Category: Academics At Loyola

What Makes a Good Resume: 101

What Makes a Good Resume: 101

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A cartoon hand shakes and quivers while holding a resume.

Many of us may need to start working on our resumes whether it is for a job, an internship, applying to a school, etc. Now what is the function of a resume you may ask? It is a concise summary of your education, work/volunteer/internship experiences and other qualifications relevant to your audience’s needs. Employers use resumes as a first impression and will use it to compare you to other candidates. NOTE: a good resume does not guarantee you a job, it just allows you to be considered. A resume demonstrates the skills and capabilities that the reader would value and it is essential for you to demonstrate your abilities and is showcases a sense of direction in your career.

How to layout and format a good resume:

There are a few basic resume types but lets focus on some things that are particularly helpful –

  • It is recommended to format chronologically so that the reader is able to see organization qualities as well as being able to follow your experience.
  • Aim to fit your resume on 1 page – unless you have more experiences that are relevant to the job, you should limit it to one page because it is a general overview of your skills and capabilities.
  • AVOID using templates as a basis for your resume because sometimes they can be difficult to alter and limits you from standing out if your resume looks just like everyone else’s. (Remember, the person reading your resume is most likely reading soooooo many others.)
  • Use CAPS, bolding, underlining, bullets, and indentation to direct the reader’s attention and separate different sections of the resume.
  • Do NOT use graphics or unusual fonts and colors to “dress up” your resume. It doesn’t look professional and you need to limit your space as well because you only have 1 page remember.
  • Use margins between 0.5″ – 1.0″ which leaves enough blank space on the page so that the document is comfortable to read and enough margin to allow for different viewing software and printers.
  • It would be better to save your file as a pdf before submitting electronically so that it preserves the format.

 

Sections within your resume:

 

Contact information

  • Include your name and email address as well as the phone number and street address you would prefer to be contacted at

Introductory Statement 

  • “Objective” statements are often considered awkward, obsolete, or unnecessary.
  • If you use a summary statement, make sure that your experiences live up to that statement.

Education

  • List degrees in reverse chronological order
  • List the official names of the school you have attended
  • You may list your GPA if it is strong
  • Course Work descriptions: which can include honors and awards (scholarships/fellowships)
  • Study abroad – list school(s), location, dates

Work Experiences 

  • List experiences in reverse-chronological order.
  • Show the name of the organization, your title, and dates of involvement.
  • Be consistent in your formatting of each experience
  • Use bulleted phrases to describe each experience which should demonstrate skills and capabilities – consider how your experiences demonstrate core work skills (communication/interpersonal skills, organization/time management/leadership, analytical/problem solving skills.
  • Use a professional and active voice

Internship, Co-curricular and Volunteer Experience 

  • List experiences that involve leadership or organizational responsibilities
  • Format the same way and be sure to demonstrate core work skills

Skills

  • This section is optional but this includes additional language skills you possess or certifications/licenses
  • This can also include technology or soft ware skills that are relevant to your career.

 

Hopefully this helps many of you! If you need additional guidance, refer to Loyola’s Career Development Center – they have many available resources, including sample resumes/cover letters!

 

Such a ‘Bler: Failure: A Love Story by Alumni Philip Dawkins

Such a ‘Bler: Failure: A Love Story by Alumni Philip Dawkins

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At the beginning of this semester, my design professor Rachel Healy recommended that I applied for a design position on Failure: A Love Story – a play written by Loyola University Chicago’s alumni, Philip Dawkins. She then recommended that I auditioned for the play. I did audition, and being not much of an actress, did not get casted (it’s okay I saw it coming, but HEY AT LEAST I CAN SAY THAT I FINALLY AUDITIONED FOR SOMETHING!) and had too much on my plate this semester to join the design team.

The reason Rachel was so excited to get me involved was because the show featured music, beautiful costumes and PUPPETS! Context: Rachel was my Storytelling Design via Puppetry Spring Semester of freshman year. Rachel then became my theatre mentor and well, she knew I couldn’t resist a production with both music and puppets. Leading up to opening night, images from the show popped up all over Loyola’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts’ socials and I regretted more and more about not being able to contribute to the production. This especially kicked in the night I was going to see the show.

Before the performance, I and other theatre students got the chance to chat with him. He actually got inspiration for this plot from a night at a cemetery with a group of friends. They found a bunch of tomb stones all having the last name “Fail” and became both curious and convinced that he needed to write a play about them. What had happened to the Fail family? Hearing this really showed me that inspiration can come from really anywhere, at any time! 

