internship

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Got an Interview? Check Out These Tips!

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"Career Fair at College of DuPage 2014" by COD Newsroom, Flickr Creative Commons
“Career Fair at College of DuPage 2014” by COD Newsroom, Flickr Creative Commons

With spring in the air and summer getting closer (it’ll be here soon – I promise!), you may be wondering, “What am I going to dooo this summer?” For those of us graduating in May (congrats!!), the somewhat daunting search for a job may already be on your mind. And for those of us who still have some time left here at Carolina, maybe you’re thinking about finding a summer job or considering doing an internship once classes end. If jobs or internships are part of your summer plan, this probably means that you’ll have to do some interviews! If just reading that sentence made you a little nervous, this blog post is for you. Interviews can definitely be a little nerve-wracking, but they can also be a great learning experience! Here are some tips that will help you tackle your interviews with confidence and hopefully will help you land that job or internship you’ve got your eye on!

"Interview! White Background" by One Way Stock, Flickr Creative Commons
“Interview! White Background” by One Way Stock, Flickr Creative Commons
  1. Do you research. Wherever you’re interviewing, read up on the organization/company. Go to their website – look at their mission and vision, look at the different services they provide – try to find out as much as you possibly can about the organization and what your job or internship might entail.
  1. Come up with two or three questions you can ask your interviewer. There is usually time at the end of an interview for you to ask questions – this is a time to show the interviewer how well prepared you are! Do you have questions about specific duties of the job or internship? Ask! Do you have questions about the office environment? Ask! Interviews are also a time for you to find out if the job/internship will be a good fit for your needs and skills, so take this time to figure that out.
  1. Before your interview, make a list of questions you think the interviewer might ask you. Try to anticipate what you think they want to know about you, and try to think from their perspective. Is there a past internship you think they might have more questions about? Are there skills they are looking for that you can highlight in your responses to their questions? Once you have your list, practice your answers to these questions! Write your answers down, practice your answers with a friend, or practice your answers in the mirror! This will help you feel confident and ready for anything the interviewers might throw your way.
  1. During the interview (and when you’re practicing your answers to potential questions), try to think of concrete examples of things you have done or learned in past jobs or coursework to strengthen your answers. Be as specific as possible! For example, when asked about your strengths, rather than saying you’re a good public speaker, talk about your strong public speaking skills and give examples of times when you have given presentations or facilitated group discussions.
  1. Be aware of your body language. Don’t be afraid to make eye contact with the interviewer while you’re talking, and try not to slouch back in your chair. This will show the interviewer you are engaged in the conversation.
  1. Be honest, and be yourself. You’re awesome and qualified – let that show!
  1. Be sure to take advantage of campus resources when you’re prepping for your interview. UNC’s University Career Services has some amazing resources to help you prep for interviews on their website, and they also host a TON of great workshops that will help you with your job search. And guess what?!?! They are hosting an Interview Tips and Strategies workshop on February 12th from 3:30-5:00pm in Hanes Hall, room 239B – be sure to check it out!
  1. One final tip to keep in mind when interviewing is to be sure to thank your interviewers. This can be done in many ways, but one suggestion is to send each person you interviewed with a personalized email (or hand-written thank you card if that’s your style!) thanking them for taking time to interview you, and reiterate your enthusiasm about the internship/job and why you think you’d be a good fit.

Good luck in your search for that perfect job or internship! And for those of you graduating, be sure to check out one of our blog posts from last semester about for some additional tips. Do you have any additional interviewing tips you’d like to share? Feel free to comment!

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Is Your Resume Ready?

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"On the internet nobody knows your a dog" by konszvi, Flickr, Creative CommonsIt’s about that time of the academic year where you might be applying to school or jobs or internships! Working on your resume can seem like a daunting task. If you’ve heard of the importance of tailoring your resume to better fit the different things you’re applying to, but you have no idea where to start, you might find these tips helpful. If you find yourself sending the same resume to multiple people, you’re not tailoring your resume enough! By doing this you show that you’ve taken the time to really think about what you’re applying for. Interested? Read on!

 

Objective

This section can be incredibly helpful to employers or admissions committees. It states what position or what type of work you’re interested in and why.

For example, you might write “A position in social science research, utilizing a background in psychology, research methods, and statistics.” If you can be as specific as possible in the least amount of words as possible, readers will know with one glance if you’re a good fit or not.

Quick tip for tailoring: Look at the job description or school program description and mirror the language. Check out their vision, mission statement, and purpose of the program or position. Include the exact name of the position or the degree name.

