CSE & ISE 300Technical Communications

Andréa Lipack

CAREER CENTERwww.stonybrook.edu/career

Presenting Yourself Professionally• Have you googled yourself

lately?• Professional email address?• How does your voicemail sound?

The basicsWhat is the purpose of a resume?How long does one take to review your

resume?How many pages is a resume?

Your resume should be: • Concise• Action-oriented• Persuasive• Targeted (Keywords)• Flawless• Format

What to Include• Contact Information• Objective• Education• Honors• Related Coursework• Certifications/Skills• Academic Projects• Work Experience• Activities• References?

ObjectiveWhich one works?

• To obtain a software engineering internship in the financial industry

• To obtain a position with a company that provides me the opportunity to grow professionally while contributing my strong skills in a variety of areas

Education

Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NYBachelor of Science Degree, Computer Science,

expected May 2010

• Thesis?• Academic Honors?• GPA?• Related Coursework?

Skills/CertificationsCertification: A+ Technician (verification #

D60DTT$110) Programming Languages: C/C++, MATLABOperating Systems: Windows XP/NT/2000 (server

and workstation) and DOS Software: Magic, Irsim, Electronic Workbench,

Pspice, Viewlogic Technical: Wiring, design and trouble shoot circuit

boards and printer repair

Others? Do you speak other languages?

Academic ProjectsSenior Project (Mobile Communications Application)March 2004-May 2004 • Utilized electro-magnetic equations to determine the field

properties of any given antenna • Represented electro-magnetic fields by using C++ in

conjunction with Maple to create software package that generated appropriate field lines of arbitrarily chosen antenna configurations

CSE 305: Principles of Database Design• Received a “A” in the course.• Designed relational database to support online stock

trading system using MySQL, JSP, and Java Servlet.

Work ExperienceMust always be in reverse chronological order

Include Employer, Town, State, Title, Dates• Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Ronkonkoma, NY• Management Intern, June 2011 – August 2011

Consider clustering your work into categories

RELATED EXPERIENCEADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

Writing Job Descriptions

• THINK FIRST – “What have I done?”

• WRITE NEXT – write it all down• THINK MORE about what you’ve

done1. What have I accomplished?

2. What problems have I solved?

3. What difference did I make?

4. What measurable impact did I have?

Developing Your Draft• Use S.T.A.R. & ACTION VERBS• SITUATION /TASK: I noticed that

children’s videos were displayed on the 3rd shelf – too high for kids to see.

• ACTION: I recommended to my manager that we move those videos to a lower shelf.

• RESULT: Weekly sales of children’s videos increased by 25%

Good ExamplesWork Experience: • Sales Associate, Blockbuster Video, Port Jefferson,

NY- Increased weekly income from children’s rental videos by

25%.- Named “Associate of the Month” September 2007

Community Service: • AmeriCorps Volunteer, Tutoring Center, Brentwood,

NY- Tutored five children, ages 8-10, in reading twice weekly. - All five children increased reading level by one grade.

• What are your STARs?

ActivitiesTreasurer, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, 2008-2010 • Oversaw and managed budget of $1000 • Managed detailed records of expenses using Microsoft

Excel • Created charts and graphs comparing previous and current

year expenses, which helped shape the goals of the fundraising committee

Volunteer Experience?

Interests?

Should you include references on your resume?

Cover Letters…Are:• Proof of your

writing ability• Specific – to the

employer and to the position

• Concise & focused• Addressed to a

person• Your opportunity

to describe why you’re a fit for the job

Are NOT:• Always

necessary (eg. OCR does not require)

• A template to use for every employer

• A wish list of things you want in a job

• A repeat of what appears on your resume

Use Your Career Center• IT/ Engineering Drop In Hours: Monday 10:00am – 12:00pm• Resume review Drop Ins: M, T, R, F 1:00pm – 4:00pm (NOT Wed)

• Job & Internship Fair – March 18th 2011• Post your resume on ZebraNet and apply, apply! • Use other Career Center services for your job

search or graduate school application process.• http://www.stonybrook.edu/career