Career
Development Center offers student résumé assistance
By Andy Reyes
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
In order to help attain wanted careers, Cal State Long Beach students need to
be aware of the importance of a résumé and the resources on campus
which are available to assist them.
Junior finance major Jennifer Lee looks to classes offered at CSULB to assist
her in developing resume skills.
“
I’m currently taking IS 301 and it teaches you how to write newsletters,
Emails and even résumés,” Lee said. “It’s an
interesting class because one of the things I’ve learned is how to write
résumés for the business world and I know that’ll help me
in the future.”
According to the Career Development Center (CDC) Web site, students get one opportunity
to make a first impression, and therefore, the resume can be critical. A resume
serves to convince an employer students have what it takes to be successful in
a particular career.
Full-time CDC counselor Paul Fornell said he is available for students who may
need help revising or getting started on a resume.
“
There is not technically a right or wrong way to write a resume but that there
are many different formats, and there are many different styles,” he
said. “As long as you’re filling one of the more or less standard
formats, whether it be the chronological, or the functional is more a question
of style.”
Fornell said the chronological format is the best way to go for many students
because it highlights the experience a student has built up to that point in
his or her life. Whereas a functional resume is more useful to those who have
built skills throughout a long career, he said.
Whichever format you choose, “The most important thing is to always make
sure you’re telling the truth about what you’re putting on the piece
of paper,” Fornell said.
He also said students should make sure their résumés have correct
spelling.
“
That’s probably obvious, but often students will come in with a rough draft
and maybe they didn’t do a spell check,” he said. “Those are
probably the two most important things: that they’re telling the truth
about their experience and their education, and that the resume is neat and clean.”
Using all, or part, of your name for your e-mail will be more professional Fornell
said. And, when listing a phone number where employers can reach you, make sure
the outgoing message on your answering machine or cell phone is not “a
goofy one.” Fornell said you want to make it “as professional as
possible.”
Students should be more aware about personal websites when they are handing out
resumes, and that is personal websites, says Fornell.
“
We’ve gotten more concern for students regarding Facebook and MySpace,” he
said. “You probably need to be a little bit careful“now about what
you are putting out there because some employers are now looking at those sites.
If they know what school you’re at they can join that school’s Facebook
or
MySpace and [those sites] are a part about why employers are becoming more sophisticated
about doing reference checks.”
The CDC Web site also has many links offering tips on proper ways to list job
references.
Sophomore pre-nursing major Frances Basa said to help build references for her
resume she tries to reference all her previous employers.
“
I also try to stay in contact with them even though I may no longer work with
them,” Basa said. “It’s just so that I maintain a good relationship
with them and so they won’t forget about me.”
Students interested in more information on resume writing tips can visit the
CDC Web site at careers.csulb.edu.
Tips on resume writing available through the CDC Web site:
∑ Font size should be between 10 and 14 points.
∑ Avoid italics, script and underlining words.
∑ Use light colored (white or ivory) 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper and use one
side
∑ No staples
∑ Do not ever fold your resume
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