Ccse Guide

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At a glance
84,000employeesof
140nationalities
Operatingin
approximately80
countries
23researchand
engineering facilities
worldwide
Twin Cities Campus Career Center for Science and Engineering 50 Lind Hall
207 Church Street S.E
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0134
Phone: 612-624-4090
Fax: 612-626-0261
http://www.ccse.umn.edu
Dear Student,
Welcome to the Career Center for Science and Engineering (CCSE). We help students with all aspects of the career and job
search process. Whether you are in the process of choosing a major, looking for an internship, or interviewing for your frst
professional job, were prepared to help you every step of the way. Students are invited to use our resource room at any time
and encouraged to request on-the-spot assistance. CCSE also offers:
Career Counseling: Career counselors can help you evaluate your options and plan for your professional future.
Counselors can apply their expertise to your individual needs.
Career Classes: CCSE offers a semester-long two-credit course with information about majors, felds, hiring trends,
internships, the job search process and more.
Career Workshops: Our workshop series covers a variety of career-related topics including resume and cover letter
writing, interviewing, job search strategies, networking, career fair preparation and more.
Career-Related Experience: We can assist you with fnding an internship, co-op, research or volunteer opportunity
in your feld of interest. Participate in a summer, semester or year-long position to develop skills and gain valuable
experience.
Job Search Assistance: Each year more than 150 organizations interview engineering, biological sciences, physical
sciences and math students through on-campus interviewing. Visit CCSE to learn more about how you can use
on-campus interviewing, career fairs, mock interviews and employer contact information to fnd employment in your
feld.
Resume and Cover Letters: We can help you to create a resume and cover letter that will grab employers attention
and get you an interview in your feld of interest.
Graduate School Preparation: Graduate or professional school may be the next step toward your career goals.
CCSE can help you fnd information on graduate programs in science and technology or information about
professional programs in medicine, law and business.
A Comprehensive Web site: Bookmark http://www.ccse.umn.edu to learn more about our programs and connect with
career resources.
Each time you come into the offce look around and see whats new. Our staff is constantly upgrading and adding services and
resources to better serve your career needs. We look forward to working with you!
Mark Sorenson-Wagner
Director
2 Career and job search guide
Welcome
Four-Year Checklist 3
Career Planning
Self-Assessment 4
Other Ways to Assess Yourself 4
Exploring Your Career and Educational Options 5
Decision Making and Goal Setting 5
Transferable Skills 6
Resumes
Resume Writing 7
Power Verbs 10
Private and Non-proft Resume, Example 11
Federal Government Resume, Example 12
Professional Correspondence
Writing a Cover Letter 13
Letter of Application Example 15
Letter of Inquiry Example 16
Reference Example 17
Thank You Letter Example 18
Acceptance Letter Example 19
Withdrawal from Consideration Letter Example 20
The Job Search
Sending Resumes and Cover Letters (Mail, Fax, E-mail) 21
Job and Internship Searching 23
Job and Internship Search Resources 26
On-Campus Interview Opportunities 28
The Interview
Interview Basics 29
Behavioral Interviewing 31
Dress for the Interview 31
Typical Interview Questions 32
Interview Questions Not to Ask 33
Is a Health Profession Right for You? 34
Table of Contents
Career and job
searCh guide
2008-2009
Career Center
for sCienCe and
engineering
50 Lind Hall
207 Church Street, S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 612-624-4090
Fax: 612-626-0261
Email: ccse@umn.edu
Web site: www.ccse.umn.edu
Written and compiled by the Career Center
for Science and Engineering
Data provided by: University of Minnesota,
Duluth Career Services, Leslie Mulder (UMN
graduate student, 2007)
Graphic design and editing: Institute of
Technology Communications Offce
the University of Minnesota is committed
to the policy that all persons shall have
equal access to its programs, facilities and
employment without regard to race, color,
creed, religion, national origin, sex, age,
marital status, disability, public assistance
status, veteran status or sexual orientation.
this publication is available in alternative
formats upon request. direct requests
to the Career Center for science and
engineering, 50 Lind Hall, 207 Church
street s.e., Minneapolis, Mn 55455, or call
612-624-4090.
Printed on recycled and recyclable
paper with at least 10 percent postconsumer
material.
Four-Year checklist
o Visit CCSE in 50 Lind Hall to fnd out what career services
are available to you
o Take career-related assessments to identify your interests,
skills, values and personality style and learn how this
information relates to different majors and careers
o Browse the CCSE Web site at wwwccseumnedu
o Register for I of T 1312: Exploring Careers in Science and
Engineering; a two-credit class designed to help students
decide on a major and begin planning their careers
o Make contacts Get to know faculty, academic advisors
and administrators Ask other students about their
classes
o Get involved Participate in extracurricular activities
including clubs, committees, intramurals, or athletics
o Gain practical experience by volunteering, working on-
campus, working a part-time job, or by working during
the summer
o Attend career fairs to learn more about various employers
and careers
Freshman year (self-assessment and awareness)
o Explore career felds that interest you Visit CCSE to learn
more about resources designed to help you learn about
these areas
o Gain frst-hand knowledge by job shadowing or conducting
informational interviews with people working in your
feld of interest
o Decide on a major and schedule a meeting with an
academic advisor to familiarize yourself with course
requirements and deadlines
o If you are still undecided about your major, enroll in I of T
1312: Exploring Careers in Science and Engineering
o Participate in activities and leadership experiences that
will strengthen your resume Consider joining the
professional group affliated with your major or
participating in a research project
o Open a student GoldPASS account by visiting
wwwgoldpassumnedu If possible, participate in a
summer internship or research experience
o Begin exploring graduate schools Select up to fve
institutions that have graduate programs of interest to
you
o View an online resume writing workshop and write the
frst draft of your resume
Sophomore year (exploration and identifcation)
o Participate in the on-campus interviewing program
available through CCSE Start looking at internship
opportunities in the GoldPASS database as soon as you
arrive on campus (note: many science and engineering
interviews occur from mid-September to early
November)
o Participate in a credit or no-credit internship, co-op,
research or volunteer opportunity
o Prepare a resume and cover letter
o Attend as many CCSE programs as possible including
workshops, career fairs and networking events
o Check with your academic advisor on progress toward
graduation requirements
o Investigate graduate and professional schools with a
career counselor If needed, begin the application
process
o Request information on fellowship programs that will
support your graduate study
o Assume leadership roles in campus and professional
activities
o Report any internship or co-op offers to CCSE
Junior year (preparation and investigation)
o Do all the things you missed on the checklist so far
o Complete the course requirements of your major
o Update your resume and cover letter
o If you intend on working immediately after graduation,
participate in on-campus interviewing starting in
September
o If you intend on attending graduate school, request and
submit applications in early fall semester Speak to
professors early to see if they are willing to write letters of
recommendation
o Write your personal statement and have it critiqued by
CCSE
o Apply for fnancial support (loans, fellowships and
assistantships) within your discipline
o Visit institutions if you can Meet with faculty, graduate
students, and administrators
o Report any job offer or graduate school admission offers
to CCSE
Senior year (implementation and job search)
T
he frst step in planning your career is fnding out about yourself Most people think they know themselves
fairly well, but when confronted with the need to make choices, they may lack the clarity necessary to fnd a
career that matches their interests, abilities and values During the process you will:
Evaluate your career and educational options based upon your own characteristics, paving the way for a
more informed and satisfactory career choice
Prepare to market yourself to potential employers and/or graduate schools
Self-assessment
The following are introductory self-assessment exercises
designed to help you identify and organize information
about yourself Complete these exercises and discuss
your responses with a career counselor, family member,
faculty member, or friend
1 Identify 10 activities you love to do Mark with
an asterisk those items which you would like to
include in your career How might you use these
activities in a career?
2 Complete the transferable skills activity on
page 6 of this booklet
3 List the 10 most important skills youve used in
past and current experiences To help identify
your skills, refer to the list on page 6
4 List and rank the 10 skills you most enjoy using
Which skills appeared on both lists?
5 Identify your academic strengths and list courses
in which you have done well What tasks do
you feel that you are competent or do very well,
for example, writing papers, taking essay tests,
summarizing written materials, working with
numerical fgures, participating in or leading group
discussions, etc?
6 What magazines, journals or newspapers do you
read regularly? Do you see any connection between
your leisure activities and interests and any future
plans?
7 Read the following list of career values Rank order
the list from 1-16 Use 1 as most important
___ Job security
___ Intellectual tasks or problem solving
___ Receiving training and supervision
___ Creativity
___ Working with your hands
___ High salary
___ High sense of achievement
___ Self-development
___ Working with people
___ Independence
___ Routine activity
___ Variety
___ Working in a friendly environment
___ Physical activity
___ Leadership
___ Advancement
8 Identify your immediate job needs
Relocation. Is it required? Likely? Necessary to
advance?
Travel.Isitrequired?Howoften?
Work schedule. Consider the number of hours in
a typical work week Will it change after a few
years? How fexible are you? How will you balance
your work life and personal life?
Salary. Calculate how much money you need.
List your anticipated expenses, for example, rent,
utilities, furniture, transportation, food, phone,
clothing, entertainment, college loans, insurance,
etc
Benefts.Considervariousorganizationsmedical,
dental, retirement, proft sharing, and vacation
benefts Whats important to you?
other ways to assess yourself
Make an appointment with a career counselor to
discuss your interests, plans, and/or concerns
Participateinadditionalself-assessmentactivities
available in the Career Center for Science and
Engineering and talk to a career counselor about
the results
Enroll in I of T 1312: Exploring Careers in Science
and Engineering
career planning
Attendcareerworkshops.
Makecareerdevelopmentapriority.
exploring your career and educational options
Once you have completed your self-assessment your
next step is to explore occupations You can then make
decisions about which careers best ft your interests,
values, skills and abilities There are four basic ways to
explore your career options:
1 Read about careers
2 Listen to talks or presentations about careers
3 Talk to people about their careers
4 Secure a job, cooperative education position,
volunteer experience, or an internship
The following suggestions may assist you in your career
exploration:
Attendcareerandjobfairs.
Read written career information available in the
Career Center for Science and Engineering
Participateincareerworkshopsandprograms.
Try out a career by obtaining a part-time and/or
summer job consistent with your interests
Performvolunteerworkinyourfeld(s)ofinterest.
Gatherfrst-handinformationaboutsubjectareas
from faculty and administrators and through
survey courses in your major areas of study
Interviewalumniinvolvedinvariouscareerfelds.
Consultwithcareercounselors.
decision making and goal setting
Once youve explored career and educational options, you
are ready to identify your career objectives Some of the
questions you may want to answer include:
WhatkindofworkdoIwanttoperform?
WhatkindofworkenvironmentwouldIlike?
WhattypeofindustrydoIprefer?
What,ifany,aremygeographiclimitations?
WhatkindofpeopledoIwanttoworkwith?
WhatsalarydoIconsiderappropriate?
DoIhaveanyspecialneedstoconsider?
Howrealisticaremyexpectationsconsideringmy
own skills and abilities and the reality of the job
market?
Obtaining career experience is a good way to try out your
tentative career decisions A career-related internship,
cooperative education position, summer job, part-time
job, or volunteer position can help you decide on a career
path The Career Center for Science and Engineering
can help you to locate these opportunities If you need
assistance with clarifying your goals, making decisions
or fnding a career-related position, make an appointment
with a career counselor
transferable skills
A transferable skill is developed in a previous or current
experience and can be applied to a different career area
Transferable skills are the foundation for more complex
skills youll develop as your career unfolds Consult with
a career counselor to identify your transferable skills and
brainstorm how they can be applied to different careers
To get started consider your experiences in these areas:
Experiencewithpeople Examples: selling,
training, teaching, supervising, motivating,
advising, representing, helping, etc
Experiencewiththings Examples: repairing,
assembling, designing, driving, handling,
operating, constructing, maintaining, building,
sketching, keyboarding, etc
Experiencewithdata and information Examples:
calculating, analyzing, developing databases and
theories, fling, analyzing, gathering data, writing,
etc
transferable skills
s you begin your search for a career and/or job it is important to know your qualifcations Over the years
you have developed many skills during your coursework, extracurricular activities, and life experiences For
example, if you have researched a topic for class and then written, edited, and presented a fnal paper in front
of your peers, you have used skills (gathering information, writing, problem-solving, presenting) which are not limited
to that specifc academic discipline, but are transferable to many occupations In a career and job search you will be
expected to apply the skills you have learned to the work environment
Below is a list of fve broad skill areas which are divided into specifc skill sets First, use a check mark to indicate which
skills youve developed Second, rate the skills to indicate your ability in each area A suggested rating scale is: 1 =
strong ability, 2 = some ability, 3 = enough ability to get by, but need help from others When youre fnished, write down
examples of when you used your strongest skills and describe what the end result was
Communication
The skillful expression,
transmission and
interpretation of
knowledge and ideas

