Penn State Actuarial Science Club September 12, 2012

 The Career Fair is coming…  What goes in a resume?  FAQs about actuarial student resumes  Sample Resumes  Where to go for more help  Resume Reviewing Agenda

 Thursday, September 20 (5pm to 8pm)  Business Building Atrium  More than 30 companies are coming!!  Dress is business professional  Bring plenty of copies of your resume ActSci Club Career Fair

 A resume is for getting an interview  An interview is for getting a job  Give highlights and relevant details, but don’t get bogged down – you can elaborate in the interview  You have seconds to make an impression  Show value to the employer: put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself, “why do they care?” Purpose of the Resume

 Objective/Personal Profile – Who are you? What are you looking for? ◦ Unless yours is unique, this can be optional  Education – School, Major, GPA, Accomplishments ◦ If your GPA is <3.0, strongly consider also listing your major GPA if it is higher ◦ Do not round your GPA (a 3.46 is not a 3.5)  Exams – Passed and future sittings ◦ Highlight this in its own section  Work Experience – Internships and Previous Jobs ◦ Don’t use bullet points to just list what you did – focus on communicating value to the employer  Leadership/ Service /Activities – Clubs, Intramurals, and/or Other Interests ◦ Demonstrates initiative, time management skills, and personality What’s in a resume?

 Mention what you did, how you did it, and what skills you used/developed to get there.  Should have at least 1-2 for every activity.  Use numbers when you can.  Good bullet point: Used networking and communication skills to increase membership by 20%  Bad bullet point: Recruited new members.

 How can you become a stronger candidate?  Identify gaps in your resume early in college  Find opportunities at Penn State to fill them ◦ Ex: Find a club that interests you and pursue a leadership role Resume Gap Analysis

 If I passed an exam, where should I put that on my resume? ◦ Make it stand out ◦ In its own section or under “Education” with your anticipated Penn State degree, often the first section of your resume ◦ Don’t forget to mention VEE credit too  If I have taken all of the courses required for VEE credit but have not yet applied to the SOA/CAS for credit how can I show that on my resume? ◦ Use can the terms “met course requirements” or “completing course requirements” FAQs

 If I have passed an actuarial exam, should I list my score? ◦ Your score is not necessary and is usually considered private information (therefore unless you got a 9 or 10 and really want to put it on, you don’t need to) ◦ For most situations, the term “passed” will suffice  If I have registered for but have not yet taken an actuarial exam, how can I put that on my resume? ◦ List the exam, then the term “sitting” and the date/month for which you are registered FAQs

 If I failed an exam, should I still put the attempt on my resume? ◦ If you are registered to take the exam again, we recommend that you mark on your resume that you are sitting for the upcoming exam.  Can I round up my GPA if I drop the last decimal (i.e to 3.5 or 2.96 to 3.0)? ◦ No, this is a violation of the Smeal Honor Code. Even recruiters outside of Penn State do not see this as an acceptable practice. FAQs

 Eliminate all spelling and grammatical errors  Focus on transferrable intangible skills learned from non-actuarial jobs more than technical skills  Stress interpersonal skills such as communication and networking  Use strong wording  Be consistent in the formatting  Make it easy to read – make sure your accomplishments stand out  Every line should demonstrate value to the employer  Have several trusted sources look over your resume for constructive criticism Tips

 To be included in the Resume Book, upload your resume to SmealConnect and click “Include in Resume Books” in the Privacy tab.  csm.symplicity.com/students/index.php csm.symplicity.com/students/index.php  For the Career Fair, your resume must be uploaded by 9/17

 For questions about resume building in general, consult Penn State Career Services resume building guide available at:  Smeal resume reviews: development/schedule-an-appointment development/schedule-an-appointment  Search “Smeal Career Connections” on ANGEL Need more help?

Resume Reviewing