Project 02

One of the most important things that I have learned throughout my life and especially the job search process is the importance of first impressions. It is important to note that not all first impressions are made when you meet someone face to face for the first time; recruiters or those reviewing your job application will immediately cross you off their list if your resume does not satisfy what they are looking for. While it is obviously important that your skill set and other requirements such as GPA and experience to match, I would argue that the layout and presentation of the information on your resume is more important. One career advisor once told me that, during her role as a talent recruiter, if she was reviewing resumes and she came to one that was not easily readable and was hard to follow, she wouldn’t even bother to look at the applicant’s name, she would place the resume directly in the “NO” pile. Continuing with the conversation I had with that same advisor, she also stressed the importance and lack of importance of a cover letter. She told me that, oftentimes, cover letters are simply there to “check a box.” If an applicant fills out a required cover letter and they do not make any errors within it, such as addressing it to the wrong company, they simply satisfy a requirement, it will not put them ahead of any other applicants. However, if you neglect to submit a cover letter, it will not come across well and you will leave a bad first impression. These points I have made seem very simple, and are often overlooked and for that reason I thought they were the most important within our Job Search Guide.

           I do not necessarily think that colleges should change their curriculum to adjust to the job search process. To me, this seems like taking an easy way out. In school, there are essentially two types of teachers, those who teach for the test and those who teach so that students learn. I believe that those who teach so students learn are much more effective. I view college as an overall learning experience and I believe that employers know that and are looking for well-rounded individuals, not just those who are masters of the interview/application process. I cannot speak to whether or not the Notre Dame CSE program should change as I am an Arts and Letters student majoring in Economics with a minor in Computing and Digital Technologies. That being said, I am not applying for the same technically based jobs as CSE students. Therefore, I have never, and probably never will experience a technical interview. Every interview I have gone through, for internships and jobs, have been entirely behavioral. In those interviews, I do speak to my technical experiences in my Computing and Digital Technologies, but I have never had to prepare for or preform a technical task for an interviewer. I believe that recruiters are often looking for a well-rounded individual who is willing to learn on the job and that will be easy to work with. As long as someone is looking for in the same fields as me, if they have those qualities, they are a good candidate.