(READ MORE ABOUT THAT IN MY OTHER BLOG POST) http://blogs.luc.edu/uao/2019/02/27/such-a-bler-pizza-with-the-playwright-alumni-phillip-dawkins/ 

Sitting down to watch the play, I tried to not keep too much of this information in mind, but I guess in a way it made me understand the theme of the piece more – as well as made me wayyy more emotional. I was simultaneously giggling because I’d actually never seen the use of puppets before. The huge snake that my classmate from Design II made was controlled by two actors at one point. They danced and swerved the puppet up and down in order to mimic the slithering motion of the creature – it was incredible. Other puppets included birds equipped with quirky voices and a wonderful beagle that seemed so real resting on the arm of one of the actors though its voice was presented by another actor standing next to them. I came away feeling equally unsettled, warm and inspired. Such an intimate theme played peekaboo through rather whimsical storytelling devices, making it easier to take in.

Though already having an idea in mind, I am now currently drafting a project of my own for Loyola’s second stage laboratory at full speed. Hopefully you will see it during my senior year. I guess this entire experience empowered me to push my involvement in the Loyola theatre community even more.

Such talent walk and have walked these walls. It is amazing to be among them.

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS!

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST:

 

Such a ‘Bler: Pizza with the Playwright – Alumni Phillip Dawkins

Such a ‘Bler: Pizza with the Playwright – Alumni Phillip Dawkins

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Failure: A Love Story was a play written by Loyola University Chicago’s alumni, Philip Dawkins. This theatre season, Failure was produced by Loyola on the main stage in the Newhart family theatre. For me personally, it was a very meaningful event because I was seeing a graduate’s work after their graduation AT THE PLACE THEY GRADUATED FROM – MY UNIVERSITY – how surreal.  

In addition, it was even more special because our Dramaturgy Working Group had some time to chat with the playwright and educator himself about his show and adventures in the world of theatre thus far. I was quite nervous leading up to it but it was nice to see that well, he’s just like anyone of us: hungry for art and hungry take on the world one laugh at a time. 

He shared some things that really helped me, especially during this stressful sophomore and internship hunting period in my life: 

About making a living as an artist: You’re never going to make a living doing theatre, two of you will, maybe (he stressed this). But you need to go into it with that mindset and find a side job. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, you decide how far you want to take theatre in your life. You need to do whatever you need to do to keep your goals alive. 

About playwriting, writings block, artistic anxiousness: Just write, write it all, and then work from there.  

About getting out there and getting somewhere, anywhere: (this one surprised me, but really really helped!!) offer your contributions to theatres that are doing readings, even if you’re not an actor. Get yourself out there, introduce yourself, and then introduce yourself as the artist you are. There’s no harm in being known by another face. 

I then watched Failure that night, and well, I was even more amazed. But more on that in a separate emotional post. 

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS! 

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST: 

LUC PSA raises over $1500 for Dam Fund in Pakistan

LUC PSA raises over $1500 for Dam Fund in Pakistan

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The Loyola Pakistani Students’ Association strives to recognize and alleviate the struggles endured by those in Pakistan, while raising awareness about its culture and beauty. Setting new goals every semester to raise money for those who are underprivileged in Pakistan, PSA decided to help provide for the Dam Fund in Pakistan. 

Since the recent election of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan has created a mission to raise as much money as possible for the dams in Pakistan. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), Pakistan will dry up by 2025. Pakistan touched the “water stress line” in 1990 and crossed the “water scarcity line” in 2005. The initial fear was that the country would reach the absolute water scarcity line by 2025 if the right decisions were not made at the right time. That time passed long ago. Water availability per capita in Pakistan has depleted to an alarming level. Past governments did little to deal with this massive crisis as it approached. 

Through many service events, PSA has raised over 1500 dollars and recently donated this to the Dam Fund in Pakistan. Just this past semester, events such as ‘Biryani Party’, ‘Lassi sales’ and the well known ‘Shaadi Mubarak’ contributed to this and through the help of its many members, were able to accomplish this goal. Shaadi Mubarak (Happy Wedding day!) was the largest event here at Loyola in November with around 200 attendees that recreated and experiences a ‘mock’ Pakistani weddings, ranging from the decor, food, dances, rasms (Pakistani wedding traditions), to even having a bride and groom play as actors! The purpose of this event allowed for students of all backgrounds to learn about the Pakistani wedding traditions and experience the excitement of it. It was a night to never forget, filled with colors, elegance, and love.

This is a very proud accomplishment of not just the Pakistani Students’ Association, but for Loyola as well. Loyola University creates learning communities that reflect the rich diversity of our global society and this is what truly makes the learning experience one of a kind.

Such a ‘Bler: A Night of Play-reading in Chicago

Such a ‘Bler: A Night of Play-reading in Chicago

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You’d be surprised how many theatres there are in Chicago. My friends from THTR 204: Playwriting and I started out the week with a reading of Emma Stanton’s When the Tsunami Knows Your Name at the Jackalope Theatre on the Thorndale redline stop. It was only ONE STOP away from my dorm! The reading was directed by our playwriting professor Devon De Mayo (so we got in for free haha) and served as part of one of our assignments for the course. We have to see at least two play readings and write a viewing response for them. Frankly, I’m totally cool with that! 

