Alumni offer career advice

Students concerned about life after graduation asked IU alumni for advice and sharpened their resumé skills during the Student Alumni Career Day Thursday in the Indiana Memorial Union. The Student Alumni Association and the Career Development Center sponsored the event.\nAttendance included 68 pre-registered students and some walk-ins during the three-hour period, said Mark Warner, the SAA's vice president of special events.\nAlthough the nice weather contributed to the low turnout, Warner said having fewer students at the panels was better because it allowed for more one-on-one interaction between students and alumni.\nThis interaction builds networks, which was one reason students participated in the panel discussions.\n"I think a lot of the students are wondering how to get their foot in the door, and the key to that is networking," said Rita Euers, 1986 alumna and vice president of marketing and sales for Central Credit Union.\nEuers said students she has met at previous career days have contacted her in past years.\n"Students contact me after a session such as what we're doing today, send me resumés, send e-mails to me, call me on the phone," she said. "I work with them as much as I can, and in some cases, we've hired students."\nAside from building networks, students received advice from the panelists, an aspect those panelists enjoyed.\n"I like being able to share my experiences with students and help them make their career decisions and answer questions that didn't necessarily get answered for me when I was a student," Euers said.\nGraduate students also helped undergraduate students considering graduate school. \nThis year, the career day introduced a graduate student panel, which was popular because it gave undergraduates an opportunity to hear student perspectives about graduate school rather than an adviser's, Warner said.\nBetween panels, students who brought their resumés could have them critiqued, and those who didn't could learn tips.\nAssociate Director of the Career Development Center Daniel Pascoe said it's important for students to understand "the value of researching the employer" so they can target their resumés for that person. \nOnce people customize their resumés, Pascoe said it's important they spend time focusing on the message they want to convey.\n"The most important (thing) is to help them clarify what they want to say in the resumés," he said. "It's important for how they want to market themselves."\nAssistant Director of Arts and Science Placement Office Amy Hume said the format and presentation of a resumé is also important, but Pascoe added communicating the message comes before appearance.\n"It's common that people think of format as aesthetics, but format really should be for clarity," he said.\nSince most employers spend less than a minute on a resumé, Hume recommended creating a resume that's easy to scan. She also suggested using formatted headings and paying attention to how employer names are used.\nLike most writing, editing is a must.\n"Top on my list for presentation is to be error-free," Hume said. "You can't have things in the wrong verb tense."\n-- Contact staff writer Ashley Rhodebeck at arhodebe@indiana.edu.