Preparing to enter the matrix

Spring is here and the second semester is flying by. For a majority of students here at Plymouth State University this can be your time to pick classes for the next semester and start making summer plans. If you happen to be an upperclassman preparing to graduate in May or applying for that summer internship, there are some basic guidelines that can be highly beneficial towards your career path. Right before spring break, Business professor Terri Dautcher offered a crash course in the art of job searching for anyone who was interested. She covered topics about résumés, cover letters, web presence, and networking. This can be a confusing and stressful time for students preparing to enter life after PSU, but help is available!

Professor Dautcher spoke for one hour and used a power point slide show that helped present the information with samples of everything that she talked about. The beginning of the session was targeted towards a quick overview of what is expected when it comes to résumé and cover letters. The second half went into the details of a person's presence or online image and some steps to take to improve how future employers might interpret you from what they find online. She closed up the session with some great tips on networking and the actual job search process. 

"Don't have your résumé smell like BS, or sound too stuffy or formal. When the time comes, you have to decide what you want your résumé to look like," mentioned Dautcher. She emphasized that the primary rule was to have error free, clean and organized looking documents. The use of "curb appeal" on a resume gives someone a chance to reflect their qualifications and individuality. Dautcher used the term "rock star moment" when referring to what you should put on a résumé. If you have an impressive GPA, display your hard work. If your GPA is a little lower, then focus on something that makes you stand out from the average Joe such as team captain or group leader. 

She also mentioned that résumé format can change with every person you consult with but templates can be very beneficial and she recommended looking at sample résumés and cover letters to generate more ideas. Another good step to take is creating a nice looking letter head and using it on both documents for the matching set appearance. It is also important to create a new email account apart from your school address with a formal name that can be placed on your résumé. It can be sad to think about your MyPlymouth account vanishing, but all good things must come to an end.  Another good point made was if you put your cell phone number on a résumé, chances are you should evaluate your voicemail recording and ring back tones if you have them. The Biggie Smalls song that plays when someone calls you might give a potential employer the wrong impression. 

"It's time to scrub your digital dirt" emphasized Dautcher. An essential part of applying to jobs is your web presence. "People will look at Facebook, Google your name, or use websites such as Formspring to try and find anything about you." A great suggestion she made was to try and search your name in different places online to see how your online image looks. Two major ideas given were to try and create a job search blog and starting to sign up for online sites such as linkedin.com, which is similar to Facebook for professionals. Tools like these can help you build your professional profile. Blogger.com is a great free personal tool that Dautcher demonstrated during her session. It's a great place to post your contact information and résumé so you can really begin to network and pass your blog link around to potential employers. "Tools like these are a great way to build your competitive advantage" said Dautcher. It also can increase web competence and social media marketing skills. 

The last twenty minutes were used to discuss the job search process and what steps you should start taking now.  "Ask anyone and everyone about your job search; it's all about putting yourself out there," mentioned Dautcher. She recommended that you start researching companies and industries that interest you by checking out their websites and viewing their career sections. During the clinic, Professor Dautcher simply went to the Dicks Sporting Goods website and scrolled to the bottom to view career options. You would be surprised to learn that companies are hiring entry level college grads and your qualifications have higher value than you think. Job boards such as indeed.com are available to everyone and it can be highly beneficial to just start seeing what types of jobs are out there. 

The closing remarks were "GO FORWARD AND BE BRAVE." Develop your plan of attack, network, search, and finally begin to build your tools. This is a great starting point for someone who doesn't know what direction to go in,  and the end is approaching faster than we realize. Dautcher mentioned offering more info sessions similar to this one if people show interest. A crash course in résumés and interview training are great ways to start building towards your future, so don't hesitate to ask for help!