Keywords, qualifications and skill sets are typical types of resume jargon that employers search for as they methodically scan over an application.
There are about 70 days left before Ohio University students graduate.
That can mean 70 days between drinking on a Tuesday or spending time at a cubicle.
As students stand at the brink of "adulthood," several tips, tricks and resources exist to help them enter the job market.
Keywords, qualifications and skill sets are typical types of resume jargon that employers search for as they methodically scan over an application.
“Always customize your resume to fit the job description,” Jodi Pavol, assistant director of the Career and Leadership Development Center, said in an email. “Try to incorporate keywords from the job description into your resume.”
Pavol said it also is important to emphasize what the applicant has to offer instead of what he or she will gain.
For help, the Career and Leadership Development Center is open to students from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with drop-in hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m..
The center prepares students for internships and jobs through mock interviews, career coaching, drop-in sessions and leadership training.
“If you even have to reword your bullet points to say the same thing, but with their words, I would spend the time to do that,” Cami Jones, a junior studying industrial and systems engineering, said. “If you are applying to 20 different jobs, 20 different resumes.”
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Jones is the president of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and said she helps a lot of members look and prepare for jobs and internships.
“Write your resume with the keywords that they have listed under skills,” Jones said. “Because when the recruiter is, like, scanning your resume, or if a computer is scanning your resume, it’s going to be comparing it to that job description.”
Another important aspect of introduction into the job and internship world is networking.
“It's important to network because you have to start somewhere,” Emily Ginty, a senior studying journalism, said. “It is the foot that you need to get in the door for jobs and internships.”
An applicant also should focus on creating a mental checklist of experiences whether that be volunteer work, previous jobs or internships.
“Spend some time self-reflecting about what makes you unique from other candidates,” Pavol said. “Tell the employer how your previous experiences have prepared you with the skills necessary to be successful in your field.”
Ginty said it is also good to reach out to professors in a particular department and see what advice they have for applying to a job or internship.
“Be professional, but also let your personality shine through so the potential employer really gets to know you,” Ginty said.
Also, to make a good impression at the interview, it is essential to be authentic. Then, the employer will be more likely to remember the applicant, she said.
“Your mother is not going to be in the room saying great things about you,” Roxanne Malé-Brune, director of grant development and projects for the vice president of Research, said. “You need to be able to articulate why you are valuable to that employer.”
@mmhicks19
mh912314@ohio.edu
