Month: May 2018

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Writing Your First Resume: The Illinois Template

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If you haven’t yet written a resume, it’s time. You may not have needed a resume up to now, but having one ready makes it easy to apply for opportunities that arise.

A resume should be provisional, not set in stone. A good resume is always being revised to reflect both new things you do and the needs of the different employers that you send it to.

There is no one right way to write a resume. Different employers and industries have different expectations, and a well-chosen format can highlight your strengths. You can find many online templates to guide you.

This template is used by many programs here at the University of Illinois. Many employers who recruit on campus are familiar with this format, and it will help you get started.

Continue reading “Writing Your First Resume: The Illinois Template”

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Guest-Blog: You’ll Have Options, by Zoe Pawelczak (graduating senior)

We asked graduating senior Zoe Pawelczak (BA, English ’18) to share her advice about job-hunting as an English major. Here’s what she had to say. 

Finding jobs can seem overwhelming, and it often times seems even more difficult as an English or creative writing major.  After all, unlike engineering, advertising, etc. there is no career simply entitled English.  As a senior graduating with a degree in creative writing and a minor in English, it was certainly easy to feel lost in the sea of engineers on this campus.  But, once I started applying for jobs and interviewing I realized there is a market for the skills that we have gained through our majors. Continue reading “Guest-Blog: You’ll Have Options, by Zoe Pawelczak (graduating senior)”

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How to Escape the “Needing Experience to Get Experience” Paradox

 

Yes, you usually need experience to get a job. But often people apply for jobs because they need experience, and hope to get it by being employed.

The conundrum is not as cruel as it appears, though.

1. These expectations may be overstated. You usually find the expectations for prior experience in the “requirements” or “qualifications” in a job ad. It’s usually a separate section at the bottom of the ad listening all the things the ideal candidate for the job will have or be able to do. Many Continue reading “How to Escape the “Needing Experience to Get Experience” Paradox”