It’s Week Two Mentees!!!
We’re all in college for one common goal and that’s to graduate and get a job and hopefully make a difference wherever we work. Sometimes your first impression may be your last impression so it’s important that you make a good one.
Whether you going to graduate school immediately after graduation or you are going into the working world, it is important to know how to present yourself. This week is all about cover letters, resumes, and job searching.
Review the Career Services website and see what is offered there to help students (note links for Undergraduate Students and Non-Traditional Knights). List some things that will help you on your job search or some things that will guide you to getting into your graduate program. Provide a link to your dream job or graduate program.
• What should you include/exclude in a cover letter?
• Is sending a coverletter via email enough?
• When do you call, email, stop-in, or stalk (just kidding) for an interview?
• What are some ways your resume can highlight your interdisciplinarity?
• How do you conduct a job search (or graduate school search) in our modern climate of internet and email?
Several links on the Career Services website will help me get into my graduate program, which in my case, is medical school. The link to "Gaining Relevant Work Experience" will be very useful to me because it is very important that I log many hours "shadowing" doctors. The "Writing Effective Resumes and Cover Letters" section will additionally be very helpful both now and in the future for maintaining my resume and keeping it up to date. The "Preparing to Interview" link will be helpful in the near future if I pursue a different job as well as when I have medical school interviews and eventually interviews when applying for a physician position.
ReplyDeletemy dream medical school:
http://med.miami.edu/education
cover letter do's and don'ts:
- Do not be impersonable. Address the cover letter to the correct addressee.
-Don't send the same generic cover letter to several companies-employers will be able to detect this!
-Do follow proper business letter format
-Don't use unprofessional language
-Do include an original signature
-Do tell the employer why you are right for the job
-Don't include irrelevant information
-Don't regurgitate your resume
-Do limit it to 1 page
-Do close with a direct request for some type of action
-DO edit, edit, edit! Nothing looks worse on a cover letter than typos!
-Before leaving the interview, find out the preferred method of contact for checking in with your interviewer and ask if it will be okay for you to touch base with them in a few days.
-My resume can highlight my interdisciplinarity by showing various extracurricular activities and my job that I incorporate into preparing myself to be a strong medical school applicant.
-In the modern climate of internet and email, it is easier than ever to conduct a job or graduate school search. A graduate school search can easily be done by finding a list of schools with your program. Then you can visit each school's website individually to find out their requirements. As for a job search, there are many websites specifically for job searches such as careerbuilder.com. Additionally, many company websites have a link to their c,current areer opportunities.
Brooke,
DeleteI think it's great you were able to find resources that can help you in the future. It looks like being in the medical field will be a lot of work. I like your "do's and don'ts" I think keeping it to one page is a good idea. Editing is very important as well, because we can miss mistakes unless we read it over. Another good idea is to get someone to proofread it. What would you like to do after you finish medical school? Any particular field you would like to go into?
Great write up, Brooke :) Good luck with your pursuit of medschool!
DeleteNice job breaking everything down! Not just with the do's and dont's, but with the career services information as well. This information sounds like it could also help you with medical school applications!
Deletecurrent career opportunities*. (perfect example of the importance of proof reading!)
ReplyDeleteYes!
DeleteRuthschris.com
ReplyDeleteSince I am about to graduate I am looking at a position in the restaurant I am currently working at to become a part of the corporate part and work with our beverage director.
Some things to include/exclude on my cover letter would be
Include:
Name, address, phone number, who I am addressing, talking about what position I am interested in. the first paragraph should include why I am applying for the position and where I found the job. The next paragraph should include how I am going to help the company grow and what my qualifications are. The last paragraph should thank the employer for taking the time to read my resume and letting them know how I will follow up with them. Then I would do the closing.
Exclude:
Don’t use a template. The first paragraph should not be too long. Do not be vague. Do not use crazy fonts. Do not include your personal information such as age and race. Do not brag.
You should call at non peak business hours that way you might be able to actually speak to someone and this goes the same for stopping by a place.
The internet is a great way to do job searching and the UCF career services also offer a great help.
You should send the cover letter along with your resume in case they want to read further.
My brother is a sommelier, general manager of a award winning fine dining restaurant. It is not corporate but in my opinion non- corporate is better. You can move up much faster, you can have more freedom for creativity. Also the chance for awards are higher which reflect you as well as the business for future recognition.
DeleteYou are right about the peak hours, my brother will not think about hiring someone who either calls period to see if we are hiring or comes during lunch rush or dinner rush.
Good luck with your pursuit of managment in your work place! Im pursuing advancement in retail sales right now and if youre as passionate about the restaraunt business as I am about sales, im sure youll do great!
DeleteThat's a great idea to try to get into the corporate end where you already work. Having a foot in the door should work to your advantage! Good luck and I hope you get the job you want!
DeleteI think its awesome that you were given such an opportunity to keep your work experience growing. Even though its not in the same area of your degree, I feel it's a wonderful experience for you to have. Good luck, and I hope everything goes well!
