Job Interviews and Resumes

          As part of our Monday night class, we had the privilege of having a couple guest speakers Skype in with us to talk about job interviews, resumes, and the specifics that would help us succeed and stand out against other applicants when going for a job. For me, a lot of this was a review. Last semester I was enrolled in a course called Meaning, Purpose, and Your Career, which Jacob Helmeczi taught. A section of the class discussed in depth the whole entire process from start to finish of getting a job, including the resume and the job interviewing process as well. But, of course I learned a few new things from the couple people who were kind enough to Skype in, Antionette and Rob.           Although much of what I was hearing was a review, some advice did stick out that I will carry with me to the future. The best piece of advice for the resume in my opinion was to share your Linkedin on your resume. I created a Linkedin last semester, but it was not advised to put that on our resume. Linkedin can connect you around the world with anyone and could change your future. You can network and meet other professionals that can also help you network, that may lead to possible internships and other jobs. Another helpful hint they gave us was to keep the resume at one page in length. It is easier for the recruiter or interview to focus on your skills in a nutshell, rather than a long list on maybe ten or so pages.
           My favorite piece of advice that they gave was to be honest. Job postings can be lengthy and overwhelming. Don't mold yourself to fit the job posting, just be honest. Be honest with yourself and pick out key words in the job posting so they know you are paying attention and being yourself. Rob and Antionette also added that interviewers really enjoy someone who truly shows they love what they are doing and have a long term interest for it. It is also important at the end of the interview to ask a question along the lines of "Do you have a time when you think you are trying to fill this position?" so it seems you are interested. In addition, you should also send a follow up email with contact information and saying thank you for your time.