Students struggling to find the right job can get help from Career Services today in the Memorial Union.
ASU will conduct a workshop discussing cover letters and resume use today in Room 219 on the second level of the MU.
The purpose of the seminar is to discuss tricks to writing effective cover letters and resumes and ways to make a student's resume stand out said Ryan Dromgoole, peer advisor for Career Services.
"It's a chance for students to get an idea of what is expected in a resume," he said.
Elaine Stover, associate director of ASU Career Services, said many students make avoidable mistakes when writing a resume.
"One of the biggest mistakes is to have incorrect information on their resume," she said.
If a student lists his or her ASU e-mail address and then graduates and no longer uses that email address, an employer may no longer be able to contact him or her, she said.
Another common mistake students make when posting a resume is not proofreading their work, Stover said.
This may leave obvious spelling errors that even computer spell-check features won't catch, she said.
A resume is not the only place that students make mistakes, Stover said. Once inside the interview room, there is still room for error.
"Obviously, not showing up or showing up late to an interview is a no-no," she said.
Students must be prepared to answer questions about the employer in the interview as well, she added.
"It doesn't have to take a long time," she said. "It just means that [the candidate is] coming to the interview prepared."
Fran Jacques, public affairs manager for General Dynamics C4 Systems, a communication and information technology company, said students should learn as much as they can about the company they are applying for.
"Be familiar with their product and the company itself," she said. "Was it is it they're selling?"
But the single most important attribute that sets potential employees apart is passion, Jacques said.
"Like many companies we're looking for a match, not just filling a position," she said. "Be sure and mention the thing that drives your passion and be able to talk about it."
Stover said most students who are looking for jobs are not fully aware of the services available to them at ASU.
Pre-business sophomore Ashley Alm said she doesn't know where to begin searching for a job.
"I have a lot of different things I'm looking into, but I'm not sure where to start," she said.
Alm added that she was unfamiliar with the tools available to her on campus.
"I know about Career Services," she said. "But I've never used it."
Alm said the method of job search she has used in the past is networking.
Stover said many students limit themselves to networking.
Stover said employers look for certain skills and interests more often than they look for a particular major.
"We always talk about the idea that employers hire people not majors," she said.
"That's why it's so important for students while they're in school to start thinking about what they're interested in."
Reach the reporter at kelsey.perry@asu.edu.