DeleteThat is great that you are already working at the place you want to get a career in. I think the corporate side of restuarants can be really interested as well as interdisplinary. For example combining the finanaces, marketing, culinary (etc.) areas all together to create a sucessful business.
DeleteI am curious how you justify calling a business after an interview because I always feel like I am over stepping some sort of invisible boundary? How long do you wait to call?
Cover letters are super important; not only do they introduce you to your perspective employer, but it is a chance to set yourself apart from other seeking the same position. One should never, EVER, submit a generic cover letter. It should be tailored to you specifically and highlight why you are the best candidate for the job. A cover letter is also not the place where you restate what is written in your resume. I believe that sending a cover letter via e-mail is okay given that it is quite possibly the most popular way of submitting a cover letter/resumein today's technological world. It is always best to set up an interview in advance. This allows you an opportunity to prepare. After, it is prudent to send a thank you note to the person with whom you interviewd. Be sure to mention areas of the interview that went really well to make yourself stand out. Allow the employer ample time to make a decision, but if they do not call when they say they will, give it a day or so and make a follow-up call to check on the job status. Following up can convey to an employer that you are serious in your desire for the position. My resume can highlight my interdisciplinarity because it truly reflects how health and mental health dove tail. Conducting a search for graduate programs in today's climate is quite easy and accessible. For those wanting to further study psychology and mental health, the APA has a webpage dedicated to accredited programs. My dream program would be at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. http://www.mspp.edu/
ReplyDeleteMarcelyn,
DeleteI agree that cover letters will be more effective if it is tailored. I didn't really think of setting up an interview in advance. That's a good idea. Thank you notes are very courteous, a forgotten art in this current world. It is polite and thoughful. What would you like to do with psychology?
I would love to do school psychology or work at a private practice! I haven't yet pinpointed a population that I would like to work with though- too many to choose from at this point!
DeleteI am still unsure of my dream job but I know I want to go in the direction of helping sustaining our world for future generations. Http://www.spacecoastenergy.org/pdf/SCECSYmpFlyers_Dec_2011.pdf
ReplyDeleteDon't be too lengthy on the cover letter it should be your job objective to that company. Don't put your GPA, high school, or dates on your resume. You should include the cover letter with your resume. Before leaving the interview you should make a point to ask when the appropriate time to call for a follow-up. You should email the interviewer after the interview to thank them for their time.
My resume will show the interdisciplinary through the skills portion and portray how I will greatly be suited for by me being qualified in more areas than just one.
Stevie,
DeleteSustaining our world for future generations sounds like a noble cause. What area are you interested in? And what are your areas of concentration?
my areas of concetration are environmental engineering and environmental studies. I would like to focus on water depletion, water pollution, waste management with help cleaning old toxic waste dumps. helping to maintain our resources as of today.
DeleteI forgot about the part about telling them how you can improve their business with your interdisciplinary skills. That is also a very important part in make a great impression on your future employer.
DeleteI think that including GPA depends on who you're sending your resume to. In your case, to a potential employer I agree, No. But, if it is for a graduate program it's probably a good idea you include your GPA.
DeleteI have used Career Services before and believe that it is a very useful site that sometimes is forgotten or not even known to students. I have a KnightLink account and love the services provided to help students like myself find part-time jobs while enrolled at UCF. I also appreciate the Link “Gaining Relevant Work Experience,” which I have not look at until now. I am interested in working in Public relations or Advertisting and believe it to be a very competitive industry therefore relevant internships in a must. Now I realize I can get in touch with the office of experimental learning and hopefully find and intership that way.
ReplyDeleteMy Dream Job is to be the Public Relations Manager of the Philadelphia Flyers. Joe Siville Now hold the position. http://flyers.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=36258
Cover letters should: Be in business format, address the reasons why you are right for the job and what exact job you are apply for, be free of errors, and only one page long. Cover letters should not: be generic and used for many jobs, or your resume in different format. I believe cover letters are an extra push to put you above other applicants therefore in that one page do the best you can to present yourself in a professional manner, explaining exactly what qualifies you best for the job at hand.
I believe after an interview one should leave it to the employer to contact them. The only time I will call an employer after an interview is if I was told at the time of the interview that it was okay to contact them. If you are unsure what they see as professional or okay ask at the interview. But for the most part I do believe in waiting for them to contact me.
My resume can highlight my interdisciplinarity by explaining the duties of each job I have had in the past. These details show employers that my previous job were interdisciplinary because they required skills from many different categories. For example my job working for Norwegian Cruise Line required me to be a dancer and actor with exceptional guest service skills and organization.
I believe that in this time of internet and email it is so simple to conduct a job search. I usual start with a search engine such a Google and go from there following links to other career websites. I do believe going directly to the employers website is the best way to go because they almost always have a link to “careers” or “auditions” letting you know exactly what areas they are hiring in.
