Career Week 2016: Resumes in Review

Career Week 2016: Resumes in Review

Your ticket to the industry, a piece of paper listing your greatest accomplishments, or your rite of passage to adulthood. No matter what you call it, a resume is a vital part of entering “real life”. Something that, for me, is approaching more quickly than I’d like to admit.

Considering the necessity of a good resume when entering the workforce it was a no-brainer for me to attend the resume workshop, an event hosted through Loyola’s School of Communication Career Week.

On Wednesday, 30 communications professionals joined students at the Water Tower Campus’ Lewis Towers for the “Resumes that Pop to the Top” event. Students had the chance to meet with several professionals for resume critiques and career advice. The workshop was “round robin style”, which allowed us about ten minutes with the professionals we met before rotating to someone new.

Prior to the workshop I had thoroughly convinced myself that my resume would need to be completely thrown out and started over based on the critique I received. Thankfully, I was wrong. I had the pleasure of meeting with three different professionals, all of whom offered really helpful advice for not just my resume, but for the start of my career. In general the reactions to my resume were positive, which allowed me to take a huge sigh of relief.

The most common criticism I received was to change the order of my resume, so my most recent experience was showcased first. A piece I hope to add to my resume is a personal statement of sorts at the top. A few short sentences that provide insight into my personality rather than my technical skills is something I can only hope will “pop my resume to the top”.

Now that I’ve reorganized my resume, changed some sentence structure, and gained some insight into the professional world, I feel far more confident in my resume. I was, however, reminded that a strong resume is only one piece of the puzzle and I’ll need an impressive cover letter and interview to complete the picture. Although my resume is solid for now, it is a living document that will even need updating by next fall. But I’ll worry about that when the time comes.

For now, I’ll be grateful for the advice and continue to ask for reviews from others at every opportunity I’m given.

 

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