Prepare
Career Services is here to help you develop a resumeé, learn more about careers you want to pursue and gain work skills. Please contact Daisy Lopez-Jimenez djimenez@gavilan.edu or 408-852-2897 or contact a counselor for assistance, or complete this questionnaire of your interests.
Preparing Your Resume
A resumeé is a vital part of the job search process, and is a way to introduce yourself to an employer. We can help you create one that will help you get an interview.
Quick Resume Tips:
- Ideas-Brainstorm your experiences, education and accomplishments
- (e.g. volunteer experience at an annual walk or a library, science lab assistant, dean's list, scholarship recipient, honor roll)
- Research- Look into the job description that you'd like to apply to and view duties and skills required for the job.
- Market- Note if you have any skills similar to the job you want to apply to or skills you'd like to gain
- Draft Resume- Create a customized resume, get feedback and update your resume
- Experience includes paid, unpaid and volunteer opportunities. You determine what on your resume will go under an “experience” heading or you can have both and separate each experience sections.
- (e.g. Work Experience, Volunteer Experience, Related Experience)
- Proofread carefully. Save your resume frequently and have multiple people proofread prior to submission.
- Experience includes paid, unpaid and volunteer opportunities. You determine what on your resume will go under an “experience” heading or you can have both and separate each experience sections.
- Network- Many job opportunities happen with networking, let others know you are interested in job opportunities, be selective
- Finalize Resume- Finalize and submit your customized resume to the job.,
Resume Resources:
- How to Write a Student Resume: College student resume examples
- Resume Template: A fillable template for you to get started, we can help you.
- Sample Student Resumes: Resume sample with work experience and another with volunteer experience
Prepare your Cover Letter
Researching the Company Tip Sheet; Before you apply for a job, it’s good to learn about the company, and it’s products, this will also help you in your interview.
Cover Letter Resources:
- How to Write a College Student Cover Letter: See Tips from Indeed
- Cover Letter College Student Samples: Samples from Resume Genius
- Learn what Makes a Cover Letter Stand Out: See the Essentials How to Make Your Cover Letter Unique
- Resume and Cover Letter- provides tips, resume samples, templates, action verbs
- CVs and Cover Letter
- Resume and Cover Letter for Master Students
Creating A Profile
LinkedIn is largest career network on the internet. Here are resources to help you build your profile, connect to Gavilan alumni, and apply for jobs or internships on our LinkedIn Resource Page.
Set up a free account with College Central Network for your job search. The site is available Gavilan to students, alumni and employers at www.collegecentral.com/gavilan.
Gaining Work Experience
Consider volunteer, service learning, work experience or other opportunities to learn more about careers you are interested in. If you have limited time, there are short-term possibilities that can give you experience. You can do this through organizations you already know, gain college credit or get connected to an area you would like to learn more about.
- LAEP: Work study for students to earn money to help with paying educational costs and gaining career related employment.
- Service Learning: An opportunity to take a class where you can also learn in the "real world" by doing meaningful work at a local agency.
- VolunteerMatch: A popular on-line resource to find volunteer opportunities with organizations and causes.
- Cooperative Work Experience: An opportunity to get college college credit for work, it can be paid or unpaid and, related or unrelated to your major.
As you prepare for your career, please keep in touch with your counselor and the career services staff, we can and would like to help you in your plans.
Follow next steps, see Launch page or go back to our Explore page.