Co-op Institute – WITS Happening

February 27, 2019eckmank 1 Comment

Applicant Tracking Systems and Professional Summaries

By Ria Kalinowski

When applying to full-time positions outside of WITworks, seniors and alumni need to tailor their resumes to each position they apply for to get their application past the Applicant Tracking System and into the hands of a human. Using a professional summary is a quick and easy way to do that!

What is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

Almost every large company and many smaller companies use ATS software to scan, sort, and filter applicant resumes. Applicants are then ranked according to how they match the key words that employers are looking for. Customizing your resume is key in order to get your resume seen.

Basic tips for beating an ATS

Keep formatting simple so the ATS can more easily scan your resume and match your skills with the correct dates.
Use standard headings such as “Education” and “Experience” so the ATS isn’t confused.
Avoid using tables, headers, and columns as these can cause errors within the ATS.
A PDF file is not compatible with all types of ATS software. Read the directions carefully when submitting your resume and unless “PDF” is listed among the file types accepted, stick to a Word document or plain-text file.
Use a Professional Summary as an additional way to include those key words employers are looking for and a quick way to tailor each resume you submit.

How to Write a Professional Summary

Where does it go:
- Include your professional summary directly below your contact information so this is the first section employers see.
What does it look like:
- Name your professional summary the title of the position you are applying for as long as it accurately represents your skills and experience or check out the summaries below for additional ideas.
- Keep it brief! Limit your summary to 3-5 statements and avoid using “I” and other personal pronouns.
- Use several statements in a paragraph form or a bulleted list.
What to include:
- Optimize your keywords to be found! Include the job title you are applying for and the technical and transferable skills you possess that they ask for in the job description. Pay careful attention to words that are repeated often and try to include those in your summary and/or elsewhere on your resume.
- Highlight your skills and experience that are directly related to the position that you are applying for.
- Include major accomplishments and use numbers whenever possible.
- Look at the positions you are applying for and use language directly from those job descriptions when appropriate.

Additional ATS Resources:

How the Top 5 Applicant Tracking Systems Read Resumes Differently.

8 Things You Need to Know About Applicant Tracking Systems.

Sample Resume Summaries:

DevOps ENGINEER

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering with 6 months work experience in building and testing video platforms. Strong programming skills in C, Java, and Python. Comprehensive debugging and troubleshooting skills. Proven ability to engineer complex solutions for scaling environments.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

Electrical Engineering graduate with a year of industry experience. Strong interest in power systems with demonstrated knowledge of building science and energy efficiency. Strengths include use of SolidWorks and AutoCAD when reading and editing project drawings. Proven ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.

PROJECT MANAGER

Business Management student with 9 months of print project management experience and knowledge of web production obtained from internships in educational publishing and consumer packaging. Creative problem solver who has consistently completed projects on time and within budget. Employed a customer-focused approach which increased repeat business by 15% over the prior cycle. Available September 2019.

MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Results oriented mechanical engineer focused on design, prototyping, analysis, testing, documentation, and manufacturing support. Experienced in the fabrication of mechanical components, complex systems and mechanical devices. Strengths include:

SolidWorks for mechanical design
AutoCAD for process design
Rapid prototyping
New product development and introduction
Lean manufacturing

IT SPECIALIST

Wentworth Institute of Technology student offering a strong foundation in IT combined with 6 months of internship experience. Proven track record of providing Tier 1 & 2 support both in-person and remotely using ServiceNow. Skilled in explaining technical issues to non-technical end users. Experience with migration projects for both Macs and Windows. Creative troubleshooter with a customer service mindset.

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER

Class of 2019 with minors in Manufacturing and Biology. More than a year of experience in the medical device industry. Strong interest in manufacturing and working knowledge of new and upcoming medical devices such as orthopedics, implants, and prosthetics.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGER

Results-driven construction and project manager with 8 months of management experience and 1+ years of experience in the construction industry. Skilled at comprehending and interpreting architectural and civil blueprint plans especially using Bluebeam. Experience with, or exposure to, various construction management situations including scheduling, contracts, problem reporting and resolution, management of subcontractors and site safety.

Spring CO-OP + CAREER Fair is Tuesday, March 19th! For events leading up to Career Fair, check out our Prep Week Schedule.

To make an appointment with your Co-op + Career Advisor call the front desk at 617 989 4101 or stop by during spring 2019 Drop-In Hours: Monday, Tuedsday, and Wednesday 1:30pm – 4:00pm while classes are in session.

