Get your objectives straight for the Resume Blitz

With so many job applications now being handled online, a prospective employer's first impression of a candidate is often the all-important resume. And if the resume is not professionally executed, chances are good that there will be no follow-up phone call for an interview.

To help students create a document that truly presents them in the best light, Career Services offers the Resume Blitz, an opportunity for students to bring in their resumes and have them reviewed by a member of the Career Services team. This year, the Resume Blitz will be held for three consecutive days from Monday, Oct. 5, through Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. in the Bart Luedeke Center, Room 237. A separate blitz will be offered just to business majors on the same dates and times in Sweigart Hall, Room 214.

Students are encouraged to bring either a hard copy of their resume, or, more preferably, to have the resume on a laptop, so that corrections and adjustments can be made then and there. Each student will get at least fifteen minutes of personal attention from career professionals who know how to best organize and present their skills and experiences to potential employers.

Joyce Tyler, M.Ed., LPC, Career Advisor for Westminster Choir College and the School of Education, urges students to take advantage of this event. "We want to ensure that students leave a positive impression of themselves on this one to two-page document. Our job is to make sure that the resume is error-free and that essential facts are included in an organized, clear and concise manner,” Tyler explains. “Students are not only representing themselves, but are a reflection of Rider University’s standard of excellence.”

Tyler also offers a few tips to prepare for the Resume Blitz event:

1. Come to the event with at least a rough draft in hand or on your laptop so you can immediately make edits.
2. Make sure that all of the information you provide is accurate. Even something like rounding up your GPA from a 2.95 to a 3.0 can cost you a job when a prospective employer reviews your transcripts.
3. Check carefully to be sure your resume is free of typographical, computer or misspelling errors.
4. Do not use the words "I, me or my in the resume." It is a professional document and should be written as such.
5. Even though you may think you should squeeze everything on one page, make sure that your font is no smaller than 11 points (unless you are writing a science-based resume and then you can use 10, but nothing smaller). Arial and Times New Roman fonts are recommended for resumes.
6. Do not use slang words or abbreviated terms.
7. If you are a first-year student, you can include activities and jobs from high school. Beyond the freshman year, do not include high school experiences.
8. For the Career Fair, print your resume on resume stock paper (available at the bookstores on both campuses).
9. If you have two very different types of jobs you’re interested in, bring two different resumes with each objective stating exactly what you are seeking. Print the resumes on different color resume stock paper such as ivory or white. Use black ink only.
10. Too many bullets used in the resume are distracting; reserve bullets for use under the Experience section preceding position descriptors.

The Career Fair will be held on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Recreation Center. Contact Iram Khan at [email protected] or call 609-896-5000 ext. 7161 for more details about the Resume Blitz or other ways Career Services can help you prepare for your career.