The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, December 08, 1993, Pomp and Circumstance, Page Page 3, Image 17
December 8,1993
T.h e C a r o I i
Resume shoi
By SUSAN GOODWIN
Staff Writer
Resumes and applications are a
lot like the Arnold Schwarzenegger
clones in "Terminator"
movies.
Capable of good or evil,
depending on how they're used.
"It's that first impression thing,"
said Carolyn Walter, news director
at WMHK-FM in Columbia. "Are
you going to make a good first
impression, or are you going to get
your resume tossed in the can?"
Such is the question on the
minds of many. Knowing that
each document is important and
knowing the procedure associated
with each are often two different
things.
For Bobbie Bell, recruiter for
S.C. National Bank, protocol is
important.
"We look at the resume first,"
he said. "If we say, 'Hey, this person
stands out a lot,' then we'll
call them in and chat with them.
Then, they'll fill out an application."
In short, it all begins with the
resume.
"The resume is your first line of
battle in the job search," Walter
said.
'The appearance can often be as
Applicant
By SUSAN GOODWIN
Staff Writer
USC ? A kiss may be a kiss,
pounding the pavement for a job kn
interview is never just an interview.
"Being technically competent foi
isn't enough," USC Director of Pla<
Mosley said. "Employers want to
look at you and see if you'd be a
the company."
Finance junior Lori Fleischhac
the importance of this tailoring pr
her interview last week led to a c
IBM.
"I was honest about what I coul<
company, and they were honest
they needed," Fleischhacker said.
Journalism sophomore Rusty B<
that honesty is the best policy, esp
job interview.
"You can't put up any kind of frc
said. "That 11 come back to haunt
may like the person who you're u
but eventually, they'll discover the i
Mosley stresses that students ca
tactics to make a good impressi
resorting to facades.
"Preparation is really the key," I1
"You need to know some informs
position you're interviewing for an
about the company."
, 81
I
I m P
n a ! series
jld be short a
important as the content," said
Mike Hix, director of career planning
at the Career Center. "If it
doesn't look professional, people
just aren't going to take the time
to read it."
Another deterrent in getting the
employer's attention is length.
"A resume should only be one
page long," Bell said. "A lot of
people in my field won't spend the
time to read a lengthy resume. Get
to the point."
Hix agrees that the 200-page
resume doesn't cut it.
"Remember that the resume is
not your entire life," Hix said.
"It's never all the jobs you've had
or all the activities you've been
involved in. Think about it as an
outline."
Brevity translated into a tighter
resume for English sophomore
Erin Culberston, who works at
Carolina First.
"I focused mine on past work
experience," Culberston said. "I
thought they would be impressed
to see that I had worked during
most of my free time and vacations."
Hands-on experience is at the
top of Walter's list.
"When I'm looking at resumes,
I generally look at experience and
educational background," she said.
:s must pr
"Preparation is ri
need to know so
but anyone pOSjtjon you'
,?ws that an and a |itt|e bit abc
r a position Ljsa ,
:ement Lisa ygQ
be able to ?
oood fit for Students can begin
interview by grabbii
ker learned asked questions from i
nrpcc whpn sixth fl??r ?f ^
o-op job at Fleischhacker wished s
"My first interview
J do for the wasn't expecting," she
about what for a" ^ P?sonal
made sense.
imes agrees While slandard "wl
>eriallv in a Questions are still ar
>eciauy in a interviewing has prod,
rnt," Barnes challenges
you. They A lot of c0 Pan"
\ , J campus are asking
rying to e, Mosley said. "They a
e you" about a failure you'v
n use o er yOU've leamed from i
on without yourself doing in flve ;
, , . _ While fore-knowlec
y said- important, the answer
ition on the it" for die interv
d a little bit "j iike someone wl
Pomp and Circumstance
' I?I
U 11
on how to
nd sweet, emf
"I'm coming from a journalistic
background, so I want to see some
interesting life experience outside
of school. Impress my socks off."
Latrina Forrest, a USC graduate
in economics, found this to be the
key in landing her job as a legal
assistant at Smith and Gaines Law
Offices.
"When you're applying for a
job, you have to realize that there
are 20 to 25 people applying for
that same vacancy," she said.
