Let Your Resume Speak for You

By Haley Way, Career Counselor

Even though it may feel like it at times, your resume is not just about putting your life on paper. Your ultimate goal is to impress the reader enough to convince them to have you in for an official interview. Your resume needs to speak on your behalf, to say all the things that you may not have the opportunity to say---at least until you get that interview! So this begs the question: How do I impress my audience (aka, the reader… aka, your potential employer)? Keep these tips in mind:

Tip #1 – Try viewing your resume from an employer’s point of view. Take a step away from the document for a few hours. Come back to it and read it from an employer’s perspective. Look at it through the lens of what is relevant to that employer and what is not. If you are a having a hard time distinguishing what is relevant, ask a mentor in the field or a professor to look at it, but with an insider’s perspective.

Tip #2 – Don’t be generic. Unless you are at a job fair or networking event, don’t include clichéd phrases like “entry level job” in the “blank” field. Employers get tons of resumes every day for varying positions, and it is not their job to figure out where you fit in. Instead, tailor your resume to the position or positions and company you are applying for. This extra specific step really shows the employer that you are interested in them!

Tip #3 – It’s not about you. It’s about the company’s needs. So, in your resume you need to convey how you fulfill an employer’s needs. The secret tool that most job applicants never use correctly is the job posting itself. Print out the job description or posting and highlight all action verbs. For example: Communicated, collaborated, revised, managed, etc. Use this as a measuring stick: Does your resume measure up? Can you begin to see areas that you might have better addressed? For instance, did you forget to mention that important project that you led? This tip will make your resume relevant to the employer’s needs and will put you at the top of the stack!

Spring Job and Internship Fair

This Wednesday March 28, 2:00PM-5:30PM

Strahan Coliseum

The Spring Job & Internship Fair is the largest fair of the semester. All job seekers are welcome. Employers will be recruiting to fill summer, internship and full-time opportunities

