Students learn how to build resumes from Career Center

For many students, the thing they dread most about getting into the workforce is making a resume. 

Making a resume is by no means easy. 

It has to be detailed enough that employers know who you are but not so detailed that they’re bored. It has to be personal but not casual. And that’s just the beginning. 

To help students manage the stress of making a resume, ULM’s Career Center counselor, Colm Bourke, is visiting students in the classroom to show the step by step process of making a resume. 

Last week Bourke visited Joyce Zhou’s marketing behavior study class. He went to Zhou’s class because many of her students need guidance as they are getting close to graduation or finding internships. 

One of the first questions Bourke asked is if students change their resume depending on the job they’re applying for. Only one student said they do that. 

“Most students who leave university have very unrelated experience to where they want to go full time,” Bourke said. “This is why paying attention to the job description and using what you have is important.”

Bourke and Zhou gave students many more helpful tips tailored to their major such as how to make a website and cover letter, skills to gain that employers look for and the importance of job sites like LinkedIn. 

Zhou explained to students that making a website as a marketing student is important both in school and when finding a job. 

“Make a website like Wix where you can add projects you complete throughout college on there, so you don’t have to worry about it later,” Zhou said. 

Many students said they were initially nervous to take a class about making a resume because it seems intimidating. 

However, after listening to Bourke’s tips, they felt relief. 

Kiauna Rollins, a sophomore marketing major, learned new skills like how to improve soft skills and how to make a cover letter. 

“A lot of the Career Center tips are helpful because a lot of business-related jobs […] require a certain level or professionalism,” Rollins said. “However, these are great tips that anyone can use.”