Revisiting Your Resume

As you are getting ready to return to school, it's the perfect time to make sure that your resume reflects all that you have recently done. Maybe you took a class during the break, or worked-part time or volunteered.  Maybe (gasp) last semester's internship is still not on your resume.

Here is a great article with some tips for your resume.  I have to say that I agree with each one of them.  Your resume should show the employer that you an fill the need that they have. Of course, each employer will have different needs, so a resume may need to be adjusted depending on who is the recipient.  Employers want to know how you can help them, so when talking about your past experience, be sure to include qualifiable information and specific examples.  This way they can truly get a sense of what you have done in the past and how you can help them in the future. For example, don't just say that you managed a store. Rather, discuss all of the aspects of managing that store. How many employees did you supervise?  What was the amount of the budget that you handled?  How much business did that store do on a monthly basis?

For more great tips, see this article. And don't forget to have your resume reviewed by The Career Center! We are available by appointment or during our walk-in Quick Questions hours which are Monday-Thursday from 2:00-4:00 or Friday from 11:00-1:00.  Come on in!

http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/resume_myths_cost_job/article.aspx

Darlene Johnson, Senior Associate Director 

Want to Volunteer? LinkedIn Can Help You With That

Why is volunteering important?

• You play a role in helping others
• You get valuable work experience
• You increase your chances of landing a job

A study from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) reports that volunteers are 27% more likely to secure a job than non-volunteers.

If you're not sure where you can find volunteer opportunities, try LinkedIn.

LinkedIn now has a Volunteer Marketplace, where you can search for volunteer postings by keyword, industry, job function, location, and experience level. You can also identify LinkedIn connections who are working with non-profit organizations so you can get their perspective on what it is like to work or volunteer at their organization.

Get started at volunteer.linkedin.com

Nayelli Perez, Assistant Director 

Managing Your Online Reputation

When you apply for a job, whether it be an internship or full-time position, the chances of the hiring manager "Google-ing" your name are high. Although the internet, social media, and technology is such a big part of our lives and our job searches today, many people don't realize how important it is to have a positive and professional online image. The way you manage your online image can act as a huge positive and can even help you land a job. Be advised, however, that it can have negative repercussions as well. The first step to figuring out where your online presence stands is by Google searching your name. When I Googled myself, the two first search results that came up where of the IMBD and Wikipedia pages of an actress with the same name. Third was my LinkedIn profile. Not too bad. What happens when you Google yourself? What do you find? For more information on this topic, check out this article by Career Realism. You may be surprised at what you learn. 

Kaitlyn Riley, Assistant Director 

Use LinkedIn to Volunteer!

Today, LinkedIn added volunteer opportunities to their Job Postings.  This is a wonderful addition to their already plentiful job board!  Not only is volunteering a super way to get more experience, but it is one of the top ways to explore careers and make connections!  

What I like about the job (and now, volunteer) postings on LinkedIn is that you can follow organizations to keep up to date on their announcements and future postings, begin to connect with people who already work there, and see related jobs that others have viewed.  Click here to read a short piece on the LinkedIn announcement.

Want more information on how to find jobs and volunteer opportunities or create a great LinkedIn profile? Come on in to The Career Center and let us help!

Suzanne Dagger, Interim Executive Director

The Learning Never Stops - Even for us!

Happy Friday, Hofstra! This morning, a few of our Career Center staff members are breaking out of M. Robert Lowe Hall and spending the day at The Cooper Union in Manhattan for some good old-fashioned professional development to learn new innovations in helping you along your career path!

Today, we'll be focusing on new trends in resume writing and skill marketing for art majors, veterans, and the LGBTQ community. Students from these demographics can have a plethora of different experiences that may not fit into the "typical" résumé format, but that by no means should suggest that they not be included at all! 

One of the great speakers we'll hear from today is Riley Folds, author of Your Queer Career and a leading expert on LGBTQ workplace issues and advocacy. He'll be informing us on some of the many different ways in which an individual can be "out" in the workplace, and showing us how to better serve this growing, increasingly diverse student population! You can check out his 4 tips for LGBTQ job- and internship-seekers here. 

Interested to see what we've learned to better serve you? Come in to the Career Center and let us show you what we've got!

Amy Smith, Graduate Assistant

To Whom It May Concern...

Students often come into our office for help with their resumes.  When I ask to see their cover letter, I am often met with a blank stare. 

Cover letters, although they usually receive less attention than resumes, can be very influential in convincing a hiring manager that you are perfect for their team. The cover letter explains to the hiring manager how you would add value to the specific needs of their organization. 

The key to writing an effective cover letter is to focus on the employer’s interests and not yours. 
You can read more helpful tips for writing a compelling cover letter here: http://bit.ly/18AhgxV.  

Deanna Rodin, Associate Director

Why You Should Volunteer!

Quite a few years ago, I decided to change my career. The only problem was, I did not know what new career I wanted. I only knew that I was unhappy in the string of jobs that I had taken since graduating college 8 years prior.

I decided to make an appointment with my college alma mater's career center to speak to a career counselor about my options.  It turned out that as she spoke I realized that I wanted HER job!  Problem #2; my undergraduate degree and various full-time jobs did not qualify me to be a career counselor. So, I enrolled in a graduate program for Career Development.  End of story?  Did I then live happily ever after as a career counselor?  Well, then came problem #3; I realized that I was going to have this lovely degree but no experience in the field of career counseling to go with it. So, I called back my alma mater's career center and asked if I could volunteer with them.  Faster than I could say "free help" I was hired as a volunteer.

What did I do as a volunteer?  I observed counseling appointments and workshops, I helped coordinate a career night for student athletes, I called alumni to gather their employment status, I attended career fairs and I became familiar with the day-to-day duties of a career counselor.  In addition, I met experienced counselors and administrators who taught me a great deal, including the importance of becoming involved in professional associations in my field.  And, of course, I made great networking contacts.  Volunteering also showed prospective employers that it was very important to me to get related experience.  I made sure that happened, even though I was attending graduate school full-time and working in another job part-time.

No, I did not get paid at my volunteer job, and I realize that not every student can afford to work for free.  However, even if you volunteer for a few hours a week, you will gain the benefits.  As I always tell my students, it doesn't say on your resume how many hours a week you did a job.  As with any job, it's the quality of the work that you do, rather than the quantity of hours that you are there, that matters most.

So don't be afraid to volunteer!  For more help on how to  volunteer and where to find opportunities, call The Career Center to set up an appointment.  

Darlene Johnson, Senior Associate Director