3 Ways to Tailor Your Resume For the Position

by Gerald Buck | May 08, 2014

Tailoring your resume is vital for landing an interview, and ultimately, the job you’re applying for.You can’t simply write your resume and send that one out to every job opportunity that fits your career goals. You won’t get the responses you need. You need to customize your resume to fit each individual job application, and you can do so in these three steps. It will become second nature once you get to know the process.

Start with a core resume that you will keep saved on your computer. This is a basic resume that includes your job objective, your background, your accomplishments, your education, your skills, and any awards you have earned. Basically, this resume includes everything, but you won’t be sending this resume out to anyone.
Before you send it you will be deleting some information and possibly adding some. You need this core resume to work from so you can create great, customized resumes for each job application.

1. Read the Job Posting and Description Thoroughly

Many candidates forget the job posting once they have begun the application process, but this is so important to read and read again. Print it out so you can read it thoroughly and know what is expected of you. Having it printed will help you so you can go back to it anytime.

This will help you tailor your resume for that specific position and impress the hiring manager. They need to know that you understand the job’s requirements and what will be expected of you. The only way the hiring manager will know this is if you include the information in your resume. If you confirm this for them you will have a much better chance of getting a call back for an interview.

2. List Your Relevant Accomplishments, Experiences and Skills

While reading through the job description stop when you see an accomplishment (such as a certain college degree, for example), experience or skill that you have. Write it down. Write down everything that have experience in or have a skill that is in the job description and requirements.

This needs to go into your customized resume for the job position you’re applying for. Remember that experience and skills don’t just come from jobs you’ve had. They also come from volunteer work, unpaid work, relevant hobbies, extracurricular activities, temporary jobs, and more. You’re not limited to your previous jobs.

3. Match Your Information to the Job Description

Now you need to customize your resume to include those relevant accomplishments, experienced and skills. Most recruiters and hiring managers have a software that your resume will go through, and if it doesn’t have the keywords and phrases in it that match the job description and requirements it may never get to their email!

You have to include these so that when the hiring manager scans through your resume seeking out those keywords he or she will see them and shortlist your application. Getting shortlisted means getting a call back for a job interview.

You will gain attention with your tailored resume from the hiring manager. Most people are sending off their same old core resume, which is a huge mistake. You’ll be more likely to receive a call asking you to come in for an interview because you have put in the extra effort others have not. By customizing your resume you are showing the hiring manager that you are serious about the job opportunity and that you are the best candidate for the job.

They will see that you are qualified for the position because you’ve listed what is relevant.

What to wear to an interview in the Bay Area?

Hello Bobcats,

These are great tips for students pursuing opportunities in the Bay Area!

Sources: http://blog.sfgate.com/gettowork/2014/05/09/what-to-wear-to-an-interview-in-the-bay-area/

 

It never fails: You have an interview with that big software company in Palo Alto, or even a second interview with the hippest of SOMA startups, and no matter how many outfits you’ve mixed and matched, you still feel like you have nothing to wear. Friends suggest wearing a suit and calling it a day. Except, being overdressed for a Bay Area interview may cost you the perfect job.

Techie wear
Engineering teams aren’t just looking for someone who can code. They’re trying to decide if the candidate is a culture fit. Most engineers wear denim and a t-shirt — this is more true at startups — and it’s rare to find a tech worker in a suit. Overdressing for an interview can make a person seem too serious or, even worse, not very fun to have around.

If you are interviewing for any technical role, whether it be on the server side or in quality assurance, business casual is the way to go. It also wouldn’t hurt to have four interviewing getups, one for each season.

Fashions for the non technical
For those in human resources, marketing, sales, or any other non-technical role, I also recommend business casual attire for Bay Area interviewing.

Men are perfectly fine with just a shirt and tie, and women may wear pants or dresses with cool patterns. It’s always a good idea to ask the recruiter or hiring manager via email or over the phone what the company attire is like. This will definitely help narrow down the garments and aid in the decision making process.

The elegant executive
Unlike their East Coast counterparts, Bay Area executives don’t need a collection of high-end wool suits. They are the only section of people, however, who need to dress up a bit more for interviews in the Bay Area.

