Four Resume Myths That Are Holding You Back

A good resume is critical in making a positive first impression to your future employer and there are a lot of opinions floating around about what makes a good resume. Consistently, when I work with our students and alumni, I notice they are hanging onto some ideas about resumes that are actually making it harder to put together a good resume. So, here are four common resume myths that may be holding you back.

1. You need to use a 'fancy' format.

Students often come in asking if there is a resume template that they should be using. We actually discourage using templates. First off, there are some resume templates that are so common employers have seen them a million times before. Secondly, templates often use tables, which I personally find difficult to edit and work with. Sometimes, templates even include section titles you can’t edit or boxes that are limited to only holding so much information. If you can use bolding, italics, bullet points or underling, you can set up your own resume. We have over 100 samples on our website: http://www.ipfw.edu/offices/career/students/resumes.html
 
 2. It can only be one page.

One page is often preferable and definitely suggested for new college freshmen or those with little work experience related to their prospective careers. But, if you find you’re reducing your font to 8pt size or going down to ¼” margins, you may want to go on to a second page. In fact, if you have extensive work experience or have an advanced degree, a two-page resume may be expected.

3. You need to list every job you’ve ever had.

Listing every single job you’ve ever had may actually hurt, not help your chances. In fact, hiring managers can find all of that information overwhelming. That job you had for three months bagging groceries two years ago, may make you look like a job hopper, especially if you’ve held longer term employment since then. Also, if you have work experience over ten years old, you want to be selective about using it. If it’s really relevant to the job you’re applying for, go ahead and list it. If not, it might just be aging you.•

4. You only need one.

It might be more convenient for you to only have one resume, but, it may not help your future employer. A resume targeted to the specific industry you are looking to get hired in will let the employer see your most relevant qualifications right away. Also, employers want to feel like you want that job in particular, like it's somehow special and a customized resume sends that message. This means that if you are applying for jobs in multiple industries, you will need multiple resumes.•

Graduate School

There are many reasons to pursue graduate education once you’ve completed your bachelor’s degree. Some of the best reasons to enroll in a graduate program are the love of a particular subject and the desire to study it in depth or the need for an advanced degree to enter the profession of your choice.

Applying to graduate school can certainly be stressful. In order to cut back on the stress of this next step, it’s a good idea to begin seriously considering graduate school at least a year before you would enroll. Application deadlines vary, and it is important to know a particular institution’s deadline well in advance. Generally, the deadlines fall between January and March. Applications by those requesting financial support
(scholarships/assistantships) always have earlier deadlines. Some schools have rolling admissions, meaning that they accept students throughout the year and may not have a particular deadline. To find deadline information, search the institution’s website. Most include this information and many institutions now expect you to apply online. Colleges and universities usually require specific graduate admissions tests, and departments sometimes have their own requirements as well.

For more information about graduate programs, go to www.gradschools.com or www.petersons.com. For a list of graduate programs at IPFW, go to www.ipfw.edu/graduate-studies

Summer Externships

EXTERNSHIP

(noun): A supervised experience done outside of the classroom with the purpose of immersing oneself into a company and/or industry environment.

Summer Externships

IPFW Career Services offers externships on a year-round basis, for current degree-seeking IPFW students. We are currently accepting applications for IPFW students to complete a summer externship.

Summer Externships are more flexible than during the school year, as less students are taking classes.  A requirement of the program is that the student MUST devote 2-5 full work-days with the chosen employer.  There is more information about our participating companies and what the extern can expect during the job immersion, under the "Externship Sites" tab at http://www.ipfw.edu/offices/career/students/externships.html.

This is considered a professional experience and IPFW Career Services has the highest expecations of all the applicants from the application, to the interview, to the business etiquette expectations while at the company. Since this is a competitive experience, it is not a guarantee that every student will be offered an externship. Offers are typically not made for a few reasons, like the student didn't take the interview seriously, the employer is only able to host a 1-2 students but 5 applied, and if the student is developmentally beyond the purpose of an externship.  This means that if a student has already completed an internship in the same area, then the externship will go to a student with less experience.

Externships are seen as a springboard into internships, and are meant to help students discern between various industries and/or confirm their career choice.  If you are an IPFW sophomore or junior, this is a perfect opportunity for you to gain exposure prior to getting an internship your senior year.  Externships can even go on your resume under relevant experience or in the education section.

If you are an IPFW student and want to do an externship this summer with one of the following companies, then log into your JobZone account and apply to the IPFW Externships job posting, #716992.