___ Speaking effectively
___ Writing effectively
___ Listening attentively
___ Expressing ideas
___ Facilitating
discussions
___ Providing feedback
___ Negotiating
___ Persuading
___ Perceiving non-verbal
messages
___ Presenting
information
___ Describing feelings
___ Interviewing
___ Editing
research and
planning
The search for specifc
knowledge and the ability
to conceptualize future
needs and solutions
___ Predicting
___ Creating theories and
ideas
___ Identifying problems
___ Imagining
alternatives
___ Identifying resources
___ Gathering
information
___ Solving problems
___ Setting goals
___ Extracting
information
___ Defning needs
___ Developing
evaluations
___ Creating spreadsheets
and databases
___ Calculating results
Human relations
The use of interpersonal
skills for resolving confict,
relating to and helping
people

___ Developing
relationships
___ Being sensitive
___ Listening
___ Conveying feelings
___ Providing support
___ Motivating
___ Sharing credit
___ Counseling
___ Cooperating
___ Delegating with
respect
___ Representing others
___ Perceiving feelings,
situations
___ Asserting
organizing,
management and
leadership
Ability to supervise and
guide individuals and
groups in the completion
of goals

___ Initiating new ideas
___ Handling details
___ Coordinating tasks
___ Managing groups
___ Delegating
responsibility
___ Teaching
___ Coaching
___ Advising
___ Promoting change
___ Selling ideas or
products
___ Decision making with
others
___ Managing confict
Work survival
The daily skills that assist
in promoting effective
production and work
satisfaction
___ Implementing
decisions
___ Cooperating
___ Enforcing policies
___ Being punctual
___ Managing time
___ Attending to detail
___ Meeting goals
___ Enlisting help
___ Accepting
responsibility
___ Setting and meeting
deadlines
___ Organizing
___ Making decisions
A
resume writing
Your resume is a valuable tool for marketing yourself to
prospective employers It is a concisely written summary
of your personal, educational and work experience
intended to:
Introduceyourselftoaprospectiveemployer.
Organize the written facts about yourself in a
written presentation
Focus attention on your qualifcations and
accomplishments and demonstrate why you are a
good candidate for the position
Obtainaninterview.
Resumes vary in content as well as format It is important
to remember that a resume is a personally written
document that allows for individual creativity It should
present a positive image to the potential employer By
positioning the most important information about your
experiences and qualifcations frst, and devoting the most
space to them, you highlight your strengths The following
suggestions are provided to assist you in drafting your
resume Although the names of the categories may vary
the following information should be included
Content
1. Contact information: Name, present and/or permanent
addresses, telephone number(s) where you can be
reached or a message can be left, e-mail address and
Web page if you have one and want an employer to
view it
2. Objective: A brief statement indicating what you want
to do It is a critical part of your resume; everything
that you do should support the objective If you have
more than one objective you may want to tailor
separate resumes to ft each one Although some
employers do not place importance on the objective,
many do An objective indicates that you have thought
about what you want to do, that you have some idea of
what youre getting into, and that you have some
direction or goal You can customize your objective by
including information about strengths, skills and
industry or organization type This will demonstrate
that you know something about the position and
organization to which you are applying
3. Education: List institutions where you have completed
(or will soon complete) some level of education, in
reverse chronological order High school information is
usually removed once you reach junior standing
Indicate degree, major, dates of graduation, minor
felds, honors and a handful of key courses List your
GPA if it is 300 or higher Include the scale and represent
your GPA to the 100ths place Even if your GPA is not
that high, consider including it on your resume Some
managers will not consider resumes without a GPA,
and they will assume that your GPA must be very low
Another idea is to list your major GPA or recent
semester GPA if this is higher than your cumulative
GPA
4. Experience: List and briefy describe, in reverse
chronological order, your relevant experiences
Experience may include full and part-time employment,
research experience, internships, co-ops and volunteer
positions Indicate your job title, name of organization
with city and state, and dates of experience It is
advisable to include more than one Experience
section by being more specifc Some examples are
Related Experience, Field Experience, Professional
Experience, Other Experience, etc
If you have had many jobs, choose the ones that are most
relevant to the position you seek Remember that resume
descriptions are fragments, not complete sentences Try to
start each sentence with an action verb (see page 9) and do
not use personal pronouns such as I or my When
writing your descriptions do not simply list the tasks you
performed on a daily basis Instead, describe the skills you
used to accomplish those tasks Ask yourself these
questions:
What were my duties, responsibilities, roles and
achievements?
Whatskills(transferableandtechnical)didIusein
this experience?
Whatweretheresultsofmyefforts?
The following information is optional, but should be
included if it strengthens your resume:
ActivitiesExtracurricular activities point out
your leadership, social skills, interests and energy
level Activities can be especially important if you
have little work or related experience, or if your
grades arent your strong suit
SkillsThis section serves as a snapshot of your
abilities as they relate to your objective Skills
sections work well for scannable resumes
ProjectsWrite three to four sentences describing
any individual or group work youve done in class
Employers like this section because it demonstrates
your ability to apply learning to real-life problems
and generate solutions
Military experienceIf you have training relevant
to your objective, include ranks, dates, assignments
and specifc responsibilities under the Experience
section
Professional membershipsInclude any mem-
berships to relevant student groups, professional
organizations, or publications
Honors and awards
Study or work abroad experiences
format
The electronic processing of information has affected the
way you need to prepare your resume Your resume must
be able to be read by computers as well as by humans
Many employers use optical scanners to enter resumes
into computer databases and then electronically search
for candidates using identifed criteria Dont assume that
your target employers are too small or dont have the
budget to use computer scanners
All resumes should follow the same basic principals to be
of interest to and optimally read by humans as well as
computers Everything that makes sense for computer
scanners to easily read resumes makes sense for human
readers toothe more simple, the better
1 Length depends on your experience and qualifcations
Generally, resumes should not exceed two pages For
most college graduates with a bachelors degree a one-
page resume is all that is required
2 Make your resume easy to read and follow It should
read more like an outline than a narrative
3 Place your contact information, in bold letters, at the
top of your resume If your resume is two pages, you
need only include your name on the top of the second
page
4 Your resume should be on 8 x 11 paper, printed on
one side Use a computer with a high quality printer
and only black ink
5 Present your resume on quality bond paper of at least
20 pound weight Knowing your audience is your best
guide to selection of color Generally, employers prefer
resumes on white, off-white, light tan or gray paper
6 One-inch margins (top, bottom, left and right) are
optimal for scanning
7 Use one font size of 10 to 12 points Some say sizes up
to 14 are acceptable but to the human reader, anything
over 12 may appear as if you are just taking up space
Use one popular, non-decorative typeface throughout
A few excellent fonts include Times, Arial, Palatino and
Helvetica Dont vary the font or point size within the
resume
8 Avoid using italic, script, and underlined text The
letters sometimes touch and computers may have
diffculty recognizing the individual characters and
will be unable to read the information Avoid graphics
and shading Scanning equipment is generally set up
to read only text, not graphics
9 CAPITAL LETTERS are acceptable However, use them
sparingly for effect and attention grabbing for the
human reader; it doesnt matter for computers
Boldface is also acceptable and should be used
sparingly as well
10 You may use bullets, but make sure they are solid, not
hollow, symbols
11 Dont use parentheses or brackets Computer scanners
may interpret the symbols as letters, or other
punctuation, and will not be able to understand the
text within them Use horizontal and vertical lines
sparingly, if at all If you do use lines put at least of
white space around them
12 Do not use staples or fold your resume Pages may stick
together after the staple is removed Creases from
folds may lead to inaccurate scanning or diffculty in
feeding the resume into a scanner Employer may even
throw away resumes that have been neatly folded into
standard #10 business size envelopes Instead, if
submitting your resume by mail, send it in a full sized
manila envelope
tips
Behonest.Emphasizeyourstrengths,experience,and
capabilities Provide accurate dates and list only
months and year, or just years Record your degrees
and/or certifcations with months and years of
graduation
Putthemostimportantinformationtowardthetopof
your resume And, if possible, list the most relevant
information frst in each section
Use action verbs (see page 10) to communicate
accomplishments and results Use the present tense in
describing activities in which you are currently
engaged Describe previous activities in the past
tense
Omit irrelevant and personal information from your
resume such as height, weight, age, sex, health and
marital status
Dontincludecontactinformationforyourreferences
on your resume References should be submitted
separately from your resume, and only if requested by
an employer For more information about references
see page 17
Time spent on resume preparation is also time well-
spent on interview preparation Many employers will
use your resume when they are interviewing you
Always proofread your resume for visual quality,
content and typographical or spelling errors Have
several other people proofread your resume as well
Planahead.Donotanticipatewritingyourbestresume
overnight Remember, your resume is an essential tool
in your search Make it the best possible
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Power Verbs
Accomplishment
oriented
achieved
completed
decreased
expanded
exceeded
improved
increased
pioneered
reduced (losses)
resolved (issues)
restored
spearheaded
succeeded
surpassed
transformed
won
Communication
addressed
advertised
arranged
articulated
authored
clarifed
collaborated
communicated
composed
condensed
conferred
contacted
conveyed
convinced
corresponded
debated
defned
described
developed
directed
discussed
drafted
edited
elicited
enlisted
explained
expressed
formulated
furnished
infuenced
interacted
interpreted
interviewed
involved
joined
judged
lectured
listened
marketed
mediated
moderated
negotiated
observed
outlined
participated
persuaded
presented
promoted
proposed
publicized
reconciled
recruited
referred
reinforced
reported
resolved
responded
solicited
specifed
spoke
suggested
summarized
synthesized
translated
wrote
Creative
adapted
began
combined
composed
conceptualized
condensed
created
customized
designed
developed
directed
displayed
established
fashioned
formulated
founded
illustrated
initiated
integrated
introduced
invented
modeled
modifed
performed
planned
revised
revitalized
shaped
solved
Helping
aided
accommodated
advised
alleviated
assisted
assured
bolstered
coached
continued
cooperated
counseled
dealt
eased
elevated
enabled
endorsed
enhanced
enriched
familiarized
helped
interceded
mobilized
modeled
polished
prescribed
provided
protected
rehabilitated
relieved
rescued
saved
served
sustained
tutored
validated
Planning and
Organizing
acquired
activated
adjusted
administered
allocated
altered
anticipated
appointed
arranged
assembled
assessed
assigned
authorized
cataloged
centralized
charted
classifed
collected
commissioned
committed
confrmed
contracted
coordinated
customized
delegated
designated
designed
determined
developed
devised
dispatched
established
evaluated
facilitated
forecasted
formulated
housed
identifed
implemented
incorporated
instituted
issued
linked
logged
mapped out
observed
obtained
ordered
organized
planned
prepared
prioritized
procured
programmed
recruited
rectifed
researched
reserved
retrieved
revised
routed
scheduled
selected
secured
simplifed
sought
straightened
strategize
studied
suggested
tailored
tracked
Problem-solving
alleviated
analyzed
brainstormed
collaborated
conceived
conceptualized
created
debugged
decided
deciphered
detected
diagnosed
engineered
foresaw
formulated
found
investigated
recommended
remedied
remodeled
repaired
revamped
revitalized
satisfed
solved
synthesized
theorized
Quantitative
accounted for
appraised
approximated
audited
balanced
budgeted
calculated
checked
compiled
compounded
computed
conserved
converted
counted
dispensed
dispersed
earned
enumerated
estimated
fgured
fnanced
grossed
increased
inventoried
maximized
multiplied
netted
profted
projected
purchased
quantifed
rated
reconciled
recorded
reduced
totaled
Technical Skills
adapted
applied
assembled
build
calculated
computed
conserved
constructed
converted
debugged
designed
determined
developed
engineered
fabricated
fortifed
installed
maintained
operated
overhauled
printed
programmed
regulated
remodeled
repaired
replaced
restored
solved
specialized
spearheaded
standardized
studied
upgrade
utilized
sample resumes
123 Gopher Street Southeast
jillcandidate@umn.edu
(H) 555-555-5555; (C) 333-333-3333
Jill Candidate
Objective Seeking employment in the area of database development.
Education Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, May 2009
Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN
Major GPA: 3.14/4.00