Because we enjoy such great weather in California, executives can save a lot of money by purchasing suits made of summer cloth. These fabrics often boost a wider selection of colors and patterns and give the tech savvy executive more options to express themselves.

Clothes do talk
The key to choosing an outfit is to clash patterns, but match colors. For women, it’s fine to wear jewelry — nothing screams, “I’m Creative!” like a hip pair of earrings. Men can show some flare by opting to wear shirts and ties with trendy colors and patterns. Clothes give a glimpse into who you are. Make sure the message you are sending out is the one you want.

Belo Cipriani is an award-winning author, former staffing professional, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind and the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University. Learn more at BeloCipriani.com.

Where did all that time go?

Written by: Center for Career & Professional Advancement, Serena Nguyen

Edited by: Dalton Rogers

If you could have one super power that could help you out in a time of need, which one would you choose?

I watched a movie called “About Time” last weekend. The movie is about a man who has the ability to travel back in time. Although his ability is limited to traveling back only to times in his own life, he is able to fix most of his mistakes and gets a fresh start many times over. Along his journey, he falls in love with a woman named Mary. After meeting her, the love of his life, he is able to learn and understand that sometimes there are things that are best left the way they happened the first time. He realizes the value of living in the moment. Overall, I thought the movie was great and had an amazing message, which is that we must treasure the time we have and we should not waste a moment of it.

After the seeing the movie, I reflected on its significance to my own life. I thought that the ability to travel through time was amazing and I wish I too could have that extraordinary power. Imagine what we could do with that power! As for me, I would put it to good use by going back in time to get more study time for exams. I wouldn’t have to worry about losing sleep to study anymore! In addition, I would also have time for fun, such as hanging out with my family and friends, and of course, catching up with all of my favorite TV shows.

Unfortunately, that kind of power doesn’t exist!

In reality, we each have 24 hours a day to complete what we need to do—and that’s it. We shouldn’t forget that of those 24 hours, 8 to 9 of them are spent sleeping and 30 minutes to an hour are spent per meal for eating, In the end, we really only have 12-14 hours each day to complete our tasks.

As college students, we attend classes (50 minutes, 75 minutes, sometimes 2 hours each), club/organization activities, and/or work. We also have assignments to do, group projects to work on, and readings to do.

So, “where did all that time go?” is the most asked question we tend to vocalize. Even those with the best time management skills can easily fall behind on their tasks and get overwhelmed with their workloads.

Occasionally, I do find myself unable to respond to any of my tasks because I just don’t know where to start. Everything falls apart when I decide to procrastinate and wait to the last minute to start on my work. That is not a very smart idea on my part, but I think all of us students struggle with procrastination.

 I remember when I was in my very first semester here at UC Merced. Like everyone else, as a freshman, I would spend most of my time going out with friends and socializing with people on my floor, or spending time on Facebook, Tumblr, and YouTube. I neglected my studies and didn’t prepare very well for my tests until the night before the exam. I regretted that I didn’t give more attention to my academics and instead decided to have fun first and work later. When I saw my first college GPA at the end of the semester, I was in shock. I didn’t get academic probation, but I was disappointed with myself for not trying harder.

I wish I could go back in time to fix my freshman year mistakes and to do better in my classes, but that is not possible. Instead, I have decided to manage my time better from this point on. By the end of my first semester as a sophomore, I was able to pull my cumulative GPA up over 3.0.

The moral of this story? Focus on working hard in the present time so that you won’t be regretting your choices in the future. No matter how badly we want to travel back in time, we can’t.

Carpe diem.

So, what have I learned from this lesson?

I learned that time is very precious and I must savor every moment of it. I should manage my time better and not wasting it for something that I might regret later on. Although I can still have fun with friends from time to time; I should also prioritize my task and know when to complete them on time. One way I can do that is to write all of my tasks down on a piece of paper and arrange them in their priorities. I also learned not to study for any of my test the night before the exam. Instead, I am giving myself three days in advance to study for the materials that will be cover on the test. I know three days may sound like a lot but trust me, it is not.

