Parents and the break

During the break, as we all unwind from a demanding semester, you might hear a little buzz in your ear. It's your parents constantly in your face, breathing down your back, and just generally getting on your nerves. Why can't they just leave you alone? Don't they understand that you want to just relax for once?

One thing you can do to help them leave you alone is to show them that you are being proactive in your quest for an internship/job. A good way to do that is to let them see your resume. If you don't have one completed yet, don't worry. The break is an excellent time to start one. The career center has a great guide for you to look at online: http://careers.wustl.edu/documents/resumecoverlettersamples.pdf

If you do have one completed, you can always improve it. One tip is to use your campus activities to your advantage. Many people simply list all their activities at the bottom or the top of the resumes and say nothing else about them. However, you can pick an activity that you are most involved in and develop it just like a job entry, complete with descriptions. Without degrees or much experience in the work field, employers are very hesitant to hire students to handle large responsibilities in their businesses. Employers value activities on resumes because it's a way for students to gain experiences and skills that can be directly transferable to a job, even if you think they are not. From being treasurer, organizing/publicizing an event, ordering materials, conducting meetings to writing group emails, all are things that impress employers that can't be found in the classroom.

Another thing, you know that crazy voice mail you have? The one with the musical interlude and the slang? You might want to change that because you would not want an employer to call with the intention of offering you a position only to retract it once they heard your voicemail. An added bonus is that your parents would be thrilled to see you increasing your professional development.

All in all, if you want your parents to ease up, let them catch you doing something towards getting a job/internship. Don't just do things after your parents have been complaining day after day. Let them discover you with your nose in the internship book, looking up the Career Center resume/cover letter guide, setting up an informational interview or even sprucing up your resume. Have a nice break!