Career Preparation Packet
Sponsored by DeVry University’s Career Services Department
Top 10 Career Search Tips
 Treat your career search like a full-time job. It will take dedication and time!
 Develop and practice your 60 second commercial to use at networking events
and interviews.
 Build and utilize your network to share information. Remember to give as much
as you receive.
 Get out there! Join professional organizations in your field and participate in local
events consistently.
 Maintain a positive online presence! Develop a strong profile and network on
LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com.
 Though time consuming, tailor your cover letter and resume for every opportunity
that you apply to. You want employers to see quickly how qualified you are for a
specific opening.
 Research and conduct informational interviews to learn more about your industry
and employers.
 Be prepared to ask good questions throughout the interview and at the end. It is
just as important for you to interview the employees as it is for them to interview
you.
 Have a plan! It is important to implement a follow up strategy. You need to make
phone calls to confirm your interest and send thank you notes.
 Accept volunteer, temporary, or part-time opportunities to get into the industry or
company you want to work for to meet key people and learn about opportunities
from the inside.
RESUMÉ EVALUATION
Focus
The resumé is tailored to the industry/company/position.
The most relevant/significant aspects of the student’s experience are obvious.
Yes
No
N/A
Comments
Summary
The resumé includes a summary rather than an objective.
The summary is specific and tailored to the target job.
Relevant skills, including foreign language and technical skills, are highlighted.
Yes
No
N/A
Comments
Education
The education section includes:
 School name (DeVry is spelled with capital “V”)
 Degree (including correct name and spelling of degree program)
 Concentrations or tracks
 Graduation month and year
Excludes education prior to college.
The education section is strategically placed (i.e., before experience section if
student has little relevant experience or after if student is leveraging work
experience over degree).
Relevant certifications and projects are included.
Relevant student organizations are included.
The student’s GPA, if included, is impressive (above 3.5). Other academic
honors are included.
Yes
No
N/A
Comments
Work Experience
Each job listing contains:
 Company name
 Job title
 City/state of company (excludes company address and phone number)
 Job duration (month and years employed)
Student uses bullets that begin with action verbs and contain concise phrases
(not complete sentences).
Excludes personal pronouns (e.g., I, we).
Bullets are accomplishment-focused and include results when possible.
Present tense is used for current positions, and past tense is used for past
positions.
Excludes information prior to college, unless relevant to target.
Yes
No
N/A
Comments
Activities
Relevant professional organizations and/or other organizations that support job
focus are included.
Volunteer work is included.
Relevant awards, achievements and offices held are included.
Yes
No
N/A
Comments
The Big Picture
The resumé is in chronological (not functional) format.
All sections in the resumé are in reverse chronological order.
The resumé is one page if the student has less than 10 years of professional
work experience.
The overall design is appealing.
There is a good amount of white space.
The format is consistent throughout resumé.
The font is professional and between size 10 and 12.
The content is correct (grammar, spelling, and punctuation).
The content is logically organized and presented in order of importance to the
student’s career target.
The resumé is free of personal information (e.g., marital status, age, unrelated
hobbies, pictures).
The student includes a professional email address.
Yes
No
N/A
Comments
Overall Rating
On a scale of 1-5 (1=poor, 5=excellent) how would you rate this student’s resumé
overall?
What does the student do particularly well with this resumé?
What are the student’s main opportunities for improvement?
Rating
Comments
ActionVerbs Actionverbstoconsiderwhencreatingorreviewingaresumé:
Communication People Skills Addressed Advertised Arbitrated Arranged Articulated Authored Clarified Collaborated Communicated Composed Condensed Conferred Consulted Contacted Conveyed Convinced Corresponded Debated Defined Developed Directed Discussed Drafted Edited Elicited Enlisted Explained Expressed Formulated Furnished Incorporated Influenced Interacted Interpreted Interviewed Involved Joined Judged Lectured Listened Marketed Mediated Moderated Negotiated Observed Outlined Participated Persuaded Presented Promoted Proposed Publicized Reconciled Recruited Referred Reinforced Reported Resolved Responded Solicited Specified Spoke Suggested Summarized Synthesized Translated Wrote Designed Developed Directed Displayed Drew Entertained Established Fashioned Formulated
