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 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
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!
“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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Be honest, and be yourself. You’re awesome and qualified – let that show!
- 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!
- 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!
If you’ve been surfing around the internet lately, you might have come across the buzzword gratitude and it triggered some mental images of people doing yoga or holding hands, etc. I’m a huge fan of the idea of being thankful and accepting and giving appreciation. However, as a current UNC graduate student, I’ve seen (and experienced) that it’s often easier to express gratitude to others than to be kind to our own selves….
So, last semester, I started adding some ‘be kind to yourself’ practices to my everyday school-work routine, and I was not only feeling much less anxious day-to-day, but I was actually 100% enjoying school. I want to share some of my tips with you so that you can all be kind to yourselves and THRIVE this semester.
Photo: “Stabilo pen″ by jbid. Flickr Creative Commons.
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING: These tips can lower anxiety, help you focus on your schoolwork, and allow you to get to bed earlier! However, please be realistic, flexible, and forgiving. Don’t stress. These are just suggested exercises. Like most exercises, you’ll get faster, better, and more comfortable with practice.
1. Set yourself a time to finish all of your homework by each night.
Allow yourself ample time to do all of your work, make time for meals, and give yourself at least 1 hour to relax and wind-down before going to bed.
2. Set yourself a time limit for reading assignments.
First, only read assignments that are due the next day. Second, give yourself a set number of hours to complete the readings (I give myself 2 hours). Third, count the number of readings you have to do. Fourth, set small goals for each hour (“I will read 2 articles for the first hour and 3 articles in the second hour”).
3. Only EAT while you EAT!
Take time to enjoy your meals and not think about school or work! Try not to do work, check emails, answer calls, or text while you eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Take this time to catch-up on Gilmore Girls on Netflix or to relax to some good music.
4. Schedule in fun time – and feel GREAT about it!
I remember my pre-med days as a UNC undergrad, and it seemed like my life consisted of studying, sleeping (sometimes), and eating. If I was doing something fun, I would feel guilty or feel that I should be spending my time doing something productive. Well, FUN IS productive! As long as you’ve figured out a good balance that works for you, sprinkling in some fun activities in your calendar will keep you motivated and hopefully minimize some stress.
5. Add a little color into your life.
I’m talking PENS y’all! I’ve started using colored pens for note-taking (and stopped bringing my laptop to campus). When I take notes, they look pretty and I enjoy looking at them. It’s that simple! If you enjoy what you’re looking at, you can pay attention and focus longer. It has made note-taking and studying way more fun for me.
Photo: “Stabilo pen″ by jbid. Flickr Creative Commons.
So, I hope that in addition to expressing gratitude for others, I hope you add some kindness to your own life.
“Spring is Here” credited to LadyDragonFlyCC, Creative Commons
Study for exams. Check. Finish finals. Check. Pack up to leave campus for a month. Check! After a long semester of papers, presentations, and tests, you have been waiting for the moment when you can walk off of this campus, suitcase in tow, for a month-long vacation. You are ready to catch up on sleep, Netflix, and quality time with loved ones, but as we all know, break is over in a blink of an eye. Before you know it, you have to buy your books, re-pack your suitcase (maybe more crammed now than before), and prepare to say goodbye again to family and friends. Spring semester has sprung up on you and now you face the dreaded question: how am I going to get back into the swing of things? Well, there’s a way; actually several ways to avoid this semester shock as well as get the most of your winter break. Here’s a few things you can do right now to be a proactive winter breaker: Continue reading
by Bob Pleasants, UNC Learning Center
Finals making you feel anxious, intimidated, or stressed? You’re not alone. A common theme we see at the UNC-CH Learning Center this time of year is the feeling of being overwhelmed by the difficulty of making it through final exams. Luckily, our years of experience working with students has helped us formulate the following helpful framework for exam success.
Photo: “Finals Week Sping 2012-005″ by Penn State. Flickr Creative Commons.
1. Prioritize to help make decisions about how much time to allot to prep for each exam.
- Which exams will be hardest?
- What portion of my grade is each exam worth?
2. Find out what you know.
First use your syllabi to make a list of key concepts you must know for the test. Hide all notes and books and test your understanding on each key concept. Ask yourself how well you can summarize main ideas, do sample problems, recall facts from memory, and apply concepts in a new way. Finally, rate yourself. How did you do? Rate your skill and understanding on each bit of content from your list using this sample scale:
3= I know this well
2= I know this some
1= don’t know this at all
3. Make a smart study plan.
Make a study guide, merging main ideas from class notes and readings. Find ways to actively engage with the material and stay accountable to learning. Reviewing lecture notes and assigned readings can often be too passive. Use active study strategies to practice the content you rated with a 1 or 2:
- Make mind maps, time-lines, or flashcards.
- Study with a partner.
- Teach concepts to someone else.
- Write or speak aloud the main ideas.
- Generate higher-level thinking questions to test yourself with.
4. Make a smart study plan.
Once you’ve selected study tasks for the concepts you rated 1 and 2, estimate how much time you will need to complete them. Look over your calendar and lay out a plan, noting exactly what you will be doing and for how long. Break down studying into specific, discrete tasks. “Study Chem” is too vague. “Complete practice problems from chapter 3″ is specific. Estimate how long each task might take and compare it to available time. Create an “appointment” to complete practice problems.
5. Test yourself.
When you’ve completed your Study Plan, it’s time to test yourself again. Hide all your materials and test your understanding on concepts you rated 1 and 2 the same way you did in Step 1.
- Can you do a problem from memory?
- Can you restate or rewrite what you learned?
- Can you teach these concepts to a friend?
