8 Module VIII: Career Readiness
Career Readiness: Personal Presentation and Interview Skills
Elissa Ledoux and Mohammad Uddin
While technical skills help an engineer keep a job, the soft skills help them get the job. This is a bonus module focusing on career readiness, an area in which many students feel underconfident or unprepared in presenting themselves as they transition from college to the real world. This will develop students’ soft skills, such as interviewing, resume and cover letter writing, and developing a professional employment profile. Informative and applicable materials will help equip students with the tools they need to be well-rounded and successful individuals, with the personal presentation skills required to rise through the ranks professionally.
Most universities have a career services center, where students can obtain one-on-one help with resumes and interviewing or attend group workshops. These centers also have websites with school-specific student resources for creating resumes and cover letters, and many offer a job applications portal as well. Many of the resources that follow in this chapter come from Middle Tennessee State University and East Tennessee State University. Check your school’s website for information about career fairs, career prep, or other upcoming events and resources.
VIII.1) Resumes and CVs
Information
Resumes and curriculum vitaes (CVs) are organized handouts of your education and experience that you provide to employers when applying for jobs. These give an employer a quick look at who you are on paper and are the first part of the candidate selection process. Resumes and CVs are for separate purposes and have some notable differences:
- Resumes: meant for professional or industry job applications, this one-page info sheet highlights your education, skills, and experience. One page is the maximum length, unless you have an exceptional number of accomplishments or have been actively engaged in a field for 10+ years. Most employers will not read past the first page.
- Curriculum vitaes: meant for graduate school or academic job applications. Literally translated, “the course of life,” this is a lengthy list of your academic and professional history, including research publications, theses performed or advised, courses taught or developed, grants received, and conferences attended, in addition to the standard items from the resume. A CV could be 5+ pages depending on your accomplishments and length of time in the field.
Professional document resources (videos and downloadable templates) for resumes, CVs, and more can be found at this link. Additional resources include:
- Resume Writing Slide Deck (ETSU)
- Student Guide to the Professional Resume (MTSU)
- Best Practices: Resume Writing (ETSU)
- Student Guide to the Curriculum Vitae (MTSU)
- Resume Writing Video (MTSU)
Activity
Are you headed for industry or graduate school? Make a new resume (or update your old one) using the tips, tricks, and templates above. Check it for length, spelling, grammar, and parallel structure. Be sure to eliminate anything from high school, except in rare occasions such as being valedictorian or a national champion in sports or other activities.
When you are finished, make an appointment at your university’s career center, and ask a professional in your field (professor or family friend) to review it with you. Reviewing the document with multiple sources will be beneficial. The career center professional will be able to advise you on organization, wording, and correct English, while an engineer will be able to guide you on expressing discipline-specific skills and experience, and be able to tell you what items should be emphasized or eliminated.
VIII.2) Cover Letters and Personal Statements
Information
A cover letter or personal statement is the second part of an application.
- Cover letters are for industry or professional job applications and typically one page long. Resources for cover letter writing are below:
- Cover Letter Writing Guide (MTSU)
- Cover Letter Examples (ETSU)
- Crafting Cover Letters Video (MTSU)
- Personal statements are for graduate school applications and typically two pages long. Resources for personal statement writing are below:
Activity
Are you headed for industry or graduate school? Write a cover letter for your dream job or a personal statement for your ideal school using the information. Check it for length, spelling, grammar, and relevant content. Be aware that because the cover letter is personal and relevant to the job or school desired, you will need to have a base letter that you can tailor as appropriate for the situation. Avoid the trap of using AI to draft this document, and speak from the heart! This is your story, and you can tell it more honestly and passionately than a robot.
When you are finished, make an appointment at your university’s career center, and ask a professor to review it with you, too. Reviewing the document with multiple sources will be beneficial. The career center professional will be able to advise you on coherent and cohesive writing, while your professor will be able to guide you on relating personal experiences to your intended research trajectory, and help you to formulate goals if you don’t know what you want.
VIII.3) Interviewing
Information
Interviewing is when the game gets real. One type of interviewing involves professional networking, such as speed interview events, career fairs, or conferences. That typically occurs before submitting a job application, and can lead to a personal in with the company. The second, more traditional type of interview occurs after an application has been accepted, and it is scheduled one-on-one with a company representative for an hour or more. After passing the first round of sit-down interviews, the company may initiate a weed-out process and invite the top few interviewees on site for an all-day more technical experience. The interview can make or break the job, so it is important to be prepared for all types.
Professional Networking
When you meet a potential employer at a career fair, networking event, or speed interviewing, you need to be prepared to pitch yourself in less than a minute. This is your opportunity to hook an employer on your qualifications and attitude, and present a favorable first impression. This forms the basis for your cover letter and should come from the heart. DO NOT USE AI TO WRITE AN INTERVIEW PITCH!!! It will sound fake and impersonal and not win the job. See the Interview Pitch Guidelines for more details.
Activity
Write an interview pitch using the Interview Pitch Guidelines. Revise and rehearse it so it flows smoothly, with proper English, and is 1-2 minutes long (approximately 1 page typed, double-spaced).
VIII.4) Linkedin Profiles
Information
Linkedin is a free professional networking site, where working professionals and job seekers can view each others’ qualifications, find and apply for job opportunities, endorse each other for skills, post publicly, or message each other privately. A good Linkedin profile is important because it shows not just what you have done, but who you know, and employers will scout you for references and qualifications. A Linkedin profile is NOT a standard social media profile, but rather an online version of your resume or CV. So be sure to use a professional head shot (not a graduation photo or casual photo) and avoid posting about politics, religion, or your weekend (stick to professional or academic accomplishments, or congratulate others for theirs).
Additional resources for creating Linkedin profiles include:
- Tips for Using Linkedin (ETSU)
- LinkedIn Profile Checklist (Linkedin)
Activity
Make an account at https://students.linkedin.com/ and create your professional Linkedin profile based on the information above and the resume you already created in the section VIII.1 activity. If you do not have a professional head shot, put on a collared shirt, comb your hair, stand in front of a blank wall, and ask a friend to take one with your phone. When you are finished, add your instructors and 20 other people you know.