Of course, everyone is different and have options to choose what to do with their own time. However, we must not forget that time waits for no one and so we must do what we wanted to do. At the end of the day, we should look back and ask ourselves if the time we spend on for the entire day was worth it. If not, what can we do in order to change that?

Finals Week is Almost Here!

Written by Elizabeth O’Kane, Gillian Lopez, Kristen Nelson and Serena Nguyen

Center for Career & Professional Advancement Student Employees

Question: “How are you going to prepare for all of your final exams for the last few weeks of school?”

Elizabeth O’Kane, Media Assistant

Wing it.  Just kidding.  Final exams are always stressful, but there is never a clear path to study for them.  Even though you supposedly learned the material front to back all semester, this will not help you breakdown and identify the question.  Yes, you need to know the fundamentals as a base, but this alone will not guarantee an A.  Here are some tips to be mindful of when test taking:

1.    Breakdown topics, NOT chapters.

Multiple chapters usually refer to common topics.  Identify these common trends and group them together.  Trust me, it will be easier to remember, because you are creating a cognitive file system.

2.    No flashcards!

I used to always get stuck in the flash card rut.  I would memorize the way I wrote the words or a fold in the flashcards.  This did not help me learn the material, because I was looking for clues instead of reading the content.  Get out of this rut!  Look at a concept and physically write 1-2 paragraphs about it or verbally explain it to someone.  If you can explain it, then you know what you are talking about.

3.    Read every word.

Not every word in the textbook, every word of the exam question.  Have a piece of scratch paper and rewrite the question.  Writing the question out automatically puts you in the mindset for identifying what the question is really asking.  Circle keywords and start writing notes about what you know about the topic.  If it’s multiple choice, go back and start eliminating answers to better your chances.  This does take time so only use this method on questions you are unsure about.

Have faith, get plenty of rest and you put yourself in a confident mindset!

Kristen Nelson, SSHA Career Consultant

My number one rule for the time leading up to finals is to stay balanced. It’s so easy to just shut down during finals week. The end is so close, and yet for some reason I can actually get lazier. Because of this, I try not to break my routine. It helps me stay on task, keep a good work ethic, and also keep the stress at bay. This means the week prior to and also on finals week, I still go to the gym, enjoy some time with friends, and make sure to get enough sleep. The only way I am able to stick to my routine is by making adjustments and managing my time well. So I might go workout for 30 minutes rather than an hour, or I might go home a little earlier from hanging with friends so that I can finish up an assignment. Another thing that helps me through finals week is staying positive. This year my motto for finals time is “Pedal to the Medal!” I am not giving up. I am pushing hard all the way through, because I know by giving my 100% effort I will feel my break is well deserved.  Whatever your way of getting through finals is, positivity can always help. Happy finals Bobcats, and may the curve be ever in your favor!

Gillian Lopez, Management Career Consultant

When it comes to studying for final exams I like to do three things; create a study schedule, make time for study breaks, and form study groups.

Creating a study schedule is a great way to stay organized during finals week especially if you are studying for more than one cumulative exam.  For example, my study schedule consists of the chapters I will focus on each day and the amount of time I will dedicate to each subject. Getting organized is an important part of prepping for final exams because it prevents procrastination and late night study crams!

In addition to my study schedule, I also like to include breaks in my day and week. It is not effective or healthy to study for 10 hours straight. In fact it is psychologically proven that your brain can only retain so much information within a given amount of time. I like to study throughout the day, but in between every hour I will take a 15-30 minute break before continuing my studies. This can include taking a walk outside, doing small exercises, watching an episode on Netflix, etc. Exercising is probably the best study break and stress reliever during finals week, not to mention all the positive endorphins that are released throughout the brain that can make you feel even more awake while studying!

Lastly, I like to study with a group. Usually the day before a final I work in a study group to test my knowledge and assist my peers.  During our study groups we would quiz each other or review our class materials.

Studying for finals can be overwhelming at times, but getting organized, taking study breaks, and starting early will help prevent some stress and unnecessary panic!