- Can you answer questions you generated (not simple recall!)
Still stuck on a particular concept? Keep practicing!
6. Come to the Learning Center!
In addition to the strategies above, you can come to the Learning Center for our Study Boot Camps. These camps offer supervised study from Wednesday, December 3rd through Wednesday, December 10th in Suite 0127 SASB North.
Find out more about our Boot Camps and other services such as Academic Coaching and Peer Tutoring at http://learningcenter.unc.edu/.
Voting in the mid-term elections is probably the most important thing you haven’t done this year.
#141248961 / gettyimages.com
We aren’t voting for A PRESIDENT THIS YEAR. So why should i care?
The folks you vote for on (or before) November 4th are ones that will have a big impact on your daily life. In midterms we choose congresspeople and senators – the folks who lay down the law – as in, decide which bills will pass and which won’t. Pretty important stuff. Vote.
BUT WHY IS THIS YEAR SO IMPORTANT?
This year is all about the Senate, which Democrats have controlled since 2006. If the Republicans take over the Senate after the election, they would control both houses of Congress. This means the GOP could more easily push through its agenda.
Additionally, NC voter are choosing national representatives, state congresspeople and many non-partisan judge positions in the NC Supreme Court and courts of appeals. All of these positions have important implications for local and state politics.
To take a peek at what your ballot will include, visit http://myballot.wral.com/ which includes biographies of the candidates.
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES?
A million and none. There is no one defining issue this year that is driving folks to the polls, and instead there is a host of issues on voter’s minds including:
- Economic numbers have gone from worse to less-worse, but the economy still is not fabulous. And it’s the issue where neither party is safe.
- Immigration is always an issue. Earlier this year when a flood of unaccompanied immigrant children crossed the US border, immigration conversations happened throughout our country.
- Social issues like women’s equal pay, contraception, education, gun control and gay marriage.
- Foreign policy – ever heard of ISIS? Kind of a big deal.
- Whatever else you might care about.
Use http://www.isidewith.com/north-carolina-voter-guide to help determine how your stance on the issues match candidates and ballot measures.
NC is a critical state.
North Carolina is a swing state – meaning our state elections sometimes come out Democrat and sometimes Republican. The senator names in our state are Thom Tillis and Kay Hagan. Tillis is our state’s current Speaker of the House, and has pulled our state legislature to the right in the last few years. Senator Hagan tied closely with Obama in 2008, but is now keeping her distance and branding herself as a moderate. In NC, the big issues include social issues, such as women’s health.
Fill in your address below to gather the details you need to know to vote.
It takes on many forms: paying it forward, peer-to-peer support, volunteering, being there for a friend or partner. Altruism, the concern for well-being of others, is a powerful part of overall wellness. Doing things for other people can help build relationships and bring meaning to life. And, if that’s not awesome enough, altruistic actions can also have health benefits! Though the spirit of altruism is helping others, it has been shown that altruistic actions have an impact both on others and the person doing altruistic things.
Here are some of the health and wellness benefits of altruism:
- Increases satisfaction and self-esteem
On a psychological level, doing things for other people through service and volunteering has been shown to be associated with greater positive feelings, well-being, and overall satisfaction. In a study by Sawyer and colleagues, most students surveyed who volunteered for a peer education program found it a valuable activity, and nearly half of those surveyed reported increased self-esteem as a result of participating in the program.
Studies of peer education – or programs where a group is taught how to offer education and support to those in similar situations (ex: college students who are trained to provide health education to other students) – show a wide array of benefits to both the educators themselves, and the persons they are educating. In one study, peer educators were found to have increased their own health and wellness knowledge, with 43% adopting healthier behaviors themselves. Interestingly, the same study also found that some (20%) students participating in peer education programs also changed their career direction as a result of participating in the program.
By being of service to others and advocating for their needs, activities like peer support and volunteerism can help build awareness and perspective. In the study by Sawyer et al, 20% of those participating in peer education programs were more open to students’ behaviors and opinions. Altruistic activities can challenge one to think about issues that another person or group is facing, and increase empathy as a result –important components of cultural wellness.
- Acts as a powerful motivator for individual and population-level behavior change
Mind experiment: pick a health behavior –anything from vaccination, to screening, or smoking cessation. Now think about the following questions: do you want to do this behavior for yourself? How about committing to the health behavior for the benefit of others (partners, family, friends, community members)?
For many behaviors, the desire to perform or commit to a given behavior can be based on a mix of personal versus interpersonal motivations. In a personal example, I recently thought about hand-washing in my house. Don’t get me wrong: I definitely appreciate the importance of hand washing! But, when I thought about it, the desire to wash my hands to keep my partner healthy was as much, or possibly more, of a motivator for me than me washing my hands for my own health’s sake. In yet another example, with behaviors like getting the flu shot each year, it can often be very powerful to consider the benefits both for oneself (i.e., you are less likely to get the flu), and to others (i.e., it reduces flu transmission to the population). All in all, altruistic reasons for adopting healthy behaviors can be extremely powerful – sometimes more so than the reasons you have for adopting change just to help yourself.
Getting involved
Interested in getting involved in service and volunteering programs on the UNC campus? There are some fantastic service opportunities through the Carolina Center for Public Service, one of Student Wellness’ peer groups, or Student Wellness’ interpersonal violence prevention trainings. Be sure to check out our recent Healthy Heels blog post on being a more conscious volunteer.
It’s important to note that the health benefits of altruistic actions are not limited to formal service and volunteering opportunities. Every day, smaller actions that consider other people’s needs and feelings or help others can also have a powerful impact for oneself and for campus culture.
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