Here’s a little blurb about the play from the event: “When devoted veterinary technician Ruby witnesses one stranger’s tragedy, she finds herself drawn to a new path, making precarious pacts with co-workers, a police officer, and an elegant dancer named Tsunami. Populated by pet-devotees and set in a city by the sea, WHEN THE TSUNAMI KNOWS YOUR NAME explores how unexpected tragedy can expose the beautiful and ugly truths about who we are.” 

Now, I would give you a more personal summary of it but I’m still too emotional – and well the above was beautiful said. But I was blown away. This was not only because the characters were prenominal and wonderfully casted, but because the theme and metaphors were very close to home. 

From my understanding the Tsunami represented a certain sadness that we all feel and how it can be so scary yet comforting. I thought intertwining this metaphor within the tsunami dance scenes of the play made the sensitive topic more approachable for the audience. And the intimate space of the Jackalope Theatre couldn’t have been a better place for this experience. 

I have another play reading left for this course, but my Chicago theatre adventures are definitely not stopping there! 

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS! 

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST: 

Such a ‘Bler: How I Cried During My First Playwriting Workshop

Such a ‘Bler: How I Cried During My First Playwriting Workshop

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And so it was my turn in THTR 204: Playwriting, to present my heart on the pages as a livewire of nervous hormones of an aspiring playwright. I raised my hand to go third, and as nervous as I felt, I was ready. 

I have always struggled with feeling too abstract in my approach to art, yet this was my most abstract piece yet. The assignment called for a five to seven-page scene focusing on character and plot. I wrote a conversation between a seventeen-year-old girl and her imaginary friends about her mental health. I decided to not reveal the aspect of the imaginary friend in before the reading to see if the scene’s clues spoke for themselves. Honestly this was a make or break moment for me, and well here’s how I ended up crying.  

The reactions I received were beyond anything I had ever imagined or frankly, could wish for. This was the second time in my life, presenting my work to such a diverse audience (the first being fall of freshman year during THTR 100: Introduction to Theatre Experience) and I am nothing but grateful for it. To my surprise, they were moved. They listened closely but were still left confused, hungry and disturbed which is everything I was trying to achieve. I feared my work was too abstract, too specific, too minimal – like the critic I’d always often receive. But everything I feared turned out to be everything they loved about the scene. 

 They just wanted more. And as I listened to their curiously tongue-tied feedback, I was inspired all over again. It was the exact hug I needed to trust myself as a playwright. One thing that I think I will always remember is how they touched on this fear I had been expressing since day 1 of the course. The encouragement was heartwarming, and I am now more confident in my difference than ever. 

 As I write this, a classmate just came up to tell me again how much he was moved by the reading, and I am still speechless. I have a lot to say and a lot of things I want to thank the group and our professor, but I honestly have still yet been able to find the right words. I guess I will keep on writing, I guess that is how I’ll thank them for their support. 

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS! 

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST: 

Such a ‘Bler: Rehearsal rehearsal (space)

Such a ‘Bler: Rehearsal rehearsal (space)

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Say hello to Mundelein 125.

For the past five weeks, I have spent at least two hours every Monday and Wednesday in this room. This is the classroom for my THTR 266: Acting Theories and Techniques I course. I am no actress, perhaps a performer but mainly a playwright. However, I feel comfortable in 125 and am learning more and more about space as well as my place and power within in.

I love the simplicity yet complicated possibilities of such a room. There are bits and bobs for us to play with to construct worlds needed for our different theatrical portals. It is realistic for practice but not intimidating of a stage for newbies like I. And I love that it is open for free rehearsal hours. How it is set up in the picture is how my scene partner and I have decided to stage the argument scene between Corie and Paul in Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park for our first round of acting projects in the course. It’s supposed to be a living room, with a staircase leading to a bedroom, or a small apartment (did we do it justice?)

Mundelein 125 has also been a kitchen, a school yard and a foster home. And well, it is the playground of my acting career for now, and those of the many talents I am honored to learn from.

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS! 

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST: 

Departments and Support – for You!

Departments and Support – for You!

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You may have already heard that Loyola students have advisors during their first and second years, and then a more specialized one in their major or field of study when they get there. I’m not going to contradict that, no way, it’s super great!

But yet another thing I love about Loyola is that the professors here go above and beyond just being like: oh, you’ve got a question? Go ask your advisor.

Specifically I speak with knowledge of the History and Global and International Studies departments, but I’m 10000% certain this applies to other departments because I see flyers for their events too, all the time. (I just don’t go to any other events because, well, those two are my majors.)

