Tag: Education

What Makes a Good Resume: 101

What Makes a Good Resume: 101

 

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!

 

Choosing a College Major VS Undecided

Choosing a College Major VS Undecided

 

While there are over 80 majors and minors to choose from at Loyola, believe it or not, one of the most popular majors in college these days is UNDECIDED! So don’t be afraid or embarrassed if that’s your current major of choice; you have plenty of time to finalize your choice during the first two years.  If you apply as a traditional Undecided student, you will be admitted to the College of Arts & Sciences which is home to most of the majors on-campus (but you can easily do an internal-transfer to the other schools should you choose a different major). Or, if you know you want to major in something related to business, you can choose the Undecided Business major so you’ll be enrolled in the Quinlan School of Business, but you’ll have time to narrow it down from there.

If you apply undecided, there are many different resources on campus designed to help you choose a major:

There is only one major at Loyola that is impossible to transfer into and that is Nursing. So if you are interested in nursing, be sure to indicate that on your incoming freshmen application, as you can transfer out but you cannot transfer in (even if it’s only your second day at Loyola and you started as a Biology major). You are able to transfer into any other major, so again, don’t be hesitant to apply undecided!

It’s more important to submit your application in a timely manner instead of waiting because you can’t choose a major. However, if you are certain which major you identify with, be sure to indicate that on your application, because all of our programs are direct-entry, so you are admitted to them and will begin in that program on you first day of classes.

All of our majors fall under these different undergraduate schools:

Good luck, future Ramblers!

 

 

 

Red Line Conversations feat. The Guy in The Blue Sweater

Red Line Conversations feat. The Guy in The Blue Sweater

You hear the craziest of things on the red line.  This is why I try to remember to pack my headphones.  It is honestly such a sad experience when I forget them, but I cannot lie and say that is not entertaining!  I have heard some of the most inaccurate facts that make me giggle, but leave me with a good time.  Then, there are some conversations that just get you so angry.

Well, this was the case the other day.  The other day, I was on the red line, minding my own business, like usual.  All of a sudden, I saw a guy look at my Loyola brand tote, which I proudly bought at the Loyola Bookstore, and he he started talking to his friend about college.  He was saying remarks like: “college is not important, why do people waste their time on college, I can get rich without school, etc.”  Here I am thinking like is this guy serious?  I mean, his opinions are nonetheless, his opinions.  I, also, do not disagree that there are some super successful people out there who never got a college degree.  This is fine, but the way he was talking was not okay.

It made me reflect and really think about college.  Instead of upsetting me, I turned it around and made it into something positive.  A college education is not for everyone, but that does not mean that one should start discouraging people from attending college in the first place.  There are so many reasons as to why one should go to college.  The most important one to me, and the one that I felt like telling him, is that a college degree gives you credibility, knowledge, and makes you a competitive employee.

If those three things do not stick out to you then I don’t know what to tell you.  There are many people in college who do not end up making it, but that all comes down to persistence.  How willing are you to stick out through the highs and lows of college?  College are for the people who are willing to put in the work.  College is work and it is not for everyone!  We are a few of the lucky ones, so next time you’re feeling down remember this: you’re a small percentage and your education is worth it.

The Guy in The Blue Sweater: you were wrong.

 

Thankful Loyolans

Thankful Loyolans

 
 
In order to show their gratitude and thankfulness this year, Ramblers took hundreds of post-it notes to a chalkboard on-campus to share what they were thankful for:

thanks 1

Administration

Chicago

Easy Mac

Family

Friendly Students

List

Loyola Community

Loyola

My Students

Opportunity Loyola

Roomies

UNIV

You

 

Happy Thanksgiving from our Loyola family to yours!

 

A Bit About Me

A Bit About Me

Hi everyone! My name is Cat O’Brien. Generally, when I introduce myself to people, one of two things happens. First, if I am talking to a kid (or young adult if you take the title “kid” offensively) they accept my name and make a small joke about being an animal. If I am talking to an adult though, they almost always say, “Oh, is that short for something?” Somehow adults have a hard time accepting that someone would actually be named Cat. Well, much to my dismay it is not my real name. Catherine Ruth O’Brien is the name my parents gave me when I was born but I have not gone by Catherine in years.

Where I live in Michigan!

I am a sophomore here at Loyola University of Chicago and I love it! I grew up in the small town of Richland Michigan and after high school I was ready for something more exciting than the corn fields and cows that Richland offered. Don’t get me wrong, I love and appreciate where I grew up (probably more since moving away) but I would not trade the experience of living in Chicago for anything.

After a little internal debate freshman year I have decided to major in Secondary Education and English with a minor in ESL studies. All that means is that I want to teach high school English and be able to help out students who have English as their second language. I have taken mostly core thus far in my college career but the few Education classes that I have taken have made me very excited for my future as a teacher.

This semester I am taking my first ESL class, two English classes, and three core classes. That amounts to eighteen credits and some stressful nights trying to get all the homework and studying done. At the end of the day though the hard work usually pays off with a decent grade.