University of Pennsylvania Career Services Liz Stanley Career Counselor

University of Pennsylvania
Career Services
Liz Stanley
Career Counselor
[email protected]
215-898-3012
What does Career
Services do?
• Advising
– Rosette Pyne & Liz Stanley for
Engineers
– Peter Stokes, Christiana Fitzpatrick,
Michele Taylor for Graduate School
– Discuss you and your career options.
Generate ideas appropriate for your
interests.
– Answer Your Career Related
Questions
– Direct You to Resources You Need
– Review Your Resumes/Cover Letters
– Evaluate Job Offers
What does Career Services
do? (Con’t)
• Workshops. The following are
just a few of the many
programs offered:
– Resume Writing
– Mock Video Practice Interviewing
– What Employers Look for When
They Hire
– Business Etiquette
– Long Distance Search
– Alternatives to Medical School
– Evaluating Job Offers
What does Career Services
do? (Con’t)
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Panel Discussions
Sophomore Mentoring Program
Library
Credentials Service
Penn Career Network
Job Listings
– PennLink
– Access full time and summer positions
using the password “toast”
– Emails from Career Services
What does Career Services
do? (Con’t)
• On Campus Recruiting
– More than 350 employers visit
campus each year
• Career Fairs
• Graduate School Advising
• Surveys
– Find out what students pursued
for full time and summer
employment
• Email Distribution Lists
What positions do BE
students pursue for fulltime employment?
• Employers who hired
Bioengineers in 2004:
- Accenture
- BD
- L’Oreal
- TargetRx
- University of Pennsylvania
*Taken from Class of 2004 Career
Survey
What positions do BE
students pursue for
summer employment?
• Employers reported by major
- University of Pennsylvania
- Hospital of the University of
Pennsylvania
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Morgan Stanley
- Nanobiosym
- McKay Laboratory of Orthopedic
Research
- ZS Associates
- Susquehanna International Group, LLC
*Taken from Class of 2005 Summer Survey
Resume and Cover
Letter Workshop
Career Services
You have 8 – 10 seconds
to tell your “story”.
So what are you going to
say, and how?
Resume:
Questions to ask
yourself
• Who is your target audience?
• Does the presentation of the
content relate to the job?
• Is the resume concise?
• Is the resume easy to look at?
Resume:
Necessary Sections
•
•
•
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Name
Address/Phone Number/Email
Education
Experience (can be multiple
sections)
Resume:
Other Sections
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•
•
•
•
Objective
Profile/Summary
Activities/Interests
Skills
Other (Publications, Athletics,
etc.)
Resume:
Important Points
• Organize sections in reverse
chronological order
• Make sure your GPA is
accurately listed (there are
multiple ways to list GPA)
• Have a short, focused
objective (if included)
• Make sure the resume is
readable
Resume:
Important Points
• For descriptions, try to show
– What you did (responsibilities)
– What you accomplished (results)
– What you learned (show this
indirectly, by mentioned what
kinds of things you came into
contact with, not by saying
“Learned about the banking
industry”)
Resume:
Important Points
• Avoid “my” or “I”
• Do not mix fonts
• Use past tense for positions
already completed
• Do not overstate language
ability
• BE TRUTHFUL
• Less may be more
• Proofread many times
Resume:
Considerations
• Content: Relevance, Depth,
Demonstration of Skills
• Confidence: State your skills
without superlatives
• Clarity: overall and within
content
• Consistency in format
ALAN DOE
School Address
Permanent Address
University of Pennsylvania
Box #1 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, P A 19104
(215) 555-1212
yourname@)seas.upenn.edu
1 Laboratory Drive
Engineering, PA 11111
(800) 555-1212
EDUCATION
University of Pennsylvania, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Philadelphia, PA
Candidate for Bachelor of Science in Engineering in May 2005. Major: Bioengineering. Cumulative G.P.A.: 3.4/4.0
Coursework Includes:
Biomechanics, Physical and Chemical Basis of Bioengineering, Molecular Biology I-II, Calculus II-IV, Structure and Properties of
Biomaterials, Physiology, Engineering Probability, Preceptorship in Clinical Bioengineering, Organic Chemistry I -II
Honors/Activities: Dean's List, Secretary Society of Bioengineering, Engineering Peer Advising Council, International Program,
E.R Volunteer at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Cherry Hill High School East, Cherry Hill, NJ
Graduated June 2001
Honors/Activities: President National Honor Society, VP Students Against Drunk Driving, VP Choir, Tutoring Coordinator for
Community Service Corps, Who's Who Among American High School Students, Delaware Valley Engineers Council's Outstanding
High School Student of the Year
PROJECTS
Senior Design: Designed and manufactured a device that will serve as a memory aid for children (pennTOYS).