September 5, 2018eckmank No Comments

Co-op Action Guide

By: Kristen Eckman

Wentworth offers one of the most comprehensive cooperative education (co-op) programs of its kind in the nation. A co-op is full-time, temporary employment in your field of study that enables you to apply classroom learning to professional work experience. Unlike most schools, co-op at Wentworth is a requirement: all undergraduate day students must successfully complete two co-op semesters in order to graduate.

To prepare for your co-op semester, we suggest that you follow the Co-op Action Guide detailed below:

4-5 Months Before Co-op

Familiarize yourself with the Co-ops + Careers resources
Prepare a draft of your resume
Submit Co-op Terms & Conditions on WITworks
Meet with your Co-op + Career Advisor for WITworks access
International Students: talk with International Student Services about CPT requirements
Attend Co-op Institute to learn how to:
- Create and edit your resume & cover letters
- Develop an elevator pitch
- Create/update your LinkedIn profile
- Conduct informational interviews
Begin to create a Portfolio of completed work/projects
Join professional and student organizations
Identify companies with early application deadlines

3-4 Months Before

Meet with your Co-op + Career Advisor to finalize your application materials
Upload your resume to WITworks
Set up email alerts on WITworks and other job boards for positions of interest
Begin applying for co-ops, customizing your application to each opportunity
Schedule a mock interview with your Co-op + Career Advisor
Create list of references
Register for your co-op semester on Leopardweb
Make sure your interview attire fits, and is clean and pressed or visit WITwear to borrow items as needed

1-2 Months Before

Continue applying and interviewing
Meet with your Co-op + Career Advisor if you are not getting interviews
Send thank you notes to each employer 24 hours after an interview
Review co-op offers
Accept a co-op offer and notify any other employers you’ve interviewed with to withdraw your candidacy
Once you accept a co-op offer you MUST stop applying and interviewing
Report your hire on WITworks
International Students: Complete all CPT paperwork, get it signed by your Co-op + Career Advisor, and submit it to ISS
Thank your references and let them know you accepted a co-op

During your Co-op

Create work plan with your supervisor that outlines your responsibilities and addresses your learning goals
Meet regularly with your supervisor about your progress
Network with people across the organization and conduct informational interviews
Create a portfolio of accomplishments, including deliverables, skills acquired or honed, and any recognition you received making sure to receive permission from your employer to share any company information
At the end of your co-op, ask for a LinkedIn recommendation
Complete your self-evaluation to receive a passing grade
Ensure your employer evaluation is completed to receive a passing grade

Whether you are preparing for a co-op search or a job search, the Center for Cooperative Education and Career Development has the resources you need to be successful. If you haven’t met with a Co-op + Career Advisor yet, give us a call at 617-989-4101 to schedule an appointment and we’ll get you started on the right track.

August 22, 2018jubaj No Comments

How to Utilize the Center for Cooperative Education and Career Development

By: Janel Juba

At the Center for Cooperative Education and Career Development, we deliver the necessary resources to be effective in the workplace, provide essential job search strategies and teach students how to find co-ops/ jobs that align with their classroom knowledge, skills and interests. Our mission is to EQUIP you with the necessary tools to EVOLVE your skills and ultimately EXCEL in your industry.

We offer a range of programs, tools, and services for:

Current students seeking cooperative education (co-op) experiences
Graduating students and alumni seeking career guidance and exploration
Tips on how to effectively navigate Online Career and Job Search Resources

Students/Alumni may utilize the Center to review their resume and cover letter, develop/enhance networking skills, prepare for interviews, find co-ops and jobs in WITworks (our online job database) and other sites, connect with employers at our career fairs and other on-campus events.

We also run Co-op Institute, a seven-week series of workshops which prepares students for their first co-op experience. Below you will find a list of resources and events our office provides.

Co-op + Career Resources

WITworks Job Board
Co-op + Career Guides on WITworks
Co-op Institute
Your Dedicated Co-op + Career Advisor
Drop-In Hours
WITwear
Co-ops + Careers Blog
Co-ops + Careers YouTube channel
Co-ops + Careers on Twitter

Co-op + Career Events

Co-op + Career Fairs (Fall & Spring Semester)
On-Campus Recruiting
Mock Interview Day (Fall Semester)
Wentworth on the Road
Employer Information Sessions
Employer in Residence
On-Campus Networking Events

Please feel free to stop by should you have any questions or even to say hello, our doors are always open!

