Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Transitioning a High School Resume to a Professional Resume

If you are an incoming first year student at Gettysburg you probably have some experience with a resume.  You’ll be working on your resume over the next four years, and if you want to work on campus, you might need to submit a resume through Gettysburg Works.  There are might be some considerable differences between the resume you used for college applications and the professional resume you’ll be using on campus and after college.  Here are a few tips to help you transition:

  • No hours needed - You don’t need to list how many hours a week/year you participated in an activity.  You do need to provide real dates (not semesters, quarters, trimesters, etc.)
  • No “selfies” - If you’ve got your picture on your resume you can take it off.  That’s not the best use of space and doesn’t matter to your future employer. 
  •  Keep it to one page - You did plenty of incredible things before coming to Gettysburg, but you should only pick the most recent and relevant activities/work experiences for your resume.  It also helps to tailor your selections based upon the job you are applying to.
  • Describe your experience – You should talk about what you did/accomplished for each job or activity.  Avoid using “I” and describe your experiences with action statements and deliverables. 
  • Keep it organized - Create sections and place items in reverse chronological order (most recent first). You shouldn't break things down by class year.
  • No references needed – You will need to provide references for your future job applications but don’t waste space on your resume by including references there.

We have plenty of resources on the Career Development website that can help you and we strongly suggest reviewing our resume handout and a sample professional resume (sample 1 and sample 2) before submitting anything through Gettysburg Works.

Friday, June 21, 2013

What is Gettysburg Works?

Gettysburg Works is the College’s system of record for employer relations and job postings.  Over your four years at Gettysburg you’ll use Gettysburg Works in a number of ways. 

  • You might be asked to submit a resume for an on-campus job at Gettysburg.  Resumes in Gettysburg Works require approval.  Once you get one resume approved you’ll be able to upload as many as you want without approval. 
  • You’ll have the option to set up (and update) your profile information.  You should always keep you profile up to date so that we can let you know about events and opportunities that fit your career interests. 
  • You’ll use Gettysburg Works to identify internships and post-grad job opportunities.  You might even use Gettysburg Works to submit a resume to a potential employer and set up an on-campus interview. 
  •  You’ll RSVP for career related events.  We often like to know how many students will attend a given event.  Therefore, we ask that you RSVP in Gettysburg Works.  Another good reason to RSVP is because you’ll receive a reminder email before the event itself!

Since you’ll be spending some time on Gettysburg Works we suggest getting oriented with the system now.  If you need help we have a great users guide onlineLog in now to get started and let us know if you have any questions!


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Welcome to Career Development's new Blog!

Welcome to the Center for Career Development Blog.  We'll be sharing lots of information about Career Development, feedback and reports from our various experiential opportunities, and advice for Students embarking on their career path.  Keep an eye out for new posts and some great information!