Transcript How to Write a Resume - Binghamton University

Resume Writing and
Interviewing Tips for
Engineers and Computer
Scientists
Agenda
• Introduction
• EY Trajectory Program – Chris Whitney
• Career and Alumni Connections
• Resume Basics
• Interviewing Basics
• Resources
Binghamton University
2
The Watson School
Degree Type
Undergraduates
Systems
PhD
9%
Science
Industrial
Bioengineering
9%
Engineering
Masters
16%
19%
Computer
Science
26%
Undergraduates
75%
Mechanical
Engineering
26%
Electrical
Computer
Engineering
20%
Binghamton University
3
Career and Alumni Connections
Domestic & International
Purpose Of Career Connections
• Provide students with professional skills training, networking
opportunities and access to potential employers
• Establish partnerships with key employers and alumni so students have a
large pool of employment opportunities including internships, research
experiences, and full time positions
• Engage students in the career preparation process through focusing on
self-awareness and teaching them the professional skills needed to fulfill
their short and long-term career goals
Purpose of Alumni Connection Cultivate alumni network and engage alumni in
campus and student activities
• Expand and foster long-term strategic relationships with alumni
• Collaborate with alumni to provide job opportunities for our students
• Connect students with alumni across all programming
Binghamton University
4
Purpose Of Career Connections
• Provide students with professional skills training, networking
opportunities and access to potential employers
• Establish partnerships with key employers and alumni so students have a
large pool of employment opportunities including internships, research
experiences, and full time positions
• Engage students in the career preparation process through focusing on
self-awareness and teaching them the professional skills needed to fulfill
their short and long-term career goals
Purpose of Alumni Connection Cultivate alumni network and engage alumni in
campus and student activities
• Expand and foster long-term strategic relationships with alumni
• Collaborate with alumni to provide job opportunities for our students
• Connect students with alumni across all programming
• Create alumni to alumni network
Binghamton University
5
Employers Hiring Our Students
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Amazon
BAE Systems
Bloomberg
Broadcom Corporation
Citi
Consolidated Edison
GE
Global Foundries
Honda
IBM
Lockheed Martin
Microsoft
Navy
Northrup Grumman
Open Link Financial
Pratt-Whitney
Binghamton University
6
International
Binghamton University
7
Domestic
Binghamton University
8
Freshman Year – Think Global!
Resumes / Cover Letters •Prepare Resumes & include high school experiences –
attend workshops / CDC
/ Interview Skills
Get Involved / Events
•Put yourself out there! Join a club! Learn about different
cultures right here – from your peers
Networking
•Initiate networks, reach out, attend career fair!
•Insight On-Site, Linked In, E-recruiting
Plan Ahead!
•Consider internships and study abroad options
Consider your major and •Engineering Discipline / CS
•Foreign language classes
classes
Summer time
Summer jobs &
Volunteer work
Foreign Study &
Volunteer work
Leadership
workshops
Conferences
and seminars
Internships
RESUME
Binghamton University
11
The Purpose:
To provide readers with a concise summary of your experiences,
skills, and qualifications using a consistent theme/brand
The Goal:
To convey your strengths, objectives, and message in a way that
creates interest from employers, ultimately leading to interviews
Binghamton University
12
Resume Basics
Pay attention to Content and Form
 Content
• Concise: phrases not sentences; choose words carefully
• Think in terms of the reader
• Gear your resume to the skills, experiences and qualities employers seek
• Action and results oriented
• Promote relevant background
• Factual: do not misrepresent
 Form
• Organize into categories that are easy to read and identify by employers
(visually appealing layout)
• Most relevant information first
• Consistent presentation
Binghamton University
13
The Components of a Bullet
What
How
Results
• What exactly did you do?
• Start off with a STRONG action verb
• NO “Responsible for” or “Worked with”
• What was your methodology or process?
• Did you use any relevant software programs?
• What technical or interpersonal skills did you
demonstrate?
•
•
•
•
What was the purpose/outcome?
How did you contribute to the bigger picture?
Quantify results if possible.
How successful was this experience?
Binghamton University
14
Strong Content
Strong
action verbs
convey and
support
your brand
NO
“laundry
lists”
Quantify
where
feasible
Search the
job
description
for clues
Stronger , more compelling, and
consistent content increases the
chance for an interview
Binghamton University
15
Typical Categories
• Identifying Information
• Objective
• Education
• Technical Skills/Courses
• Relevant Experience
• Project/Lab Experience
• Leadership Experience
• Activities/Other Experiences
Dependent on Experience/
Job Description
Binghamton University
16
Identifying Information
INCLUDE
•
•
•
•
Name
Permanent Address (local for International Students)
Phone Number
Email Address
Dia Rigong
1234 Resume Lane, Engineer NY, 123456
(111) 111-1111 | [email protected]
Binghamton University
17
Objective
 A brief statement providing focus and direction to your
resume indicating what position you seek and what you
offer
 The rest of the resume should provide evidence of
your qualifications for the position you seek
• optional
• focus on employer’s needs
• communicates a sense of direction
• influences how resume is organized
• brief -- one or two lines
Binghamton University
18
Objective
Samples
 A position as a computer systems analyst at Lockheed
Martin
 A HVAC Intern position at BAE Systems
Binghamton University
19
Education
 Should Include:
 institution name
 degree, major, date expected
 May also include:
 minor or concentration
 GPA (overall and/or major)
 honors
Binghamton University
20
Education
Samples
EDUCATION
Binghamton University, State University of New York - Watson School of Engineering
Bachelors of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering
3.X/4.0 GPA, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society, Alpha Pi Mu Industrial Honors Society
Binghamton University
Expected May 2014
21
Technical Skills / Courses
• For example: Software Packages, Languages, Operating
Systems
Binghamton University
22
Relevant/Professional Experiences
 Which Experiences Do I Write About?