August 15, 2018eckmank No Comments

A Guide to Personal Branding

By: Hadley Hopkins

Hi there! I’m Hadley Hopkins the marketing intern here at CO-OPS + CAREER. As an advertising student, I am very concerned with branding. Not only of the brands I work for but also my own personal brand. Below I am going to walk you through the steps of how to brand yourself by using my own professional life as a model, so you can learn a little about me and a lot about creating your own personal brand.

You may be thinking, ‘what is a personal brand and why do I need one?’ A personal brand is a combination of your skills and experiences that make you who you are. So technically, you already have one, but by shaping it into a clear message you will be more confident in your strengths and potential employers will easily be able to see who you are and what you stand for.

Find Your Strengths

The first step to creating your brand is to evaluate your strengths. I did this by making a list of my best qualities including character traits as well as industry related skills. I tried to think of traits that are unique to me and would make me stand out:

Teamwork
Flexible
Multi-tasking
Teachable
Strategic thinker
Logo design
Making GIFs
Branding

Once you have you have your list of attributes it is important to think of evidence to support these claims. Recall situations or experiences that prove these traits are a strength, for example:

Multi-tasking/flexible – At my past internship, I was working on a design project that was interrupted because my supervisor realized a flyer needed to go out to print by the end of the day to be done in time for the event. So, I began working on that project but then had to stop in the middle to go take pictures of an event that was taking place. Although I took on many projects at once I was able to prioritize to give each one the attention it needed to finish everything in a timely manner.

Logo design – I have created various logo designs for different companies, clubs and organizations

Share Your Story

Another aspect of your brand that you will want to focus on is your story. How did you get to where you are? What makes you passionate about your field? This allows people to know you on an emotional level and not just as a list of your accomplishments and skills. For me, I like to tell the story of how I decided to study advertising:

Advertising and graphic design have been a passion of mine since I created, branded and marketed my own energy drink “Spazz” for my 7th grade technology class. I found the balance of creativity and logistic to be the perfect mix for my analytical yet artsy mind.

Show Off Your Quirks

An additional way to make your brand seem more personal is by showing off your quirks. These habits make you who you are and can add some “spice” to your brand. For me, the fact that I am a southerner now living in Boston makes for interesting tidbits, as well as my passion for different cultures:

I may be from Georgia, but I have definitely adopted the New England lifestyle. You can catch me sporting my Red Sox hat, and ‘Bean Boots with a Dunkin’ in hand but I will never give up saying y’all. I love all things food, travel and art.

Find Your “Take-away”

Once you have figured out the main aspects of your brand you will be able to create a key take-away that embodies everything you want to express to potential employers:

“I am an analytical, yet creative thinker who is flexible and has a passion for creating meaningful work that helps enhance a brand.”

Although you will probably never be asked in an interview what your mission statement is, this key takeaway can give you direction for materials that future employers will see such as your resume, cover letter, portfolio and LinkedIn profile. When creating these materials, it is important to ask yourself: ‘does this align with my brand and is my mission statement well represented?’

Another way to strengthen your brand is through the look of your materials. It’s important that your resume, cover letter, portfolio, and LinkedIn profile are cohesive. I suggest sticking with the same font across all materials and make sure you use the same header for both your resume and cover letter. This will help future employers recognize you better across all platforms.

Here is an example of my LinkedIn profile:

And an example of my resume that I feel represent my brand:

Creating a personal brand takes time and effort but is totally worth it! With these steps I hope you can create a brand that is uniquely your own and will help you stand out to employers.

As always, we encourage you to stop by CO-OPS + CAREERS to discuss your questions with a Co-op + Career Advisor. You can make an appointment or swing by fall drop-in hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1:30 – 4:00 PM. Our office is located at 101 Wentworth Hall.

Feel free to contact us via email at coopsandcareers@wit.edu, or call us at 617-989-4101. We look forward to connecting with you soon!

January 10, 2018pobera No Comments

How to Write Learning Goals for Co-op and Why

By: Sara Dell

So, you landed a co-op! Congratulations! Now to make it count you need to do a few last things by the deadline, before heading off to your first day of the co-op job.

Register for the co-op course (so the co-op will be on your transcript, and count towards graduation) and
Report the co-op on WITworks (e.g. under My Account>Co-op>Report Co-op Hire or ADD NEW).