Key Courses: Introduction to Numerical Computing, Formal Languages and Automata Theory, Software
Engineering (in progress)
Skills Languages: Assembly, BASIC, C, C++, FORTRAN, Java, and Scheme
Operating Systems: UNIX; DOS; Windows 95, 98, XP; and Macintosh
Software: CAD, Dreamweaver, Adobe Acrobat, and MATLAB
Projects Worked in a team of three to design a Programmable Logic Device (PLD) fuse map generator and
simulator for combinational and sequential logic using a specifcation language for combinational logic
as well as FSMs.
Developed Perl scripts to run a WWW-based database allowing arbitrary searches and automated
additions to the database. Presented project to class at end of semester.
Related Intern, Data Mining Support May 2008 August 2008
Experience Organization, City, State
Developed an easy-to-use interface and data visualizer for a data mining engine which
presented data in tabular and graphic formats, allowing for various sorting, fltering, and
merging.
Attended weekly departmental meetings to generate ideas, report progress and discuss future
planning.
Assisted with implementing visualizer and helped with training employees how to use
interface.
Leadership President September 2008 present
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Plan and facilitate activities for more than 180 members.
Visit local high schools regularly to promote science and engineering careers to high school
students.
Increased membership by 20% through recruiting.
Other Lead Cook (seasonal) March 2006 present
Experience Company, City, State
Promoted to lead cook after two years of employment. Train new employees, including cooks
and cleaning staff. Coordinate employee schedules and handle customer complaints. Assist
customers in courteous and friendly manner.
Activities Member, Association of Computing Machinery 2007-present
Member, Institute of Technology Board of Publications 2007-present
Member, Society of Women Engineers 2006-present
Member, University of Minnesota Marching Band 2005-present
sample resumes
John Candidate
222 Gopher Street Southeast Minneapolis, MN 55455 (H) 555-555-5555 johncandidate@umn.edu
Objective Seeking employment as a Research Technician.
Education College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN
Bachelor of Science in Genetics, Cellular Biology and Development, Expected December 2008
Minor: Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature
Cumulative GPA: 3.20/4.00
Coursework includes: Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry with lab, Developmental
Biology, Directed Research
Senior Researched RNA interference by reading publications from numerous scientifc journals and
Project performed experiments using genomic screen techniques. Wrote literature review on subject and
presented fndings to peer group.
Skills Molecular Biology Techniques: subcloning, gel electrophoresis, chromatography, spectrometry,
DNA sequencing, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Computer Skills: Profcient with Microsoft Offce applications for both Macintosh and PC. Effcient
web-searching strategies on a wide variety of scientifc databases such as PubMed and Wormbase.
Microscopy: Nomarski and fuorescence experience using Nikon Microphot-FXA.
Research Undergraduate Research Assistant January 2006present
Department of Genetics, Cellular Biology, and Development
University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN
Perform genomic screen for genes that control development of the nematode C. elegans using
RNA interference (RNAi).
Maintain mutant worm populations, grew plasmid-containing E. coli to feed worms, screen
worms for phenotypes using microscopy and fuorescence microscopy, update RNAi database
based on fndings.
Wrote grant applications and was twice awarded funding for research through the
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).
Experience Administrative Assistant (seasonal) May 2004present
Company, City, State
Manage membership accounts and organize confdential member information in electronic
and paper formats.
Collaborate with coworkers to approve accounts and monitor member participation.
Prepare spreadsheets and graphs for senior staff meetings.
Leadership and Representative, College of Biological Sciences Student Board 2007present
Activities Member, Intramural Softball Team 2006present
Student Leader, Biology Colloquium Class 20062008
The cover letter is an important part of your application
and should be included with every resume you submit
Focus on the needs of the employer and summarize your
greatest strengths as they relate to a specifc position
Show the employer that you are interested in the position,
possess the qualifcations they are seeking and understand
the work being done at their organization Try not to
duplicate the information in your resume Instead, use
specifc examples to draw conclusions about how you can
fulfll the position Remember, your cover letter should be
well-written, thoughtful, and make an employer want to
review your resume
types of cover letters
There are two types of cover letters The Letter of
Application is sent to an employer when applying for
a specifc position Each letter should be customized to
show how your interests and qualifcations match those
required to fll the position
A Letter of Inquiry is sent to inquire about positions of
interest in an organization It requests information be sent
to you and provides employers with your resume When
writing a Letter of Inquiry it is important to show how
you can potentially contribute to the organization Please
note: a Letter of Inquiry is not as common as a Letter of
Application and is typically accompanied by a verbal or
written request for an informational interview in order to
learn more about possible opportunities at the organization
of interest
format
A cover letter is formatted as a professional letter This
means that all parts of the letter are left justifed And,
rather than starting each new paragraph by indenting, you
will insert a double space between paragraphs to signal a
transition from one paragraph to the next This will create
a block format for your cover letter
Your address, city, state and zip code should be included
at the top of the cover letter It is okay to abbreviate states,
but do not use abbreviations in any other part of your
address For example, 123 Gopher St SE Minneapolis, MN
should be written out as, 123 Gopher Street Southeast
Minneapolis, MN
After listing your address, double space and add the date
Make sure to write the date out completely, rather than
using numbers and dashes For example, October 12, 2008
would NOT be written as 10/12/2008 Instead, write it as
the word October with the numbers 12 and 2008 to
indicate date and year
After you have written the date, double space and list the
employers contact information If a name is not listed on
the position description look at the Web site or call the
organization to get the name and title of the person to
whom you should address your application Remember,
your resume is more likely to be reviewed if it is sent to a
specifc person If you cannot fnd this information, address
your letter to Hiring Manager or to Search Committee if
you suspect more than one person is involved in the hiring
process Again, only use an abbreviation for the state and
not for any other part of the address
Double space again and add the greeting Dear to your
letter Address your contact as Mr, Ms, or Dr and then
write her/his last name If you cannot tell the persons
gender based on their name simply write down their frst
and last name with a colon For example, Pat Smith: The
greeting line should end with a colon
Double space again The next 3-4 paragraphs of your cover
letter will be the opening paragraph, middle paragraph(s)
and closing paragraph Remember, because a cover letter
is written in a professional letter format these paragraphs
will NOT be indented Instead, keep them left justifed and
insert a space between each paragraph
End your letter with Sincerely, leave 4 single lines for
your hand-written signature, and type your name again at
the bottom of the letter If you are submitting your cover
letter electronically replace your hand-written signature
with italicized typeface
If you are enclosing additional information with your letter,
such as a resume, double space after your typed name and
type Enclosure or Enclosures If you use the plural, you
have the option of stating the number of enclosures in
parentheses
writing a cover letter
opening paragraph
Usually there are three paragraphs in a cover letter The
frst is the opening paragraph In this paragraph state the
position you are applying for and where you found out
about it It is important to identify the position by title
because it lets the employer know which position you are
applying for And, by stating where you found out about the
position, you are giving the employer important marketing
information about where their job postings are being
viewed Then, briefy explain why you are interested in the
position and organization Try to capture the employers
attention by conveying a sense of enthusiasm, interest
and purpose in your letter Make them want to read about
your qualifcations
Please note: If you found out about the position from a
person who works in the organization at which you are
applying include her/his name and title in your Opening
Paragraph
Middle paragraph(s)
The middle paragraph is sometimes referred to as the
body of the letter It is usually the longest and most
important If you have a lot to say you can split this section
into two paragraphs Focus on the needs of the employer
and write about your strongest qualifcations for the job
Explain how your qualifcations ft with the positions
responsibilities Dont just list skills or personal qualities
Instead, use specifc examples (from previous jobs,
internships, classes, volunteering, activities, clubs and
more) to describe when, where and how you developed the
desired qualifcations
Closing paragraph
The last paragraph is the closing paragraph Restate your
interest and briefy summarize your qualifcations Mention
your interest in an interview One effective strategy is to
end your letter on a proactive note Say when and how
you will contact the employer and follow-up accordingly
Contacting an employer directly after submitting your
application is advantageous because: 1) it demonstrates
your interest in the position, 2) it allows you to make sure
the employer received your application and, 3) it helps you
discern where the employer is in the hiring process Finally,
end your letter by thanking the employer and signing your
name to the letter
Please note: Occasionally employers will request that
applicants do not contact them directly In these instances,
respect employers wishes by following the application
procedures outlined in the position description
final tips
Here are some fnal tips to help you with your cover letter
Remember,anemployerwilluseyourcoverletter
as an indication of your writing skills Be sure to
have your cover letters proofread by another person
in order to ensure you are presenting yourself in
the best possible light
Use different sentence structures in your cover
letter Some people have the tendency to start
every sentence with the word I which can make
a letter sound awkward
Cover letters are meant to be concise and should
never be more than one page long
Use the same font in your cover letter as you did
for your resume, and print your cover letter and
resume on the same paper This will ensure your
application looks professional
Andfnally,besuretokeepacopyofthejobposting
and your cover letter on fle in case you are called
for an interview
These letters are examples of the types of professional correspondence most commonly used in the job search process
The most effective letters are targeted to the needs of a specifc employer and, at the same time, concise In most cases
a letter should not exceed one page in length
A letter of application is sent to an employer when applying for a specifc job To make sure the letter of application is
focused on the needs of the employer, ask for a position description and carefully consider how your skills, interests,
abilities, experience and education match those required to fll the position
September 8, 2008
Sandy Smith
Lead Engineer
A1 Engineering Inc.
123 Engineering Parkway
Dear Ms. Smith:
I wish to express my strong interest in the Assistant Engineer position at A1 Engineering. As I
read the position description posted on the University of Minnesota GoldPASS system, I was
pleased to recognize that my skill set and enthusiasm would be of value to your organization. I
believe my passion for automotive engineering, combined with my education and experiences
make me an ideal ft for this position. I know I could contribute immediately to your engine
effciency projects.
Your description indicates you are seeking someone with excellent teamwork and
communication skills to work as an integral part of a design team. As my resume indicates, I
have two years of related experience gained through summer internships. At both of these
internships I assisted design engineers while sharpening and honing my CAD skills. Also, for
the past two years I have served as outreach coordinator for a student group. This experience
has provided me with the opportunity to develop my teamwork and communication skills by
working collaboratively with a group of four people to plan events and meetings. Additionally,
in May of 2009 I will graduate with a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and a minor in
Business Leadership. My education is providing me with the knowledge and skills I need to
contribute meaningfully to your organization.
My experiences, education and interests make me a great ft for this position, and I am excited
about the possibility of working at A1 Engineering. I would appreciate the opportunity to
speak with you about my qualifcations and will contact you during the week of October 27 to
discuss the possibility of an interview. In the meantime, if you have any questions please do
not hesitate to contact me at 555-555-5555 or by e-mail at jillcandidate@umn.edu. Thank you
for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jill Candidate
Jill Candidate
Enclosures (2)
letter of application example
A letter of inquiry is sent to an employer to inquire as to the possibility of available positions, or as an introduction to
a prospective employer while networking The letter should be a summary of your abilities as they relate to the needs of
the employer
222 Gopher Street
November 1, 2008
Alan Anderson, Ph.D.
Scientist
Biosciences Corp.
123 Science Court
Dear Dr. Anderson:
While researching possible employers in the feld of microbiology I became aware of your
company. I will be completing my Bachelors of Science in Microbiology in May and would
like to inquire about the possibility of employment as a Research Technician at Biosciences
Corp.
As you will see in my enclosed resume I am currently working as an undergraduate Research
Assistant at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus in the Microbiology Department.
The research I am assisting with focuses on the growth and characteristics of microscopic
organism bacteria. My assistantship has affrmed my interest in bacterial research and
provided me with the opportunity to hone my laboratory and analytical skills. In addition, I
have taken several elective courses to further enhance my knowledge and abilities within the
feld of microbiological research. I believe my research experience combined with my class
room knowledge has provided me with an excellent foundation for employment in your lab.
Also, I have participated in several activities and jobs that have strengthened my
communication, leadership and teamwork skills. For example, last fall I was elected as chair
of the publicity committee for the student chapter of the American Institute of Biological
Sciences. In this position I managed two other students, recruited speakers for monthly
meetings, and coordinated advertising activities across the University of Minnesota-Twin
Cities campus. These group activities reinforced my desire to work as part of team.
I would like to thank you for your time and consideration of my qualifcations. If you have any
