Tag Archives: resumes

What You Need to Get a Job

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Yes, this post is a little preemptive; I don’t have a job yet. But I’ve created a pretty good system. Hopefully, you can get some ideas or inspiration!

 Organization

Spreadsheet: I’ve applied for a LOT of jobs and started to lose track, having this spreadsheet made everything so much easier. I used Google Spreadsheets, but I’ve created a mini-version below!
Screenshot 2015-04-27 10.41.14

Dropbox: Save everything to a Dropbox folder. You can get it for free, and trust me when you FINALLY get those accomplishment statements just right, you don’t want to lose them to spilled orange juice on your computer. I use separate folders within my Dropbox to make sure everything is easy to find.

  • Burrito Resumes: CP&R teaches us to make a Giant-Chipotle-Burrito-Resume containing everything we’ve ever done on it, and I have one. However, I also found it easier to have a Recruiting Burrito Resume, HR Burrito Resume, and Diversity Burrito Resume. This way, I just open the one that is most related to the position I’m applying for, save it as the name of the new position and make edits according to the position there. Saves me a lot of time!
  • Current Applications: Any companies that have “Priority Positions” have a folder within Current Applications, which helps me remember what I still have to do.
  • Finished Applications: When I finish an application I move that folder from the Current Applications to Finished Applications and change the name of the folder to the name of the organization and the date (ex. Google (4/24/15)), to help me keep track of when I should follow-up about various jobs.

To Do Lists: I run my entire life through Tasks on my Google Calendar, so that’s no different for job applications. Every Sunday night I look through my priority positions and plan when to apply for each and I factor that into my homework schedule.

Networking

LinkedIn: Use the Advanced Search feature! It helped me find connections I would NOT have found otherwise. Click Advanced Search, enter the company name, and search for current employees. Then when you find a second-degree connection, ask your first degree connection to set up an introduction. Yes, it’s awkward. But I guarantee that it will be worth it. Plus, your LinkedIn connections almost certainly want to help you, or they wouldn’t have connected with you in the first place.

Talking: I mean just what I said, talk to people. Tell your friends, family, and coworkers about jobs you’re applying to or companies that you’re interested in. They might know someone there, they might have other connections, etc. By not talking about it, you could be missing out on those connections!

Back-up

Weirdly, I’m not talking about saving your applications in multiple places (… but do that too please). I’m talking about the people who back you up. Job searches are ridiculously frustrating and disheartening. There are constant ups and downs. Make sure you have those people who are going to scream and jump around your room when you get the interview you’ve been waiting for, and will find a way to get you there, no matter how inconvenient. Don’t try to start a job search without a person who reads every single cover letter to catch all your typos and constantly reminds you to flaunt your accomplishments. Most importantly, you need to have the people you can cry to when everything falls apart. These are the people who will relentlessly remind me that it’s all going to work out, even when it seems more likely that I’ll finally get my Hogwarts letter than have a job by graduation. These people let me mope and watch Netflix when I receive rejection notices, bring me chocolate, and post notes around reminding me that it’s going to work out eventually. I would not have gotten this far in my job search without them; don’t try to do this alone.

Why You Should Target Your Cover Letters and Resumes

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Trust me, I know. This is by far the worst part of applying to internships, but it’s also the most important. It can take a lot of time, but you need to tailor your cover letter and resume to each internship. A generic cover letter especially works against you. It tells you prospective employer that you’re not invested in getting this position. More subtly, a generic resume works against you because you’re not framing yourself as a good candidate for THIS position.

Don't be like Paris! Patience is key :)

Don’t be like Paris! Patience is key 🙂

Essentially, any time you don’t target your cover letters and resumes, you’re losing the opportunity to show yourself and your skills in the best light. It may take time, but it’s worth it. A targeted cover letter is a great way to showcase your interests and elaborate upon your skills and experiences. You can easily be in dialogue with the HR department’s description of the position you’re applying for—use their language and show exactly how you fit. I like to split my cover letters into 4 parts—a similar format helps me feel like I’m not entirely starting from scratch every time. In the first part, I talk about why I am interested in that company/career path, then what I will gain from the position, then what I can bring to the position, and finally a short summary and space to thank them for their time and consideration.

Your structure can vary, of course, but it is good to have a format that you know works to convey why you want the position, what it will offer you, and what you can offer the organization. Recently, I have been applying to internships in criminal law—with firms and advocacy groups—and expressing my passion for law and my interest in minors in the criminal justice system has been helping me get interviews. I’ve even had a couple organizations pass my information along for different positions, so you never know what could happen!

The places you're applying to shouldn't have to ask who you are. Tell them!

The places you’re applying to shouldn’t have to ask who you are. Tell them!

It may seem less obvious that targeting your resumes could be important. Of course you should target a cover letter to a position, but why bother rearranging your resume? It can actually show you in a really positive light. If a potential employer is scanning hundreds of resumes, doesn’t it make sense to organize your resume so that they can automatically see why you’re qualified? A resume that is tailored to the position and what it requires can allow you to stand out. Especially if you don’t have a contact, standing out and showing interest in the position is essential. You always want to put your best foot forward during the application process, even if it takes more time

New Year, New Possibilities

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So its the new year, students have returned back to this lovely campus, the stillness is happily disrupted by the sound of the pencils on paper as you furiously take notes, the laughs and joys coming from your hallway at the joyous reunion of friends, and the delicious and satisfying taste of fresh Scripps cookies!

