ECRC

Engineering Career Resource Center

Contact info:Erin Rook, Program Coordinator ECRCECRC ONLINE 1524 (erin.rook@wayne.edu) https://www.facebook.com/wayne.ECRC

Resumes

• For students, a resume should be 1 page in length.

• Typically, recruiters spend about 6-7 seconds looking at a resume.

• Your resume should highlight your education, skills, projects, experience, and extracurriculars/honors.

• Your resume is only your ticket to an interview, it doesn’t get you the job!

• Best resume fonts – Helvetica, Calibri, Georgia, Arial, Garamond

• Avoid long sentences, over-complicated design aspects, over-using bullet points, complicated colors, pictures, subjective language (“great leadership skills”), salary, references etc.

• Your resume MUST be tailored for each job you apply for.

Contact Info

The first thing on your resume should be your contact information. This should include:•Your full name (no nick-names)•Your address (or just City, State)•Your phone number •Your professional e-mail address (avoid Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo)•A unique URL to your Linkedin page•*Putting your contact info in the header saves you space later on

Objective/Professional Summary

Following your contact information will come either an “Objective” or a “Professional Summary”. It’s up to you which you chose, some recruiters prefer one over the other.

Objective: – Typically objective statements are more general.– An objective statement tells an employer what you are looking for, and that is about it.– Sometimes seen as outdated.– Ex: “Seeking an internship in the Biomedical Field.”

Professional Summary:– Allows you to tell an employer what you can do for them, rather than what you want.– More space to discuss your skills, and build up yourself.– Avoid pronoun usage (No “I am a … “ or “My skills …”)– No more than 40-50 words– Ex: “Knowledgeable Biomedical Engineering graduate student with strong foundational

understanding of engineering principles and design methods seeking an internship opportunity to enhance my understanding of orthopedic bioengineering.”

EducationAs a student, your education should be one of the first sections on your resume. Most students put their Education section directly below their Objective/Summary section.•Begin with your current or most recent schooling first, work backwards in time (reverse chronological order)•Include:

– Name of institution– City/State, Country– Degree Type (BS, MS, PhD)– Major/Program of Study– GPA *If your GPA is under a 3.0 leave it off your resume. If your GPA is calculated on a different

scale either document it in terms of a USA GPA, or give a point of reference (Ex: 68.09/100%)– Dates attended and/or expected date of graduation– Use bolding to separate words to make it easier to pick up important information. Remain uniform w/

dates

Relevant Coursework

Relevant Coursework sections are optional, but as students they provide you another area to highlight your training and skills. •Read the job posting carefully to see what courses will be more relevant to the job you are applying for.

Skills

Following your Education section should be a way of highlighting your skills.•There is no “right” way to show your skills, but remember to include technical, computer, and hardware skills if applicable. •Separate your skills with commas, sectioning, and/or bullet points.•Pay attention to the job posting you are applying for – if they are looking for particular skills, and you honestly have those skills, list them on your resume. *Ordering is important!

Engineering Projects

For students with little to no work experience in the BME/ENG field, showing your engineering projects is critical to showcase your hands-on abilities.•Select your top projects, you don’t have room to list every project.•Include:

– Title of the project– Course the project was completed– Date completed (Ex: Spring Semester 2015)– Description of the projects key points using action verbs. – Make sure to use numbers – quantify whenever possible.– Include the types of tools, computer/technical programs used, etc.

Work Experience

Once you have started working in the field (even with an internship/co-op) you will move the Work Experience section closer to the top. For students, Work Experience can be less important if the jobs held are not related to the field of study.•When writing your work experience, follow a matching format to the Education section (matching dates, similar bolding, etc.)•Use action words to describe your duties.

– Focus on using numbers– Try to include any transferrable and/or soft skills relevant to the job you are

applying for.– Include the types of tools, computer/technical programs used– *If you are writing about a past job, use past-tense – If you are writing about

a current job, use present-tense!

Honors/Awards/Activities

If you have any Honors, Awards or Activities and have space left on a one-page resume include this information last.•Include Name, Dates, Location, etc. of these honors/awards/activities.•Remain uniform with formatting (similar bolding, dates on same side, etc.)•Things to include could be:

– Competitions won/participated in– Publications– Presentations– Dean’s List– Student or professional organizational memberships– Volunteer work (if relevant)

Key Words• 3D Modeling • Acoustic Modeling

Aerodynamics• Allocation • Analog Electronics • Architecture Enhancements

Assembly • Design Assembly • Modification • Bid and Cost Plus Work • Bid Sheets • Bidder Lists • Board of Safety Standards• Buildings • C Programming • C4 Navigation and intelligence• Cable Products • Capital Equipment • Ceramic Capacitors • Chemical Engineering

Chemistry • Circuitry • Civil Engineering • Commercial Projects• Competitive Analysis • Complex Electromechanical

Systems Component

• Data Collection and Analysis

• Data • Performance

Characteristics • Design and Construction of

RF • Equipment Design• Methodologies • Design Verification • Testing Detailed Models• Development • Environment • Digital Electronics• Documentation • Dynamic Systems• Economical Solution• Efficiency Control • Electrical Analysis • Electrical Design • Electrical Engineering

Electronic Design • Electronic Equipment

Electrostatic • Discharge • Emissions Testing• Engineering Estimates• Engineering• Field Supervision• Engineering Management• Environmental Engineering• Environmental Problems• Environmental Regulation

