I'm scared I'll never get into med school now!

A reader writes:

"I have just gotten my 1st semester grades for my sophomore year and they are not good. I'm really scared, they are not good to the point where I have basically all c's. My first year of college I actually went to a different private institute and did well. My grade point average was about a  3.7 there, but then I decided to transfer to another school to pursue pre-med. Here we started on a clean slate. I didn't think that this school would be any different from my old school, but it was much more rigorous. It took me a while to get used to the change. Now I feel like its too late. I feel like I may not even have the chance to go any farther in pursuing my goal. I'm scared that I will never get into medical school now. What should i do?"

First off, don't freak out over one semester. It is NOT too late! When it comes to medical schools (or graduate or other professional schools), one term of bad grades isn't going to keep you from getting in by itself. 

At this point, it is very important that you consider how you can improve your grades rather than focus on the bumps in the road. A medical school is going to be looking for improvement the next semester or quarter, so that's what you should concentrate on.

Think about what you can do to have a better next semester and move forward. Examine your study habits, time management skills, and other time commitments. Practice a little trial and error to figure out what works for you. Also, check out these tips for dealing with and preventing academic difficulty. 

It is going to take hard work to put yourself in a better position for next semester, but ultimately that is what is going to help you be a successful applicant to medical school in the future. 

I'm wishing you a semester of academic achievement in the new year!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Should high school stuff come off your resume? Part IV

Another question about when should high school stuff come off your resume has popped up. A reader writes:

"So... What if you were Valedictorian of your High School? Would that be alright to include on an application in your sophomore year?"

Congratulations on your achievement of being your high schools's valedictorian. So, what have you done since then?

That's not a question I have for you, but a question a potential employer will be asking if they see a major high school achievement like that on your resume once you're in college. Remember, being the valedictorian was about having good grades, but potential employers care about experience more than grades.

But, of course, there are some exceptions to this. This high school achievement might be relevant to mention in a cover letter. For example, say you went to a prestigious magnet school well-known for its engineering curriculum and you're applying to be a math tutor for students interested in engineering, then you might want to mention it in your cover letter by tying it to the position.

Or, if you're applying for an internship or scholarship that asks about achievements, you can get away with listing it. Although in this case, college-based achievements will definitely make you a stronger candidate.

I know this is not what you wanted to hear, but without a strong connection like those above, it shouldn't go anywhere on an application.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

How do I keep personal info off my resume?

A reader writes:

"I'm having difficulties figuring out how I should word something on my resume. I would like to portray my time management skills and notable ability to multi-task, which is what helped me get through college. However, the problem that comes into place is that I was a non-traditional student with a child, held multiple jobs during some semesters and volunteered my time to other children who I would put on and get off the bus. Most of this information is personal information that should never go on a resume, especially a business (health care admin.) resume. 

The part of volunteering my time to children before and after school and also the ability to hold multiple jobs while in school isn't as personal, but, I would like to make known that I strongly exhibit these characteristics without revealing that I'm a mother, non-traditional student, and other personal traits. How would I word this on my resume when I'm giving examples? Also, I didn't job hop. I worked for one organization for 9 years. My wording above may portray it as though I'm a job hopper"

Ok, there are a few things going on here, so let's go through them one by one:

First, don't worry about being seen as a non-traditional student. Really, there is no way to "hide" this based on the amount of experience you will have coupled with your graduation date listed on your resume. Plus, in this economy it has become commonplace for people to go back to school, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Holding multiple jobs while in school also shouldn't be an issue and is usually seen as an asset by employers if you kept your grades up and gained experience. However, you might not want to list every single job you held during college on your resume. Your resume is a marketing document, not an exhaustive account of every job you've ever held, so you should be picking and choosing only the relevant experience to include.

You might find that being more selective with what goes on your resume solves the multiple jobs issue for you. This will also likely help you avoid the job hopper label you're worried about. In general, employers are worried about people how job hop from one career job to another--and that doesn't sound like what you're talking about. If you stayed at one organization for 9 years and held several part0time gigs during school, you shouldn't be perceived as a job hopper anyway.

As for the soft skills like time management and multitasking you got from volunteering,  they only belong on your resume when you can tie them to a specific experience where you gained or practiced those skills. But your sense that you shouldn't reveal personal information when trying to highlight those skills is right on.

Although, to be honest, I'm not sure how listing your volunteer experience would reveal that you're a parent or other personal traits. Without examples of your current wording, I would assume something like "Ensured 3 children ages 5-11 safely go on and off the school bus" would be listed on your resume for what you describe. You should definitely be able to talk about your volunteer experience without revealing personal information.

This is a lot to take in, but I hope this helps!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Should I mention my blog on my resume?

A reader writes:

"I had a question about my blog. Should I mention anything about it on my resume being it's unrelated to my career? I thought of listing some skills that I have gained through it, but not sure if I should actually mention that I am a blogger. Maybe just that I have experience with it and any business/ IT skills I may be fluent in due to blogging?"

Listing a blog on your resume when it is not related to your career can be tricky. Because it is not related to the jobs you are applying for, the number one thing to consider is how does your blog make you better qualified for a job?

Think about the skills and experience you've gained from blogging and how they relate to the jobs you are interested in. Have you promoted your blog, learned about SEO, or networked with other bloggers? These are all fairly common things for bloggers to do. If you're applying for a job that will require marketing skills, technical skills, or communication skills, highlight those skills by tying them to your experience from blogging.