further questions about my abilities please do not hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at
123-456-7890 or by e-mail at johncandidate@umn.edu. I will be in contact with you to discuss
the possibility of an interview.
Sincerely,
John Candidate
John Candidate
letter of inquiry example
Provide references only if you are requested to do so List references on a separate sheet of paper that matches the
format of your resume and cover letter Talk to the people you have chosen to be references before you give out their
contact information to potential employers Provide your references with a copy of your resume and keep them
updated as you search for jobs
John Candidate
222 Gopher Street Minneapolis, MN 55455 (H) 123-456-7890 johncandidate@umn.edu
Name
Title
Organization
Address
City, State Zip
Phone
E-mail
Name
Title
Organization
Address
City, State Zip
Phone
E-mail
Name
Title
Organization
Address
City, State Zip
Phone
E-mail
reference example
A letter of inquiry is sent to an employer to inquire as to the possibility of available positions, or as an introduction to
a prospective employer while networking The letter should be a summary of your abilities as they relate to the needs of
the employer
October 14, 2008
Sandy Smith
Lead Engineer
A1 Engineering Inc.
123 Engineering Parkway
Dear Ms. Smith:
Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you on Tuesday, October 13 for the position
of Assistant Engineer, and also for the tour you gave me of A1 Engineering. Both experiences
reaffrmed my interest in your organization and my confdence that my interests, experiences
and education will be benefcial to the goals of your team.
As we discussed, my internships have provided me with the opportunity to develop the skills
and personal qualities you are seeking in a potential employee. I believe my experience
working with engineers from different backgrounds will enable me to contribute in creative
ways to your design team. Additionally, my experience working collaboratively to plan and
implement changes is an asset that will allow me to implement improvements quickly and
effectively. I am also excited about your training program and the specifcs we discussed on
Tuesday. As my past successes have indicated, I am motivated and adaptable to any situation.
I look forward to seeing you again and meeting others in A1 Engineering. If you have further
questions or need additional information please let me know. Thank you again for your time
and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jill Candidate
Jill Candidate
thank you letter example
Most job offers will come over the telephone or through the mail Sending an acceptance letter is the best way to
formally acknowledge the offer and to be certain that both parties are in agreement about such things as starting date,
salary and benefts
222 Gopher Street
December 14, 2008
Alan Anderson, Ph.D.
Scientist
Biosciences Corp.
123 Science Court
Dear Dr. Anderson:
To confrm our phone conversation on December 12, 2008 I would like to formally accept
your offer of Research Coordinator at $40,000 per year in your Des Moines, Iowa offce. I am
very pleased to have the opportunity to become part of your organization.
As we discussed, I will be moving to Des Moines within two weeks and will be able to begin
my employment on January 7, 2009. I understand that your organization offers relocation
assistance. Please send me the information you referred to concerning expense reimbursement.
I look forward to joining Biosciences Corp.
Sincerely,
John Candidate
John Candidate
acceptance letter example
When you are no longer interested in a position for which you have interviewed, or have accepted another job, send a
letter of withdrawal to the employer In the letter you are not obligated to give the employer detailed information about
your employment decision However, the courtesy of sending a letter speeds the hiring process for all involved
May 9, 2009
Joyce Johnson
Lead Sales Engineer
Products Inc.
123 Products Way
Dear Ms. Johnson:
I enjoyed meeting with you last week to discuss your opening for a Sales Engineer. My
interview was informative, and it is clear to me that you and your staff are excellent workers
who take pride in the work you do. However, after careful consideration, I have decided to
withdraw my application for this position.
At this point in my career I believe it would be benefcial for me to explore other
opportunities. While this position affords many advantages, it would nonetheless be a lateral
move from my current part-time and summer positions.
Thank you for taking the time to interview me and giving me the opportunity to learn more
about your needs and organization. I hope your hiring search will soon be successful.
Sincerely,
Jane Candidate
Jane Candidate
withdrawal letter example
There are several ways to submit resumes and letters to
employers You can use conventional mail, fax, e-mail or
drop them off in-person The key is to follow the directions
requested by the employer The substance of your resume
and letter remains the same no matter which way you
submit them, however, there are some things to keep in
mind as you consider each method
Conventional mail
Resume,coverletterandallcorrespondenceswith
an employer should be on the same kind of paper
Your resume and cover letter should be sent in a
large envelope without folding, stapling, or paper-
clipping them Large envelopes are available in
manila, white or matching resume paper, and all
are acceptable to use
Usemailinglabelsandtypeorcomputer-printthe
address to whom you are sending your resume
and letter and your return address
Placetheletterontopoftheresumewithanyother
supporting materials under the resume and slide
it into the envelope Do not staple or paper-clip
your resume to your letter
Thenameandaddressonthelabelshouldmatch
exactly the name and address on the letter you are
enclosing If you are responding to an advertisement
and there is no name mentioned, call the employer
to get a contact name In cases where a name is
not available, use a gender neutral title such as
Employer, Employment Representative, or
Personnel Manager
fax
Youshouldfaxyourletterandresumeonlywhen
an employer requests it or to meet a deadline
Ifyoufaxaresumeandcoverletter,alwaysfollow-
up with a mailed original
Whenfaxingyourresumeandletteryouroriginals
should be on plain white paper using black ink, to
ensure the best quality copy in the transmission
Call the employer to verify that your resume and
letter have been received
e-mail
Because of the limitations of some electronic
means of transmitting resumes and letters, such
as using e-mail, some special considerations need
to be addressed
Prepare your resume using a word processing
program following the recommendations in
Resume Writing (see pages 7-8) Then, save your
resume as a text fle, DOS or ASCII, or type your
resume into the text format directly, from a hard
copy
Using a text editor, edit the text version of your
resume to resemble your original resume The
spacing will need to be redone using the space bar
Make sure each line is 60 or less characters and
insert a hard return at the end of each line The
margins may need to be adjusted as well
Since bullets and boldface cant be used in a text
document you may want to substitute asterisks or
plus signs for bullets and use capital letters or
asterisks surrounding text in place of bold Use
capital letters and other symbols sparingly When
using e-mail, capital letters mean you are
shouting A whole letter or resume in capital
letters is diffcult to read Overdone symbols tend
to clutter and confuse rather than draw the readers
attention
Most text editors have a spell check function, so
use them to catch any spelling errors Always
proofread, and have others proofread your
documents
Savebothversionsofyourresume,thetextversion
and the word processed version, so that it is ready
to edit, print or e-mail as you need it
Create and store a standard cover letter in the
same way Customize the cover letter each time
you apply for a position Always check the format
and width by sending it to yourself, before you
send your letter in response to an ad Send you
resume and cover letter in one fle
Usetheadvertisedjobasyoursubjectlineinthe
e-mail Cite relevant job numbers or descriptors as
noted in the ad
Ifyouaresendingaresumewithoutknowingofan
opening, add a few words stating your objective in
the subject line
sending resumes and cover letters
Read the entire posting carefully and completely
before responding Some employers who advertise
online may only accept responses by regular mail
or may want you to respond to a different e-mail
address It is important to respond exactly as
instructed in the directions
in-person
When dropping off your resume in-person
remember that your personal appearance is
making an impression Dress as if you were going
for an interview and act professionally, being
courteous to everyone
tips for electronic correspondence
Be aware that electronic correspondence is often the
preferred mode of communication with employers E-mail
can be a powerful tooluse it wisely, and you will shine;
use it improperly, and you may be branded as immature
and unprofessional Here are some general guidelines to
apply to every e-mail you write an employer
Use a meaningful subject line for every e-mail.
Choose one that is appropriate to the topic
Address the recipient as Mr., Ms., or Mrs., and
always verify the correct spelling of the recipients
name
Keepyoure-mailbriefandbusinesslike.Trynotto
overload an employer with lots of questions
Noemoticons.
Sticktoastandardfontanddontusewallpapers
or multicolored backgrounds
Be sure to proofread and spell-check your e-mail
before sending it
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strategies
The job search is much more than resumes and interviews
He or she who gets hired is not necessarily the one who
can do the job best; but, the one who knows the most
about how to get hired (Lathrop, 1977) In this article we
will share with you information known to increase your
job and internship search success
How many weeks or months do you think it takes most
students to fnd a job or internship? Expect your job search
to take at least three to six months Start early and plan to
enact a smart and targeted job search
Many employers search for employees differently from
how job hunters search for jobs While employers search
for people they know, job hunters seem to feel more
comfortable submitting resumes and answering ads from a
distance When hunting for a job, think like an employer
use referrals and inside contacts whenever possible
Some job hunting methods are more effective than others
and some are very ineffective The least effective ways of
searching for a job are those that dont involve person-to-
person contactusing the Internet, mailing resumes at
random, ads, and agencies
The best ways to search for a job or internship are to, frst,
identify and contact employers in your feld of interest
using the yellow pages or similar resources Second, knock
on the door of employers that interest you, whether they
have a known job opening or not After researching about
an organization on your own, schedule an appointment to
meet with an employer to gather information tailored to
your specifc career and company questions This process
is called informational interviewing Finally, ask for leads
from friends and family Let the people you know, know
youre looking for a job Even if they arent aware of any
immediate job or internship openings, they may be able to
connect you to someone who does or think of you down
the road when they hear of an opening
The most effective approach, however, is to use more than
one method to fnd a job or internship Research shows
that using up to four job search methods will further
increase your likelihood of success in fnding a position
(Bolles, 2007)
Also, did you know that the majority of jobs are obtained
through informal networks? Theyre acquired through
friends of friends, being in the right place at the right time,
and knowing people who are connected to opportunity
This is the hidden job market, and its where youll want
to spend the majority of your job or internship search
efforts
identifying a job or internship target
Experts tell us that Most job-hunters who fail to fnd their
dream job, fail not because they lack information about
the job market, but because they lack information about
themselves (Bolles, 2007, p 209) Before you begin your
job or internship search, be sure youve answered the
following questions:
WhatskillsdoImostenjoyusing?
WhatdoIvalueinajoborinternship?
Whatworkareasinterestme?
Such self-refection will help you clarify and set your goals,
and help you articulate them to the professionals you
meet on your way Now its time to prepare for your job or
internship search
Start by identifying a specifc job or internship target
Many people dont have a clear target when they begin
their job search, which actually lengthens their search
They spend a little bit of energy in a lot of areas and often
come up exhausted and empty-handed When you know
what youre looking for, you will be able to spend your time
fnding the jobs and organizations that ft your target Plus,
employers prefer to hire candidates with clear goals and
career plans
Next, research possible employers What do you know
about your industry of interest, organizations in your
feld, and individual jobs? Like understanding yourself,
understanding your options will help you target your
search Learn about the industry; be comfortable with its
language What are the trends and industry concerns?
Who are the leaders? Check out professional associations
and related publications For example, if you are interested
in the feld of civil engineering, you may want to join the
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Also research the organizations that employ people in your
feld Check out company Web sites for news items and
product and service information Talk to people who work
there to learn about the work environmentits culture,
atmosphere, values, and norms
job and internship searching
Review job postings to understand the types of positions
youre interested in Job descriptions will teach you about
duties, skills and qualifcations Additionally, reading an
employers range of postings will help you understand the
availability of advancement opportunities
Some great places to start your research are listed on the
following pages Try looking at:
Career information sites. Search these online
resources by job title to get job descriptions,
education required, salary range, job outlook and
links to related occupations
If you have a company in mind and are looking
for similar companies, try employer research
databases These databases let you search for
companies and industry information by company
name, size, location, industry code, or phone
number
Explore the Web sites of employers that interest
you
Finally, the University of Minnesota has many
resources for industry, employer, and career-
related research Check out career information at
your library and academic program Web sites, and
dont forget to use your career center
informational interviews
Once you have targeted and researched an employer,
you may have additional questions Now is a great time
to schedule an informational interview with a company
representative, where you will interview the person with
these questions
The purpose of an informational interview is to gather
career information, gain insider tips about getting jobs or
internships, observe the work environment, practice your
professional communication skills, and meet people in
your feld This is not a job interview, so do not ask for or
expect a job When you call to set up the interview, give
your name and affliation and explain the purpose of your
visit: to learn more about their feld and gain advice on the
job search
Ask for a 2030 minute meeting and get directions If they
are not able to meet in person, try to schedule a telephone
appointment Make sure to dress professionally and be on
time Prepare a thoughtful list of questions and take notes
Ask for their business card After the interview send them
a thank you note and follow up on their suggestions for
your job search

