My internship blog post this week will focus on creating effective r�sum�s and cover letters. I have learned that all students should create a r�sum� early on in their college career that they continually enhance and perfect. I am so glad that I prepared my r�sum� and sample cover letter in advance because it enabled me to modify my r�sum� and cover letter for different summer internships both effectively and efficiently.
I am currently enrolled in LA 495.1, the College of the Liberal Arts non-departmental internship course, to receive college credit for my Spring 2010 internship with the Schreyer Career Services Office. When I visited Dr. Karen Peters, my professor for LA 495.1, during her office hours, she advised that when students are interested in a specific internship position they should look at relevant full-time job descriptions from the organization of interest; students can look at the qualifications section of a full-time job description that relates to a particular internship position and try to infuse the skills and qualities delineated in the description into their r�sum� and cover letter. I used this strategy by compiling a list of descriptive verbs and adjectives (e.g. execute, implement, orchestrate, utilize) from both full-time job descriptions and company websites of interest to me. I then employed this vocabulary to enhance my r�sum� and cover letters.
Before submitting a r�sum�, students should have professionals critique it. Career Services counselors can provide this service during drop-in counseling, open Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Drop-in counseling provided me with a great deal of flexibility because it afforded me the opportunity to receive quick career counseling on the fly. For instance, one day I received feedback on my r�sum� in between classes, and the next day I went in again to receive advice on my cover letter–what an incredible resource!
In addition, I possess a copy of the Career Guide for 2009-2010 provided by Career Services. It includes information about professional events and career advice, ranging from how to create a r�sum� to interviewing tips. The Career Guide includes examples of r�sum�s and cover letters that are very helpful to students who are creating their first r�sum� and cover letter. Students can stop by Career Services to pick up a hard copy of the Career Guide, or they can just visit the Career Services website, which contains a wealth of useful professional resources and information.
If anyone else has tips for creating effective application materials for internships or full-time positions, post them here!
Gena is a junior psychology major and a current intern for the Schreyer Honors College Career Development Office. She will be participating in a summer human resources internship at FOX 29 in Philadelphia. Read her first internship blog post here.
As a senior about to graduate Penn State in May, I have been frantically applying to jobs in the past few months in hopes of finding a professionally satisfying entry level position in the publishing world. After reading Gena’s post about writing resumes and cover letters, I couldn’t help but avidly agree with her that career services is a great resource for students and should be used as much as possible! I have found that in addition to career services, there are many other resources each person has-your personal contacts! Even if you have not had an internship where you created professional relationships, there are many people who have already been in the corporate world one can turn to for resume writing advice! In my experience, I have found that family members and friends who have experience with putting their own resume out there and those who have the experience of reading resumes and choosing potential employees are useful resources as well. After all, who is better to look over your resume than one who does it for a living in a corporate setting! After completing a summer internship in the publishing field last summer, I was given valuable resume tips from co-workers and my supervisor. While it may seem intimidating to ask someone for resume help, I have found that people are very inclined to help a young person who shows enthusiasm for creating a positive professional future for themselves and have always been more than happy to offer advice. Additionally, asking for a letter of recommendation from your supervisor after finishing an internship is a great way to put your resume above and beyond others. A letter of recommendation shows someone personally vouching for your work ethic, and I have been told that its a very positive thing for employers to see attached to a resume and cover letter. Don’t hesitate to ask for help, because it will all result in a strong final resume and cover letter that could be the key to your future!