Resumes and Linking-In
This past Wednesday evening, ICWIC held their second meeting of 2018 with an information-packed session regarding resumes and LinkedIn.
The meeting began with a check-in, in which members speak to other members about what they’ve accomplished that week as well as what they’re looking forward to accomplishing in the week ahead. Before getting into the night’s topic, several members also shared their respective progress with the NYWICI Scholarship process and the excitement/dread that accompanies it.
After that, Outreach Chair Leanne Macaione began a presentation all about resumes; how to make one, what to do with it, and please, use complementary colors. The thorough power point touched upon the basics of resume format, common wording mistakes, differences in preference of employers, and the importance of being honest.
Concerning the format of a resume, the presentation covered:
What to include in a header: Name, email, phone number.
Types of basic categories you should utilize such as: Employment, Education, Involvement, etc.
As well as ones you can include if you’re short on information like skills or interests.
The primary thesis of the resume presentation was that—however you format, JUST. BE. CONSISTENT! Consistency is the most important part of any resume as it makes life as easy as possible for the person reading it! Which, in turn, means a greater chance of them actually reading it.
In addition to displaying a range of example resumes, the eboard and other members chimed in frequently to elaborate on their own experiences and answer questions from the group.
The second portion of the meeting was dedicated to the social-networking-site LinkedIn. ICWIC President Lexy White began by assuring everyone that LinkedIn is not as intimidating as it seems, and went on to describe ways to best use the site to your advantage as a student. Lexy explained etiquette of messaging through LinkedIn, shared tips on how to make your profile stand out, and suggested methods of finding the people you want to connect with.
Some of the important tips she shared include:
Creating a custom URL for your page—in order to showcase both your professionality and seriousness about how you represent yourself.
Posting on a regular basis—not only to display the cool things you’re involved with to your network, but also to make your page more available for others to find.
Messaging interns—reaching out to people who currently or previously interned at a company you’re interested in not only helps to build connections but could also provide valuable insight to how that specific application process runs, and what they’re really looking for in an intern!
Similarly to the resume portion, the discussion also prompted various members to share their experiences with the site—beginner mistakes, lessons learned, and so on.
By the end of the meeting, members had a solid grasp of both concepts and hopefully felt less terrified by the prospect of applying to all the up-and-coming internships.