Areas of interest

This is usually seen as an optional section, but I highly recommend it. I’ve received a lot of positive feedback for including this section on my own resume. This section can be especially important for applying to schools or internships where skill building and developing interests is an integral part.

For example, some areas of interest on my resume include “environmental justice” and “health equity”.

Quick tip for tailoring: You will often find a category that is similar to “areas of interest” on the position or program’s descriptions or websites.

Core competencies

Similar to the objective, this can quickly tell employers or admissions committees what you consider as your strongest skills. Although these competencies can be inferred from the rest of your resume, displaying them clearly at the top catches the eyes and interests of those reading your resume, making it more likely that they’ll want to read the rest of your resume in depth. What could be better than that?

You might include skills like “analytical thinking” or “program evaluation,” for example.

Quick tip for tailoring: For jobs, read through the bulleted lists on the job descriptions and mirror the same vocabulary they use. You might find helpful words and phrases where they list what experiences, skills, or qualities of a candidate they’re looking for.

"Ruby Sue in Graduation Cap" by australianshephards, Flickr Creative Commons
“Ruby Sue in Graduation Cap” by australianshephards, Flickr Creative Commons

Tailoring your resume can be super easy with a little practice. Whether you’re graduating in May and applying for jobs, you’re in between years and applying for an internship, or you’ve decided to go back to school, resume writing is crucial. For more awesome tips about developing the perfect resume, check out the UNC Career Services Career Guidebook. Good luck Tar Heels!

 

Niranjani Radhakrishnan received her BSPH from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC Chapel Hill in 2013. She is currently a Program Assistant for Health Promotion and Prevention Initiatives at Student Wellness. She is also in graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill pursuing two masters degrees: Health Behavior and City and Regional Planning with an emphasis in environmental justice, health equity, and spatial analysis using GIS.

Is Your Resume Ready?

Jani RadLeave a comment

It’s about that time of the academic year where you might be applying to school or jobs or internships! Working on your resume can seem like a daunting task. If you’ve heard of the importance of tailoring your resume to better fit the different things you’re applying to, but you have no idea where to start, you might find these tips helpful. If you find yourself sending the same resume to multiple people, you’re not tailoring your resume enough! By doing this you show that you’ve taken the time to really think about what you’re applying for. Interested? Read on!

"On the internet nobody knows your a dog" by konszvi, Flickr, Creative Commons
“On the internet nobody knows you’re a dog” by konszvi, Flickr, Creative Commons

Objective

This section can be incredibly helpful to employers or admissions committees. It states what position or what type of work you’re interested in and why.

For example, you might write “A position in social science research, utilizing a background in psychology, research methods, and statistics.” If you can be as specific as possible in the least amount of words as possible, readers will know with one glance if you’re a good fit or not.

Quick tip for tailoring: Look at the job description or school program description and mirror the language. Check out their vision, mission statement, and purpose of the program or position. Include the exact name of the position or the degree name.

Areas of interest

This is usually seen as an optional section, but I highly recommend it. I’ve received a lot of positive feedback for including this section on my own resume. This section can be especially important for applying to schools or internships where skill building and developing interests is an integral part.

For example, some areas of interest on my resume include “environmental justice” and “health equity”.

Quick tip for tailoring: You will often find a category that is similar to “areas of interest” on the position or program’s descriptions or websites.

Core competencies

Similar to the objective, this can quickly tell employers or admissions committees what you consider as your strongest skills. Although these competencies can be inferred from the rest of your resume, displaying them clearly at the top catches the eyes and interests of those reading your resume, making it more likely that they’ll want to read the rest of your resume in depth. What could be better than that?

You might include skills like “analytical thinking” or “program evaluation,” for example.

Quick tip for tailoring: For jobs, read through the bulleted lists on the job descriptions and mirror the same vocabulary they use. You might find helpful words and phrases where they list what experiences, skills, or qualities of a candidate they’re looking for.

"Ruby Sue in Graduation Cap" by australianshephards, Flickr Creative Commons
“Ruby Sue in Graduation Cap” by australianshephards, Flickr Creative Commons

Tailoring your resume can be super easy with a little practice. Whether you’re graduating in May and applying for jobs, you’re in between years and applying for an internship, or you’ve decided to go back to school, resume writing is crucial. For more awesome tips about developing the perfect resume, check out the UNC Career Services Career Guidebook. Good luck Tar Heels!