Resume Workshop - Essay Example

?Resume Workshop I was very excited to attend the resume workshop because there were many things that I did not know and most of them will be useful for me later on in my career. I already knew roughly what information was to be included on a resume, but it was nice to be shown how it should be done professionally. It is really important to have a professional essay because that is the first thing that employers will look for. If they see that you have a resume that has many spelling errors, missing information, etc., then they may get the impression that you are not that interested in the job. This shows a lack of work ethic and dedication, and these are two traits that are needed for almost every job. One thing that I did learn about the layout of a resume is that volunteering or internships can be included under professional development. I would have thought that only paid work could go here because that is what employers want to see; however, any type of work at all can be helpful because it shows experience and also a willingness to learn and try new things. It was very good for me to see an example of a resume because then I had the chance to compare it to my own one. I did create a resume a couple of years ago, but I have not updated and there is more information that I could now add. The thing that impressed me with this resume example was that everything was neat and tidy and in order. It was very easy to read because there was a flow to it. I think that employers like this because they often have so many resumes to read when they are hiring someone for the job. Only the necessary information is included in the resume because otherwise it would take too long to read and the employer would not be interested. I can use this for my own resume by getting rid of information that is not really helpful to my cause and only include things that will help me get accepted for the job I am applying for. Something I learned from this part of the workshop was that the resume should try to include as much information as possible that relates to the job being applied for because this will help the employer to see what you are really good at. This is also why the bullet points under each job and/or internship are really important because the employer cannot gather very much from just reading about a workplace or job title; they need to see some of the job tasks that were involved because it will show what I am capable at. However, these bullet points should not be too long and they should not include information that is obvious. Some job titles have the same types of tasks, so there is no real need to mention them twice. The accomplishments should make you stand out from the rest of the applicants by showing some kind of special talent or skill. Also, the number of bullet points should be at least two and no more than four. I have been guilty of going against this rule in the past by including more than four bullet points and sometimes even up to six or seven. Having too many bullet points can get boring and make the resume longer than it needs to be, so I need to remember to be concise and even group some tasks together in one bullet point so as to keep content to a bare minimum. I learned that bullet points need to be positive. Also, they should be very impressive by playing up the tasks and skills that I have gained. There is no need to lie about something, but it is important to paint myself in the best light possible. The best way to do this is by including great detail about my accomplishments and showing that I am a capable worker. Although the resume is important for gaining a job, I actually learned that the interview process is more important because it gives the employer a chance to assess my capabilities. Some of the tips were obvious, such as good conversation skills, strong body language, and also knowing the resume really well. I did not realize how important some of these things were, and I know that I could improve on them. A job interview is a formal occasion, but it is also a test to see if I can handle a high pressure situation. I found the STAR guide useful because it gave me a blueprint from which to plan my conversation when I am in the job interview. The popular interview questions were very helpful to me because they gave me a hint as to what types of things a prospective employer will ask during an interview. The STAR method is useful for these types of random questions where there is no straightforward answer. What it does is give me a process from which to build my answer and provide enough background. I did not know that it is good to ask a question of the employer and the organization. I would have thought that it is impolite to speak when the interviewer did not ask me to do so, but I am pleased to see that it will actually show that I care about the organization. Conducting research of the firm and possibly even the employer before entering the interview is a good skill to have because it will show that I know my stuff and can contribute to the organization. There are so many common interview questions, but I don't think that it is important to prepare for them all. The interview will only last for so long, but preparation is the key when it comes to going to a job interview because it will improve performance. Conducting a mock interview with a friend before experiencing the real one is a good idea because practice will help to get me in the right frame of mind. Read More