5 Questions with Brittney Acre

Brittney is a senior at CU-Boulder, who is originally from Arvada, Colorado. She is a Psychology major at Boulder and is also working toward a certificate in Neuroscience. She is an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the CUChange Lab where she assists in conducting transdisciplinary research to explore the psychological, physiological, and genetic factors that are linked with health behavior. At CUChange Lab Brittney does data entry, passes out consent forms, and explains to participants what they will be doing in the research experiments. Brittney’s specific interests are in addiction research.

1.     What are your career goals?

My ultimate goal is to become a physician and hopefully be a part of Doctors Without Borders. In order to make this dream possible I am working toward getting into medical school as well as going into the Peace Corps after finishing my undergraduate career in May 2013.

2.     What are some things you have done to build up your resume?

In order to build up my resume I have volunteered and gotten involved on campus throughout my college career. I am a part of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), Neuroscience Club, Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology, Phi Sigma Pi Honor Fraternity, and an International Student Volunteers student representative on campus. These clubs and organizations have been great resources not only for building my resume, but also for making friendships with peers who have similar interests.

3.     Can you tell us specifically about the International Student Volunteers (ISV) program and how you found it?

International Student Volunteers (ISV) is an organization that promotes volunteering overseas (Africa, Costa Rica, Thailand, Ecuador, ect). I traveled to South Africa and the Dominican Republic to help build a school for children and teach them English and basic hygiene. My job as an ISV student rep is to promote the program on campus. It was through another ISV student rep, who talked to my biology class and sent around flyers for interested students, that I actually found this program when I was a freshman. This is an amazing program for people who are willing to take risks and have a passion for helping others.

4.     What was your recent experience at the volunteer fair, coordinated by the Volunteer Resource Center?

The volunteer fair was very helpful because it showcases the many volunteer opportunities available, and that there is something for everyone. Some organizations that sparked my interest were the Peace Corps and the Women’s Health Center. The volunteer fair was a great way to get more information about different organizations as well as how to get started in volunteer work.

5.     How has pre-health advising been helpful for you?  How do they work?

Pre-health advising has been the most helpful utility I have used in order to stay on track for getting into medical school. There is a pre-health website that provides useful information about the admissions process, committee letters, MCAT prep, and medical school prerequisites. Before meeting with my pre-health advisor I had no idea how many steps are involved in applying to medical school. My advisor helped me make a timeline to organize when to take certain classes (Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics) and start working on committee letters and MCAT prep. Without the pre-health advising center I would have felt lost during the application process.

The Basics of a Resume

By Kelsey McWilliams, Marketing Intern at CU-Boulder Career Services

Whether you have an old resume that you’re looking to spruce up or writing a resume for the first time, these basic steps will give you a great start! The task of writing a resume may seem daunting at first, but as soon as you get going you’ll see that it’s not as tough as you think. Resumes are absolutely crucial if you’re searching for jobs or internships, applying for scholarships or graduate school, attending a career fair, or networking with a potential employer.

Layout

- 8.5 x 11, white paper with black ink

- ONE page, ONE side only – if you need more room, widen the margins

- Simple and easy to read font (I recommend going basic with Times New Roman)

- Your name (14-16 pt. font) and the rest of the text (10-12 pt. font)

Contact Information

- Your first, middle and last name should be centered at the top of the page (no nicknames)

- Also at the top of the page should be your address, cell-phone number, and e-mail address (make sure your email address is simple and professional – your Colorado email is perfect. Do NOT use something like buffsfan4lyfe@aol.com)

Education

- List your educational information first – high school information is optional

- It should look something like this:

University of Colorado Boulder                                              May 2014

B.S. Journalism, French Minor, GPA: 3.6

- Add your cumulative GPA or major GPA only if it is above a 3.0

- List your expected graduation date on the right hand side of the page as shown above

- Optional: include relevant coursework or academic projects if they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for

Work Experience

- Use present tense for positions you currently hold and past tense for all previous experiences

- List your most recent experience at the top and work backwards

- Do not use personal pronouns (I, me, my, you, etc.)

