Prepare for a future of success

When an employer looks at your resume, what will they see? If “waking up and going to class” is your only activity, they might see your name in the reject pile.

“The best way to have an impressive resume is to do impressive things,” Sally Urban, counselor at the Plattsburgh State Career Development Center, said.

At the center, located on the eighth floor of the Kehoe Administration Building, students can work with counselors to develop a personalized roadmap that outlines suggested activities for each academic year, Urban said.

College students who plan a list of goals and activities to complete can work to build the connections, learn the skills and gather the resources that will better help them succeed after graduation, Urban said.

“This might be a minor you should take, this should be a place you should volunteer, this is a place where you should get an internship, these are some people you can meet,” Urban said.

Urban said preparation should begin as early as possible. Students who wait until their senior year to look for advice often find that they no longer have time to complete the suggested activities before graduation and admit they wish they had begun making career plans earlier, she said. 

Urban said students are often surprised by the value of extracurricular activities on a resume. She has had students look up the professional requirements for a job the student is interested in to see the list of skills the student will need to learn and extra-curricular activities they will need to accomplish just to meet the basic experience level.

“So, sometime between your freshman year and the time you graduate, you need to pick up these skills. You need to pick up on this experience,” Urban said.

Even unorthodox skills, such as social media experience, are becoming valuable additions to modern resumes, Urban said.

In addition to personalized plans, Urban said students are free to visit the center with general questions regarding topics such as graduate school applications, resume preparation and job-hunting skills. The center also hosts a number of workshops throughout the year to discuss various career-building topics.

“The more information you have, the more power you have, and once you get this information you’ll find that there are a lot of options out there,” Urban said.