By Elizabeth Paris
With the career fair today, students need to know how to effectively market themselves to prospective employers. A resume is necessary to make a good first impression and to get to the next step - an interview.
'What you really want to do is have a resume that will get their attention in terms of the elements of the layout that will invite them to read it,' said William Swinyard, a professor in the business department.
Resumes should include active verbs to engage the reader and get them involved.
Resumes should also include what the applicant can do, what skills they have acquired and the lessons they have learned in past companies.
Finally, students should emphasize what they have contributed to companies in the past. How were the students valuable to specific projects and the daily operations of the company?
Students should not simply list jobs and responsibilities, but what they have accomplished, learned and contributed to their last companies.
Employers and recruiters are looking for any reason not to hire you, so grammatical errors will put a submitted resume into the trash.
There are many helpful resources available on campus. The Career Resource Center and the Writing Center are two such places.
'I think many people are worried about what''s on them but a lot of times it is just the presentation,' said Chris Harris, a senior majoring in accounting.
Many students'' most marketable attribute is education. Make sure education is stressed.
In this instance students should focus on the skills they have learned.