1. Resume Workshop Penn State Actuarial Science Club September 12, 2012

2. Agenda • The Career Fair is coming… • What goes in a resume? • FAQs about actuarial student resumes • Sample Resumes • Where to go for more help • Resume Reviewing

3. ActSci Club Career Fair • Thursday, September 20 (5pm to 8pm) • Business Building Atrium • More than 30companies are coming!! • Dress is business professional • Bring plenty of copies of your resume

4. Purpose of the Resume • A resume is for getting an interview • An interview is for getting a job • Give highlights and relevant details, but don’t get bogged down – you can elaborate in the interview • You have 15-30 seconds to make an impression • Show value to the employer: put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself, “why do they care?”

5. What’s in a resume? • Objective/Personal Profile – Who are you? What are you looking for? • Unless yours is unique, this can be optional • Education – School, Major, GPA, Accomplishments • If your GPA is <3.0, strongly consider also listing your major GPA if it is higher • Do not round your GPA (a 3.46 is not a 3.5) • Exams – Passed and future sittings • Highlight this in its own section • Work Experience – Internships and Previous Jobs • Don’t use bullet points to just list what you did – focus on communicating value to the employer • Leadership/ Service /Activities – Clubs, Intramurals, and/or Other Interests • Demonstrates initiative, time management skills, and personality

6. Bullet Points • Mention what you did, how you did it, and what skills you used/developed to get there. • Should have at least 1-2 for every activity. • Use numbers when you can. • Good bullet point: Used networking and communication skills to increase membership by 20% • Bad bullet point: Recruited new members.

7. Resume Gap Analysis • How can you become a stronger candidate? • Identify gaps in your resume early in college • Find opportunities at Penn State to fill them • Ex: Find a club that interests you and pursue a leadership role

8. FAQs • If I passed an exam, where should I put that on my resume? • Make it stand out • In its own section or under “Education” with your anticipated Penn State degree, often the first section of your resume • Don’t forget to mention VEE credit too • If I have taken all of the courses required for VEE credit but have not yet applied to the SOA/CAS for credit how can I show that on my resume? • Use can the terms “met course requirements” or “completing course requirements”

9. FAQs • If I have passed an actuarial exam, should I list my score? • Your score is not necessary and is usually considered private information (therefore unless you got a 9 or 10 and really want to put it on, you don’t need to) • For most situations, the term “passed” will suffice • If I have registered for but have not yet taken an actuarial exam, how can I put that on my resume? • List the exam, then the term “sitting” and the date/month for which you are registered

10. FAQs • If I failed an exam, should I still put the attempt on my resume? • If you are registered to take the exam again, we recommend that you mark on your resume that you are sitting for the upcoming exam. • Can I round up my GPA if I drop the last decimal (i.e. 3.46 to 3.5 or 2.96 to 3.0)? • No, this is a violation of the Smeal Honor Code. Even recruiters outside of Penn State do not see this as an acceptable practice.

11. Tips • Eliminate all spelling and grammatical errors • Focus on transferrable intangible skills learned from non-actuarial jobs more than technical skills • Stress interpersonal skills such as communication and networking • Use strong wording • Be consistent in the formatting • Make it easy to read – make sure your accomplishments stand out • Every line should demonstrate value to the employer • Have several trusted sources look over your resume for constructive criticism

12. http://ugstudents.smeal.psu.edu/careers/documents/resume-rm-actuarialhttp://ugstudents.smeal.psu.edu/careers/documents/resume-rm-actuarial

13. Resume Books • To be included in the Resume Book, upload your resume to SmealConnect and click “Include in Resume Books” in the Privacy tab. • https://smeal-psu-csm.symplicity.com/students/index.php • For the Career Fair, your resume must be uploaded by 9/17

14. Need more help? • For questions about resume building in general, consult Penn State Career Services resume building guide available at: http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/assist.shtml • Smeal resume reviews: http://ugstudents.smeal.psu.edu/careers/career-development/schedule-an-appointment • Search “Smeal Career Connections” on ANGEL

15. Resume Reviewing