by Megan Kramer
Over three years ago, I found myself in my first ever UNI PRSSA meeting, applying to serve as an Executive Board member with an organization I was unfamiliar with. Fast forward to today, and I am wrapping up my time serving as Chapter President of UNI PRSSA. As my time as UNI PRSSA’s Chapter President comes to a close, I can’t help but reflect on my time with this incredible Chapter. Six semesters and three leadership positions later, I can’t even put into words how grateful I am for the experiences I have had with PRSSA, the people I’ve been able to meet, and the memories I’ll take away. I’ve served as VP of External Communications, VP of Member Services, and finally Chapter President. Each position was so different yet taught me so much. I can truly say that I wouldn’t be the person I am today and wouldn’t have the opportunities in front of me today without PRSSA. It has been a cornerstone of my time at UNI in making me the professional I am today. An Honor to Serve Each Executive Board I’ve served with has been entirely different and yet completely the same. Full of driven, dedicated, passionate members who want nothing but the best for our Chapter and its members. I have seen this Chapter overcome an unforeseen global pandemic that completely changed the way we function as an organization and the opportunities that we are able to provide to our members. But I have also witnessed our amazing members pivot without hesitation, remaining just as invested in this new way of networking and learning, grateful to even have the opportunity to do so in the first place. I am confident that I am leaving this organization in the capable hands of some of our most invested, passionate members, who will continue to grow and evolve UNI PRSSA for years to come. In my time with UNI PRSSA I have also been able to work alongside the most wonderful advisors who just want to see us succeed as human beings at the end of the day. Without their endless support, encouragement, and guidance, our Chapter would not be the same. Finding professors to support your organization is one thing. But finding professors who become mentors along the way and care about you outside of the classroom is an entirely different thing. Thank you, Dr. Pohl and Dr. Brand, for your support of this organization and investment in it. Take a Chance This organization means more to me than a lot of people can probably understand. It has been a constant in the majority of my college careers and given me more than I could have ever asked for. When I look back on my time in college, I know my time with UNI PRSSA is what I will reflect on most. My biggest takeaway is that you just have to say yes. When I raised my hand in my first ever UNI PRSSA meeting over three years ago to apply for an executive board position with an organization I had never heard of before, most people probably thought I was crazy. But I could not be more grateful to my younger self for doing so. Take the first step. You won’t regret it Leave a comment below to wish Megan the best of luck in her future endeavors!
0 Comments
by Paige Beck
I joined PRSSA during my freshman year here at UNI. When I came into the public relations major, I didn’t know much about how to obtain a job. However, PRSSA has taught me a lot about PR and valuable skills that I can carry with me throughout my career. When we had guest speakers come in and talk to us every week, it made me want to learn more about how to land the perfect job for me in the future. I knew I had to perfect my resume before I could even start applying for jobs, so I did some research on how to do exactly that. The University of Northern Iowa’s Career Services website is an amazing resource when it comes to resumes. The purpose of a resume is to get a job and perfecting it can help you stand out in a crowd of applicants. You might be asking yourself, “How do I perfect my resume?” Well, I am here to tell you how to do exactly that! Structure First, let’s talk about the structure of your resume. The very first thing that you want to put on your resume is your name. In order for your name to stand out, you want to make it a bigger text size than the rest of your resume. Your resume should be easy to read and get directly to the point. It is best to use bullet points because it breaks up the text. Some employers look at thousands of resumes when they are in the hiring process. If it is not easy to read or doesn’t stand out, then the employer might skip over your resume altogether. Another important aspect of the structure is consistency. Make sure you pay special attention to small details. Do you put a period after your bullet points? (Hint: you’re not supposed to). Do you have everything in the same font? Are your paragraphs in alignment? These are all important details that should not be overlooked. You should also use headings to space out your resume. This helps to make it more organized and easier to read, but make sure to be consistent in your formatting of headings. Resumes are a very professional piece of writing and should be error-free. Consistency is the best way to make your resume look professional. My last tip for having good structure throughout your resume is to list your experience in reverse chronological order. The reason for this is that employers like to see your most recent experience rather than opportunities that you have had years ago. It saves them time when sifting through countless other resumes. Content Now that we have talked about the structure of your resume, let’s talk about what you should include. Contact information is a must, because it gives the employer easy access to get in touch with you when needed. If they don’t have an easy way to contact you, then they will most likely move on to the next applicant. You should include your professional email address and phone number. Your home address is optional, but it gives the employer another way of contacting you. Education is another important aspect. Certain careers require a specific level of education, so it is important that you show what type of education you have received. If you are still pursuing your degree, you can put the year that you are expected to graduate. You can also include what area of study you have chosen, your GPA, and any academic awards in this section. The most important part that employers look at is what experience you have. They want to know where you have worked and what skills you have learned that can transfer over to another workplace. In the experience section, you should include the name of the company and location, job title, start and end date, and a brief description of what you did at that particular job. It is important to showcase the skills that you can use in the job that you are applying for. These are called transferable skills. There are four most important skills that employers look for when hiring. Teamwork, problem-solving, leadership/management, and communication are all skills that can be transferred from any job. Not only do employers look for these transferable skills, but you also want to display skills that are unique. Maybe you are bilingual or proficient in Microsoft Office. Whatever your unique skill(s) may be, it will help you stand out even more. Even if you are looking for a job in a completely different industry, you can still use the experiences that you have had in the past by displaying how you used the four transferable skills. Some optional sections that you can add to your resume are volunteer experiences, student involvement, and achievements outside of academics. Not only do these categories display more of your experience, but they also show what type of person you are. Are you involved in your community? Do you participate in a student organization? Have you been awarded a great honor? All of these little details will help you stand out to an employer during the hiring process. These tools can help you perfect your resume, and hopefully land you the perfect job. I am currently still in the process of looking for an internship that relates to my major, but I have used these tools to acquire my Student Supervisor position at the Rialto Dining Center here on campus. You can learn more about resumes on the University of Northern Iowa Career Services website. I wish you the best of luck while constructing your resume and applying for jobs! Leave a comment below if you have any questions about building your resume! |