• Create a list of all positions and activities in
which you have been involved (paid/unpaid)
• Review the list to identify those that relate
most to your objective
• These are the positions that you will focus on in
the Experience section
Binghamton University
23
Experience
 NOT limited to paid employment
 Consider what relates:
• Internships
• Volunteer work
• Campus involvement
• Employment
• Independent study
• Special projects
• Field work
Binghamton University
24
For Each Entry…
Include:
• Organization name, city and state
• Dates of activity (month/year to month/year) – right
justified
• Position held
• Bullets – what, how & why/results
BE CONSISTENT!
Binghamton University
25
Relevant Experiences
Binghamton University
26
Project / Lab Experience
• Projects
• For example: Senior Project, Junior Project,
Environmental Issues Project, Reverse Engineering
Project
Binghamton University
27
Leadership Experience / Activities
• Involvement shows another dimension of you as a candidate
• Campus activities, volunteer positions, committees,
athletics
• Include position, organization name, location, and dates of
involvement (month/year – month/year)
• Include descriptive statements to highlight skills developed or
accomplishments
Binghamton University
28
Leadership Examples
Binghamton University
29
Logistics of a Resume
Type in word,
send as PDF to
retain formatting
Set all margins to
.5”
Point size: name
at 14 – 16, text at
10 – 12
Font type: Times
New Roman or
Arial
Keep it to ONE
page!
Objectives should
be specific to
company,
otherwise left out
List position,
organization,
location, and
dates
Match verb tense
to dates
Stay consistent
and 100% error
free!
Binghamton University
30
Quick Resume Tips
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYaXN8j7rL8
Binghamton University
31
Resume Review
Watson Career and Alumni Connections
Office Hours: Wednesday & Friday 1pm-4pm
Send your resume/cover letter to
[email protected]
Career Development Center
Hours vary, check CDC’s website at
http://cdc.binghamton.edu
Binghamton University
32
Interview Tips
Interviews
 Why an interview?
• Getting to know you and if you’re a “fit”
 What kind?
•
•
•
•
•
Phone
Virtual
Face-to-face
Panel
Group
Binghamton University
34
1st Step - Prep
 Research the firm/organization
•
•
•
•
•
What are they “known” for?
Who are their clients/constituents(profile)?
What is the “culture”?
Is there a “lingo” to the dept you’re applying to?
Why is this important?
Binghamton University
35
Still Prepping……
 Review your resume/application
• Make sure you can “talk” about everything
• What did you get out of each experience
• What do you want to highlight to the interviewer
• Have a copy with you during interview
 Write it down!!!
• Your highlights or details
• Questions
Binghamton University
36
Still prepping
• Interview
• Why you? Why This? Why us?
• Know typical general interview behavioral questions and
practice them
• Tell me about yourself
• Why have you chosen this major
• What is your greatest accomplishment
• What is your greatest challenge
• Describe a problem you encountered and how you
succeeded
• Talk about a group project
• Know typical technical interview questions and practice them
Binghamton University
37
Interviewstream
Binghamton University
38
Still prepping
 Technical interview questions are to gauge problem solving skills when put
on the spot
 Dependent on the job requirements, experiences/skills
 Example Questions:
• Software Engineer
• What is the difference between Calloc and Malloc?
• Explain what are data structures
• Electrical Engineer
• What are voltage dividers used for
• How are analog signals converted to digital signals
• Mechanical Engineer
• What are the laws of Thermodynamics
• Interpret a stress vs. strain curve
Binghamton University
39
More Prepwork….




Practice, Practice, Practice!!
Attend Mock Interviews at CDC
InterviewStream
Talk to people!
•
•
•
•
Have your friends interviewed before?
How did it go?
What questions did they ask?
What does he wish he would have done differently?
Binghamton University
40
The Time is Now!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Get enough sleep
Eat something
Sit up straight
Take a deep breath
Smile
Eye Contact
Dress for success
Remember….You are interviewing the firm as much as they are
interviewing you!
Binghamton University
41
Dress for success
•
•
•
•
•
Professional, Business Casual, Casual
For interview and as you begin a new job, dress professional
Once you are in the job, culture will determine dress code!
Better to be overdressed
If you’d wear it to a club or on a date……..don’t wear it to
work
Binghamton University
42
Examples – Professional
Binghamton University
43
Dress for success
Appearance and Grooming
 Try to find out culture of the company and if you don’t know start off
being conservative
• It’s critical to be clean/neat from head to toe
• Conservative jewelry/accessories
• Don’t overdo cologne or perfume
• No food or gum
Binghamton University
44
What to Have on Hand
• Resume/supporting documents
• The person’s name and title
• Use formal address unless they ask otherwise
• Padfolio / briefcase
• Pen and paper
• Notes / Questions you have for the firm
Binghamton University
45
Answering Questions
 You need to be clear and concise
• Speak slowly and enunciate
 Watch your language/grammar
• Easy to fall into slang when on a roll
 Are you telling them what you want them to know?
• Refer to your notes & resume
 Ensure to ask questions at the end of the interview
Binghamton University
46
Summary
GOOD LUCK AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PREPARE!
Binghamton University
47