- Always include: title of position, name of organization, location of work (city, state), dates of employment (include months and years), description of work experiences, emphasis on skills and achievements

- Basic formula to follow when giving a description of each job: ACTION VERB + TASK = RESULT/OUTCOME

Examples: “Executed press mailings, maintained key databases, wrote and edited client press materials."

Volunteer and Leadership Experience

- Volunteer experience is incredibly important no matter what type of job or internship you’re applying for

- Check out CU’s Volunteer Resource Center if you’re still looking for opportunities

- Organize your volunteer experience in a bulleted list that includes the names of the organizations you’ve worked with

- Leadership experience includes positions you’ve held within student government, clubs on or off campus, extracurricular activities, honor societies, fraternities or sororities, and anything else you’re involved in as a leader

 

Honors and Awards

- Example: Dean’s List Spring 2011, National Honors Society, etc.

Skills

- Example: Proficient in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator, fluent in French

When creating your resume it is important to remember that the main purpose of a resume is to land an interview. Most employers will initially spend about 30 seconds (or less) reading your resume. Thus, you want to ensure that you have carefully outlined how you are a match for the position. Employers are looking not only for what work you have done, but what skills and experiences you will bring to their company.

For an even more in-depth look at resume writing check out the quick tips on our website (they’re absolutely worth reading) as well as sample resumes we’ve posted for your convenience!

Introducing: Career Buffs

By Kelsey McWilliams, Marketing Intern at CU-Boulder Career Services

Career Buffs is CU-Boulder Career Services’ online job, internship and event database. Career Buffs is exactly the same as Career Services Online (CSO), but with a new and improved name!

Career Buffs is a FREE resource for CU-Boulder students and alumni seeking jobs and internships as well as those interested in attending Career Services events.

Career Buffs allows students and alumni to:

- Apply for jobs and internships online

- Access an Employer Directory of over 11,000 organizations who post jobs on our site

- View On Campus Interview schedules and Employer Information Session dates and times

- Find information about and register for our Career Fairs and other events

Career Buffs is available to you forever. Yes, even after you graduate! It’s quick and easy to open your account.

Follow these simple instructions to sign up:

1. Disable pop-up blockers on your computer before you register or log in.

2. Click “New Users Click Here” (in the left column login box): http://careerservices.colorado.edu/public/

3. Fill out personal and demographic information; follow screen prompts to complete your profile. At the bottom of this profile screen, you will be asked to enter your CU student ID number. Click register when complete.

4. Click “continue” after all required information has been entered.

5. Click “submit profile.” Once registered, log in to Career Buffs using the login box.

Click here for more tips on using Career Buffs or call our Help Desk at 303-492-4100

Once registered with Career Buffs, you will get weekly e-mail updates on internship and career fair dates, application deadlines for on-campus interviews, special presentations and other career-related events. Another bonus to signing up is a nifty printed nametag when you attend our Career and Internship Fairs! Please check out these resources as well!

Welcome Back!

By Kelsey McWilliams, Marketing Intern at CU-Boulder Career Services

Welcome back to school everyone! We hope that your first day of classes went well yesterday and that you’re happy to be back in Boulder. We at Career Services are very excited for the upcoming semester, which will be filled with resume workshops, targeted networking events, employer information sessions, and our Fall Career and Internship Fair on Tuesday, September 25.

Career Services is CU-Boulder’s career center focused on helping students of all majors and years, including alumni plan, prepare and promote their careers. We also partner with local and national employers to bring a variety of internships and jobs to our qualified applicant pool. Our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages (and of course our blog as well!) are brimming with career-related advice and resources.

We assist students from the beginning of their freshman year until years after graduation. So if you’re debating what to major in, searching for a job or internship, preparing for an interview or applying to graduate school please come in and visit with one of our career counselors.

To schedule an appointment with a career counselor call 303-492-6541, schedule online if you are a CU-Boulder undergrad, or come in during our walk in hours from 1:30pm – 4pm Monday through Thursday.

Career Services is located on the third floor of the Center for Community (C4C), Room N352.

Our Hours

Monday – Thursday: 8am – 7pm

Friday: 8am – 5pm

We know you’re thrilled about being back in town, but don’t let your excitement about the first weekend of school get the best of you. Be conscious about making smart decisions that will benefit your future!

