Penn State Graduate Student Career Guide - Biomedical Sciences ...

20 THE JOB SEARCH OUTSIDE THE ACADEMY
Penn State Grad Student Career Guide
2011
2012
The Job Search Outside the Academy
How do you want to use your specialized
academic background? This can
be a difficult question, and for every
soon-to-be graduate, this is where the
job search begins. Searching for satisfying
employment starts with a thorough
examination of you. Key questions to
consider include:
• What skills do you want to offer to an
employer?
• What occupations are of interest to
you?
• What work environments do you most
prefer?
• What are your priorities for your
work?
• What short- and long-term goals have
you established for yourself and for
your work life?
• What experiences have you had
which may serve as evidence of
future potential to succeed?
If you feel that you would benefit from
talking about these areas, speak with
the Drop-In Counselor who is available
between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays
and until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays
during the fall and spring semesters in
the Bank of America Career Services
Center. Career Counselors are eager to
discuss with you your unique path to
the completion of your degree, and to
offer assistance as you gather information
about yourself and about your work
alternatives.
Job Search Tool Kit
Once you have organized information
about yourself, you will want to prepare
to present this information to employers.
With emphasis upon promoting your
skills, accomplishments, and experiences
to employers, exercise care to express
why you are interested in that specific
employer and position, and also why you
are qualified for this opportunity.
The tool kit contains your resumes,
curricular vitae, cover letters, academic
transcripts, references, informational
interviews, employer research, networking,
and persistence.
Resume
The resume is typically a one- or twopage
document. Resumes highlight
educational and experiential accomplishments
of particular relevance to
the opportunity you are pursuing. For
samples and further information on writing
a resume, review pages 30 - 36 of
this Guide. Also, you can find resources
and a schedule of resume writing workshops
online at studentaffairs.psu.
edu/career.
Curriculum Vita (CV)
The CV is more expansive than the
resume in that it includes all of your
publications, presentations, affiliations,
and references. A CV is a useful tool
to develop, even if you are not seeking
academic related employment.
Many employers may ask for a detailed
description of your graduate academic
work, and the CV is designed to serve
that purpose. For samples and further
information on writing a curriculum
vita, review pages 30 - 36 of this Guide.
Also, you can visit the resume/CV section
of the Career Information Center
in the Bank of America Career Services
Center for additional examples of curriculum
vitae.
Cover Letters
With the delivery of each resume,
a cover letter should be included to
introduce you and describe your interest
in the opportunity you are seeking.
Cover letters are best written if they are
individualized to the specific organization
and opportunity—highlighting your
skills and relevant accomplishments. For
samples and further information on writing