Hello To This New Week..........Just Answer What's Relevant To You...
1.) In your Resume, have you constructed it so that it will reflect Interdisciplinarity? If yes, how
did you do it? If not, what do you need to do to for an employer to recognize your
Interdisciplinarity?
2) Do you have questions about writing your Resume or can you share suggestions/advice in
writing a Resume?
3) What types of questions/difficulties have you had regarding your Cover Letters?
4) Share your best Cover Letter. Give some explanations, pointing out its strengths and why...
5) Share with us any resources you have utilized that have helped with structure/content of
Cover Letters and Resumes this far. Explain the best resource and why.
6) Have you thought about writing a reader-based Resume or Cover Letter? Would this help in
highlighting your Interdisciplinarity?
Lisa and Cheyenne
Cornerstone Mentors
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For my resume I did conduct it to add Interdisciplinarity. I consulted a teacher to help me write it, and when I wrote out my work history he told me to explain what I did in my jobs, not just what the title was. This let me explain a little more about myself and how I can work on multiple things at one time. I'm not really sure how to start writing my cover letter, That is something I could use some good resources on to help me.
ReplyDeleteStephanie, it was good for you to consult a teacher. I need to have 2nd/3rd opinion, etc., to get a 'reader-centered' point of view as if they were the prospective employer.
ReplyDeleteThe letter needs to have fundamental cues, but often the letters are changed a little bit to fit each prospective employer.
The Career Center (here at UCF Main Campus) has tools/people to help with both Resume and Cover Letter. Depending on your course workload, a Professional Writing course usually Covers Resumes/Cover Letters (always check first, tho.).
Having other people read your Resume/Cover Letter will raise questions (to you) to help add important details--or take out unnecessary information--so each page remains polished, yet engaging.
I have actually been having a really hard time trying to incorporate my new major, interdisciplinary studies into my resume. I am not sure which angle to express the most. I almost feel like my two subject areas and minor are more like three minors. I am not sure how to display this to future employers. I understand that in this particular major it is better to look at all three of the disciplines as a whole rather than separately. But I believe that is easier said than done.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, it is a process and I was where you were as well. If the areas/minor do not seemingly relate to eachother try another lens. For example, I have English Writing, Psychology and Law. I consider them (in my head) 'tools' in my toolbox--these tools are my skills. Therefore, I can work in different industries because I am multitalented (sometimes you have to toot your own horn for a 3rd party to understand...).
ReplyDeleteEven though my areas are different, Psychology and Law have overlapped (forensic psychology, too) and in this context are more relevant together. My writig is relevant because so many jobs require writing in different ways (I'm a baby boomer, I speak from experience).
If a company downsizes, you may not be first on the hatchet list because you can do 3 things--not specialized on just one area...
Start thinking that you are multitalented, because to me that is what this degree is about--as well as being able to work with others to problem solve, "find common ground", etc.
It takes critical introspective thinking and there's still some time to begin using this new lens. Sometimes while responding to some blogs the answer 'begins' to develop...
For my resume, i had used my working resume that i have stored in my computer. I am unclear as to how i am to incorporate my interdisciplinarity, but i think that what i have on my resume--as far as work experience goes--tells a great deal of the interdisciplinary aspects of my previous jobs. As far as cover letters go, is it absolutely needed? I've never had, nor was required to have one before (at least, as best as i can remember...)
ReplyDelete--Michael Rosenblum
Michael, I have been required to have a cover letter before. It wasn't a very good one, but I had what they wanted so that was the important part.
ReplyDeleteI think its more important when going for higher level jobs in a company. They are more interested in what you have to say because you are in charge of more important things.
So basically the cover letter is there to make it look all pretty an stuff for the nit-picky corporate heads? sounds a bit excessive, but ok. what exactly did they want on it anyway?
ReplyDeleteAlso, with regards to the resume process, is it often useful to go in with recommendation letters if at all possible?
--Michael Rosenblum
Another thing comes to mind: why is it our efforts in college seem to groom us to be a more effective and acceptable corporate slave-monkey? All these formalities and processes...am I the only one who gets this impression?
ReplyDeleteAre there any resumes for people who want to do more in their life than be a corporate yes-man?
Amanda-
ReplyDeleteI think it will help to organize your resume depending on the position you wish to attain. I have three very different areas and plan to use them at different times in my life. I hope to get a job in the hospitality industry so I will list my minor in Hospitality Management first, for that particular resume at that time. Down the road I may dive into my criminal justice area and highlight that area by placing it first under my education. Then list the other two disciplines. You are able to change the order of your resume around to shine to each potential employer.
Bob-
ReplyDeleteThis is the first of my 6 years at UCF to hear of a cover letter. But 3 of my classes are reviewing this topic...
A cover letter is a little less formal area to tell a brief description of yourself. It is good to include your passion or why you want that job and why you chose that company. What qualities you can offer that company. And lastly leaving the letter with "I look forward to an interview with this company" and so forth.
I think its a good idea. This may be what sets you apart from the rest.
Creating my resume was a bit harder than I thought it would be. Not only has it been forever since I had to create one but the target audience for my resume has also changed. I had a difficult time trying to come up with a bunch of accomplishments in the field of aviation only because I haven’t been flying for very long. I’m sure that will change as time goes on. Everything else wasn’t so bad. It was just a matter of remembering dates of past jobs and achievements. Getting the format down was a breeze thanks to the resume template offered by Microsoft word.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe because I kept to a more classical resume style, I probably didn’t reflect much of my interdisciplinarity. I think the only time I bring up interdisciplinary studies is when I mention what Im getting my degree in at UCF. In retrospect, I probably could have focused a bit more on my interdisciplinarity when creating my resume. I will take this into consideration for future resumes.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa, I have been trying to do that. I am making an effort to look at my disciplines as a whole. I am studying Social Sciences, Public Affairs with a minor in Communication Sciences and Disorders. I am hoping that this will set me up for a Human Resources position, maybe even in a hospital setting.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I find it very hard to incorporate my interdisciplinary major in my resume. I am unclear as which aspect to put the most emphasis on. Do employers have less respect for this degree because it is not as traditional as others?
I’m still not exactly clear on why a cover letter is super important. I know that it might make it more formal and neat looking but isnt what matters in the resume it self? I’m not saying its not a good idea to have one but I’m just not sure how critical it is. Anyone feel the same?
ReplyDeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteIf you're not working in corporate America, then you really don't have to worry about all this anyway. But if you are going to, make it big- and change all the expectations that you think are rediculous. It would make future employees happy. Sadly, part of making it big in the corporate world is doing the "rediculous stuff" that you don't want to do, and doing it better than everyone else.
But, I believe a cover letter is important sometimes. You might have an excellent list of credentials, but if you can't write a decent paragraph about yourself then it all means nothing.
Hopefully you'll have such an amazing cover letter, they won't even care too much about whats on your resume! :)
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI don't know if employers are savvy regarding our IDS Degrees. If not, we could in a sense have the upper hand to teach them that we have a Cutting Edge Degree that we can markiet ourselves with 3 skills...
If they 'do' know about this degree, I'd like to think they'd be impressed--IDS I believe has been out there over 20 years. I believe that UCF started its IDS Major in 2007 (when I enrolled). It's new at UCF so they're tweaking from their end.
In a sense with the onset of computers/technology, etc., the old paradigm of education needs to be molded to fit the 21st Century. IDS Majors are ahead of the curve in that respect...