PDSI Mutants: Analyzed spindle phenotypes of S. cerevisiae with deleted PDSl gene via microtubule fluorescence.
Cardiac Fitness: Correlated heart rate reserve used during treadmill exercise to cardiac fitness using a lead n ECG.
Yeast Growth: Compared proliferation of yeast cells under aerobic and anaerobic condition via doubling times.
Trachea Modeling: Built various models of the human trachea and tested the coughing mechanism.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
National Science Foundation, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, Philadelphia, PA (Summer 2004)
Research Assistant
Conducted research in the Vestibular (ku1ar Motor laboratory of David Solomon. Designed, built and tested a low-cost, portable
device to clinically assess an individual's Vestibular Ocular Reflex in response to high frequency head perturbations.
University of Pennsylvania, Genetics Department, Philadelphia, PA (Fall 2002-Summer 2003)
Research Assistant
Conducted experiments relating to cell cycle checkpoints and DNA sequences in S. cerevisiae that may possibly provide insight into
the machinery of cancer cells.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Division of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (Summer 2001)
Summer Research Student
Conducted genetics research through experimentation with S. cerevisiae. Assisted in data research for published article concerning
chromosome-defect related disorders in Eperimental Cell Research.
COMPUTER SKILLS
Adobe Photoshop 4.0, BiopiC, Lab View, Maple V, Microsoft Office, mead Photoexpress 2.0
COMMUNITY SERVICE
E.R. Volunteer, Philadelphia, PA (Spring 2003-preseni) Assist Emergency Medical Technicians and nurses with patient care, patient
transport and restocking of supplies.
Pipeline Program, Philadelphia, PA (Spring 2002) Teaching Assistant for High School Science Program sponsored by the University
of Pennsylvania Medical School.
PennSTEP, Philadelphia, PA (Spring 2001) Computer teacher with class on a weekly basis.
Cover Letter:
Structure
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Your Address
Date
Addressee Name and Address
Salutation
Three to Four Paragraphs
Closing
Signature
Name
Cover Letter:
First Paragraph
• Introduces you
• Tells the employer why you are
writing
• Tells the employer how you
heard about the job
• Be concise
• If you have a connection to the
company, state it
• Include job title and/or number
(if applicable)
Cover Letter:
Second Paragraph
• Answer the question of why
you would be good for the job
• Do not restate your resume
• Don’t get bogged down in
details
• Address the concerns in the
job description
• Be enthusiastic
• Be positive (don’t dwell on
negatives-”although I don’t
have experience…”)
Cover Letter:
Third Paragraph
• Why you are excited about this
company/position
• Show that you know something
about the organization
• Don’t be vague (“I’d like to
work in a challenging
environment.”)
Cover Letter:
Fourth Paragraph
• State what you would like to
see happen next (interview,
provide additional materials,
you will be in town, follow-up
with a phone call, etc.)
Box 000, 3700 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
November 7, 2005
Ms. Jane Doe
Big Biotech Company
Someplace, CA 00100
Dear Ms. Doe:
I was very pleased to learn on Jobtrak at the University of Pennsylvania that Big Biotech
Company has an opening for a Research Assistant. I will graduate in May with a Bachelor of
Science in Engineering degree and would like to be considered for the position.
