Career Preparation

Cover Letters and Correspondence

The purpose of a cover letter is to describe how your qualifications align with the job that you are applying for.

When exchanging emails with an agency, be sure you avoid terms such as "guess," "need," and "very" which can show that you are indecisive.  More info on words to avoid can be found in this Inc.com article. The SCAA has some helpful cover letter templates, too.

Resume

Your resume outlines your work experience, education, and skills, with the goal of your resume to earn an interview or advance to the next stage of hiring.

Resumes commonly get looked at for less than 10 seconds and/or are run through software to look for specific skills. Keep this in mind when writing your resume. Check out these articles on the five skills to add to your resume and eight common phrases that can ruin your credibility. Be sure to join resume workshops and check out the SCAA Resume site for more information! 

This is an article from Fortune on the top transferrable skills and how to add them to your resume. If you would like to scan your resume to optimize the information shared, check out JobScan.

LinkedIn

It is important to have a professional online presence and brand when applying for careers. Creating a LinkedIn profile is free and easy, with hints from Harvard career experts on what makes a perfect LinkedIn Profile. LinkedIn offers a video and short article on how to create a profile and why it is important.  LinkedIn offers an array of careers that may not be present on other search engines, as well as the ability to view the career paths of people who are in your dream career position.  

Don't forget to add your LinkedIn profile website to your resume and cover letter!  Based on the position you are applying for, you can apply directly from LinkedIn and will not need to submit a separate resume since LinkedIn is your digital resume.  We always recommend that you write and submit a cover letter, even if the cover letter is listed as optional.

As a student at CSUEB, you have access to FREE LinkedIn Learning by following these steps.  If the career you wish to apply for requires advanced Excel skills, for example, you can complete coursework in LinkedIn Learning to provide you with the skills needed to be successful in the position. Digital badges are also available to add to your LinkedIn profile.

Here are some LinkedIn courses you can take to assist with career preparation:

• Developing Resilience  (Learning Path)

• Problem Solving

• Developing Your Emotional Intelligence

• How to Speak so People Want to Listen
  
  

Interviews

Interviews are your time to prove that you deserve the job you applied for! Preparing for interviews is vitally important to comfort and success in the interview process. Be sure you are familiar with the job, requirements, agency, agency mission statement, and other current information about the agency. Check out their website, social media, and LinkedIn for up-to-date information. 

You can practice interviewing using InterviewStream for free! InterviewStream provides you with questions that you record and can access with a Career Counselor for additional feedback!

Interview resources (midway through the page) provide dress attire, formats, commonly asked questions, and what to do after an interview.

Before Accepting a Job...

While receiving a job offer is incredibly exciting, be sure to check out the company, benefits (including healthcare), and other offerings. Retirement may not be at the forefront of your mind, but awareness of the retirement structure, retirement age, the amount you are contributing monthly (generally a percentage), and if you receive medical benefits after retirement vary greatly between agencies. Forbes has an article on doing your due diligence before accepting the position. Websites such as GlassDoor can provide employee insights as well as salary scales for private companies.

The future

Long-term career goals may not be on the forefront of your mind, but think about skills and leadership development that will be needed to further your career.  Consider building your leadership potential and learning how to become a leader.