Specialist assists students in resumes

   To help students prepare for the upcoming Mac 3 Job Fair, Darrell Whitsell, career planning specialist on SE Campus, conducted a resume seminar Thursday, on the importance of resumes in obtaining a sought-after job.
   Resumes differ from applications because the applicants design their resumes specifically to highlight their strongest qualities, Whitsett said.
   “The resume is basically a marketing tool,” he said. “Like a billboard, it has to say a lot in a short way.”
   Whitsell believes that overall, a resume should be basic in its approach and concise in its content to best serve the applicant.
   “It’s not about pretty; it’s about information,” he said to the participants.
   And with certain employers, resumes may travel through as many as eight different departments.
   Therefore, the information must be well written and to the point because “a lot of eyes will see it” and “people don’t want a lot of information to cover,” Whitsell said.
   Though a student may have limited work experience, Whitsell noted that a resume is still a good thing to have.
   It can show the employer that the applicant really wants the job.
   “A small resume is better than no resume at all,” he said. “It shows you’ve done your homework.”
   The resume is just the first step in the hiring process, Whitsell said.
   “Resumes,” he said, “are not to get the job; they are to get the interview. In the interview, you sell yourself.”
   Whitsell said he hopes that through this seminar he can help students better prepare for the Mac 3 Job Fair March 9 on SE Campus.
   Whitsell concluded by saying he knows it is not easy to write a resume.