Founded Illustrated Initiated Instituted Integrated Introduced Invented Modeled Modified Originated Performed Photographed Planned Revised Revitalized Shaped Solved Creative Skills Acted Adapted Began Combined Composed Conceptualized Condensed Created Customized Data Financial Skills Administered Adjusted Allocated Analyzed Appraised Assessed Audited Balanced Budgeted Calculated Computed Conserved Corrected Determined Developed Estimated Forecasted Managed Marketed Measured Netted Planned Prepared Programmed Projected Qualified Reconciled Reduced Researched Retrieved Helping Skills Adapted Advocated Aided Answered Arranged Assessed Assisted Clarified Coached Collaborated Contributed Cooperated Counseled Demonstrated Diagnosed Educated Encouraged Ensured Management Leadership Skills Administered Delegated Analyzed Developed Appointed Directed Approved Eliminated Assigned Emphasized Attained Enforced Authorized Enhanced Chaired Established Considered Executed Consolidated Generated Contracted Handled Controlled Headed Converted Hired Coordinated Hosted Decided Improved Organizational Skills Approved Distributed Arranged Executed Catalogued Filed Categorized Generated Charted Incorporated Classified Inspected Coded Logged Collected Maintained Compiled Monitored Corrected Obtained Corresponded Operated Research Skills Analyzed Clarified Collected Compared Conducted Critiqued Detected Determined Diagnosed Evaluated Examined Experimented Explored Extracted Formulated Gathered Expedited Facilitated Familiarized Furthered Guided Helped Intervened Motivated Prevented Provided Referred Rehabilitated Represented Resolved Simplified Supplied Supported Volunteered Incorporated Increased Initiated Inspected Instituted Led Managed Merged Motivated Navigated Organized Originated Overhauled Oversaw Planned Presided Prioritized Produced Recommended Reorganized Replaced Restored Reviewed Scheduled Secured Selected Streamlined Strengthened Supervised Terminated Ordered Organized Prepared Processed Provided Purchased Recorded Registered Reserved Responded Reviewed Routed Scheduled Screened Submitted Supplied Standardized Systematized Updated Validated Verified Inspected Interviewed Invented Investigated Located Measured Organized Researched Reviewed Searched Solved Summarized Surveyed Systematized Tested Teaching Skills Adapted Advised Clarified Coached Communicated Conducted Coordinated Technical Skills Adapted Applied Assembled Built Calculated Computed Conserved Constructed Converted Critiqued Developed Enabled Encouraged Evaluated Explained Facilitated Focused Guided Individualized Informed Instilled Instructed Motivated Debugged Designed Determined Developed Engineered Fabricated Fortified Installed Maintained Operated Overhauled Printed Programmed Rectified Regulated Remodeled Repaired Retrieved from Quintessential Careers: http://www.quintcareers.com/action_skills.html
Persuaded Stimulated Taught Tested Trained Transmitted Tutored Replaced Restored Solved Specialized Standardized Studied Upgraded Utilized Jesse P. Jones
(503) 203-9999
jpjones@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/jessepjones
23165 Crater Lake Rd.
Salem, OR 92014
CAREER PROFILE
Network professional with seven years of experience designing and implementing LANs and Wireless LANs,
including TCP/IP and security protocols. Expertise also includes installing, servicing, and testing electronic
equipment and software packages.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Network and Communications Management
DeVry University, Portland, OR Magna Cum Laude 3.7 CGPA
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Networking
June 2006
Cisco IOS, LAN/WAN, TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, PXE, FTP, SSH, Telnet, VPN, NAT, RIP,
OSPF, EIGRP, TFTP, CAT5/5e/6 and Fiber Optic cabling
Operating Systems
Microsoft Windows 98/2000/NT/XP/Server 2003/Vista/7/Server 2008, Fedora,
Ubuntu, Mac OS X Leopard
Software
Cisco Packet Tracer, Wireshark, VMWare Workstation, Java, Microsoft Office Suite
2003/2007/2010, Microsoft Visio, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0,
Adobe Flash/Dreamweaver/Fireworks/Photoshop/Illustrator
Hardware
Cisco 2500/2600/3600/2800/2900 Series Routers, Cisco 1900/3500/2900 Series
Switches, 3Com Hubs and Switches, Netgear Switches, Dell rack servers
RELATED EXPERIENCE
Lead Technician
Intel, Portland, OR
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Hire, train, and supervise team of 15 technicians to support field operations
Provide technical guidance and support to help desk team and technicians out in the field
Design, implement, and test LANs and Wireless LANs, including TCP/IP and security protocols
Monitor production and experimental networks using latest technology
Coordinate and negotiate communications and contracts with internal and external clients
Lab Technician