As a Chemical Engineering major I have completed coursework and laboratory classes in
biotechnology and genetic engineering, as well as courses in mathematics and physics. I am
currently involved in a research project on cancer genetics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
analyzing tumor and blood cultures for mutations and deletions using DNA hybridization. Last
summer I had the opportunity to work at Pfizer, where I participated in Enzyme Assay
Development. This project involved gene assays, high throughput screening, data analysis, and
the use of automated laboratory equipment.
In addition to my research experience, I have extensive experience working in groups, through
both class projects and extracurricular activities. I am the Community Service Chair for the
Society of Women Engineers at Penn, where I helped to organize a Girl Scouts Technology Day.
I am also a Peer Advisor with the Engineering Peer Advising Council. I feel that I offer welldeveloped communication skills and the ability to make a strong contribution to team projects.
I have been following Big Biotech’s development of gene-based medicines with great interest,
and I would be very pleased to begin my career with the company that is in the forefront of
bringing genomics-derived drugs to clinical trial. My resume is enclosed; I look forward to meeting
with you to discuss this opportunity. Please feel free to contact me if I can provide any additional
information.
Sincerely,
Jane Jones
Enclosure: Resume
Interviews: the most
important
part of the job search
process!
 This is a professional
conversation
 Employers already believe you
may be qualified for the job
 Now, you and the employer
need to gather enough
information about each other to
see if it is a good fit.
Before the Interview
 Review the job description
 Research articles about the
organization in the last 3-6
months
 Find out details about the
interview
* How long will it be? Will
you talk to
more than one person?
Will you be
reimbursed for travel
expenses?
 Know your resume
The 3 main things
companies want to know
 How can you contribute to the
organization?
* What in your experience is
relevant?
* What in your education is
relevant?
 Why do you want to work for them?
* Why this industry? Why this
organization?
* What are your goals?
 What are you going to be like once
they get to know you?
* How do you describe yourself?
*How would your friends describe
you?
* How would a supervisor or a coworker describe you?
The Interview
 Dress appropriately
 Arrive at least 10 minutes
early
 Be professional
 Be enthusiastic
 Give honest answers
supported by examples
 Ask thoughtful questions about
the job,
organization or
services/products
 Do not ask about the salary
Sample Questions
 Describe a group work situation
where you and your partner were
having trouble getting along with each
other. How did you resolve the
problem?
 Give an example of a time when you
found it necessary to “challenge”
authority
 Describe a situation when you had to
learn a large amount of material
quickly. How did you do it?
 Describe a situation when you were
faced with a deadline you couldn’t
meet. How did you handle it?
 We have a client that is going to
manufacture disposable diapers for
the market in China. How many
disposable diapers should they
manufacture for the first year?
Typical Interview
Questions
 Tell me a little about yourself.
 Why are you interested in this
position?
 Why did you choose this
career/industry?
 What are your greatest
strengths?
 How would you describe
yourself?
 What motivates you to put forth
your greatest effort?
 Describe the relationship that
should exist between a
supervisor and employee
Typical Interview
Questions (con’t)
 What are your weaknesses?
 What accomplishment has given
you the most satisfaction? Why?
 What major problem have you
encountered and how did you deal
with it?
 Describe example from your past
that required you to respond to
pressure. How did you deal with it?
 What are your long-term goals?
 Describe a group work situation
where you and another group
member had a disagreement. How
did you resolve it?
Questions to Ask
 What type of training is
available?
 Could you describe a typical
work day?
 What are the department’s
goals for this year?
 What are the skills most
needed to succeed in this job?
 Why did the interviewer join
the company? What does
he/she like most about it?
After the Interview
 Send a thank you letter
via email within 24 hours
 It is appropriate to ask
when you may hear from
them at the end of the
Interview.
PennLink
• Job and Internship Listings
• On-Campus Recruiting
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/caree
rservices/pennlink.html
• Check Presentations Calendar
everyday!