Communicating with my professor outside of class time to ask questions, time management, effective studying, working as part of a team in a study group, gathering and making sense of information for exams and papers, research skills, etc.
Characteristics: Dedicated, persevering, goal-oriented, disciplined, interpersonal skills (getting along with my study group members), self-motivated, etc.

Try this before you write your next resume or prepare for your next interview, and see if it helps to build your self-confidence. If nothing else, it'll give you something to talk about in the interview!

Career Fairs -- Advice for everyone!

The IPFW Career & Internship Fair is coming up on Thursday, September 17th from 10am-3pm in the Walb Union on campus. All IPFW students and alumni are welcome to attend.

Even if you're not ready for a job or internship right now, but might be thinking about it for the near future or just want to expand your professional network you can use job fairs as a means to accomplish this.

Come prepared with your 2-minute commercial about yourself and the knowledge you have of the company (see the Frank Costanza blog entry prior). Bring a business card or your resume to pass out to employers. You can also ask for one of their business cards and you SHOULD ALWAYS follow up with an email or phone call thanking them for their time. Don't forget to periodically re-connect with them, if you're using this as a networking tool, so they don't forget about you and you can effectively help each other when the occasion arises.

Check out more information about the IPFW Career & Internship Fair HERE. If you would like to talk to someone about how to prepare for the Career & Internship Fair, drop into our office (Kettler Hall 109) on September 15-16, 10am-4pm. If you bring your resume, we'll even give you some quick tips on how to update and improve it! And, for some information about how to work a job fair, check out this video:

Job Search Strategies in a Tight Economy: IPFW Alumni Event revisited

If you were like me and just couldn't make it to the Job Search Strategies in a Tight Economy event offered through our office, here is the PowerPoint presentation with lots of great information on:

• resumes
• references
• cover letters
• transferable skills
• networking
• job searching
• interviewing
• coping with job loss

If you would like more information about any of these topics and/or would like to speak to a career counselor, please call our office at (260)481-0689 to set up an appointment.