2014 Participating Companies

• Allen County Adult Probation
• Allen County Department of Health
• Allen County Superior Court
• ARAMARK Sports & Entertainment
• Aunt Millie's Bakeries
• BKD LLP
• Boy Scouts of America
• Diskey Sign Company
• Fort Wayne Museum of Art
• Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation
• Fort Wayne Youtheatre
• IPFW Alumni Relations
• IPFW Athletics
• IPFW Career Services
• IPFW Helmke Library
• IPFW Human Resources
• IPFW Military Student Services
• IPFW Office of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs
• IPFW Special Events
• IVY Tech Community College, Student Support Services
• UPS
• Windsong Pictures
• YMCA Youth Services

If you are a local company and want to host IPFW students for an externship, please complete our registration form at http://www.ipfw.edu/offices/career/employer/externships.html.

Free Career Assessment: FOCUS 2

Did you know IPFW offers a free online career assessment for students? Go to: http://www.ipfw.edu/offices/career/about/focus.html for more information.

FOCUS is a self-paced, online career guidance tool used to assist you in self-assessment and career exploration. Users of FOCUS learn to make more realistic decisions about their goals and plans, how to self-manage their careers and the importance of adaptability in these times of change.  In order to login, you must create an account on the FOCUS site.  To create an account go here: https://www.focuscareer2.com/Portal/Register.cfm?SID=369

We strongly recommend that you go over your FOCUS results with an IPFW Career Counselor.   A Career Counselor can help you sort out the many questions and possibilities that may arise during your career exploration process. Call 260-481-0689 for an appointment.

FOCUS offers a variety of self-assessments. The Work Interest Assessment and the Leisure Interest Assessment are two of my favorites.

FOCUS also offers lots of occupational information. Some occupations even have their own videos.

Tips for the Summer...

The Summer can be a busy and stressful time with classes, travel, or cookouts. But it’s also a good time to kick a job or internship search into high gear for college students. Believe it or not, the Summer season can be a promising time to secure a new position, make new contacts or put the finishing touches on that resume or LinkedIn profile.

“Many believe that the average job search process takes about 6-8 months prior to graduation, so starting these things over the Summer is a perfect time,” said Ashley McArdle, director of Career Services at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. “This can give you a jump on the competition that may be waiting until after the Summer to initiate a search.”

Most college career centers recommend the following tips for students to start working on over the Summer:

• Finalize your resume, cover letter and reference page
• Join a professional association in your career field and the sign up for their listserv to receive valuable career information
• Develop a prospect list of employers that you would ideally like to target in your job search
• Research potential employers in your area or field of interest
• Network! Use a cookout as a great time to make new contacts or attend a professional networking event and get business cards (Networking is one of the best ways to get a job!)
• Schedule some informational interviews
• Identify and be able to communicate effectively the skills and abilities you have developed throughout college.
• Ask people to be your references and provide them with a copy of your resume
• Schedule a mock interview with a career counselor at your university
• Learn more about campus interviews and make sure that you are aware of when employers or job fairs will be on campus
• Obtain firsthand occupational and industry-related information from personal and professional contacts
• Update your Linked In account or create one if you don’t have one!
• See if your university offers an externship program. Externship programs often take place over the week of Spring break or Fall break and give students a chance to extern with top employers in their field. Often times these externships lead to internships, invaluable contacts, and future career opportunities.

Top 10 Reasons to Attend the NICE Job Fair

 

 

10. You may not have won Warren Buffett's billion-dollar bracket, but you'll go home with "billions" of new experiences and valuable contacts.

 

9. There are no hoops to jump through to attend. Simply show up dressed business professional on April 15!

 

8. The NICE Job Fair will net you information you can put into practice-what skills and experiences are employers looking for?

 

7. You'll have tons of one-on-one time with employers to learn about their products, services and organizations and how that can fit with you.

 

6. Make a break afterwards to grab some free lunch on us and a free LinkedIN profile picture!

 

5. Overtime is a good thing at NICE. After you're done walking around, you still have the chance to interview with an employer that same day!

 

4. All the latest employers attending and info about their company are at your fingertips on JobZone.

 

3. You can celebrate your successes with Career Services-tell us about your interview, job, or internship!

 

2. Your passion and excitement for your career will rebound after attending!

 

1. You'll gain excellent professional experience; it would be Madness to miss it.

 

(adapted from ASCA)

The Hidden Job Search Checklist

Job Searching can be a very overwhelming and sometimes very frustrating, especially in a slow economy! Of course many know about the importance of updating their resume, brushing up on their interview skills, and creating a cover letter. However, there are many steps that one should take when job searching that are commonly missed. Below is a list of four steps, commonly missed by applicants, that when completed can help you find a job!

• Have a record keeping system- Track all calls, names, notes taken from meetings and phone calls, resumes sent, interviews, etc.
• Keeping records will help you to keep track of who you've talked to and your standing in the application process with each employer. 

• Practice your "reason for leaving" speech.
• Explain what happened without mocking your previous employer. 

• Attend a professional networking event. 
• Talk to others about your job search. They may be able to connect you with someone who's looking for someone with your talent! 

• Prepare short, written versions of your biography.
• These are useful for emails, job search websites, etc.