The second is to write three learning goals about what you hope to learn while on co-op. This is where most students get stuck. To avoid that quicksand . . . here is some information on how to write these goals, why you want to, and how to do it well.

Each learning goal should answer the following questions:

On this co-op . . .

What do I want to learn?
What will I do to achieve my learning goal?
How will I demonstrate what I have learned?

Still not sure where to start? Try using the SMART format. SMART is an acronym you can use as a guide to]] creating your goals. It stands for:

Specific (simple, sensible, significant)
Measurable (meaningful, motivating)
Achievable (agreed, attainable)
Relevant (reasonable, realistic, and resourced, results-based)
Time-bound (time-based, time-limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive)

For more information, including an expanded definition of each of the words above and examples, check out this article.

Now you know how to write these goals, but why would you want to? There are more than a few good reasons . . .

Writing these goals will help you focus on what you want to achieve and how you will go about doing it. At the end of the co-op you are going to add this experience to your resume, writing learning goals will help to ensure you have some great accomplishments to add, which in turn will help you land your next co-op or full-time job after graduation.

Since you are writing these goals as part of your Report Co-op Hire, your co-op supervisor will also review and approve of them, which means . . . they are aware of your goals and can better support you to achieve them.

Lastly, to pass the co-op course and have it count towards one of your graduation requirements, you will need to complete a student self-evaluation in the last few weeks of your co-op. This is where these goals could come back to haunt you if they are not well-written or well thought out. Spend some time up front on your goals, so when you are on the job, the evaluation will be easy.

Caveat: Sometimes you can have the most well written goals, but due to changes in the business, you may get pulled onto a different project, and end up learning something different. Don’t panic. You still learned something, and you can write about what you learned instead. And, if you still have that goal on your bucket list, keep it in mind as something you are looking to do in your next co-op or full-time job.

Lastly, reflecting on your co-op, what you hoped to learn and what you actually learned, will help you think about your own career what you want to do next (and sometimes what you definitely don’t want to do ever again). These are all valuable things to know. Now onwards to write those learning goals!

September 13, 2017kalinowskir1 No Comments

The Benefits of Co-op Institute

By: Ria Kalinowski

It’s fall of your junior year at Wentworth and what’s looming over your head? Co-op search. You have no idea how to get started and you’re already busy with classes. Instead of waiting until the last minute and scrambling to throw together a resume and submit applications, join Co-op Institute! Co-op Institute is a six-week course that meets for 50 minutes once a week and provides students with support for all aspects of the co-op search.

Weekly Topics

Resumes
Cover Letters
Networking
Job Search
Interviewing
Co-op Insights

Tangible Takeaways

Approved resume
Access to search for co-ops on WITworks
Draft of a cover letter
Beginnings of a LinkedIn profile
Relevant handouts and videos
Professional padfolio for those who complete the course

Your Co-op + Career Advisor will teach you how to write a resume and review one you’ve made. You will meet with them one-on-one to get your resume approved and ask any specific questions you may have. If you are searching in a certain geographical area or for a specific type of co-op, they can give you resources or suggestions for targeting your search. In class, your advisor will discuss how and when to write a cover letter as well as the benefits of using LinkedIn.

What You Will Learn

Your Co-op + Career Advisor will explain the co-op process and what paperwork you will need to complete to get credit for and then pass your co-op. He or she will show you how to use WITworks to upload documents and search for co-op positions. In class, you will examine job postings and discuss how to tailor your application materials to each position. Networking techniques will be reviewed and you will learn what to do at a career fair or other employer events. You will get an overview of different types of interviews as well as how to be successful before, during, and after an interview. During the last week, you will also get co-op tips either from an employer or from Wentworth students who have been on co-op before. This is a great opportunity to network with an employer or ask about other students’ first-hand experiences.

Practical Experience

Craft and practice an elevator pitch
Practice answering interview questions using the PAR/STAR method
Use class time to search for jobs using WITworks and other job search engines
Get an introduction to LinkedIn and explore best networking practices

Final Words

Co-op Institute is the perfect spring board for your co-op search. You will begin to build a relationship with your Co-op + Career Advisor or, if your class is taught by a different Co-op + Career Advisor, you will become familiar with someone in the Co-ops + Careers Department. You will be the first to know about upcoming employer events and get quick access to search for co-op positions on WITworks. All your questions about the co-op process will be answered and you will gain a better understanding of what it takes to be successful during your co-op and even a full-time job search!