Your background sounds like it will be sure to help you in pursuit of your dreams! I liked hearing about your experience with career services, and I think you're right in saying that it is a service that it neglected by atudents. Also, you make a good point about contacting an employer after an interview, as they very well may not view that as professional.
DeleteWorking on a cruise line seems like it would be awesome! That could possibly be a connection for a future job in ad/pr too. You seem to have it all together which is good since ad/pr is such a competitive field!
DeleteI hope you reach your dreams. The fact that you found a new link on the website will definitely be beneficial to you also. Also the job on the cruise line is great for your resume and sounds very fun.
Delete*Career services allows me to search for several possible graduate schools and also job oppurtunities in Sales.
ReplyDelete*A website to my dream job would be similar to Pfizers website. This pharmeceutical company is one of the top in the nation and the competitive sales environment is the perfect match for my career goals and personality!
• What should you include/exclude in a cover letter?
Somethings you should incude in a cover letter are: your college gpa, your previous, relevant, work experience, your contact information, a reccomendation letter etc...
Somethings you should not include in a cover letter are: your age, your irrelevant work experience, your personal opinion about your previous employers/ professors etc...
• Is sending a coverletter via email enough?
No :)
• When do you call, email, stop-in, or stalk (just kidding) for an interview?
After you have handed in your resume in person, if you have not heard from the employer in 2 weeks, I would say that's an appropriate amount of time to reach out to them.
• What are some ways your resume can highlight your interdisciplinarity?
One specific way my resume can highlight my intrdiscipinarity is by combining my life skills with my specific job skills on my resume
• How do you conduct a job search (or graduate school search) in our modern climate of internet and email?
By using sources like Career services we are able to search specifically for jobs and graduate schools for our specific interest.
Yes, just sending the cover letter is not enough. Always follow up. As soon as you leave the office or business they tend to forget about you, no offense. They have so many other things going on that they need to be reminded that you were there and are still interested. I know that I as a bartender, if someone asks me for something and someone else asked me for something right after then I would tend to forget until I look back at the guest and of course they do not have to ask me again, I just remember what they needed. Make sure to always call and let them know that you still want to be a part of the company.
DeleteAfter reviewing the career services link I found that they offer many different programs for different students. For me the "write effective resumes and cover letters" and the "gain relevant work experience" links will help. Having a good resume and cover letter is paramount in getting your foot in the door for a job.
ReplyDeleteInside a cover letter you should include the reason why you are sending a resume, how you learned about the position or job, convincing the reader to look at your resume, and your contact information.
Sending a cover letter via email is not enough.
My resume with my job experience on it will show my interdisciplinarity through my formal and informal education. By showing the different jobs I've have will show how diverse I am.
Conducting a job search has become a lot easier in the modern day. Using websites like Career Services and other sites similar to it make job searching less strenuous. It is easier to narrow down the jobs to your specific field that way.
I enjoy the idea of showing interdisciplinary through formal and informal education. I think informal education can be looked at as nonprofessional or what not however I believe one can argue that you can gain alot of relevant experience from informal education.
DeleteAlso if we all go into a writing a cover letter with the idea of "convincing the reader to look at your resume" I think if would help create a strong document.
The career services program at UCF is very helpful in guiding students on the path to getting their dream job or getting into their graduate school of their choice. Career services have helped me by the use of their resume critique program and their intern/externship programs.
ReplyDeleteA cover letter should be specific to your objective in the interview that is being conducted. For instance, when applying to graduate school you should make it specific to that institution, and let them know what you will bring to their school.
To begin the application process to a graduate program you should visit the schools website and get all of the information you can about them, and then follow their steps to applying. With today’s technologies it is preferred that you send your resume through e-mail. When inquiring about an interview, you should be professional, do not call a potential graduate program asking for an interview, if they feel you fit their program they will bring you in to interview you.
Some ways my resume can highlight interdisciplinarity is the way I can bring together my sciences and humanities classes to better prepare me for a career in occupational therapy.
This is the link to the graduate program I am interested in.
http://catalog.fiu.edu/2011_2012/Graduate/College_of_Nursing_and_Health_Sciences/Graduate_Occupational_Therapy.pdf
I think you make a wonderful point about being specific with each cover letter. Being generic doesn't help and can be a turn off to an employer because they can tell.
DeleteI took a look at the career service program here at UCF and it helped me a lot on deciding on what kind of jobs are out there for me to look into whenever I get done with school. It also has lots of information about Grad school. I also showed one of my teammates the career service program because he is going to grad school this summer and he also said it was helpful.
ReplyDeleteA cover letter is suppose to state your main objective that you want to achieve while getting interviewed for a job. If you are applying for a job you should let that job know what you will bring to the table that will help them out.When applying to graduate school you should always first take a look at their requirements online and see if that school and program is for you. From my understanding most schools want you to send in your information through e-mail. One way my resume can highlight my interdisciplinarity is that I can combine both my marketing classes and my sports business classes together to help me prepare for a job or grad school.