Job Resources
Resume Updates
Many of you had the pleasure of working with DR Leach, director of talent development at Koch Industries, Inc. on updating and improving your resumes. Here’s a quick recap of the things that DR emphasizes about resumes, or what he calls “the three Cs.”
- Clear: It’s important that the layout you choose is easy for recruiters and hiring managers to read.
- Concise: The document should give a concise summary of your accomplishments and qualifications. How concise? A good rule of thumb is no more than one page per ten years of relevant experience. There are most certainly exceptions, especially in the academic sector.
- Correct: Above all, it’s important that the content of your resume is accurate and truthful. Update it regularly and don’t exaggerate!
Interviewing Tips
You all learned about the importance of communicating feedback in the SBO format. That’s Situation-Behavior-Outcome. This method is also a good way shape your answers when interviewing.
- Situation: Describe the problem or opportunity that is appropriate for the question asked.
- Behavior: Recount what you did in bringing a resolution or new idea.
- Outcome: Share how it turned out — for better or for worse. What feedback did you receive?
Here are a few sample questions where answering in the SBO format might be appropriate:
- Describe a time when you received tough feedback about your work. How did you react? What did you do as a result of the feedback?
- Give a recent example of a process improvement you have made. Why did you see the need to change?
- Tell me about a time when you had difficulty with a particular task or project because you lacked the necessary technical skills.
If you’re feeling rusty and would like to get some practice before going in to an interview, consider doing mock interviews by phone or in person. We'll will gladly help you out – just contact us to let us know you’re interested!