Informational interviewing is one of many ways to position
yourselfseek out connections to people who will have
information about or connections to opportunities in your
chosen career You can position yourself in three ways:
1 Expand your professional network, which may involve
interviewing professionals for information, shadowing
professionals, or joining professional associations to
get know other members
2 Indirect work experience will also help you position
yourself for your target job or internship This may
involve being active in your professional association,
taking courses or acquiring training related to your
target feld, or having a job, internship, or volunteer
experience in a related feld to your job target
3 Direct work experience is the strongest way to position
yourself It may involve direct work, internship or
volunteer experience in your target career or having
a temporary work experience at your desired place of
employment
applying
After you have researched the industry and employer, its
time to prepare your application materials and interview
skills
1 Write a strong resume and cover letter and have
them critiqued at your University of Minnesota career
center
2 Determine who you will use as references and ask
permission to add them to your reference list These
should be professional references such as supervisors,
professors, and advisorsnot friends or family
members
3 Sign up for a mock interview to practice your
interviewing skills Brainstorm interview questions
likely to be asked in your feld
Once youve set a specifc job target, researched employers
and prepared your application materials, it is now time to
get out there and aggressively search and apply for jobs
and internships

Remembertobeginbyusingyourinformalnetwork,
letting friends and family know you are looking for
a job
Agreatplacetolookforjobandinternshippostings
is GoldPASS, the University of Minnesotas job,
internship, and career event super center Upload
your resume and apply for positions directly
through this secure Web site Also, search LandIt
org for jobs and internships available to students in
a variety of Minnesotas public and private colleges
and universities
Youmightalsosearchjoblistingsandprofessional
associations that are targeted to your feld of
interest To fnd professional associations, do an
Internet search on your feld of interest including
the words professional association for example,
plant biology students might search for plant
biology professional associations Additionally,
look at industry-specifc job Web sites and small
targeted newspapers for positions in your feld
final tips
A few tips on applying to job and internship postings:
unless otherwise noted, it is acceptable to call for more
information If youre not fully qualifed, dont worryif you
meet 80 percent of the qualifcations it is still reasonable
to apply
Practice articulating your skills and goals before you
call the employerthe employer will begin to gather
information about you from the frst moment of your
very frst interaction You might introduce yourself using
a personal commerciala planned speech that describes
your related experience and the skills and services you
offer Address any communication or application materials
to a real person
If you arent sure who is doing the hiring, call the
organization and inquire so that you may address it
personally After you apply to a position, follow up your
application with a phone call to make sure your materials
arrived safely

