Building Your Resume On Campus

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Today's blog is written by Alex Broshious, current GAA for Engineering Career Services. Alex has previous experience working within Human Resources at ExxonMobil and offers some advice on how to build your resume right here on campus!

Many students come into Engineering Career Services wondering how they can show employers the knowledge, skills, and abilities that they possess without having an internship or co-op experience. Luckily, by utilizing the resources and opportunities at Ohio State and the Columbus community, you have plenty of opportunities to build your resume on campus.

Student Groups

Ohio State is fortunate enough to have hundreds of student groups that are always open to new members, meaning you have the opportunity to get involved in whatever you’re most interest in! Be it an engineering related student group like the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) or the University Flight Team, what matters is that you get involved. Even if the clubs or groups are not engineering related, becoming an active and engaged member – and eventual leader, can help show employers a bit more about your passion areas and interests.

Getting an early leadership position in a student group can help build your leadership skills in a safe environment while giving you experiences that will help separate you from your peers. Remember, quality over quantity; just because you can be a member of twenty students groups does not mean you should. Make sure you’re actively involved and engaged with each group you’re a member of – even if you have to be selective!

Project Groups/ Challenges

The university also has a large variety of events and project groups that can help bolster your resume and show employers you have both project experience and you’re results oriented. Competing on a team in the Hackathon, or studying abroad to analyze or create a project can give you real world experience without having to even leave the campus.

Project teams and groups around campus are doing amazing things, from buildings cars and rockets, to creating prosthetics for patients. Employers want to see that you can work with fellow engineers on projects and that you can get results – and project groups allow you to do just that!

Enjoy concept innovation? Consider OnRamp. Want to make something? Check out MakeOHI/O, HackOHI/O, and ShowOHI/O. Review Handshake for a listing of additional opportunities.

Student Jobs

With Ohio State being as large as some cities, there are a plethora of student jobs that are available all around campus. Some of these jobs can provide you with foundational experiences for your major, like working in IT, or they can help you build your leadership skills, like being a Resident Assistant or Manager with Student Dining.

Being able to give strong examples of trouble-shooting problems, working with coworkers, and collaborating with your manager will help you show yourself as a holistic professional.

Apply for on-campus jobs through Handshake and find a listing of work study opportunities.

Volunteering

Not everyone thinks about how important volunteering and giving back to your community can be – not only can it give you some intrinsic motivation, but it can also help employers see where your passions lie. Ohio State and Columbus are full of volunteering opportunities, from the Columbus Foodbank to getting involved with Buck-I-SERV. Some experiences can even be directly related to the future work you could be doing as an engineer – so always be searching for those opportunities.

"Do or do not. There is no try." - Yoda