What better way to bring in the lovely 2015 with great internship tips, career related advice, and wonderful pictures of cats?!

Don't be scared young grasshopper! This kitty hasn't read Beyond the Elms yet!

Meow, meow, meow. This kitty hasn’t read Beyond the Elms yet! Photo via Pets Advisor.

Now I know what you might be thinking…yeah the new year has arrived, but that means I have to actually figure out what I am doing this summer *insert scary emotions and anxiousness here*. But not to worry, we won’t leave you behind and unlike this adorable yet poor cat, there’s really no need to fear!

Since the summer is approaching it would be a great idea to make a game-plan. When you begin to think about why you may be worried about internships, it may be due to the fact that you haven’t really explored all your options yet or you haven’t actually applied to all the places you want to gain experience from yet.

So let’s start with a deep breath and an organize ourselves. Create an excel file of all the internships or volunteer opportunities that you are interested in. Make sure to note their due dates, application requirements, and any other helpful tips like what city are they located in or who you should contact for further questions. Now this may sound tedious but trust me, its a lifesaver. Having all your application information in one place makes you feel all put together and squared away (even if only for a little bit!)

See this cat already feels better after getting its internship list organized!

See… this cat already feels better after getting its internship list organized! Photo via Animal Fair.

The next step is applying…dun dun dun. What even are cover letters? Resumes? You mean I actually have to rewrite these every time I apply to another internship? Hate to break it to ya champ, but you must! But that’s okay, stay tuned for magnificent, practical, and efficient advice on how to tackle the metaphorical beast of internships!

Fear not my fellow internship seekers and stay tuned for career and internship help as we navigate the waters of Spring Semester! Oh and of course more pictures of adorable animals!

Welcome back everyone!

Isabella

P.S. Have adorable cat videos you want to send my or questions about internships and online applications? Please send them my way! I would love to help!

Career Building Tips from a Sophomore

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At the start of my first year, I knew very little about career planning. As a sophomore, I continue to learn from my mistakes and work on my patience as I wait to hear back about summer internships. I’ve much left to learn, but luckily, I’ve still got another two years.

Read on below for some personal tips that have helped me along this journey.

1. Cover Letter- The missing ingredient in most cover letters, including very many of my own, is a lack of genuine passion and delight. When a potential employer reads your cover letter, they should feel just how ardently you want the position. Convince your reader that you’re not writing the cover letter because it’s required. Rather, you’re writing it because your enthusiasm knows no bounds– You want the whole world to know how great a writer/scientist/athlete you are!

2. Tailored Resumes- At the start of my first year at Scripps, I had one basic resume from my senior year of high school. The formatting was completely incorrect, and lacked a header as well as any description whatsoever. Since then, I have created almost 10 different versions of a resume, and gone in to CP&R for revisions countless times. Some categories include, but are not limited to: art, journalism, business, and leadership. As your career interests change over time, you will find yourself with increasingly different versions of your resume.

3. Editing Cover Letters and Resumes- CP&R provides friendly and knowledgeable advice and feedback, but it always helps to get a second opinion. Exchange cover letters and resumes with friends and/ or family members for review. Email them to each other in Word doc form so they can insert comments in the right margin. Remember to give back in turn by offering your help as well.

4. Prioritize Choices- Much like applying to colleges, you won’t be able to apply for every single internship and/or job opportunity out there. You’ll have to factor in time, money, transportation, skill level, and more. Be realistic and avoid options to which you won’t be able to accept if offered.

5. Give Yourself a Break- Working on resumes, cover letters, and other application materials can be both time-consuming and boring. Give yourself breaks in-between, and try not to take rejections too personally. It’s common not to hear back from companies, and sometimes, you’ll hear back when you’re least expecting it.

How do you handle your career aspirations? Have any tips to share with us? Comment below.

CP&R Drop-in Hours

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So the process has begun.

Yesterday, I started my first internship application, writing up a draft of my cover letter, figuring out which clips to submit, emailing people for letters of reference, and tailoring my resume. I did my best to research what the internship required and would entail, and even contacted the person to whom I’m submitting the application with further questions.

Especially since this is one of the more competitive internships I’m applying for (I can’t know for sure, but it’s a guess), I’m making use of CP&R as much as possible. Today, I stopped by during drop-in hours and was helped by one of the student workers, who went over my resume and cover letter very closely, making really good recommendations.

Officially, here is my piece of advice to every and any student applying for an internship or for a job—and CP&R will love this—GET HELP FROM CP&R! It was great!

When I first started my cover letter on Sunday night, I felt very unsure about myself. I haven’t really written a cover letter before, and it all seemed pretty iffy—what should I write about, how should I write it, etc. Eventually, I worked out something acceptable. After being helped in CP&R, however, I took those comment and critique-covered pages back to my room and tackled them some more. The cover letter may still not be the best it could be, but I actually feel good about both that and my resume now, and it was even kind of fun—because, let’s be honest, what’s a better mood-booster than preparing a couple documents making you sound like a competent, witty, and brilliant person?

I am pretty nervous, since this is the first internship I’ve applied to and the first time I’ve really gone through this process. After being helped at CP&R though, I no longer regard the internship application process as a “necessary evil:” time-consuming, daunting, and nerve-wracking. Of course I’m still a bit nervous, but as I said, it was kind of fun, too. (Then again, this is coming from someone who thought college applications were kind of fun, too.)

Worse comes to worst—even if I don’t even get considered for an interview—at least I will still feel proud about my cover letter and resume.