Career services program provides first aid for weak resumes

by Morgan Ledermann, posted Oct. 23, 2009

As students walked into Stotler Lounge, they received nametags, cookies, soda and a magazine focused on job opportunities and advice. Students stopped by to have a corporate recruiter review their resume. Resume 911 took place Tuesday, Sept. 29, in Stotler Lounge at the Union. 

Recruiters ranged from bank lenders to Farm Journal employees. A wide variety of students came to meet with these professionals. 

“The recruiters were very impressed with the caliber of resumes and caliber of students they saw,” said Jane Loudermilk, CAFNR Career Services administrative assistant.

Freshmen arrived to have their high school resumes revised, sophomores and juniors came to get advice about targeting their resumes toward summer internships, and seniors looking for advice about entering the job market were also in attendance.

“I want just a few pointers on how to make my resume better and market it better towards employers,” said Chris Lorbert, senior hotel and restaurant management major.

Students waited together until a professional finished with another student. Each student was given one-on-one time to have their resume reviewed.

“The waiting process to have my resume reviewed didn’t have much organization,” said Zack Brannon, freshman animal science major, “But the actual resume personnel was very helpful.”

Over 130 students came with resumes in hand, Loudermilk said. They came for the advice and opinion of professionals.

“Ill give you my opinion, but whatever my opinion is, it’s you that has to do the resume, and it’s you that has to be comfortable,” said Larry Kipp, retired bank lender.

Kipp was one of the six professionals reviewing resumes.

Kipp started at the top with a resume and talked through his initial reaction to the appearance and content for each student.

From top to bottom, Kipp sifted through information and gave suggestions.  His advice included:

• A full name in nice bold letters
• An objective statement at the top of the resume
  • Example: “I want a job as a sales representative for a progressive company such as XYZ.”
• Honor roll
  • Including GPA
• School or class officers (with student body population)
• Objectivity
  • Putting numbers with words
    • Example: Referee 4 to 5 games each Saturday
• Explain sports
  • List events for track
  • List position
• Explain clubs
  • Example: ABCDE Club (community service club)
• Leadership roles are more impressive than membership roles
  • Even if leadership roles were in high school
• Explain position
  • List what you “learned” or “experienced” or “achieved”

“If anything else, a resume is a brag sheet,” said Kipp. “The more explanatory and clear the better.  Objectivity helps too, wherever it fits.”

If you achieved something, it’s important to you, and it should be important to someone else. That’s why you have to explain events or positions or organizations. It gives a better description of more than just “track” by adding the mile or 100 meter dash.

Explanation and objectivity can also suffocate a qualified resume, because you have gone overboard, said Kipp. The key is balance, which includes high school and collegiate achievements. 

“The harder you work for something, the more you achieve,” said Kipp. “If you’re a member of something, it’s not as impressive if you were a leader in something else even if it was in high school.”

This can be a hard concept to grasp and experiences can be challenging to sift through. Kipp tries to combat this challenge with each individual based on his or her personal growth.

“Now, if you become a leader in college, then replace it,” said Kipp, “But for now, that’s your highest achievement. And that’s what you’re most proud of, and that’s what you can defend when you’re in an interview.”

In the days following, students showed effort to implement this help.

“I had follow-ups from several of the students asking questions such as ‘what do you think now?’” Loudermilk said.  “These questions were great to hear because I could see these talented students working hard to showcase their achievements.”

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