June 2006 – present
Portland Community College, Portland, OR
April 2004 – June 2006
Coordinated, planned, developed, and implemented projects for academic support operations
Provided prompt and reliable technical support, system administration, and maintenance in
academic labs, supporting over 500 computers.
Tested and calibrated electronics equipment to manufacturer specifications consistently
Installed, serviced, tested, and supported new software packages, upgrades, and equipment
Maintained inventory and availability of lab equipment and resources worth over $3 million
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Member, Network Professional Association (NPA)
Member, Network and Systems Professional Association (NaSPA)
Since June 2006
Since April 2007
JACKSON P. JONES
8524 Mt. Rainier Way
Federal Way, WA 93526
jacksondoe@gmail.com
(206) 555- 5152
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Creative team player with excellent facilitation and stand up training skills. Dynamic collaborator with a
passion for empowering learners to succeed. Adept at organizing and conducting innovative educational sessions in
connection with employee and team development. Proven ability to design, create, and deliver customized training.
Enthusiastic problem solver and catalyst for positive open lines of communication. Possesses a true passion for
coaching and training individuals and teams for success.
SKILL SETS
Leadership:
 Managed the human resource department of 100 employees including recruiting, hiring, training, and evaluating
 Developed and implemented a comprehensive new employee orientation program, a systematic process to
improve hiring and reduced benefit costs by $120,000 while adding programs in 2005.
 Organized customer conferences and visited customer sites to gather requirements, recommendations; and
suggestions, improving customer base relations and customer retention.
Change Management:
 Developed new business plan and accompanying financials, reporting directly to the CEO.
 Managed professional staff in finance, accounting, and human resources; oversaw operations for financial
reporting and analysis, cash management, including bank financing, cost accounting, tax planning and
compliance, and forecasting & budgeting.
 Automated the accounting department, which resulted in timely reporting and improved operations.
 Authored the first company employee handbook.
EXPERIENCE
Branch Supervisor
Teller
Accounts Payable Clerk
Assistant Manager
Manager in Training
Customer Service Representative
Sound Credit Union
Sound Credit Union
Orion Agency
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
American Airlines
Tacoma, WA
Tacoma, WA
Pasadena, CA
Plano, TX
Hurst, TX
Dallas, TX
EDUCATION
Master of Human Resource Management
Graduation with Distinction CGPA 4.0
Keller Graduate School of Management, Federal Way, WA
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Concentration: Human Resources Management
DeVry University, Irving, TX Summa Cum Laude CGPA 3.9
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Member, Society for Human Resource Management
Member, American Society for Training and Development
1/2011- present
12/2009 - 1/2011
6/2007 - 8/2009
5/2005 - 3/2007
4/2004 - 5/2005
2/2002 - 4/2004
Janessa Renaldi
25616 Catelijo St. NW Taos, New Mexico ● (659) 231-5252 ● jrenaldi@gmail.com ● http://www.linkedin.com/in/janessa renaldi
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Highly accomplished accounting professional with 10 years of experience delivering excellent service and strong results to clients.
Exceptionally organized and disciplined in accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and financial operations. Strives for
excellence in customer relations and offers extraordinary conflict resolution skills.
CORE COMPETENCIES
● Communication Skills
● Problem Solving and Mediation Skills
● Vendor Relationships
● Policy and Procedure Administration
● Operations Management
● Financial Reporting
SKILLS
AS400
Lotus Notes
ADP
Microsoft Office Suite
Advanceware
Plex Online
QuickBooks Pro
PeopleSoft
Ultipro
QuickBooks Accountant
Peachtree
HRIS
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Staff Accountant
Compliant Ease Partners
Phoenix, AZ
12/08 – present
● Prepare journal entries, inventory, payroll, and depreciation and loan schedules.
● Record weekly transactions and deposits from customers and created weekly reports.
● Process payroll through ADP verifying salary/hourly amounts, employees to be paid, and submit for processing.
● Generate monthly accounts receivable invoices for payment to send to customer. Prepare monthly financials packet.