What would I do without Career Services?

By Amanda Barrell, news-editorial journalism major at CU-Boulder

Now that I am settled into my job, I find myself asking this in retrospect. What would I have done without the caring and dedicated staff at CU’s Career Services Center?

Six months ago, I started a job at CU with a temporary contract working at an information desk.  As I would come to discover, the job was… not what I was expecting.  I never seemed to find enough tasks with which to fill my time, and I rarely felt accomplished at the end of the day.

I sought help from CU’s Career Service office where I began a friendship with two of the employees, who happened to have a strong connection with the Boulder Chamber. They helped me look for a job that would not only keep me busy, but would also leave me feeling of fulfillment and importance. 

With the help of the employees at the Career Services office, I tightened up my resume, wrote an engaging cover letter and applied for several promising positions.  Most recently, the people I had befriended let me know about a job opening with the Boulder Chamber of Commerce.  With my much-perfected resume and cover letter, I applied for the position and was asked to come in for an interview. They offered me the position that same day!

With my skills and the wonderful assistance and encouragement from everyone at Career Services, I was able to land the job and started my first day of work this week with the Boulder Chamber of Commerce.

Everyone at Career Services was so encouraging and helpful.  I really don’t know what I would have done without them. I would highly recommend a visit to Career Services to anyone looking to land a great job or to learn how to succeed in today’s competitive job market.

Using Career Services After You Graduate!

By Brittany Moore, senior business marketing and broadcast news major at CU-Boulder

CU Boulder’s Career Services is unique among career centers across the nation because its services are available even after you graduate. Our office is always open to alumni, allowing them access to all services including career counseling, free job fairs and other networking events, continuous access to Career Services Online (CSO) job postings, and much more!

Career Counseling

Career Services welcomes all alumni to visit the office for counseling as they begin or continue their professional careers. One of the counselors at CU’s Career Services office is Lea Alvarado, who works specifically with alumni to help them address concerns after college.  She works with Forever Buffs, the Alumi Association's initiative to engage alumni. Lea develops career programs, events, and one-on-one counseling specifically for alumni both locally and across the country.  Alumni are allowed two free career counseling sessions. There is a $30 fee for each additional session, for up to four sessions. Alumni are allowed a total of six sessions per year.  For more information on alumni career counseling please contact Lea Alvarado.

Career fairs and other events

Every week Career Services hosts a variety of events catered towards students and alumni.  Some events held include: job fairs, networking nights, employer coffee or lunch events, workshops, and more!  All of these events aid in helping students and alumni transition to professional world, building professional skills and networking opportunities. 

The All Colorado Alumni Career Fair is coming up on June 12, from 2-5pm at the Marriott Denver Tech Center. Registration is open on CSO, so register today!

To see the list of additional events, such as the Alumni Assessment Series and the Nuance of Networking workshop, click here.

Support through social media outlets
There are a variety of ways to find support after you graduate. Career Services and their social media outlets are just a few of those support systems. Check out these additional ways to stay connected after you graduate.

The University of Colorado Alumni LinkedIn group is a great way to join your fellow buffs and make connections worldwide! See the additional social channels, including chapters here.

Engage with Forever Buffs on Facebook ,Twitter, YouTube and pin them on Pinterest.

CSO

CSO is a unique online service that provides information on Career Services, events, on campus interviews, an employer directory, and an exclusive job listing database specifically for CU students and alumni.   The employer directory consists of in depth information about all the companies and employers Career Services has ever worked with (that’s a lot!).  This resource gives you easier access to current information about relevant companies you may be interested in.  In addition, CSO lists over 1200 jobs catered specifically to CU-Boulder students and alumni. There are new job postings added every day and we encourage you to constantly be checking the site!

Other Services

- Mock interviews

- Resume critique and workshops

- Professional social media tips, critiques, and workshops

For more information about Career Services you can visit our website and additional alumni information. Call to make an appointment with Lea or any of the other counselors, and visit our office!

Career Services Office: C4C N352

Phone: 303-492-6541

Hours: 8am-7pm Monday-Thursday & 8am-5pm Friday

Summer Hours: 7:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday