FMU’s Center for Academic Success and Advising (CASA) held a “Write your Resume” webinar at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30, via Zoom.   

“It is tedious, yes, but it is what employers want,” Aylin Kruse, a psychology major graduate student said when describing the resume writing process.  

Will Carswell, director of the Career Center, worked alongside Kruse and undergraduate English major Luke Watkins to guide students in eliminating potentially fatal errors within their resumes while providing advice on presenting themselves to future employers as effectively as possible.  

The webinar included resume writing tips such as formatting, language, appropriate length and pieces of information most valued by potential employers.   

Watkins said it is crucial to highlight the positive impact of including specifics when describing previous work-related experiences to stand out among other applicants.  

“The most important part to me is using the right language and details,” Watkins said. “You really want to expand and go into detail.”  

Kruse said remaining consistent with language and formatting is key to writing a professional and impactful resume, noting such lack of continuity is one of the most common errors she sees in resume samples. Despite this, it makes all the difference between employment and unemployment.   

 “For me, it is being consistent,” Kruse said. “It will look so much better if you just put everything in the right font.”   

Speakers encouraged the students to participate in the Zoom call by utilizing reactions such as a “thumbs up” emoji to answer questions. A key point the hosts brought up was taking the initiative to form the core foundation of a resume that can be used far into the future with minimal updates.   

CASA plans to host a series of webinars throughout the fall semester and intends to increase student attendance when possible. Future webinars will cover how to include sources in research writing, how to perform at a job interview and how to prepare for FMU’s upcoming career fair on Nov. 10.   

“We’re just trying to break down the wall and encourage students to come to ask for help,” Carswell said.  

Carswell aims to motivate students to utilize the free resources provided for them, such as CASA, the career center and the writing and tutoring centers on campus.   

“We would certainly encourage students to take advantage of all the free resources in CASA, and the career center is just a part of that,” Carswell said. “The staff exists just to offer help and provide options for students. That’s why we are here.”  

The Tutoring Center offers specializations in math, chemistry, biology and finance, to name a few areas. The Writing Center focuses its efforts on guiding students throughout all stages of the writing process, whether it be conceptualizing, drafting or revising. Along with CASA and the Career Center, the FMU Tutoring Center is located in Founders Hall, Room 220, while the writing center resides in Founders Hall, Room 114-C.   

Zoom links for the webinars can be found in mass emails to the student body. Students can find additional information about future webinar dates at the FMU calendar, listed at https://www.fmarion.edu/calendar/.