● Recorded visa transactions and additional monthly bank transactions.
● Completed month end close process for over 200 clients including reconciling bank accounts and balance sheet accounts.
● Analyze financials monthly for all clients to include balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, 12 month rolling
balance sheet, 12 month income statement, and 12 month rolling cash flow statement.
● Prepare 1099s for year-end tax purposes for all clients and sent to vendors.
Accounting Specialist
State Farm Insurance
Scottsdale, AZ
● Reconciled customer accounts and resolved customer complaints quickly and efficiently
● Maintained monthly checklists for customers and credit files within the company database system
● Processed payroll for 100 employees
● Performed daily data entry and application of payments to customer accounts
● Prepared proper documentation for customer refunds
3/04- 12/08
Accounting Clerk
Myers and Associates
Minnetonka, AZ
● Coordinated processes for accounts receivable and accounts payable
● Produced daily invoices from shipping orders and collected funds from past due invoices
● Answered and directed incoming calls and applied customer payments to system
● Processed vendor adjustments and reconciled account issues
11/01 - 03/04
EDUCATION
Master of Accounting and Financial Management CGPA 4.0
Keller Graduate School of Management, Richardson, TX
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Concentration: Accounting CGPA 3.8
DeVry University, Ft. Worth, TX
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
● Member, Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants
● Member, American Society of Women Accountants
Career Resources
Career Journal: http://www.careerjournal.com Wall Street Journal’s career news online
Career One Stop: http://www.acinet.org Designed and maintained by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration. Offers advice on Career Exploration, Salary & Benefits Research, Education & Training, Job Search, Resume &
Interviews, and People & Places to help. The employer locater lists the names, addresses, person in charge of employment, and the
company web site of every employer within a 50 mile radius of your zip code.
Corporate Information.com: http://www.corporateinformation.com Worldwide company information can be found here.
Employment-Find http://www.employment-find.com/ Site dedicated to helping companies and career seekers solve their staffing
challenges.
Federal Job Application Information http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/employ/govtjob/fedjob.htm Learn how to successfully
apply for federal government jobs.
Indeed http://www.indeed.com Site includes all job listings from major job boards, newspapers, associations and company career
pages.
Jibber Jobber: http://www.jibberjobber.com Great tool to help organize and manage your job search, track professional and personal
relationships, as well as target companies and jobs applied to.
Job Hunter’s Bible: http://www.jobhuntersbible.com Official site for the book “What Color is Your Parachute” by Richard Bolles. Site
contains links and advice on job searching, networking, resumes and industry research.
Job Start 101 http://www.jobstart101.org/ Free online 60 minute course you may take with golden information about E.
Branding/Work Place Professionalism, etc. that includes a great workbook to download.
Manta http://www.manta.com/ Company profiles and company information
Nat’s Jobs: http://www.natsjobs.com You may sign up to receive automatic emails with job leads based on location and/or industry.
O*NET Online: http://online.onetcenter.org Overview of job descriptions, outlook information, and skills required for jobs and
anything related to careers.
Occupational Handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco/ Handbook describes the training and education needed for hundreds of jobs as
well as earnings, expected job prospects, what workers do on the job, working conditions, job search tips and also provides links to
information about the job market in each state.
Resume Resource http://www.resume-resource.com/ Tool assists in preparation of resumes and cover letters.
Riley Guide: http://www.rileyguide.com Site provides links to any type of career or job search information and is maintained by a
cyber librarian.
Vault.com: http://vault.com Industry lists, company profiles, and insider guides to companies.
WetFeet: http://www.wetfeet.com Industry information, company profiles, bulletin boards for insider information, lists of top
companies by industry, and job search information.
Interview Tips