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Spring 2012 Job & Internship Fair
Organization Name	City	ST
Aaron's Sales and Lease	Houston	TX
Academy Sports & Outdoors	Katy	TX
Accruent	Austin	TX
ACT AUSTIN	Dallas	TX
Advanced Acquisition Solutions	San Marcos	TX
Aerotek, Inc.	Hanover	MD
Altra Industrial Motion - TB Woods/Ameridrives	San Marcos	TX
Apple, Inc.	Austin	TX
ARGO	Richardson	TX
Association Member Benefits Advisors	Austin	TX
Atchley & Associates, LLP.	Austin	TX
Austin CC	Austin	TX
AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL	Austin	TX
Austin Fire Department - Recruiting	Austin	TX
AXA Advisors, LLC	Dallas	TX
Baker Oil Tools	Alice	TX
BMW & MINI of San Antonio	San Antonio	TX
Buckeye International Inc.	Maryland Heights	MO
C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.	Eden Prairie	MN
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.	Indianapolis	IN
Cintas Corporation	San Antonio	TX
Citizen Schools	Redwood City	CA
Cloud 8 Sixteen, Inc.	Austin	TX
Consolidated Electrical Distributors	Irving	TX
Consolidated Graphics	Houston	TX
Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center	Austin	TX
Dillard's, Inc.	Arlington	TX
Direct Energy	Houston	TX
DPR Construction	Austin	TX
Echo Global Logistics	Chicago	IL
Emergent Professional Resources LP	Houston	TX
Energy One	Austin	TX
Enterprise Rent-A-Car	Austin	TX
ExxonMobil Exploration Company	Houston	TX
Fastenal	San Antonio	TX
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)	San Antonio	TX
Ferguson, a Wolseley Company	Hendersonville	TN
FINISH LINE	Austin	TX
First Command Financial Planning	San Antonio	TX
First Investors Corporation- San Antonio	San Antonio	TX
Frost & Sullivan	San Antonio	TX
Futurex	Bulverde	TX
Gary Job Corps	San Marcos	TX
Graduate College, Texas State University	San Marcos	TX
Grande Communications, LLC®	San Marcos	TX
Green Tree Servicing	St. Paul	MN
H-E-B	San Antonio	TX
Hertz Corporation	Orlando	FL
Houston Wire & Cable	Houston	TX
IMG Financial Group	Houston	TX
Insight Global, Inc.	Houston	TX
Jones Energy, Ltd	Austin	TX
Kohl's Department Stores	Menomonee Falls	WI
Kroger	Frisco	TX
Labatt Food Service	San Antonio	TX
Laser Shot, Inc.	Stafford	TX
Liberty Mutual Group	Boston	MA
Mattress Firm	Houston	TX
MCCOY'S BUILDING SUPPLY	San Marcos	TX
Medtronic Diabetes	San Antonio	TX
Merion Realty Management, LLC	Houston	TX
Mitratech	Austin	TX
Modern Woodmen of America	Austin	TX
Neff Rental, LLC	Miami	FL
New England Financial	Austin	TX
Northwestern Mutual	Austin	TX
Novogradac & Company LLP	Austin	TX
Oracle Corporation	Austin	TX
Parallon Business Solutions	San Antonio	TX
Paycom	Oklahoma City	OK
Pegasus Schools, Inc.	Lockhart	TX
Penske Truck Leasing	Austin	TX
Planto Roe Financial Services	San Antonio	TX
Rogers-O'Brien Construction	Austin	TX
Ross Stores, Inc	Pleasanton	CA
Ryder Logistics & Transportation	Fort Worth	TX
San Antonio Fire Dept	San Antonio	TX
San Marcos Treatment Center	San Marcos	TX
Service Steel Warehouse	Houston	TX
Sherwin-Williams PSG	Richardson	TX
SHI International Corporation	Austin	TX
Stage Stores, Inc.	Houston	TX
Student Affairs in Higher Education, Texas State University	San Marcos	TX
Target Corporation	Brooklyn Park	MN
Techtronic Industries North America, Inc. (TTI)	Anderson	SC
TEKsystems	Hanover	MD
Tesoro Companies, Inc.	San Antonio	TX
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality	Austin	TX
TEXAS COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS	Austin	TX
Texas Department of Banking	Austin	TX
Texas Department of Public Safety	San Antonio	TX
The Hertz Corporation	Austin	TX
The Princeton Review	Austin	TX
The Reynolds and Reynolds Company	Houston	TX
THE SCOOTER STORE	New Braunfels	TX
The TJX Companies, Inc.	Framingham	MA
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio	San Antonio	TX
U.S. Army Recruiting Station San Marcos	San Marcos	TX
U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs	Waco	TX
U.S. Marine Corps	Austin	TX
USAA	San Antonio	TX
USDA, FSIS	Catano	Puerto Rico
VAuto Inc.	Atlanta	GA
Walgreens	Austin	TX
White Lodging Services	Austin	TX
Wilson	Houston	TX
Wisenbaker Builder Services	San Marcos	TX
Worldwide Express	AUSTIN	TX

Understanding soft skills and what they can do for you

by Catarina E. Dominguez
Texas State Career Services Counselor 

In the job market today, many employers are looking for applicants with a diverse set of skills that can demonstrate your ability to be successful.   It is no longer as feasible to just be a functional expert within a single occupational field.   A marketable applicant must also possess “soft skills,” which complement the core competencies needed within a career.  

Soft skills—optimism, integrity, social grace, to name a few—are personal attributes that assist in the ability to work effectively within an organization.  According to research, in addition to standard qualifications, many employers value and seek out these skills when selecting the best candidates to hire.  

It's often said that hard skills will get you an interview, but you need soft skills to get (and keep) the job.

Implementing soft skills within a career is vital to becoming successful; however identifying and perfecting these skills may take some work.  To get started on discovering your soft skills, first think about your previous jobs, volunteer positions, hobbies, clubs and school projects.  Beside each area write down every functional skill you gained from that experience.  Next, list personality traits you believe you exhibited when you were engaged in those activities.  Please see example below:

Functional skill:                                        Soft skill:

Listen to customers and place food  à    Communication skills, Teamwork

orders correctly                                                          and Interpersonal skills

This is a fantastic way to begin understanding the soft skills you bring to the table.  To have a competitive edge it is imperative to know your skills and market them to an employer.  To begin exploring the necessary soft skills to implement in the workplace, read below. 

According to NACE’s (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Job Outlook 2012 survey the following were the top 5 soft skills employers seek in new hires:

1.      Communication skills

Effective communication is the foundation for success in a job.  It allows one to build strong connections with co-workers, customers and clients, as well as persuade others to adopt ideas.

2.      Decision making / Problem solving skills

Seek out solutions to potential problems using creativity, reasoning and past experiences.  Utilize resources and information that is available.

