Career Resolutions for the New Year

1. Revise resume

2. Re-establish career goals

3. Join a professional organization in my field

4. Find a mentor

5. Increase interpersonal skills

6. Obtain more knowledge, skills and abilities

7. Keep a positive mental attitude

FATAL RESUME MISTAKES!

1. No Cover Letter - You need a cover letter even when emailing your resume.
2. No Imagination - Aviod using cookie cutter resume templates.
3. Too Much Imagination - Aviod using colored or prefumed paper.
4. Including an Objective Statement - Puts you in a corner
5. Typos and grammatical errors - Your resume must be grammatically perfect.
6. Unfocused Resume - Your resume should clearly state what you want to do.
7.List Dates First - List past employment first,dates second.
8. Resume is too short or too long - Two pages is appropriate.
9. Resume is paragraph form - Use bullets instead.
10. Irrelevant job descriptions, too much focus on the past - Focus on accomplishments
11. Too much personal information - Use sparingly.
12. Not Qualified
13. No Keywords
14. References available upon reference - Not necessary

Mentor, How to Find One!

Looking for a Mentor!

• Look for a person that you respect.
• Look for a mentor in various Trade Associations, Alumni Associations,Networking Groups
• The Mentor should have senior level experience
• The Mentor should have a willingness to participate in someone else's development
• The mentor should have been a mentor to others before you
• Mentor should know the rules and culture of the organization (formal & informal)

Tips for Your Career

1. Join an organization in your field or profession.

• Get involved and get to know the members.
• Sign up for a committee.
• Get the latest information on trends and new ideas in your field.
• Obtain information about potential job openings.
• Network with people in your field.

2. Join a your college alumni association.

• Network with people from your college or university.
• Connect with the Alumni Office.
• Obtain information on the latest job openings.
• Join, get invloved, build relationships.

Remember: It is not always who you know but who knows you!