in summary
Startyoursearchearlypreferably,monthsbefore
you need the job
Use up to four methods of searching for a job or
internshipand be smart about which methods
you use There is no always right or always wrong
way to hunt for a job However, research reminds
us that mailing out stacks of generic resumes to
unknown employers is not a high-yield use of your
time
Your time is better spent using your informal
network and creating new networks After all, 80
percent of jobs are acquired through people you
know
Bepreparedknowyourjobtargetandcreateyour
resume long before an employer requests it
Research, research, research to get to know your
industry, employers, and job description Talking
about this research during your interview will
indicate initiative and passion, characteristics
employers value
Finally,havepatience.Jobhuntingisanart,nota
science, and always depends on some amount of
luck Remember, your success in fnding a job or
internship depends on how hard and how smart
you work at it!
Career information Web sites
Search these online resources by job title to obtain job
descriptions, education requirements, salary range, job
outlook, and links to related occupations
Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://wwwblsgov/oco
O*NET: http://onlineonetcenterorg
ISEEK: http://wwwiseekorg/sv/indexjsp
MnCareers: http://wwwiseekorg/mncareers/indexhtml
employer research Web sites
Search this database to identify and learn about potential
employers
A-Z Index of US Government Departments and Agencies:
http://wwwfirstgovgov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/
indexshtml
Browse government departments and agencies by level
(federal, state, local, tribal) and topic in this A-Z listing
Million dollar database
http://libumnedu/
Search public and private companies by company name,
size, location, industry code, or phone number Free to
University of Minnesota students
Directions for Million Dollar Database:
1 After accessing the University of Minnesota Libraries
Web site, select the letter M under Indexes and
Databases A-Z Scroll down and select Million Dollar
Database
2 Search for information about companies by company
name OR search the database using specifc criteria by
clicking on the Advanced Search tool Using this tool,
you can fnd all companies doing a particular type of
work in your area Consider using the following search
functions in combination with one another Be sure to
select Add to Criteria to ensure your criteria are added
to your search Recommended Advanced Search
specifers:
SearchbyLocationTypetospecifyheadquartersor
branch locations
Search by the City/State or Zip Code to target
employers in a specifed area
SearchbytheSIC(StandardIndustryClassifcation)
Code or NAICS Codes to identify organizations
related to specifc industry types Look into the
industry menus to fnd the correct industry type
idealist.org nonproft org search
http://wwwidealistorg/if/as/Org/npo
Search nonproft organizations by keyword, area of focus,
location, or language
employer Web sites
Search the individual Web sites of organizations that
interest you Learn about product/service information,
news items, company history Check to see if the
organization has a careers page
University of Minnesota resources
Identify career information, locate career centers, and
utilize online resources at the University of Minnesota
Students enrolled in the College of Biological Sciences and
Institute of Technology can receive additional career
assistance at the Career Center for Science and Engineering
(CCSE) Web site: wwwccseumnedu; Phone: 612-624-4090
Business Reference Library
http://busreflibumnedu
Resources for career, industry and employer research
Career Services Offces
http://wwwcareerumnedu/studenthtm
Identify the career services offce affliated with your
major
Careers and Jobs Reference Library
http://wwwlibumnedu/libdata/pagephtml?page_id=689
Resources for career, industry and employer research
job and internship search resources
academic program Web sites
http://www1umnedu/twincities/02_academicsphp#1
Explore the Web sites of your college or professional school,
your department, and your major, minor, and/or
emphasis
University databases

