Time for some career advice

By: Rachel Morgan

Posted: 2/1/07

Wittenberg students gained valuable knowledge on writing that perfect resume and delivering a stellar interview this week, as the Career Center held two workshops, titled "Resume Writing with the Career Center" and "Interviewing Tips and Preparation with the Career Center."

The seminars were conducted by Karen Reynolds of the Career Center, who offered students insight on how to wow possible employers. During the resume portion of the tutorial, Reynolds stressed the importance of not selling yourself short, citing it as the most common mistake students make on their resumes.

"Don't tell me all the things you did. Tell me what you did well…what the output was," Reynolds said. According to Reynolds, writing a high-quality resume is a necessary skill that students should master before venturing out in the corporate world. "Employers will give you five to ten seconds on a resume before they know if they'll hire you or not," Reynolds said. Reynolds opened the more interactive interviewing segment of the workshop with a simple question directed at students. "What do you really want to know about interviewing?" she asked. The floor was then open to students to ask whatever pressing questions they might have concerning the interviewing process.

Several different 'Interview Success Factors' were addressed, including how to make a positive first impression, how to conduct oneself professionally, even what not to wear on an interview. Reynolds also addressed some common misconceptions regarding the interviewing process. "It's not only what you're wearing," she said. "It's how you present yourself. During the presentation, students received packets of helpful information on common interviewing questions and how to promote their liberal arts education.

Students then conducted mock interviews in pairs, which stressed the importance of practicing before an important interview. Overall, the resume and interviewing workshop seemed to be well-received by students.

"It was a useful and effective experience for anyone who wants to succeed in landing a quality job," said senior Ben Weible.

"It put my mind at ease," said another senior, Fred Bauer. "The interviewing process isn't as stressful as it seems."