Serena Nguyen, Media Assistant

This might sound crazy but we have less than two weeks of school left for this semester! I am always amazed how time passes by so quickly. It is crazy just to think about it!

I know that many students are already struggling with their classes and overwhelmed from group projects and final exams to study for. Although my mind is filling with many exciting events to do with my besties over winter break, school should always come first. In order to deal with my final week for this semester, I try to pace myself by creating a schedule for the next two weeks. In addition, I always remind myself to leave out the fun for later because after finals week, I will have plenty of time for fun. I know I should not be neglecting my study, because if I do, I will regret it once I receive my final grade at the end of the semester.

Good luck, Bobcats!

Do your best and ace that final with flying colors!

The Summer Internship

Written by: Gillian Lopez

Center for Career & Professional Advancement, Management Career Consultant

Learn by Experience

This past summer I had the privilege and opportunity to intern for Human Rights Watch, a global non-profit organization that focuses on advocating human rights across the nation and world. HRW is a large organization that does incredible works in a variety of fields, but this summer I worked for the Student Task Force division at the Santa Monica headquarters. The Student Task Force (STF) team works closely with high school leaders in West Los Angeles and Santa Clarita Valley. During my three-month internship I planned multiple activities from leadership meetings to assisting with the development of the 2013 -2014 school campaign. In addition I had the great honor of working with a few of the best researchers in HRW for Senate Bill 260 and with that I also acquired knowledge in grant writing research. However, if I could only pick two things that I truly enjoyed about my internship this summer it would have to be the following:

Networking can get you far in life, but building relationships can take you even further.

 At our office the Children’s Rights Division (CRD) was working on Senate Bill 260, a bill that focuses on youth fair sentencing in California. The CRD division worked with our STF team in collecting petition letters for various state representatives in California. In one month my Santa Clarita STF team collected nearly 400 letters for SB 260.  One day while I was asking for letters, I ran into a good old friend and we caught-up over dinner. After talking about SB 260 and my summer internship, he told me that he was a good friend with Assemblyman Scott Wilk. I was in disbelief for a moment because I knew our STF team needed a meeting with him. A few emails and 24hrs later I was able to solidify a meeting with Assemblyman Scott Wilk and three STF student leaders. Expand your network as you progress with your professional journey, but don’t forget to maintain those special relationships as you carry on.

Do your research and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

 If I wasn’t planning something I was researching. I would have to say that 50% of my internship experience consisted of grant writing research. Non-profits rely heavily on donors, grants, fundraising, and sponsors in order to sustain and expand their organization.  I remember being presented a list of 300+ potential donors in the beginning of summer, and towards the end of my experience I nearly researched 200 organizations, foundations, and major donors. I presented a potential candidate list to my supervisor and felt confident in my work. However during this grant writing research process I had to ask a lot of questions to help me digest the information I was absorbing, but more importantly to supply HRW-STF with the best donors as it takes several days to compile a grant proposal for a foundation. I haven’t heard any feedback yet about HRW-STF’s grant applications are going, but before leaving my internship I was able to obtain a grant for one of their upcoming events for the 2013-2014 annual campaign. And guess what, I was able to get that grant with persistence, creative thinking, and most importantly, asking many questions.

If you are interested in a summer internship I strongly encourage you to start looking now or at least start preparing for the job hunt. Learn by my experience as it took me most of spring semester to find a summer internship. The best steps you can take to finding a summer internship is to set a goal and make time to apply because sometimes finding a job can be a fulltime position on its own.

5 Tips on Getting Back to the School Work Mode After Vacation

I always find it a difficult transition to get back into the school mode after a long, relaxing vacation. Here are some helpful tips that can help get you back into your school routine in no time!

Life is a Balancing Act

Balancing work, school, and extra curricular activates

 

I never understood how precious time was until this year. Being a third year management student, with a part-time job, and a leadership position in my sorority can be very busy at times, but it truly helps when I manage my time wisely. Finals are just around the corner and as a planner I like to balance my responsibilities. Although finals are my main priority, I also need to maintain my work responsibilities as well.  These are a few techniques that help me balance my school, work, and personal activities during finals and throughout the entire school year.