GoldPASS
http://goldpassumnedu
The University of Minnesotas job, internship and volunteer
listing
LandIt!
http://wwwlanditorg
The Minnesota College and University Career Services
Associations job and internship listing
Job and internship search Web sites
TIP: In addition to looking at online resources, it is
important to remember to make person-to-person contact
with professionals in your feld of interest You can do this
by obtaining referrals from your existing network, joining
professional associations, and completing informational
interviews
Internships USA
http://wwwinternships-usacom
National internship listings for various felds Request
username/password from your U of M career center
USAJOBS
http://wwwusajobsgov/
The offcial job listing Web site of the US federal
government
Minnesota Council of Nonprofts
http://wwwmncnorg
The offcial job listing Web site for nonproft jobs in
Minnesota
Idealist.org
http://wwwidealistorg
A comprehensive, national Web site for job and internship
opportunities
Professional and student associations
Search for associations in your feld of interest Check to
see if the organization has a careers page Consider
joining national and student chapters Associations are a
great way to learn about your feld and connect with others
who have similar interests
College of Biological Sciences (CBS) Student Associations
http://wwwcbsumnedu/studentservices/studentorgs
html
Institute of Technology (IT) student associations
http://wwwitumnedu/students/campuslife/student_
orgshtml
Associations Unlimited
http://libumnedu/site/referencephtml
Click on Associations and Organizations
Google
http://wwwgooglecom
Type in your feld of interest including the words
professional association (eg, electrical engineering
professional association)
3M
Accenture
Aerospace Corporation,
The
AMEC, Inc
American Cast Iron Pipe
Company
Andersen Corporation
Arkema, Inc
Artesyn Technologies
Avant Energy Services
Avery Dennison
Automated Engineering
Services
BAE Systems
Bemis Company, Inc
Boston Scientifc
BP
Brady Corporation
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co
Broadcom Corporation
Caterpillar
Capital One
Cargill, Incorporated
Cummins, Inc
Cypress Semiconductor
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Dial Corporation, The
Donatelle
Dow Chemical Company,
The
Dow Corning Corporation
Eaton Corporation
Ecolab, Inc
Emerson Process
Management/
Rosemount Inc
Epic Systems Corporation
ExxonMobil Corporation
Federal Mogul Corporation
Fish and Richardson
FM Global
General Electric
General Mills, Inc
Goodrich Corporation
Google, Inc
Graco, Inc
Gradient Technology
Honeywell
Hormel Foods Corporation
Hutchinson Technology
IBM
Ingersoll-Rand
Integrated Device
Technology, Inc
Keyence Corporation
on-CaMPus inTerVieW opportunities
Each year a number of employers interview students at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus On-campus
interviewing offers students the opportunity to meet with employers during the fall and spring semesters Information
about when employers are holding on-campus interviews, and directions for how to apply to on-campus interviews, are
available on the GoldPASS Web site at wwwgoldpassumnedu If you have questions about on-campus interviewing,
please stop by the CCSE in 50 Lind Hall Below is a sampling of companies who have visited the University of Minnesota
recently
Kimley-Horn and
Associates
Lockheed Martin
Logic Product
Development
Los Angeles County
Department of Public
Works
LSI Logic
MA Mortenson
Marathon Petroleum
Company LLC
Marvell Semiconductor
Max Steininger, Inc
ME Electmetal
Medtronic
Micron Technology
Microsoft Corporation
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
MTS Systems Corp
National Instruments
NAVAIR
Nol-Tec Systems, Inc
OakRiver Technology
Plexus
Praxair
Redback Networks, Inc
Riverside County Waste
Management Dept
RLK
Rockwell Automation
Samsung Austin
Semiconductor
Schlumberger Oilfeld
Services
Shumaker and Sieffert
Solar Turbine
SuperValu, Inc
Target Headquarters
Tennant Company
Third Wave Systems
Thomson Corporation
Toro Company, The
Travelers
United Health Group
US Patent
US Steel
UTC Power
Verso
Victory Sales, Inc
WPS Resources
If you receive an interview youve probably been
prescreened (by phone and/or by resume) and meet all or
most of the requirements the employer is seeking The
interview is an opportunity for further screening During
an interview, both parties start to form impressions about
whether a ft exists between your qualifcations and
personality and the organization/position
The typical interview will last 30 minutes, although some
may be longer A typical interview structure is as follows:
5minutesGreetingandlightconversation.
15 minutesDiscussion of your qualifcations as
they relate to the needs of the employer
5minutesIntervieweranswersyourquestions.
5minutesConclusionofinterview.
Preparing for an interview
Know yourself
Evaluate yourself prior to your interview Consider
your abilities, skills, interests, career goals and
strengths both inside and outside of the classroom
Think about how this information relates to the
position for which you are interviewing It is very
important that you can convey this information to the
employer during the interview Anticipate your
weaknesses and think about how you will respond to
any questions that touch on this area
Know the organization
Research the employer and know their products and
services, what they do, where they are located, the
structure of their organization, who their competitors
are, and their mission This information can be obtained
at company Web sites, and online through databases
accessible through the UMN Science and Engineering
Library and the UMN Business Library Be sure to fnd
out driving and parking directions If possible, drive to
the interview site before the actual interview And, if
your interview is out of town, clarify who will be
covering travel expenses before your trip begins
Develop an interview strategy
Based on your self-refection and research, develop a
list of fve success stories where you describe
experiences in which youve been especially effective
and successful This way youll have fve strong
examples prepared in advance to draw from
Know the interview process
Practice interview questions alone and with another
person The CCSE has sample interview questions for
your use Set up a mock interview session with a Career
Counselor at the CCSE offce to learn techniques and
tips for answering tough questions
Practice commonly asked interview questions
Although you have no idea of knowing what specifc
questions will be asked, there are certain questions
that are especially common:
Tellmeaboutyourself.
Why are you interested in this position? In
working at this organization?
Whatareyourshortandlong-termgoals?
Whatareyourstrengths?Weaknesses?
Why are you the best candidate for the
position?
Whatquestionsdoyouhaveforus?
Prepare your interview questions
Put together a list of four to six questions to ask at the
end of your interview, avoiding those that could be
answered by your initial research Your questions
should demonstrate your ability to think critically and
help you make an informed decision about the job
Please see page 32 for examples of questions *Note:
During a frst interview it is not appropriate to ask
questions about salary or benefts
day of the interview
Arrive at the interview 10-15 minutes early If you can,
check your appearance at a mirror and make any last-
minute adjustments There is no excuse for being late to
an interview If you fnd yourself running late, call the
employer to let them know the situation Find out if s/he
can wait for you, or if its better to simply reschedule Also,
bear in mind that you should never cancel an interview
unless it is an extreme emergency
Stage 1: First Impression
When you frst meet the interviewer, her or his impression
of you will begin immediately Stand, shake hands, and
make eye contact Generally, the interviewer will lead you
to an interview room and show you where to sit If there
are any other people in the room the interviewer will
introduce them at this time Greet everyone and, if possible,
try to shake their hand At this point, be sure to give an
extra copy of your resume to the interviewer(s) if needed,
or if youve made changes to the content of your resume
Be prepared for some light conversation at this time
inTerVieW basiCs
Generally, the interviewer will then provide a quick
overview of the interview process, and take some time to
discuss the position and organization in more detail If you
have questions regarding interview format or need some
quick clarifcation regarding the position feel free to ask
However, try not to bog down the interviewer with too
many questions at this time
Stage 2: Discussion of your qualifcations and goals
This is the stage when interviewers ask you questions and
you respond back Its typically the longest part of the
interview process Be prepared to discuss your education,
experience, interest, goals, and any information that is
presented on your resume Listen carefully and answer all
parts of the interviewers questions If you dont understand
a question or you mind blanks, politely ask for clarifcation
or if you can come back to the question later Whenever
possible provide concrete examples Emphasize your
strengths and articulate why you are a good ft for the
position Even though interviewing can be stressful, try to
relax, smile, and be enthusiastic
Stage 3: Your questions for the interviewer
At this time, the interviewer will ask if you have any
questions A good candidate will always have questions
Make sure your questions demonstrate that youve done
your research and are serious about the position
Stage 4: Closing the interview
The interviewer will signal you when the interview is over
As you prepare to leave, make sure you thank the
interviewer, get her or his business card, and restate your
interest in the position
after the interview
After you leave, take a few moments to jot down some
notes about the interview Write down anything that stands
out in your memory and any additional questions you
might have Then, within one day, send a thank you letter
You can send the letter either by mail or by e-mail Base
your decision on the formality of the organization and
your previous correspondence with them For more
information on writing thank you notes, see page 18
After the period of time has gone by in which the
organization said they would get back to you, follow up
with an e-mail or phone call restating your interest and
the fact that youre looking forward to hearing from them
If you havent heard back from an interview after two
follow-ups (at least one week apart), it is probably safe to
assume the job has been flled
types of interviews
ScreeningThese are relatively short
conversations recruiters use to determine if a
candidate is qualifed
TelephoneTelephone interviews are increasingly
used by organizations Most commonly they are
used as a an initial screening method to narrow a
pool of candidates, but some organizations use
them as far down the line as third or fourth
interviews The majority of employers will inform
you in advance and pre-arrange a time to speak
with you, but some may just call you Treat this as
you would an actual interview
One-to-oneThese are one-to-one meetings
between the candidate and the interviewer
On-siteThis is an invitation to spend time at an
organizations offce The employer gains a greater
understanding of how you would ft in the
organization You get frst-hand exposure to the
work environment
Off-siteThis is an interview that occurs outside
of an organization An example is an on-campus
interview or an interview at a career fair
CaseCase interviews are geared around solving
problems on the spot These questions are designed
to give employers insight into your thought process,
content knowledge, general knowledge, creativity
and communication skills
GroupThere are two types of group interviews
In the frst youll gather with other candidates to
meet with interviewers The second type is more
accurately called a Panel Interview, where two or
more interviewers team up to ask you questions
Second and third roundThese interviews usually
last longer, perhaps a half, full or several days, and
may involve different formats such as groups or
panel interviews
Human Resources (HR)Youll either interview
with HR right away or later in the interview process
If youre interviewing with HR right away treat it as
you would a typical interview and do not ask
questions about salary and benefts If youre
meeting with HR later, after youve been through
the interview process, feel free to ask questions
about salary and benefts In some organizations
HR will formally make the offer of employment
These interviews can happen in person (as in a
career fair) or over the phone
Tell me about a time when you were on a team, and one
of the members wasnt carrying his or her weight If this
is one of the leading questions in your job interview you
could be in for a behavioral interview Based on the premise
that the best way to predict future behavior is to determine
past behavior, this style of interviewing is gaining
popularity among recruiters
If you have experience with traditional interviewing you
may fnd the behavioral interview different in several
ways:
Insteadofaskinghowyouwouldbehaveinaparticular
situation, the interviewer will ask you to describe how
you did behave
You can expect the interviewer to follow up your
response with more probing questions such as: what
did you say? what were you thinking? and how did
you feel?
Preparing for a behavioral interview
Recallexperienceswhereyouperformedsuccessfully,
especially those involving Teamwork, Communication,
Adaptability, Leadership, Organization, and Creativity
Prepare 2-3 minute descriptions of each. Be ready to
give details if asked
behaVioraL inTerVieWing
Besureeachstoryhasabeginning,middle,andend.
Bespecifc.Dontgeneralizeaboutseveralevents;give
a detailed description of one
S.T.A.R. Technique
A strategy for successfully handling behavioral questions
is to use the STAR Technique Read up on this technique
and then practice using it in a mock interview with a career
counselor at CCSE
S = Situation
Describe the situation you were in Give the interviewer
a sense of what happened by providing information
about who, what, when, where and why
T = Task
Explain the task you were facing You could also think
of this as the problem or challenge
A = Action
Describe the action or strategies you used to resolve
the task Explain your role in addressing the
challenge
R = Result
Describe the outcome Make sure the result refects
positively on you
dress For The inTerVieW
There are plenty of resources available to give you tips on
dressing for an interview Some of the basic points to
remember are these:
Dress up, rather than down. Its okay to be more
formally dressed than the interviewer Most
interviewers will expect you to be dressed
professionally
Keep it conservative, its better to be understated
than overstated
Do not carry extra items such as a book bag or
backpack into the interview
Carry a portfolio with several copies of your
resume, a copy of your unoffcial transcript, a list
of professional references (list three to fve), and
any additional information the employer
requests
Women
Ablazerwithmatchingslacksorknee-lengthskirt
is preferred Avoid trendy styles and colors
Wearshoesorpumpswithnohigherthanatwo-
inch heel
Basicmakeupisappropriateforthedaytime.
Perfumeandjewelryshouldbeunderstated.
Men
A charcoal gray, navy blue, or black suit is most
preferred Avoid trendy styles and colors
A solid white shirt or blue shirt is best with a
conservative necktie
Wear dark leather shoes that are clean, polished,
and match the suit Also, wear trouser socks that
match your suit
Aftershaveandcologneshouldbeunderstated.
Limitjewelrytoawatchandaring.
Common questions
Tellmeaboutyourself.
Why are you interested in working at this
organization?
Whyareyouinterestedinthisposition?
What are your short-term goals? Your long-term
goals?
Whatareyourstrengths?Yourweaknesses?
Whyareyouthebestcandidateforthisposition?
Whatquestionsdoyouhaveforme?
additional questions
How has your education prepared you for this
position?
Whydidyouchoosethecareerforwhichyouare
preparing?
Howdidyouselectyourmajor?
How do you think a friend, family member, or
professor would describe you?
What motivates you to put forth your greatest
effort?
Describe a contribution youve made to a project
on which you worked
Describetwoorthreeaccomplishmentsthathave
given you great satisfaction
Whydidyouselectyourcollegeoruniversity?
Do you think your grades are a good indicator of
your potential? Why or why not?
If you could do so, how would you plan your
academic studies differently?
Whathaveyoulearnedfromyourparticipationin
extracurricular activities?
Describeyourmostrewardingcollegeexperience.
Whatpreviousjobshaveyouheld?
What part-time or summer jobs did you like the
most? The least?
Whathaveyoulearnedfromsomeoftheprevious
jobs youve held?
In what ways do you think you can make a
contribution to our organization?
Whatthingshaveyoudonethatdemonstrateyour
ability to effectively perform and enjoy this
position?
Whattwoorthreethingswouldbemostimportant
to you in a job?
Areyouwillingtorelocate?
Areyouwillingtotravel?
Howwouldyoudescribetheidealjob?
Behavioral interview questions
Note: Answer behavioral questions using the STAR
technique (see page 36)
Tellmeaboutatimewhenyouworkedeffectively
as part of a team
Givemeanexampleofasomethingyouvedoneto
improve your performance in a job, internship or
while volunteering
Givemeanexampleofasomethingyouvedoneto
improve your performance in school
Please tell me about a time when you received
negative feedback How did you respond and what
did you do to improve?
Tellmeaboutatimewhenyoudidnotseeeye-to-
eye with another person This could be a peer,
customer or supervisor
Please give me examples of things youve done
which demonstrate your level of motivation
Give me examples of things youve done which
demonstrate your ability to manage your time
well
Please give me an example of something youve
done that demonstrates your creativity
Describesomethingyouvedonethatdemonstrates
your organizational skills
When youve held previous jobs, how did you
determine the appropriate and inappropriate
things to do? Cite a specifc example
TYPiCaL inTerVieW QuesTions
Questions to ask an interviewer
WhatkindsofprojectswillIbeworkingon?
Howmanypeoplewouldbeinmyimmediatework
group?
Will I be working with other departments or
offces?
What is the typical career path for someone in
this position?
Howwouldyoudescribeyoursupervisionstyle?
Howdoyouevaluateperformance?
WillIbedoinganytraveling?
What types of training do new employees
receive?
How would you describe your organizations
style?
Whatdoyouseeasyourorganizationsstrengths
and weaknesses?
WhenshouldIexpecttohearfromyou?
Questions not to ask *
HowmuchwillIgetpaid?
HowmuchvacationandsicktimewouldIget?
Whatbeneftsdoesyourorganizationoffer?
* Note: Interviewees typically ask these questions during
a second or third round of interviews, or after they
have been extended an offer
inTerVieW QuesTions To asK/noT asK
Does a career in
IT Consulting
with a
dynamic, growing
software company interest you?
Qualifications
Entry-Level Positions Open as an
Implementation Consultant
US Citizenship or Permanent Resident
Bachelors Degree or Higher
Proven Technical Skills
Open to relocation
Please forward your cover letter, resume,

