Malaysia Jimenez – Special to the Southern News
Be concise, organized, honest, and error free; all of those good things, said Patricia Whelan.
A good resumé makes a huge difference, said Whelan, director of cooperative education for Career Services, and it should stand out.
“A resumé is a formal representation of who you are as a student, including all of your strengths,” said Whalen.
Resumania was hosted by career services and the entire staff was very happy with the turnout of the event, Whelan said. Some of the success was because of the location move from Schwartz Hall to Wintergreen that helped bring in more students.
“I think we are in a much better place,” said Whelan. “We want people to get used to the idea of where we are so we are going to have two resumanias here in Wintergreen this semester.”
Whelan said although many students are applying for jobs online, where submitting a resumé isn’t absolutely necessary, it’s still a good idea to have one so all the information is put in perspective.
“On a job application you have to list every job you ever had, where as on a resumé you’re ideally going to tailor it for the position you’re applying for,” said Whelan.
A resumé is what will seal the deal for an interview, said Whelan, but paying attention to the small details is key: send what is asked and pay attention to spelling and grammar.
“Some people don’t follow directions,” said Whelan, “And with all the resumés that are being submitted, employers need a way to weed people out.”
According to a recent study from CareerBuilder, 58 percent of resumés have typos, 36 percent have generic information for the desired position, and 35 percent don’t include a list of skills.
When a resumé is submitted, said Whelan, the employer isn’t going to know if the person is articulate or has eye contact. All they are going to know is what is told on the resume, and the intent should be for them to invite that person for an interview.
Eliza Benitez said a resumé is the only way a person can get a quick glimpse at who someone is based on work history. And although she was offered the job as an assistant for a public defense lawyer, she said she still was asked to submit a resumé with references.
“Sometimes its frustrating to try and look good on paper,” said Benitez, junior biology major, “But its much easier than going over years of work in an interview.”
Benitez said she has never used a professional expert when creating a resumé, instead she Google searches resumé models and templates.
“In the future I might consider seeing a professional as I try to develop a career,” said Benitez, “And it becomes more important that I prove myself through my resumé.”
Whalen said don’t feel discouraged if the job experience on the resumé isn’t directly related to job position that one is pursuing. A job in retail or as a waiter shows an employer more than one would think.
“It shows you work with a very diverse population, how much you can multitask and influence consumers,” said Whalen, “As well as the fact that you worked to put yourself through school.”
Shanaira Fogle, senior public health major, said she has two jobs – one on campus and another at Old Navy- and neither one required a resumé.
Fogle said, “A resumé is evidence of my skills and what I can bring to the table.”