3.      Ability to obtain and process information

Utilize available resources to find solutions / answers to problems and review information in an intellectual manner.

4.      Ability to plan and organize

Involves the ability to set goals, design, plan, organize and implement projects and tasks within a specific time frame.

5.      Effective prioritization of work

Evaluate work load and have capabilities to rank tasks appropriately.  Also have the ability to adapt to changing conditions and work assignments. 

KTSW 89.9 FM is NOW HIRING for Summer and Fall 2012

KTSW is hiring students from all majors, experience levels and backgrounds for a wide variety of volunteer and paid positions including DJs, Music Reviewers, Sports Announcers, News Reporters, Promotional Event Planners, Social Media Contributors and more!  KTSW is an excellent way to get involved both on and off campus while gaining real world experience.  Past KTSW employees have gone on to work for a wide variety of professional media outlets and have won state, regional and national recognition for their work.

KTSW is Texas State University’s official radio station broadcasting live, 24-7, all the way from central San Antonio to south Austin and surrounding areas, all from historic Old Main.  This year marks KTSW’s 20th anniversary, and it has been one of the busiest semesters yet for the station.  As such, we’ve decided to add a slew of new positions and we’ve reorganized some of the departments to better serve the students, the community and the radio station. Read on to find out how you can become a part of this passionate, dedicated, hard-working, award-winning team!

KTSW 89.9 is now hiring for the following types of positions:

DJ’s / On-Air Personalities

Show Producers / Sound Techs

Audio Production (create promos, PSAs, radio dramas, etc. for on-air use)

News Writers / Reporters / Anchors

Music Reviewers

Sports Announcers / Sports Show Hosts

Event Planning and Promotions

MR Fest Sponsorship Development Team

Social Media / Blogging / Web Content Contributors

And much more….

*For a complete list of jobs and position descriptions, visit KTSW.net.

All applicants must be enrolled at Texas State University and must have a minimum GPA of 2.3.

Applicants are encouraged to apply for as many positions as they intend to pursue seriously.

How to Apply:

All applicants must submit the online Application Form and upload a current resume on KTSW.net.  In addition to the online form, applicants must submit a Catsweb Transcript and any additional requirements in person to the KTSW offices located in Old Main room 106 by the application deadline.

Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered.

More Information:

Website:  KTSW.net

Phone:  512-245-3485

Email:  ktswoffice@txstate.edu

Good Luck!

Jenn Kelly

Station Manager

KTSW-FM 89.9

office: 512.245.8248

fax: 512.736.4713

601 University Dr.

Old Main Rm. 106

San Marcos, TX 78666

www.ktsw.net

Spring Mass Communication Fair

by Allison Birk

When: March 21st 2012

Where: LBJ Student Center Ballroom

Time: 12:30-3:30

Dress: Business Casual

  
The Mass Comm Fair is the link to your future. Polish those resumes and meet with prospective employers seeking interns or full-time staff members. Don't miss the Mass Comm Fair. A complete list of employers attending can be found below:

Employer List:

BobcatFans

Border Media

Brazos Valley Communications – Bryan/College Station

Camp Ozark

Clear Channel – San Antonio

Cloud 8 Sixteen, Inc.

Cohn & Wolfe Austin

Consolidated Graphics

CTMC Hospice Care

Dahill- A Xerox Company

Emmis Austin Radio

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

First Investors Corporation- San Antonio

Graduate College - Texas State University

Greystar

KCEN-TV, Waco 

KFMK, Austin

KIAH-TV, Houston

KLUP, San Antonio

KRGV-TV, Weslaco

KSAT/TV 12

KSLR, San Antonio

KTBC TV/Fox 7

KVUE-TV

KXAN/KNVA/KBVO

Laser Shot Inc

Liquidation Channel

Lois Paul and Partners

Make a Wish Foundation of Central and South Texas

Medix Staffing Solutions

Multiview Inc.

New York Life Austin

Office of University Marketing – Texas State University

RGV Educational Broadcasting, Inc./ KMBH TV

Salem Communications

SicolaMartin

Techtronic Industries North America, Inc. (TTI)

Telemundo 40

The Grove at San Marcos

Texas Association of Broadcasters

Time Warner Cable

Time Warner Cable

Victoria Television Group

Zilker Ventures

Hosted by Career Services and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.