Students should sharpen skills, says SE speaker
by Brian Shults, se news editor

    A waning job market signals a need for students to sharpen personal skills and experience, an author told SE student last week.

   Bradley Richardson, speaking on interviewing and résumé strategies, said skills and experience supply an edge in gaining a prospective employer’s attention.

   “The biggest catch-22 for graduates entering the job market is getting experience. The employer says, ‘We want somebody with experience.’ But how do you get experience if they won’t give you the job? Internships are key,” he said.

   Internships grant students learning experiences in a particular field by allowing them to work within an organization of interest to them, Richardson said.

   “It (a company’s intern selection period) is the only time an employer will ask you to work for them,” he said.

   Companies attempting to attract college interns for summer work shatter the mold of applying, waiting and being interviewed, which usually accompanies a job search. Frequently, the companies will come onto campus to attract interns, but after graduation, the burden to find employment is on the individual, Richardson said.

   “If an employer hires you from simply looking at your résumé, go buy lotto tickets that day because things are going your way. It simply doesn’t happen that often,” he said.

   Richardson explained how to construct an effective résumé.

   “Frequently, a résumé goes through a database; sometimes a human doesn’t even see it. But you still need to spend time and pay attention to details,” he said.

   In order for a résumé to garner attention; it must be concise and clear and show results, Richardson said.

   “It can be tough to talk about yourself and to be able to write it down even if you are the biggest ego-maniac. But you need to be able to do it,” he said.

   “Employers are not as interested in what you’ve done, but more in how well you have done it. Results are key,” he said.

   Campus experience can be a vital component to a résumé, but listing tangible results can transform the average résumé into an attention-getting résumé. Tangible results such as demonstrating an increase in a student group’s fund raising are more likely to gain attention than merely being a member of that group, Richardson said.

   Richardson also explained three things to avoid writing on a résumé.

   “Do not put your objectives at the top of the résumé. Don’t say, ‘I’m seeking a challenging position that will allow me to utilize my skills.’ Make a cover sheet to explain the purpose of the résumé,” he said.

   A cover sheet should specifically address the recipient, or someone within the company who can properly direct the résumé, and briefly explain what positions are being pursued, Richardson said.

   “Do not say ‘references upon request.’ The employers will ask for them if they want them,” he said.

   Other advice concerned the physical self.

   “Don’t say, ‘I’m in excellent health’ because everyone will say something like that. It doesn’t sell you to the recruiter,” he said.

   Spell-check can also be a burden, as well as an aid. One should ask another person to proofread the résumé, Richardson said.

   The second step in attaining a job—the interview—is vital in allowing the employer to assess the type of employee a candidate’s personality conveys.

   “A résumé gets you in the door. An interview gets you the job. During the interview if you’re nervous, don’t think about it as an interrogation. It’s a give-and-take Q and A. It is a chance for them to look at you, but it’s also an opportunity for you to look at them,” he said.

   Many books that supposedly aid in the interviewing process and give standard answers to questions that company recruiters ask do not provide the answers the recruiter is looking for, Richardson said.

   Recruiters want honest responses that illustrate an individual’s ability to think on his feet.

   At the audience’s request, Richardson offered a few responses to questions.

   “When a recruiter asks for your weaknesses, you have to fake sincerity, pause and think. Then say, ‘I really do not have any weaknesses, but if I did …’ Then pause again and say, ‘it would be that I work too hard. You have to tell me to go home.’

   “If a recruiter asks, ‘Where do you see yourself in five years?’ Answer, ‘Your job,’” he said.