*Abrakadabra JOB!*

The summer is usually peak time for career development. Many students have internships, gain volunteer experience, and/or just gain some extra cash during this time. Personally, I held onto an unpaid research-internship that I had during the school year, and I worked a side-job earning a little bit of money to offset some of my summer expenses. While these experiences are still fresh in your mind, now is the right time to update your resume!
Updating a resume so that it provides the best representation of your experiences can be challenging. In my case, I do not plan to make my side-job a primary focus of my resume. In fact, following my academic information, my first description is about my research experience – obviously, because it was a very significant experience that could determine my future careers. But the semantics are where it gets tricky. Writing in the apt descriptions for each experience with the right action words and the right verb tenses is important in a resume. So definitely check out a “Resume and Cover Letters that Work” event held by the Wasserman Center, and follow the event up with an appointment with a career counselor – or a walk-in – to get your resume critiqued and improved!

Good luck!

Lokesh

I just printed out my fresh copy of resume today :) I have been editing/ updating my resume since my freshman year, and this one would probably be the 48th edition! haha, as you can see, it is very important that you always keep your resume updated and make sure you highlight your abilities, accomplishments, and experiences. Today, I would like to share how my resume has evolved since its first edition (which was published in 2008). FYI, these are real examples that I directly took from my resumes :)

1. Provide Details and Use Action Verbs!
-Every word in your resume counts and you don't want to waste your space by writing any long general job descriptions. By using the action verbs, you can effectively provide specific details of your experiences. (Feel free to include numbers- makes you look smarter :)

1st Edition:
"Assisted legal service coordinators and attorneys"

48th Edition:
"Reviewed over 130 emails received by the client and pinpointed the material evidence to be presented at a family court"

2. Do not underestimate your “extracurricular” section
-This is a perfect place to show your strong leadership skills and your active involvement within the NYU community. The roles you play in the clubs or organizations can highlight your excellent teamwork/ organization/ communication skills.

1st Edition:
“Undergraduate Stern Women in Business
Board Member/ Webmaster
(There was no description)”

48th Edition:
“Undergraduate Stern Women in Business
Secretary, Executive Board
Coordinate weekly professional and personal development events to promote women's initiatives in business”

3. Don’t forget your “Interest” section!
-Recruiters love reading your “Interest” section in your resume! Believe me, your interviewer would love to talk about the football game last night during your interview, and this shall save you from your “awkwardness” with the interviewer in a tiny interview room. Show off your great personality and passion!

1st Edition:
(I didn’t have this section)

48th Edition:
Passionate Broadway musical fan, love making hand-made greeting cards, and 12 years of painting

4. Are you a freshman with no work experience?
-No worries! You can certainly put any relevant experiences that you had in high school.

1st Edition:
"The Legal Project, Volunteer"

48th Edition:
"(Replaced with my recent experiences)"

5. Other General Tips :)
-One Page Only Please.
-Proooooooooffffffff REaDDDDD! (English is my second language, so often ask my friends to proofread it for me. Even if you’re a native speaker, we all make mistakes, so feel free to ask your roommate to read it over!)
-Do not over-use font styles (stick with one or two)
-"Bold" any titles/names
-Don't forget your graduation date (very important for recruiters!)
-Include your contact information
-Peer-editing is always good
-ProOofreaD
-ProoRFread
-Proofread!

6. Utilize Wasserman Resources!
-If you have noooo idea where to start, sign-up for Wasserman's Resume Workshop
-Pick up resume samples from Wasserman
-Come to walk-in hours at Wasserman! (Our counselors would be more than happy to review your resume with you!)

I'm sure I'll edit my 48th Edition again soon- I wonder how many editions I would have by the time I graduate :)

It's just amazing how powerful this one sheet of paper can be! Good luck everyone!

One of the awesome perks of being a Peer in Career is the opportunity to meet with some of Wasserman’s finest for one-on-one counseling sessions every couple weeks. (Note: You can do the same by scheduling a session with the counselors at Wasserman during the week!) Recently, I went into my meeting frustrated after spending hours trying to piece together my schedule—something I’m sure sounds familiar!

My concern was that I wanted to double-minor so I could show future employers my experience in multiple fields. However, completing this second minor would involve me taking a variety of classes I was not interested in and would possibly even prevent me from my planned date of graduation. Still, I wanted employers to know I had that experience!

Luckily, my counselor at Wasserman clued me into a resume trick that I had never thought to add—putting in a “relevant coursework” section. As obvious as this may seem, it is not a section often seen on resumes, so you may not think of it. Personally, I think it’s an amazing addition, as I can now show how I have molded my curriculum to fit my career goal. It also gives a more specific description of what classes I am taking and is a great subject of conversation during job interviews.

So the next time you’re having course conundrums or looking for a way to enhance your resume, consider adding in this short extra section to show employers how hard you’re working in and out of the classroom!