Five Ways to Start a Resume (even if you don't know how)

Starting a professional resume can be tricky, especially when you have no clue where to begin. Even if you already have one, RESUMES ARE NOT STATIC DOCUMENTS, and they should be updated with every professional-oriented activity you take part in. If you’re like me, you made a resume for some class in high school, got a good grade on it, and tossed it aside. However, your resume is a walking, talking representation of yourself (okay, it doesn’t walk but it sure does tell a lot about you) and should never be put on the back burner. To find out how to create a professional resume that you can be proud of, read the tips below. Who knows, you may even land a new job!

Tip 1:

Start by writing down your accomplishments (awards, training, presentations, etc.), education, work/ intern experiences, volunteer work, military experiences, athletic abilities, interests, skills, and any other information that you feel adds value to your professional abilities. Remember, potential employers will see this document, so although you may be proud of winning the contest for most hot dogs eaten, it may not be something to include on your professional resume.   

Tip 2:

Now that you have a list of your achievements, organize the information in categories like: “Education” and “Extracurricular Activities.” Within these categories, list things so that your most recent achievements come first (for example, if I joined Student Council in 2012 but I joined another club in 2014, I would list the second club first because it is more recent). Organizing your information like this will make the writing process much easier.

Tip 3:

Begin a typed document with your name and personal information (address and contact info) at the top of the page. Placing your name at the top will allow your name to be the first thing the employer sees. Educational experience usually comes after your name and will be the first thing the employer judges. Remember to list in order of most recent- least recent.

Tip 4:

Continue to list your accomplishments in the way that you organized your info, and try to limit yourself to one page long. It’s not good to bog down the employer with lots of little information. Being concise and clear will prove to be more successful.

Tip 5:

If you get stuck or would like to see a template according to your program, feel free to check out our website. Just go to www.naz.edu à Quicklinks à Career Services à Services à Creating Resumes and Cover Letters. After you’ve created your resume, come to the Career Service office, located in GAC 111, and one of our career counselors can look over it with you and help you organize it even further to ensure you’ll get the job every time!

Career Services is Resumes and so much more!

Career Services is notorious for resume building and editing but there are many more opportunities in our office to explore to help you  prepare for your career future!

Job Search: 

Having difficulty finding a job that you want? Not anymore! Our counselors can get you resources and search engines to find opportunities and jobs that suit your needs! We understand that the job market is a competitive atmosphere and we can help you discover jobs of interest and give you tools to continue looking for jobs you want to apply to.

Career Counseling:

Aren't sure how to start looking for jobs or what kind of work you want to go into? No problem! Our career counselors can help guide you in finding a job and career path that best suits you. Once you determine your choice of career path they can also help you to find specific jobs you may be interested in and aid you in the application process.

Grad School:

Many Nazareth College students have the ambition to go on to graduate school. Looking into schools and investing more time and money in your schooling can be a trying process. The career counselors can assist you in finding a school that has your program and helping you compile all of your application materials.

Mock Interview:

Mock Interviews are 1.5 hour appointments in which student's come prepared to interview with one of the career counselors. Students come dressed professionally and mimic the interview process for an upcoming interview. Students are recorded in order to review the person's body language and their response to questions. In doing this, your counselor can get you tips on how to improve your interview skills and help you feel prepared when entering the actual interview.


Set up your appointment for any of our services today!

Just call.... 585-389-2878

If Only I Knew: A Step-by-Step Guide to Internships

Why should I care about this blog? Who is Meghan, and why does what she’s saying matter?

Disclaimer: I am not an expert; I don't have fancy letters after my name that give me credibility and status for what I am saying...

HOWEVER…I have recently completed my very first internship this past summer, and not to sound corny but the experiences that I received have been, and will without a doubt continue to be valuable in my hopeful career path. 

What might sound a little less rehearsed is the fact that several if not most of the aforementioned experiences did not go without many speed bumps. Thus bringing me to the purpose of this blog post: I am writing to address what I wish I knew then, now, to help anyone and everyone who is thinking about partaking in the ever-praised experience that is an Internship. I will essentially take you through (what I have found to be) a step-by-step ‘how-to’ of the internship process.

First and foremost; the resume. This is one way that I felt fully prepared, hands down…and I’m not just saying that to toot my own horn. My resume has been, and continues to be revamped by the Career Counselors at Career Services. Call me a perfectionist, I don't care, I want my best self put out there to get me interviews.

Which brings me to my next point, the dreaded interview. I have always thought of myself as someone who is good at holding conversation, but after my experiences I cannot stress how much I wish I prepared more for internships. The very first internship interview that I went to, I shall forever mark in my memory as ‘a learning experience’ and that is all. I was cocky, I admit it. I was like “I got this far, why wouldn't they hire me?”...what a fail. I was nervous, unrehearsed, had no questions and it was uncomfortable for both parties involved. So I learned from it, my second interview I went in with questions prepared and printed out  on a piece of paper; “what is the work environment like?” “What would my day-to-day tasks be” etc. Also I prepared various answers to common questions that the employer would ask .  It went so smoothly, that I walked away feeling confident and proud.

Learn from my mistakes. Prepare as much as you can. Not to sound too promotional but Career Services actually offers students the chance to rehearse their interview through Mock Interviews.  So put aside your nervousness and pride and use the resources at hand.

Another crucial part of the interview that I wish I knew was that you, as the potential intern, are interviewing the employer. Please keep in mind that you need to work there for a solid amount of time and you don't want to be miserable. Therefore you should make sure that the environment is one that you want to be in multiple hours a day, multiple days a week.  I took my internship based on the fact that it was offered to me, not on anything else, which I realize now was a big mistake.

This is not to say I regret my internship, it was great and I learned a lot. But certain aspects of it made me realize that this was not the type of work I wanted/want to do. Which is why my internship will also be marked as a learning experience.

My advice for the internship itself can be summed up rather briefly; speak up if you're unhappy/unsatisfied, whether it’s to your supervisor on site or Emily Carpenter. You would drop a class you were taking if you hated it, how is this any different? Again, no I did not hate my internship. What I wish I did was let my supervisor know that I wanted more difficult/relevant work given to me besides my weekly routines. This is your time to learn from the real world so don't waste it doing things that don't teach you anything.

And finally (my rambling has gone on long enough) do not burn any bridges.  Whether you like your internship or not, make sure you leave on good terms because you never know who your supervisors, co-workers, or really anyone you interact with knows or will know. One bad attitude can screw up your entire career path if you aren't careful. Thankfully this aspect is not spoken from personal experience but from talking to others who are currently job searching who cannot stress this enough.

All in all, I highly recommend partaking in an internship. Since employers often look for candidates with experience, an internship is a way to gain that experience before you start working and if nothing else, is something to put on the resume for future employers to (hopefully) applaud you for.