references and transcript to:
FASTCAREERS@FASTENTERPRISES.COM
Attention: Lindsey Anderson
www.fastenterprises.com
Fast Enterprises is an equal opportunity employer
advertisement
Health-related careers and practitioners are often
highlighted in the news, as the world faces critical
shortages of these people in the workforce Have you
ever thought about becoming a health care professional
yourself? Believe it or not, there can be a ft between an
Institute of Technology degree and a health profession
Keep reading to fnd out more
What are my options?
There are many options in the feld of health care From
working with people in a clinic or hospital setting, to being
behind the scenes and conducting research or designing
the medical devices used on those patientsthere are a
multitude of opportunities
Health-related careers are about people and working with
them to keep them healthy and safe Think about these
professionals:
Physicians, who work to prevent and diagnose
illness or injury, and prescribe treatments to their
patients;
Pharmacists, who distribute medications to
patients, but also research, design, develop, and
test new medications;
Nurses, who diagnose, assess and implement the
health care plan;
Dentists, who work to preserve and maintain the
health of the teeth, gums and supportive bone, and
muscles through the artistic application of science
in treating their patients;
Dental hygienists, who help to maintain the oral
health of their patients;
Physicaltherapists,whoevaluateandtreatpeople
with health problems that impair bodily movement,
by working closely with patients to gain physical
strength and mobility;
Occupational therapists, who work with patients
whose ability is limited, by helping them improve
their ability to perform tasks in living and working
environments; and
Veterinarians, who attend to the health care of
pets, livestock, zoo, sporting, and laboratory
animals by educating their human owners, or by
working closely with other disciplines to protect
the food supply and monitor infectious disease
is a health profession right for you?
But did you know that health-related careers might take a
different form, such as a:
Biomedical engineer, who designs and builds s
new devices, instruments and techniques to treat
people suffering from injuries or diseases;
Biostatisticians, who apply statistical techniques s
to scientifc research and help design studies,
analyze data and create methods for looking into
research problems;
Epidemiologists, who study disease trends and s
track incidences within a population; and
Physicians and other health professionals who s
conduct medical research
And the list goes on!
What is a ft with an it undergraduate degree?
Students who receive their degree from the Institute of
Technology have a wide variety of interests and career
options Degrees in engineering, physical sciences,
and mathematics provide tremendous foundations for
advancing into a health professional program, especially
medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, as well as a host of other
programs found right here at the University of Minnesota
The education motto of the Institute of Technology
Inventing Tomorrowfts with the health professions
which demand that health care providers, public health
professionals and other allied health practitioners be
lifelong learners Science continues to provide new
information and challenges for the health professional,
just as the aging population brings new dimensions to
long-term care, and globalization offers vast opportunities
to provide care, conduct research and protect the publics
health worldwide
How should i begin exploring my options?
Ideally, you should begin exploring your options in your
freshman year However, many students dont realize
what career path they want to pursue until later in their
academic careerand thats why the U of M Health Careers
Center is here
To help you get started today, here are some ideas for you
from the Health Careers Center:
Explore the Health Careers Centers website:
wwwhealthcareersumnedu Look at the different
kinds of health professional programs available
right here at the University of Minnesota You
will fnd links to professions beyond the U of M as
well
Takeacoursetohelpyoufushoutyourinterests,
such as AHS 1101: Orientation to Health Careers
(or the online 1102 version)
Thinking about Medical School? Try the online
workshop entitled, Planning for Medical School,
which can be done on your own time Look here for
registration details: wwwhealthcareersumnedu
Thinking about a different kind of health
profession? Attend an information session in the
area of your interest For a schedule of upcoming
sessions, please refer to wwwhealthcareersumn
edu
What do i need to get into a health professional
school?
When applying to any health professional school and
program, remember that many of the programs have
competitive admission pools, with more applicants than
spots available in the program Make certain that you are
knowledgeable about the requirements and deadlines for
the program you plan to apply to, and know that those
requirements go beyond academic prerequisites Keep
informed of these elements throughout time, as sometimes
the requirements and prerequisites can change
In addition to completing an application, health
professional programs may also require some of the
following elements:
Prerequisitecoursesandifprovided
recommended courses Talk to your advisor about
the courses you should take
Entrancetestsforgraduatelevelprograms,which
can vary depending on the program to which you
are applying Some exams require coursework
and advance preparation, so begin planning early!
Lettersofrecommendationfromfaculty
or professionals who can articulate your
academic ability, refect on your character and
professionalism, and your knowledge and
experience or familiarity to the feld
Personalstatementandessays.Thesemaytake
the form of explaining your reasons for pursuing
the feld you are applying to or answering a
specifc question
Workand/orvolunteerexperiencesthatgive
you direct experience in the feld and show your
commitment to service
Interview,ifapplicable.However,thisstepif
included usually happens at a later time in the
application cycle
Where can i fnd more information?
The Health Careers Center can help you move yourself in
the direction of a health professional program and career
The Health Careers Center offers a variety of programs,
designed to help students like you determine their best ft
with a health profession:
Introductory courses for learning about health
professions, along with creating a personal action
plan;
Skill-building workshops for gaining experience,
interviewing, and personal statement writing;
Program specifc workshops, such as the one
entitled Planning for Medical School;
Informationsessions,conductedbytheadmissions
personnel from the different programs; and
Fairsandspecialevents.
The Health Careers Center is open MondayFriday, 8
am4:30 pm, and is located in 2-565 Moos Tower, on the
second foor, near the Washington Avenue entrance Look
here for details: wwwhealthcareersumnedu or contact
the Health Careers Center at 612-624-6767 or HCC@umn
edu
Register for a Register for a
Great Job Search Technique! Great Job Search Technique!
Access a wide variety of opportunities and organizations
Upload your resume for employer searchable resume books

Provides Easy Access to:

Register online at:
http://goldpass.umn.edu

Maximize your opportunities for jobs and internships by registering!
x Full-time jobs
x Part-time jobs
x Internships
x Co-ops
x Summer positions
x Fellowships
x Volunteering
x Research
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc is an international mining company, the largest producer
of iron ore pellets in North America and a major supplier of metallurgical coal
to the global steelmaking industry. The Company operates six iron ore mines
in Michigan, Minnesota and Eastern Canada, and three coking coal mines in
West Virginia and Alabama. Cliffs also owns 80 percent of Portman Limited, a
large iron ore mining company in Australia that serves the Asian iron ore
markets with direct-shipping fines and lump ore. In addition, the Company
has a 30 percent interest in the Amapa Project, a Brazilian iron ore mine, and
a 45 percent economic interest in the Sonoma Project, an Australian coking
and thermal coal mine. Cliffs is in its 161st year of service to the steel
industry.
Civil/Structural Engineering
Full-Time, Summer Internship
Electrical Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Metallurgical & Chemical Engineering
Mining & Geological Engineering
Occupational Safety
For more information contact:
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
1100 Superior Avenue
Suite 1500
Cleveland, OH 44114
FAX 218.262.6823
http://www.cleveland-cliffs.com
industry.
Occupational Safety
Suite 1500
Cleveland, OH 44114
FAX 218.262.6823
industry.
Occupational Safety
Suite 1500
Cleveland, OH 44114
FAX 218.262.6823
Cleveland-Clifs Inc.
Suite 1500
Cleveland, OH 44114
FAX 218.262.6823
http://www.cleveland-clifs.com
Occupational Safety
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Unpr epar ed!
Unpr epar ed!

Fr ee Onl i ne Vi deo Pr act i ce I nt er vi ewi ng

x See and hear yourself responding to real interview
questions before being in front of an employer.

x Prepare for any job or graduate school interview, with
random or pre-selected questions.

x Critique yourself or share your interview with others.

x Practice as much as youd likefrom home or reserve
a webcam in Career Services.

ht t p: / / www.ccse.umn.edu
Career Center for Science and Engineering 50 Lind Hall 612-624-4090 ccse@umn.edu
CAReeR CenTeR foR SCIenCe And engIneeRIng
50 Lind Hall
207 Church street s.e.
Minneapolis, Mn 55455
Phone: 612-624-4090
fax: 612-626-0261
e-mail: ccse@umn.edu
Web site: www.ccse.umn.edu
the University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal
access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion,
national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or
sexual orientation.
this publication is available in alternate formats for those with visual impairments by calling
612-626-7959.
9/08 3,000

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