Rychlewski guides students on application processes and résumé, interview techniques

Jill Powers- Staff Writer

2/10/12

For many students, it still feels like the semester has just begun. For those of you who are going to graduate this spring, the end of the year may seem very close. Entering into the world outside of college or beginning graduate school can be difficult, scary and time-consuming. It is important to get ready as soon as possible. A good first step is preparing your résumé.
Judy Rychlewski, director of Career Services, said that William Jewell College’s Career Services website (www.jewell.edu/career/) contains templates for résumés that companies and students prefer. You can type directly on them, eliminating the need to manipulate the format in a word document. They also make it easier to keep your entire résumé on one page and to keep your most important information, like qualifications, within the first 15 lines. Rychlewski said this is key to getting noticed.
“Have as many people look at [your résumé] as you can,” Kat Long, senior, said.
Asking friends, Career Services, parents and professors to edit helps prevent silly mistakes and awkward wording that could cost a job. Graduate schools may also ask for a résumé, so this step is important for everyone.
If you do not know what kind of job you want, Rychlewski suggests talking to friends and parents.
“Sometimes other people see you better than you see yourself,” she said.
“We’ll say, ‘What don’t you want to do?’” Rychlewski said of Career Services.
They can help you search for jobs by skills, industry, or position. For those planning to pursue graduate study, they will help you find a strategy to decide which schools are best for you. Their website has links to tools and practice tests that can help with the admissions process. While there are also links for career sites, Rychlewski does not believe this is the best way to go to apply for jobs, especially if the site charges a fee.
“You can go into the black hole of the internet, and sometimes you don’t hear anything,” she said.
Rychlewski added that taking advantage of career fairs and recruiters on campus is beneficial, even if they do not interest you.  Talking with professionals is good practice for interviews.
A Public Service and Nonprofit Career Fair will take place in Yates-Gill College Union 221-222 from 2:30 to 4:45 on Feb. 14 with representation from Harvesters, Jumpstart Kansas City, Youth Volunteer Corps and many other organizations. She also advises students to contact and hold informative interviews with people in the industry they want to enter. In these, one should ask questions such as how the professionals got their careers.
“Our idea is 80 percent of the jobs are not advertised, so you’re uncovering them,” she said.
Such interviews are a good way to get information about a company so you know something about them when you are trying to get hired.
“It’s important to have questions, intelligent questions, for the company,” Long said.
She believes in the importance of an extensive list of contacts, as well.
“I even hound my parents and professors. ‘Who can you connect me with?’” she said. Rychlewski encourages students to use LinkedIn and connect with William Jewell alumni who are glad to help new graduates get started in their fields.
After getting the interview, be prepared to answer questions about specific situations in which you employed certain skills or dealt with difficult situations.
Remember, the sooner your start you search, the better.
“Make a career timeline of smaller goals and objectives,” Long said. If you are feeling pressure to make long-term decisions, keep in mind that your first job does not have to be your last.
“According to our surveys, about 30 percent of recent grads change jobs within six months,” Rychlewski said. “Find what motivates you, and once you get started, it’s fun.”
Career Services, located in YGCU 218, can read and edit your résumés.