"You want to do everything to distinguish
you from the other applicants."
To achieve this singling out
effect, not so positive information
should be left out.
"You certainly don't want to put
things on there that can be interpreted
negatively," Hix said. "For
example, a low GPA. Generally, if
your GPA is 3.0 or better, put in
on there. It is better to explain a
low GPA in an interview."
However, in doing this sales job
to employers, false advertising is a
big don't.
"I'm very skeptical about
resumes that seem inflated," Walter
said. "I want to look at a
resume with real honest-to-goodness
information, not something
blown out of proportion just to get
the job. That will come out in the
epare for:
eally the key. You nght off ^
me information on rePres^tatl
re interviewing for pany ?y(
.... personable.
;ut u ic uumpany, tu(Je ?
Mosley . Personal
Director of Placement tion, acco
1?-?T?7~~ McGee Rea
to get ready for the big -Xhev've
ig a list of commonly . *
the Career Center on the sai(J. lney
^ building, a precaution son;he
had taken. Applican
had a lot of stuff that I tinized in a
said. "I wasn't prepared is also presi
questions, so I doubt I <qn ^ jn
low side of
hy-do-you-want-this-job" estate
ound, a recent trend in .,t ... .
. ? c . . don t like 1
iced a new set of verbal . , ?
er job.
;s that are recruiting on So, even
pitiiotiAnol niioctirvne " little UllClCr
diiuanuuai vjuv/oiiv/uo,
sk things like, 'Tell me somewhat
e experienced and what true as well
t,' or 'What do you see "It is as
years?'" evaluating i
Ige of the questions are ny t0 evaiL
s ultimately "make it or .,t
iewee.
.. ? chances an
10 can answer questions .
happy wori
Page 3
M J-???????.
11 w%|j- .
tjl kf
find a job |Oj^j]
resume or application, Hix said.
"You basically have to decide
what's best for you."
interview EJL,
e cuff," said Richard Tedder, sales ijjjp
ve for the graphics arts supply com1-Freeman.
"They should also be *
They ve got to have a friendly a.ti- Beef Up yOUI TCSUme
with co-op
appearance is also a big considera- eXDerienCG
rding to Ted McGee, owner of * - J
Estate Company. For 1H0F6
: got to be neatly dressed," McGee information
've got to look like a business per- ,, (1 ,
call the Student
is are noi me oniy party Deing suu- r.mpniy m^m
in interview. After all, the company Cpnfpr
enting itself.
terview, I give the high side and the *! 777-2124
my business," McGee said. "In real ~~~
're on straight commission. If they
t, it's better that they go find anoththough
the job seeker may feel a
YOU DONT HAVE
the gun in an interview, it is at least TO DRINK
comforting to know the reverse is TO RIDE DRUNK.
important for the applicant to be
w 1* l_-1
the company as it as for the compa- ivieaicine can aueu your uaiancc, co?e
*^appHcant," Mosley said, ".f
feel good about that environment, ication, don't ride.That's c-3-7
s you're probably not going to be the best safety prescription.X^/
dng there." MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION\7
Dloyers say All ^ .
Als Upstairs
interview anyway.
Culberston also thinks that hon- ITALIAN RESTAURANT
esty is the best policy when it
comes to getting a job.
"Try to impress with your past OtIPTI "for
experience rather than trying to L*J1
blow them away with big vocabu- j
lary words," Culberston said. U ^ v.
While all of these resume sug- t
gestions apply to applications, Cjr3.QVI3.t6S
there's a slight difference between
the two. Sunday
"The amplication is often helpful J '
to employers because it gives Dec. 19th
information more specific to their
job opening," Walter said. "We S'^f) - H'^Dnm
have one because we are looking O.vJVJjJlil
for someone to fit into our particular
slot."
When dealing with an application,
Bell stresses that the paper Poconrafinnc
must be filled out completely.
"Sometimes, people will say 794-7404
'See Resume,'" Bell said. "No,
that won't go over well. You must
fully complete the application."
In sorting through all these rules
and regulations, students must
keep one thing in mind. ^ j
"It's important to realize that
there aren't any hard and fast rules
to putting together the perfect