Resume WorkshopPenn 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 15-30 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?

Bullet Points 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. 3.46 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

http://ugstudents.smeal.psu.edu/careers/documents/resume-rm-actuarial

To be included in the Resume Book, upload your resume to SmealConnect and click “Include in Resume Books” in the Privacy tab.

https://smeal-psu-csm.symplicity.com/students/index.php

For the Career Fair, your resume must be uploaded by 9/17

Resume Books

For questions about resume building in general, consult Penn State Career Services resume building guide available at:

http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/assist.shtml

Smeal resume reviews: http://ugstudents.smeal.psu.edu/careers/career-development/schedule-an-appointment

Search “Smeal Career Connections” on ANGEL

Need more help?

Resume Reviewing