Recently I attended an event thrown by the head of the History department – a ‘What do I do after Graduation with a History Major?’ thing where students of all ages, from freshman (wow) to seniors like myself went to just talk about how to apply a history major to, well, the rest of the world. While academia and being eternally up to your eyeballs in history sounds exciting, it’s not really a viable life course for everyone.

I thought it was super neat because we split into two groups – law school, and grad school. There was intended to be a group about finding a job, but since there was so much interest in those two paths the lady who was there about career paths figured she could better help the other two discussions. In this way, I was able to ask the department head questions in a smaller group, and we ten or so talked about a bunch of things. Is a professor going to remember me if I took their class from four years ago? What does a good mentor do? How do you craft a good statement of purpose?

Plus, I mean, there was free pizza. I’m sure a lot of schools and universities also do the same thing, so no matter where you go, this is another thing that I totally encourage you to take advantage of. The clock is ticking for me, ticking down to graduation, and although I can sort of ignore it (although I really shouldn’t be) I know I’ve got to keep my focus and keep looking ahead.

I wasn’t really considering grad school too strongly, but who knows? After this event, I feel better equipped to take a look, and if I love the thought, then I’m certainly more knowledgeable than I was.

4 Year Plan –> 4 Year Journey

4 Year Plan –> 4 Year Journey

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It feels like it was just yesterday where I was sitting in UNIV 101 stressing out about my 4 year plan. “How is it possible to plan my academia life in 4 years?!?” Well, here I am! Being at Loyola University was the best thing for me, mentally and academically. I look back and imagine my mindset then, and how much I have grown, and it is an incredibly proud feeling. So, you should be proud of your accomplishments too! Often, we get so caught in the moments of stress, and we forget to appreciate and acknowledge our own self work. Freshmen year was all about making friends, fitting in, and figuring out which path to take on this journey.

Freshmen year was so exciting for me because I became friends with such a diverse group of people and I was not used to such flexibility in class schedules, so I was living it! Unfortunately, my GPA wasn’t at its strongest, and I had a lot of external stress and pressure. It was so hard to understand how to study, which professor is the ‘good’ professor, how to have the best schedule, when can I have fun, etc. We’ve all been through this, and its okay! In the moment, it may seem overwhelming and you may even see your grades first semester compared to the straight A’s you were probably getting in high school and are like…. uhhh?? Again, ITS OKAY. This is that early turning point that allows you to fix that right away without being totally screwed for the next four years. Luckily, I was able to recognize this and act on it right away.

Sophomore and Junior year, I was able to let myself grow immensely. There were many downhill moments and without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I lost friends, made new friends, joined new organizations, and was able to find the real me. I was able to find a new passion into weight lifting when I was no longer allowed to play soccer, and my mental and physical health were at a much stronger point.

Now here, as a senior, it is definitely bitter sweet. Of course, I kind of just want to graduate and begin my career, but the memories made, the friends, and the struggles, were all part of me and who I am today. Although senioritis is trying to catch up to me, I am definitely trying to stay strong and push through these next few weeks. I cant believe the semester is almost over and I look forward to what is set next for me.

 

Advancing Health Care at Loyola

Advancing Health Care at Loyola

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Hey Ramblers! The news is in town that Loyola University Chicago will be creating a new School of Health Sciences and Public Health (SHSPH) starting in the 2019-20 school year. SHSPH’s purpose is to educate clinicians and health professionals, address critical needs in the health care industry, and find innovative solutions to closing gaps in health care access and equity.

Being a Jesuit institution, the new School of Health Sciences and Public Health brings all of health care together and advocates for education, research, practice. Loyola aims to assist the poor and marginalize our society. Loyola is committed to provide quality care and have professionals to lead the future of health care delivery with a variety of skills and experience.

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care is changing fast now that we are advancing technology and shifting demographics. By the next decade, we are predicted to grow at least 18% – this being the fastest average of growth of all occupations. That being said, there will be 2.3 million new jobs. This expansion in healthcare calls for the demand of health informaticians, clinical data scientists, biostatisticians, and health technology security experts.

SHSPH brings together programs for undergraduate and graduate students and for working professionals seeking a career change or additional education to supplement skills that improve clinical and patient care. Existing Loyola programs, such as those in public health, undergraduate health systems management, exercise science, and dietetics, will be part of SHSPH and will offer more degree or certificate options. Innovative and accessible program formats for adult learners will include online instruction and hybrid learning programs, which will take advantage of existing technology, classroom, and laboratory space on Loyola’s Health Sciences Campus.

SHSPH will provide educational opportunities to current and future health care professionals. Some areas, such as health informatics and data analytics, are unique to the Chicago area and draw on the strength of the University’s relationship and data-sharing partnership with Trinity Health and Loyola Medicine. The school positions Loyola to complement the Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and continue its leadership role in health care education and practice.

This will be a new chapter for Loyola University Chicago in terms of expanding our commitment to educating the health care professionals of the future, improving people’s health, and serving those in need.