Career Center gives DiggerNet tutorial and resume tips

For students looking for a way to maximize their chances of landing a dream job this fall, the Colorado School of Mines Career Center is a great place to start. With the new DiggerNet system fully operational, Mines students now have a wealth of knowledge and job-searching resources at their fingertips to aid in the search.

Lin Sherman, the Director of Recruitment for the Career Center, presented on how to get the most out of DiggerNet last week. Sherman gave tips on where to look for vital information on companies and networking, resume examples and templates, as well as a powerful job-search engine that organizes every job a student qualifies for in one place.

To get the most out of DiggerNet, Sherman advises that every student upload their resume to the site. This allows students to apply for jobs through the site as soon as they see a job they like. Uploading a resume is simple, and involves navigating to the “documents” page and pressing the “Add New” button. DiggerNet also has a built-in resume builder, which will assemble a functional resume from various options. Every resume outline on the site is professional, and can be tailored to fit individual needs. To access the resume builder, navigate to the “Resources” tab and select “Resume Builder” from the drop-down menu.

Sherman took special care to mention the host of networking and career day resources on the site, including workshops, special recruiting events, signing up for interviews, and of course applying for jobs.

The main topic of Sherman’s presentation was resumes, with great advice on what is appropriate for a college resume. Sherman pointed out that they had surveyed employers, and the first piece of advice is, “One page long, unless you have 10-15 years of experience or you’re a Ph.D.” The next piece of advice was that it should be easy to read. Use one font throughout (10-12 pt. is a good size) and keep it simple and readable. “What they’re most interested in is ‘Colorado School of Mines,’ your major, and your graduation date. This tells them whether you’re looking for full-time or an internship.” She continued, saying that a good resume will have relevant work experience after education, with industry or internship experience most prominently displayed above any other jobs you have had.

“We’ve had people that wanted to put on why they left their last job. That sort of thing doesn’t go on there at all.” Sherman emphasized that negative comments of any kind do not belong on a resume, and will only make a recruiter uncomfortable. These are the essentials of a good resume, “The absolutes,” said Sherman. Students should not include personal pictures, cute or cool graphics, logos, and political affiliations. References should not be included, and in general there is no need to write “references available” on the resume.

There were many other great tips and tricks in Sherman’s presentation, and all of this information can be found on the DiggerNet website along with example resumes and blank outlines. The Mines Career Center provides many great resources to improve chances of succeeding in a job search. To access the new DiggerNet website, go to “mines-csm.symplicity.com” and select student/alumni. Click “forgot password” if you have not used the new DiggerNet before, and use your CWID as your login ID.