Preparing For Your Career

1. Preparing For Your Career Janean Couch, PHR Assistant Director, GVSU Career Center couchja@gvsu.edu 616.331.6708

2. The Process • A resume gets you an interview • This document is an outline or profile of you • Keywords – not paragraphs • An interview gets you a position • Describe your successes • Tell them why they should hire you • A position helps you build a career • Everyone has to start somewhere • Update your resume with every step you take • It is not a ladder… it is rock climbing!

3. Spruce up your resume • What are employers looking for? • Neat – Organized - Consistent • Knowledge of Specific Industry and Population • Combination of Education and Experience • EASY TO READ • Goal Oriented: Objective: To obtain the Child Protective Services position with The State of Michigan contributing to protect children and provide resources to families. • Demonstrated Experience: • No Claims! • Provide Evidence

4. Things to Avoid… • Errors! • Templates • Fluffy wording • Inappropriate graphics and colors • Cramming • Too much white space • Paragraphs and “I” language

5. Powerful Accomplishment Statements What is the difference between an “accomplishment” and a “job duty”? • Start with an Action Verb • Directed • Planned • Coordinated • Qualifying or Quantifying Adjectives / Descriptions • Supervised a team of 8 volunteers… • Provided guidance to at-risk students… • Results-oriented • … to ensure deadlines are met. • … resulting in a 30% increase of participation over last year.

6. Action Statements • Start with an Action Verb • Coordinated group sessions • Qualifiers • Coordinated group sessions for adolescent girls • Quantifiers • Coordinated group sessions for 8-10 adolescent girls • Outcomes • Coordinated group sessions for 8-10 adolescent girls to provide support and education of dating violence

7. Sample Resume

8. Cover letters • Resume and cover letter go hand – in hand • Take the place of face-to-face interaction • Opportunity to pique reader’s interest in your resume and you! • Show how your background and abilities meet the employer’s needs • Show how you’re a good fit for the organization (this takes research) • Where you heard about the position

9. Let your cover letter show… • Your knowledge of the employer/position • Why you’re a strong candidate • Your communication and writing skills • Your personality and professionalism • Present your professional best! • Your motivation energy and enthusiasm Always send a cover letter!

10. Interviewing

11. What will I be asked?? What are some “typical” questions an interviewee faces in the span of a 30-60 minute interview??

12. 30-60 minutes • Thoughtful Response • Reasoning and Evidence • Grammar and Vocabulary • Listening • Degree of Interaction • Expressiveness • Humor / Likability Factor

13. Selling yourself The Sales Analogy • You are the product… and the Sales Representative! • The employer is a consumer • Your resume is the marketing piece • The interview is your sales pitch • SOAR… or be a STAR • Situation • Obstacle or Task • Action • Result

14. Questions?

15. Career Services • Help you plan/brainstorm! • Resume and Cover Letter Resources • Simulated Interviews • Career Fairs and On-campus Recruitment • Web-based Employment System • www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs