Career Counselling @ SMU

Build A Great Resume

Your resume is the first work product you show a prospective employer. Based on your resume, a prospective employer forms an impression of you before you are even granted an interview. That's why well-presented resumes are so crucial! Typically, you should try to keep your resume to two pages with your points organised in a logical manner for easy reading. Select a common typeface like Times or Arial no smaller than 12 points. As for the content, you should try to provide the following information: Name and Address. Indicate your full name and your home address. Provide a phone number and your school email address where you can be reached easily. Education. List your education qualifications, beginning with the most recent. Keep this brief. It is recommended that you list down the university, which you are attending now, and the majors you have taken, if any, followed by your JC or Polytechnic. Work Experience. List jobs or internships held-full or part-time and begin with the most recent. Highlight the ones that are most relevant or important. For each position, give a brief description of your main tasks, responsibilities and accomplishments. List CCA Activities. List and describe the activities you have organised or participated. Highlight the ones that you have played an important role and your achievements. Awards and Achievements. This is an optional category on your resume. List the awards and achievements you have attained, such as scholarships, class standing etc. Special Skills/Knowledge/Languages. If you have any special skills or knowledge that is relevant to the job that you are applying, do highlight them. For example, if you are proficient in a specific software or foreign language, indicate it in your resume. The cover letter serves 2 important functions. It introduces you to the recruiter and is a powerful marketing tool that sells your qualifications and demonstrates your knowledge, experience and expertise. There is no doubt that a great cover letter can make a difference in whether you get noticed or passed over. We have compiled the following tips to help you prepare your cover letter. For more information on how to write a killer cover letter, be sure to check out the resources available in the Career Resource Centre.

4 Year Planner
University life isn't just about good grades and fun its about planning ahead for a long-term career. And chances are you'll need more than just a degree to get your career off the ground. Ask yourself. What do you hope to achieve when you graduate? With all career possibilities available, how do you make a decision? Once you know which career path you want to follow, how do you get there? Your career, like your life, has phases. In order to manage it strategically and effectively over the long haul, you need to develop and manage your very own career plan. When and where should you begin? Right now whilst you are still in school. Like any journey you take, it is always easier to start your planning early, preferably at your first year with SMU. This would give you ample time to explore various options, develop needed skills and better prepare for the working life upon graduation. To prepare you for a successful transition to the workplace, we have created a four-year action plan to facilitate your career journey. Do note that a career plan is unique to every individual and how you plan and manage your career path is entirely up to you. The suggested four-year planner is just a guide. Treat this plan as a road map with a series of signs to assist and remind you, as you find your way down your career path. You can at any point of time, change your plans or revisit some of the basic steps. When it comes to your career, you are the only one who knows what is best for you. So begin your first step today! Freshman Year: Discover who you are! To many, it is a major transition from college to university. As such, it is perfectly fine if you have no idea what you intend to do later in life. Take your time to explore and keep your options open. Enjoy your orientation! Participate actively in the orientation programmes arranged by the schools, Office of Career Services, Office of Student Life as well as the various student clubs and societies. This is the best time for you to identify campus resources, get to know the SMU Community and adjust to campus life. Get familiar with the services provided by the Office of Career Services. You can do so by browsing through our office website, or if you wish, make an appointment to see a career counsellor. Develop a rapport with the counsellor and learn how to make full use of the resources available. Identify and develop your interests, skills and values through participation in extra curricula activities, sports and of course, community service attachment. Do remember that all students are required to complete 80 hours of community service attachment with a community, civil and social organisation.

Self-assessment is essentially the first step to finding a satisfying career. Learn about your strengths and limitations and how it affects your career choices through personality inventory instruments. Our Office administered a series of inventories (ProScan, Myer-Briggs Type Indicator and DISC) that will assist you in determining the careers most suitable for you. Please consult our officers for details if you wish to get an assessment. Develop good time management and study habits. Strive to keep your GPA as high as you can. Sophomore Year: Explore Your Career Options! You may be experiencing a Major-Headache as you are about to embark on one of the most important mission in SMU... ...selecting an area of concentration. This is an important decision as it may determine your future career path. Choose wisely. Talk to parents, friends, professors or your career counselors before making a decision. Learn about the career options that are available now that you determined your major. A good way to start is to attend the various career-related talks and seminars where industrial professionals are invited to share their working experience. Develop insights into careers by making full use of the materials available in the Career Resource Centre and on the internet. Make an effort to visit the Career Resource Centre to get the latest updates. Attend career-related programs or workshops to better prepare you for the job market resume writing, interviewing skills/techniques, dress for success etc. Prepare and update your resume regularly. If needed, have it critiqued by a career counsellor. Plan your summer vacation wisely. Logon to SMU OnTRAC to search for a meaningful internship to gain work experience and test out your career interests. The Office of Career Services offers internship orientation sessions each semester. If you have not made any plans for your internship or do not know how to begin, you are strongly encouraged to sign up for the session. Junior Year: Evaluate Your Career Options! If you have not completed your internship requirement of 10 weeks with a business organisation or the 80 hours community service attachment, you should begin to source for it and try to fulfill the requirement before graduation. Fine-tune your career choices and discuss your ideas with your career counselor or mentor. Do your research on organizations that offers positions that matches your career interests. Determine how your skills could be put to use in the position. Continue to test out your career interest as well as gain additional work experience through internships, part-time or vacation assignments. If you have not opted for the credit Career Skills: The Finishing Touch in your sophomore year, you should considering doing so this year to broaden your academic foundation and improve your employment opportunities. Polish your resume, cover letter and interview skills. You can refer to the DIY kits available in the Career Resource Centre to get started. Get familiar with the job search process by attending career fairs and

recruitment talks. This is the best time to establish network for employment possibilities. Senior Year: Decision, Decision, Decision! Plan ahead and develop a strategy to achieve your desired career goals for employment. A career decision involves commitment of your time and effort. There is no right or wrong choice. The right occupational choice is the one that best fit your goals, interests, values and skills. If you are still undecided, a discussion with your career counsellor with an objective point of view might help. Confirm the remaining credits you need to attain for graduation at the beginning of the academic year so that there will be no surprises when it comes time to graduate. Start your job search process 3-6 months before graduation. Update your resumes to include your internship and leadership experiences gained from participation in extra-curricula activities. Find out about the job expectations and the challenges that you are likely to encounter by attending career fairs and recruitment talks conducted by organisations. Explore various job openings available via the SMU OnTRAC System. You could also source for other employment opportunities through your contacts or get referrals, job advertisements, career fairs, or even your former employer. Send thank-you cards after each interview Begin to build a professional wardrobe for interviews and your future job. Once you have been given an offer, evaluate it carefully before making a decision. Ask yourself: Does this job offer meet your aspirations and goals? Does it offer you the challenge to grow, learn and develop new skills? In the real world, it is not always possible to find the perfect job right after graduation. Many successful professionals start their careers in jobs that they never would have predicted. They learnt that being opened to different possibilities led them into unchartered, but interesting and rewarding territory. It is important to position yourself to gain experience and acquire new skills to eventually land that dream job.

Create a Winning Cover Letter

1. Keep it short The ideal cover letter never exceeds one page. A concise letter demonstrates that you are focused and have strong communication skills. Aim for three to four brief paragraphs. 2. State the position The recruiter who reads your letter may be hiring for several posts. While candidates who e-mail their resumes often include the job title in the subject line of their e-mails, if the recruiter prints a letter out before reading it, such information may be lost. Clearly state the job title in the first paragraph of the letter, preferably in the first sentence.

3. Explain why you want the job Ask yourself how the position fits into your overall career plans and what you find exciting about the particular sector. A genuine show of enthusiasm and knowledge will set you apart from those sending generic form letters. 4. Clearly describe ways you will contribute This is the most important element of a cover letter. After carefully reading the job description, write a paragraph outlining one or two specific examples of how your skills and experiences will fit the company's needs. Use the cover letter to highlight your skills, experiences, qualifications and credentials that are directly relevant to the company's needs and type of position and /or career path you are pursuing. 5. Match, but don't reiterate, your resume This is one point many job seekers find tricky. You should never claim experience in your cover letter that isn't reflected on your resume. When you explain the ways you will contribute, refer to an experience or skill on your resume to show how you will add value to the company. 6. Don't say you're not qualified Even if you think the position is out of your reach, your job is to convince the recruiter you are qualified. If the recruiter thinks you're unqualified, a confessional letter is not going to get you an interview. Keep the letter positive by focusing on your transferable skills and accomplishments. 7. Keep the tone and content professional Don't be a comedian, don't get really personal, and don't beg for the job. Recruiters are more likely than not to think your attempts at humor or stories about your personal life are just plain weird. 8. Tell the reader what you're going to do next Too many job seekers never follow up after sending a resume. Saying what you're going to do next is the second-most important thing to do in your letter. If the job post lists a phone number, indicate you will call within a specified time to arrange an interview. If not, consider calling anyway, unless the post specifically requests "no calls." You may also consider a follow-up e-mail if you sent your resume electronically. 9. Proofread Using a spell checker is not enough. Many recruiters will dismiss even the most qualified candidate if there's one typo in the cover letter or resume. Reread your letter two or three times, then give it to someone else who knows a thing or two about good writing. Even if your letter is free of typos, poor grammar also makes a bad impression. View Sample Cover Letter Extracted from "Cover Letter Magic" and Wetfeet.com