• Fabrication • Methodologies Facilities • Facilities Engineering • Facilities Inspections• Flow Patterns• Fluid Compression • Fluid Mechanics • Fluid Systems • Functional Flows • Functionality • Geological Formation • Global Marketing• Machinery Maintenance • Maintenance Documentation• Management Process • Manufacturing • Manufacturing Problem Resolution• Manufacturing Process • Project Cost • Project Engineering • Project Management • Project Specification • Project Start-Up • Prototypes • pWB • Fabrication • Qualitative Analysis • Quality Assurance • Quality Assurance Tests • Quality Control • Quantitative Analysis • Radiation Monitoring • Equipment

http://www.calvin.edu/dotAsset/882306ad-7c16-45e7-a693-5bcab70b386f.pdf

Preparing for the Career Fair

Before:

• Evaluate the list of employers attending the fair – Pick the top 3-7 employers you’d like to speak with (if you have time, speak w/ more)

• Research the companies you are interested in - What are they hiring for? What about the company draws you to want to work there? What are some key points about the company? What are their company values/mission?

• Practice a 30 second pitch - Tell them your name, your program, something about your skills, something about the company that interests you, what positions/departments at that company that you are interested in, why you are a good fit for that company.

• Prepare 1-3 questions to ask the employer about their company.

• Print several copies of your resume – Make sure you have many copies of your polished resume. If you can, print your resume on “resume paper”. Keep organized with a nice folder or portfolio.

Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a quick (30-60 seconds) way to sell yourself and your skills/abilities to a recruiter.

1. Introduction: Introduce yourself, shake hands, hand over your resume. (Name, Major, Years in School, Graduation date)2. Objective: Why are you there? What are you looking for specifically? (Full-time, internship, co-op, etc.)3. Summary: Summarize your education, experience, key skills, and research/career interests. (Relevant classes, skills, interest areas, clubs/orgs, etc.)4. Why this company?: Why would you like to work for that employer – what about it appeals to you? (Research is important)5. Closing Statement: Restate your objective and key interests and say thank you.

Example Elevator Pitchs

• “Hello. My name is Jonah Smith, it’s very nice to meet you. I will be graduating from UT in May 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a minor in Business. I have gathered a lot of professional experience in computer sales, and am looking for a job in that field. This past summer, I gained a lot of valuable sales experience through an internship with Dell, and over the past two years have also been active in getting my friend’s small computer business off the ground. I’ve researched your company, and I know that you’ve recently expanded your product line to include wireless communication devices. I’m really excited by the recent innovations in wireless services, and would love to find out more about what you’re doing in that area. I’m also very interested in learning about the kinds of training opportunities and entry level positions you have available to graduating seniors.” – (From http://career.utk.edu/students/career-information-by-college/college-of-engineering/engineering-job-search-websites/engineering-elevator-speech/ )

• “Nice to meet you, I’m Alex Biondo. I’m currently a senior and am studying Computer Science. I ��hope to become a computer programmer when I graduate. I’ve had a couple of internships with ��local companies where I worked on several program applications with a project team. I’ve got experience with C++, Java, and Python. I enjoy developing computer applications for simple business solutions. The Computer Science Internship position you have listed on your job board seems like it would be a perfect fit for someone with my skills. I’d like to hear more about the type of project teams in your organization.” –(From https://career.uoregon.edu/blog/students/2009/11/elevator-speech-30-seconds-interview)

Preparing for the Career Fair

During:

• Arrive early and prepared – You will need to sign in to the fair and create a name tag.

• Dress appropriately – You should dress like you are going to a job interview. (Dress professionally and modest)

• Approach your top employers and introduce yourself – Shake hands, smile, give your pitch, and present your resume. If time allows, ask the employer 1-3 questions. Make sure you ask the next steps on their hiring process.

• Take a business card – This allows you to connect with the recruiter later on, and you can use this information to connect with them on Linkedin.

• If times allows visit with other employers – Once you’ve visited your top employers, stop by other tables and learn about other opportunities. Just because it may not be a “big name” company doesn’t mean it’s not a good opportunity!

Preparing for the Career Fair

After:• Connect on Linkedin - Make sure to find the recruiters you connected with on Linkedin. Ask to connect with them - these are very valuable connections!

•Send a thank you note - If possible send a quick thank you e-mail to the recruiters you had good conversations with. Remind them of your name, something you discussed, and how they can reach you.

•Follow up with job postings - Make sure to keep checking the company’s job sites to see upcoming postings.

Preparing for the Career Fair

Other Tips:

•Have a plan •Practice saying your pitch out loud •If time allows, start with a smaller company first to build up your confidence •Take free items sparingly, don’t make it look like you’re just there for free stuff •Smile! •Shake hands •Be polite •Be courteous to your peers, lines are long – be considerate of the line when speaking to recruiters •Follow-up w/ recruiters after the fair – apply online if applicable •Be enthusiastic!

Selling Yourself as WSU Engineering Student

• Strong engineering foundation embedded throughout all programs• Traditional engineering principles• Strong focus on design all throughout curriculum• Hands on experiences• Strong research area/undergraduate research • Transferrable skills• Technical and computer applications• Global Perspective• A key educational institution in Michigan, with more than 110 full-time faculty and 2,650

undergraduate and graduate students• A leader in the practical integration of education and research• A key player in Michigan’s transition from a manufacturing economy to a strong, effective and

diversified high tech global marketplace• One of only 24 U.S. PACE institutions• Home to more than 20 student organizations• A promoter of entrepreneurship among students, faculty and alumni, offering resources and

connections to a vast number of business incubators http://engineering.wayne.edu/edge.php