Prepare! Conduct company research and review position description (company website,
http://www.quintcareers.com, http://www.glassdoor.com, & http://www.vault.com)

Gather interview materials! (Organize padfolio, pen, job description, resume, references, questions, etc.)

Rest! Get a good night’s sleep so you have energy to express your enthusiasm for the position.
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Dress for Success! Look professional for every interview; pay close attention to attire and hygienic factors. First
impressions are critical!
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Avoid strong perfumes and or colognes. Many people are allergic. You want the focus on your responses and not
on any distractions.

Prepare driving directions. Review the route before the day of the interview.

Smile! Project a positive image at all times with a firm handshake. (Do not talk negatively about past employers or
positions.)

Avoid asking about hours, compensation, or benefits. (Allow interviewer to introduce these subjects. If asked
about current compensation – answer honestly and accurately to include base, bonuses, vacation time, 401K, and
stock options.)

Do not chew gum or smoke right before an interview.

Silence your cell phone.
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Answer each question thoroughly and relate it to the job for which you are interviewing.

Ask questions related to the position and the company. You want to learn as much as you can.

Thank the interviewer(s) for the opportunity and ask about next steps in the interview process.

Collect business cards and send thank you emails, cards, or letters.
Sample Interview Questions
Typical Traditional Interview Questions:

Tell me about yourself and why you are interested in working for us?

If I were to ask your colleagues or past professors to describe you, what would they say?

What are your strengths?
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What are some of your identified areas of weakness?
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What did you enjoy most/least about your previous job? Why?
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What do you know about our company?
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What is the most difficult decision you have had to make?
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What motivates you?
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What accomplishment are you most proud of and why?

How do you stay current on issues in this industry?

Where do you see yourself in five years?
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What qualifications do you have that will make you successful in this position?

What professional development opportunities and/or certifications do you plan to pursue?
Example Behavioral Questions:

Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict between yourself and a colleague or supervisor. What was
the outcome?

Tell me about a time when you were faced with a significant work challenge, and describe how you overcame that
challenge.

Tell me about a time when your supervisor gave you constructive feedback on your work performance. How did
you react and what was the result?

Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline. What things did you fail to do? What were the
repercussions? What did you learn?

Tell me about a time when you owned a project from inception to completion. Walk me through the stages. What
was accomplished?

Tell me about a time when you volunteered to take on a leadership role.
Sample Questions for Employers/Interviewers

Why did you choose to work here?

What do you like most about working here?

What is the most challenging part of your role?

How would you describe the organizational/ departmental culture?

What is a typical day in this position?

What excites you about the future here/in this department?

What may I do to make your life easier if I am hired?

How do you see me benefiting the company?

How much autonomy/responsibility/ accountability will I have?

What would my first project be if I'm hired?

Could you describe the team I would be working in?

Are continuing education and professional training stressed?

Who will evaluate me, if I'm hired? How often are employees evaluated?

What are the most important characteristics or traits a person should possess to be successful in this role?

Can you describe to me your team and your successes and challenges?

What type of growth and advancement opportunities does this position and the company offer?

Will there be an opportunity to mentor with your top performer(s)?

How soon do you expect to make a decision and when can I expect to hear from you?

May I contact you if I have other questions?
Note: Even if the interviewers have answered all of your questions throughout the interview process, you
always want to have at least a couple more questions to ask at the end of your interview. You want the
interviewers to see how eager and excited you are to learn more.
Networking
Did you know that 75-80% of people land their jobs through networking?
Girard’s Law of 250
 Typically every person knows at least 250 other people.
 Each of your contacts knows at least 250 people. So that equals 62,500 contacts at your 2nd level.
 Each of your 2nd level contacts knows 250 people - and that equals over 15,000,000 contacts.
*Joe Girard is the Guinness Book of World Records number one retail salesman from 1966 to present and the author of How to Sell Anything to
Anybody. For more information: http://www.joegirard.com/ *
Benefits of Networking
 Learn about your industry and career interests.
 Learn and develop new skills – gain feedback from those who work in industries/functions/companies of interest
to you.
 Understand where to find helpful resources.
 Meet new people – some of whom will become part of your inner circle of strong support throughout your career.
 Help others – networking should be mutually beneficial.
 Prepare yourself for inevitable career transitions in any economy or career situation.
Networking Steps
 Establish goals.
 Analyze the type of help you will need in achieving your goals.
 Analyze and develop your interpersonal skills.
 Build and cultivate your network accordingly.
Networking is Not:
 Contacting everyone you know when you are seeking a new job and asking if they know of any job openings.
 Making cold-calls to people you don't know.
 Phony or manipulative.
 Designed to convince someone to do something they don’t really want to do.
 Selling yourself.
 For extraverts only.
Network when you have a job
Attend professional association meetings, network with peers, family members and coworkers.
Seek Networking Opportunities
Be a conversation starter and seek common ground. Listen more than talk. Ask lots of open-ended questions. There are
many opportunities to network including social events, through blogs, and at job search networking groups.
Be Yourself!!!!
Networking is about being genuine and authentic, building trust and relationships, and assessing how you can help others.
Follow-up
Maintain connections with your contacts. There are several appropriate ways to follow-up with networking contacts
including: sending a thank you email, sending helpful information/ideas/resources to contacts and updating contacts on
your career progress. It’s important to use a system to track contacts and notes about your interactions with them.
Bottom Line of Networking
 Be prepared: anytime, anywhere.
 Start with contacts that are safe to build your confidence.
 Networking is not a quick fix to your next job search – make it part of your life/work to build relationships.