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Career Services is here for you! Visit Handshake to make an appointment with a career counselor or explore the online resources to get started right away. You will find tips and resources for resumes, cover letters, job searches, interviews, career fairs, and salary negotiation.

Resumes

A resume briefly highlights your relevant and aligning qualifications, to a position or program of interest. This document includes your education, work experience, internship, research, transferable skills, service-learning, technical skills, and more.

This is used when applying for part-time or full-time jobs, internships, and some academic programs. Be sure to thoroughly review applications requirements before submission.

Resume Tips

  • Tailored for each application
  • 1-2 pages of concise content
  • Highlight aligning and relevant experiences
  • 2-5 accomplishment (bullet point) statements per experience
  • Proofread for spelling and grammatical errors
  • Schedule an appointment with Career Services for a resume review

Chronological Resume Examples

Functional Resume Example

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

It is important to note, a CV (Curriculum Vitae) and a resume are two different documents. While they both provide an overview of your professional and educational experiences, they are utilized in different settings. A CV is commonly used when applying for international jobs, graduate programs, and teaching or research positions in higher education.

CV Tips

  • No page limit
  • Tailored for each application
  • A detailed overview of academic and professional experiences
  • Proofread for spelling and grammatical errors
  • Schedule an appointment with Career Services for a CV review

CV Examples

Cover Letters

A cover letter serves as the introduction to your resume. It is specific to each position and demonstrates interest in a particular employer or job. It should include expanded information from the resume, without repeating content. This is often the first contact with a prospective employer; it should be concise, well-written, and demonstrate effective communication.

The cover letter typically consists of three sections: the introduction, body, and closing. Within these three paragraphs, include your interest in the organization, highlight your qualifications for the position, demonstrate how your career goals align with the opportunity, and note the benefits you can provide the employer.

Cover Letter Tips

  • Proofread the cover letter to ensure no spelling or grammar errors
  • Personalize each letter, make every attempt to address each letter to a specific individual
  • Highlight relevant qualifications
  • Limit the cover letter to one page, be concise and compelling
  • Avoid overusing the word “I”
  • Vary writing style, try to offset long sentences with short ones
  • Sign the cover letter
  • Use font and format that match your resume to make a consistent application package

Resource

Internship and Job Search

The internship and job search process takes planning and persistence. There are multiple methods to search for openings including networking with employers, reviewing postings on online job search sites, attending career fair events, and utilizing professional organizations' career websites.  The Internship and Employment Guide highlights strategies for searching for career opportunities. 

Are you considering working abroad? GoinGlobal is a resource that contains global career information including job and internship search tools and country career guides. The site includes a robust employer directory of top employers throughout 196 countries.

Internship and Job Search Sites

General Internship and Job Search Sites
Arts & Humanities
Business 
Education and Human Sciences
Government
Healthcare
Social Sciences
STEM

Career Fairs

Career fairs are a great opportunity to meet and engage with potential employers.  Recruiters attend career fairs to discuss their organization, services, products, and employment needs.  Before attending a career fair, research the organizations attending, choose professional dress, print copies of your updated resume, and prepare an elevator pitch.  During the career fair, share your elevator pitch with recruiters, ask questions to the employers, and request their contact information to follow up.  Send a thank you message and connect on LinkedIn after the career fair or connect with recruiters on LinkedIn within a few days of the career fair.

Resources

Interviews

A job interview is a conversation between an applicant and employer. Many employers ask behavioral-based interview questions that focus on experience, knowledge, and skills. They are job-related and based on the belief that past behaviors predict future performance.

The SAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, action, and results. It is important to provide a brief overview of the story, with relevant examples. Be as specific as possible, without rambling or including too much information.

  • Situation: Describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of past experiences. Give enough detail to provide the interviewer with clear insight. This situation can be from a previous job, volunteer experience, or any relevant event.
  • Action: Describe the actions completed to address the situation. Use the word “I,” not “we” when describing actions.
  • Result: Describe the outcome of actions related to the situation.

Identify your skills, strengths, and experience in relation to an employer's needs. Use examples from education, work, or activities to support your skills.

Sample Interview Questions

  • Tell me about yourself.
  • Why are you interested in this position and why do you want to work for this organization?
  • What are your major strengths and weaknesses?
  • What are your short-term and long-term goals?
  • Why should I hire you?

It is important to come prepared with questions for the interviewer. This will aid in your evaluation of the organization and their opportunities. The questions should convey interest and enthusiasm. If you fail to ask the interviewer questions, they might assume you are not interested in the job or the organization.

Sample Questions to Ask the Employer

  • Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this position?
  • How does the organization train new employees?
  • How does this position contribute to the organization’s goals, productivity, or profits?
  • In your opinion, what is the most important contribution that this organization expects from its employees?

Career Services and Big Interview have teamed together to provide an innovative learning tool to UW - Eau Claire students for FREE. This unique platform provides students with the opportunity to participate in mock interviews, outside of our regular business hours. Big Interview can further enhance interview skills, through a library of questions, scenarios, tips, and response examples. Students can access this platform with a smartphone or laptop.  Create an account for Big Interview.

Personal Branding and Networking

Networking is an important aspect of the career planning and job search process.  Networking consists of connecting and engaging with professionals in a field of interest.  It is a strategic piece in developing as a professional and in learning about opportunities. 

Tips for Networking

  • Be professional and keep the tone of your communication polite, avoiding the use of slang or informal greetings such as "hey" or "hi"
  • Proofread your writing and make sure it is error-free to make a positive impression
  • Be clear in your messaging by expressing your ideas and reason for communication clearly
  • Conduct research before communicating with a professional so that you know who you are talking to and tailor your message to them
  • Utilize LinkedIn and Handshake to message alumni, employers, and other industry professionals

An informational interview can provide you with the opportunity to:

  • Learn about an occupation, including skills required, to help you in your decision making
  • Develop communications skills and self-confidence in talking with professionals in a low-pressure environment
  • Learn the occupational “buzzwords” unique to the industry and field
  • Gain valuable contacts to utilize when you are in the job search

Search Blugolds CAN (Career Alumni Network) where Alumni share their story to help you imagine the life you can lead after UW-Eau Claire!  You can browse alumni profiles, connect with alumni, and get your career-related questions answered.

Resource

Salary Negotiation

The ideal time to negotiate a salary is after a job offer has been presented by the employer. If you are asked about salary prior to securing the job, politely deflect until you have a job offer. Tell the employer that you would like to know more about the responsibilities and the challenges of the job prior to discussing salary. Explain that you are open, based upon the position and the overall compensation package. If you are still pressed for a number, present a wage range based on research of market salary for the area using resources listed below.

Salary Negotiation Tips

  • Start with your budget, how much do you need to meet your needs? Consider both standard and variable costs, new expenses (such as health insurance or student loans), and geographic location.
  • Conduct market research. What is the typical pay for this type of work? Take into account geographic location and years of experience.
  • Determine your salary range based on your budget and market research.
  • Take time to review and consider the offer. It can be tempting to accept right away, but asking for time to step back and review helps you to secure the best offer you can!
  • Be professional and persuasive. Make suggestions with confidence. Before you begin, take the time to write 3-5 value statements. What skills and experiences are you bringing that will add value to the organization?
  • Do not burn bridges. If you want to decline an offer, act in a polite and professional manner.
  • Never lie about past salary and/or wages.
  • Consider the value of benefits and perks in your salary expectations, such as bonuses, tuition reimbursement, health insurance, paid time off, telecommuting options, and promotion potential.

Resource

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Career Services

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