By Jacob Boone | Staff Writer
With Career Day approaching on Feb. 27 in the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, the Career Center is offering students help with resumes.
Marissa Watson, a Career Center success professional, said she and the rest of the staff can help a resume read well for any major.
“Writing your resume is like learning a new language,” Watson said. “It’s not a language that you use very often, but when you do, it is important that you get it right.”
Generally, a resume is the first line of defense in the hiring process, and attention to detail can go a long way. Watson said she would even “use a ruler on a printed copy of a resume to make sure that spacing was the same.”
For college students, the first professional resume is often the hardest to make. Watson said this because “we aren’t used to putting our experiences on paper.”
With a background in recruitment and law, she said her advice to students beginning their professional lives is “consistency, consistency, consistency.”
“During professional research, they are also pulling up the resume that is posted on your online profile, so you want it to be consistent,” Watson said. “Don’t forget to upload regular updates to your LinkedIn or Handshake.”
Before handing over a resume, Watson said to utilize networking.
“Networking is a scary word, but the more you make use of existing connections, the more you can take the pressure off,” Watson said. “Don’t be afraid to look at existing relationships through a professional lens.”
Watson said companies on campus and on Handshake are actively recruiting Baylor students, and Career Day is a good opportunity for it.
“You never know which connections are going to lead you where you want to go,” Watson said. “And many of them are already in your backyard.”
Seal Beach, Calif., sophomore Camille Bissell serves as a receptionist at the Career Center.
“I love being part of the process that connects people with their potential future employers,” Bissell said. “There is always room in our schedule [to help].”
Career Day is from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 27. Recruiters from diverse industries nationwide will present internships and job prospects for students of all majors.
“Even for freshmen, the career fair gives a unique opportunity to attach company names and logos to real understandings of what they are like,” Watson said.
Students can schedule a meeting with the Career Center through Handshake or drop by Suite 150 in the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation to learn more.
