Viterbi Career Services
ENGR 102 –
Tips for Freshmen &
Resumes
Presented By:
Lilian Barajas
Workshop Overview
Career
Services
Overview
General Tips
for Freshmen
Fundamentals
of Resume
Writing
Resume
Checklist
Finding an
Internship
VCS Resources
On-Campus
Interviews/ Job
Postings via
connectSC
E-Newsletter
Email
[email protected]
in RTH 218
Upcoming VCS Events
Viterbi Career Services (VCS)
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Viterbi Career Expo (fall and spring)
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Thursday, October 14th 2010
10:00 – 3:00 at Engineering Quad
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
10:00 – 3:00 at Engineering Quad
Engineering Industry Information Sessions
VCS Workshops
Tips for Freshmen
Get to Know Your Faculty
• Attend Office Hours
• Approach Faculty after Class
• Inquire about Research Opportunities
Get Involved in a Student Organization
• Sign up with a Professional Engineering Org
http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/studentorgs/
• Find another USC org that you Share a Passion
http://sait.usc.edu/stuorgs/
Explore Careers in Your Field
• Attend Company Events
• Spotlight Series
• Check out Company Websites
What is a Resume?
A brief, customized summary
of your skills, interests and
abilities
A method of marketing and
advertising your most
valuable skills
A tool to help you secure an
interview or meeting with a
potential employer
Purpose of a Resume
Resume Sections
Heading
• Your name and contact information
Objective/Profile
• Specific and positive statement of the type of opportunity you are seeking
and its fit to your skill-set
Education
• List of your education background (degrees, institution, date or expected
date of graduation)
• Relevant coursework
Academic Projects
• Highlighted list of academic project experience as relevant to the
available opportunity
Purpose of a Resume
Resume Sections
Work Experience
• Summarized list of tasks and projects completed during a work
opportunity
• Focus on leadership, results and achievements
Affiliations/
Leadership
•Activities or organizational participation outside of the classroom that demonstrate
transferable skills
Skills
• List of technical skills according to skill type (programming
languages, lab equipment, etc.)
• List of language fluency
Interests
•Activities that are unique and interesting
Resume Basics
Header
Includes Name, Address, Phone Number and Email
Tommy Trojan
555 Omaha Lane, Apt. B
Los Angeles, CA 90089
213-740-1111
[email protected]
Jane Bovard
3650 McClintock Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90089
213-555-5555
[email protected]
Josephine Bruin
3550 Hilgard Ave ◦ Los Angeles, CA 90095 ◦ 213-555-5555 ◦ [email protected]
Objective/ Profile
What types of positions are you seeking?
Seeking a challenging position at a
growth-oriented organization.
Seeking a summer internship in biomedical
engineering.
Seeking a summer internship in technical support
to apply my interpersonal skills and two years
professional experience in customer service.
Education
• Degree and University
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•
Start with Most Recent Institution
Engineering Degree Listed Above University
• Include School, Major, Graduation Date
• Always include GPA if 3.0 or above
• Relevant Coursework
•
•
List Upper-Division Course that Relate to Specific Job
Avoid Listing Introductory Courses
Education
Example:
BS in Electrical Engineering
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
Relevant Coursework:
Mixed-Signal Integrated Circuit Design
Optical Fiber Communications Systems
GPA: 3.5
Expected 5/2013
Linear Control Systems
Principles of Radar
Skills
Highlight tools and languages unique to your skill set!
• Technical Skills
•
Programming Languages, Software Applications, Lab Equipment
• Language Proficiency (verbal)
Academic Projects
Academics projects, research or papers that exemplify
the work you’ve completed as an engineering student
•
•
•
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Briefly summarize classroom experience = on-the-job skills
Consider your Transferable Skills
• Skills from the Classroom = Success in the Workplace
Focus on your role in the project
• Examples: Team Leader, Presenter
Emphasize the process and the end result of your project
• What were the project tasks?
• What did you learn?
Academic Projects
Cargo Plane Completion
Fall 2009
Team Member
•Designed, built and tested prototype aluminum wheels
•Helped build carbon fiber fuselage and foam tail glass
with fiberglass skin
Ozone Flight Sampler
Fall 2009
Team Leader
• Collaborated with a team of six on the thermal design of
reciprocating engine and rocket propulsions
• Optimized properties in order to reach upper stratosphere
• Met objective and improved performance by 20%
Work Experience
On- Campus, Co-Op, Internship and Full-Time Positions
• Reverse Chronological Order
• Include Company, Title, Start and End Date
• Bullet points: Tasks, Responsibilities,
•
•
Achievements
Use Action Verbs and Specific Details
Consider your Transferable Skills
Work Experience
Office Assistant
USC Engineering Student Affairs
•Data Entry
•General Office Tasks
Sept 2009 – present
Office Assistant
Sept 2009 – present
USC Engineering Student Affairs
• Update and maintain Access database of student records
• Schedule appointments for 8 advisors
• Respond to phone and in-person inquiries
Activities
What organizations and activities utilize your time?
• Professional engineering organizations a must!
• Campus & community involvement
• Stress leadership roles in organized activities
• Interests should be UNIQUE & INTERESTING
Resume Checklist
 Proofread for grammar and spelling!
 Make sure your resume is easy to scan by the human
eye and online bots
 Font size between 10 & 12 point
 Consistency in formatting
 One page resume
 Adjust margins between .5 & 1 inches
 Use light colored paper – very positive and professional
Resume Checklist
 Avoid templates (MS Word resume templates)
 Do not exaggerate and BE HONEST
 Watch tenses and utilize action verbs
 By the way… PROOFREAD!!!
What is an Internship
An internship is any short-term, supervised work experience usually related to a
student's major field, for which the student may or may not earn academic credit.
The work can be full- or part-time, on- or off-campus, paid or unpaid.
Internships provide students with the opportunity to:
 Gain exposure to a wide variety of occupations and environments
 Test out career areas of interest and obtain career related experience
 Apply acquired knowledge to bridge that gap between the classroom and the world of
work
 Develop and enhance marketable skills
 Meet and learn from professionals in the field and develop a network of valuable
contacts
 Usually during the summer or part-time during the academic year
- USC Career Planning and Placement Center
Why Get an Internship
Why An Internship?
 Enables you to be more competitive in today's job market
 Allows you to explore career options
 Gives you the opportunity to preview and test different occupational fields
 Creates a network of contacts
 Assists you in learning professional etiquette and ethics
Steps to Finding an Internship
1. Speak with your academic advisor and an advisor in Viterbi Career
Services
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Academic Advisors will help you determine if you are academically ready for part-time
or full-time work experience during the academic year
Viterbi Career Services will help prepare to look for an internship
2. Search connectSC & Weekly Wire
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A number of Co-op and Internship Opportunities are available online through
connectSC and the Weekly Wire’s “Special Opportunities” section
3. Attend Career Fairs and Information Sessions
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Viterbi Career Services Fall ‘10 Career Expo – October 14th
Viterbi Career Services Spring ‘11 Career Expo – January 26th
4. Search Corporate Websites & Online Industry Job Posting Sites
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Available on VCS Student Site
5. Network with Family, Friends and Faculty
Questions?