However, if you don't see the connections between your blog and the jobs you're interested in, you should probably leave it off your resume.

One other thing to think about if your blog is not related, how does it reflect on you. By listing a blog on your resume, you're saying  two things: First, you are confident in your writing and communication skills. Second, that you are perfectly ok with a potential employer reading your blog and judging you based on its content. If you are in any way uncomfortable with those two things, definitely leave it off.

It might also help to think about this from the other side. If you were hiring someone and they included an unrelated blog on their resume, what would you think?

As another test, ask someone you trust to read your blog and give you feedback about how it reflects on you as a professional. If any of the feedback is unflattering or unsure, leave it off.

Bottom line, if you are going to list it, make sure your blog reflects on you well as a professional.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

What goes on resumes for parents re-entering the workforce?

A reader writes:

"I'm a first generation and low income recent college graduate. Right after high school, I got married and had children. After my second child, I decided to go back to school and get my degree. Being a full-time college student and a mother of 3 (I had another child while working on my degree), I didn't have a normal college experience. I was also only in 1 club, and didn't participate in very many activities throughout college. To be a mother and a college student, I had to have excellent time management skills, budgeting ability, and organizational skills, but I know that many employers will just look at the fact that I wasn't very involved in college. While I would have liked to have been more involved, I had to think of my family. I did make sure to always go to class and have excellent references from some of my professors because of my dedication to my education. How can I explain this to potential employers on my resume?"

First off, congrats on completing your degree while raising 3 kids! A lot of first generation and low income college students are also student-parents and it is no easy task. It truly does take "excellent time management skills, budgeting ability, and organizational skills;" however, your resume is not the place to showcase this parent-specific skill set.


So then what should go on your resume to fill the gap? Start with your academic experiences. Did you take any important classes, do any exciting projects, or conduct research? This classroom-based experience is totally fair game for your resume, as long as its relevant to the jobs you are applying for, so list classes and academic experience on your resume.


You mentioned that you were part of one club in college. If the activities of the club are related to your career goals, especially if you held a leadership position, definitely list it as well.


Also, think about any volunteer activities or major events you may have done for your kids. Maybe you were the treasurer for your daughter's soccer team or helped coordinate a neighborhood block party. Using these types of experiences allows you to make the connection between "excellent time management skills, budgeting ability, and organizational skills" and what an employer is looking for. You are much better off tying your skills gained as a parent to concrete activities outside of the home.


Check out Jobfully's blog on Resume Make-over: Returning to the Workforce, which I think has some good information about working on your resume when you are going back to work after raising a family.


Good luck!


Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Should I list classes on my resume? Part II

In response to Should I list classes on my resume? a reader writes:

"what about computer classes? I took several computer classes such as java, oracle, web development etc. etc. I have no real life job experience in those and even though I did well in those classes, I wouldn't say I could program. Should I list those even if I feel weak in those areas and if so, should I list that under experience or part of my education section?"

When it comes to listing classes on your resume, you want to think about it from the perspective of the person reading your resume. You only want to highlight classes that give you skills and experience related to the position you are applying for.

If you feel like the skills and experience you gained from your classes are "weak in those areas," you really shouldn't be listing them on your resume. For everything on your resume, you want to be able to back it up and you don't feel you can do that.

Alternatively, it would be appropriate to list the programming languages and computer skills you have in a "Skills" section rather than listing the classes under Education or Experience. The key here would be to include an estimation of your skill level, such as basic, beginning, intermediate, advanced, proficient, or expert.

Including a skills section might look something like this:

          SKILLS

          Languages: Conversational Spanish

          Programming Languages: Basic Java, Intermediate A++
          Computer: Basic web development

But, only list "hard" skills that are relevant to the position you are applying for. Hard skills are things like above, skills that are fairly easy to demonstrate and concrete. This is in contrast to "soft" skills--like communication and interpersonal skills--which are more context-based and difficult to demonstrate without really working with someone for a while.


Lastly, if you are applying for positions where programming languages or specific computer skills are needed and you don't feel confident about your skills, look for ways to improve your skills. You've already taken classes, so consider volunteering, reading books, or joining forums online where you can get more practice.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

How can I transfer from one university to another?

A reader writes:

"I want to transfer from UCLA to Stanford. Are there any tips? I know GPA and everything else is important. I really want to transfer as Stanford is my dream university."

Generally speaking, it is much more difficult to transfer from university to university compared to transferring to a university from a community college. The main reason for this is that university-to-university transfer students get the last bite at the apple. That is, university-to-university transfer students are admitted after incoming freshmen and community college transfers.

That being said, it is not impossible, but it is certainly a harder road to go down. To improve your chances of being admitted as a university-to-university transfer student, here are some tips you can follow:

First, contact the admissions office at the potential transfer institution immediately. Schools do not widely publicize the admissions process for university-to-university transfer students, so contacting them directly is likely to give you the best information to guide your journey.

When you are choosing classes at your current school, try to take classes as similar as possible to the requirements at the potential transfer institution. This will improve your chances of making a seamless transition from one school to another and prevent you from having to delay graduation.

Try to align your experiences at your current school with what you hope to do at the potential transfer institution. For example, if you want to join a particular student organization at Stanford and UCLA has a similar group, join it. Making connections between what you do now and what you hope to get out of transferring will help make your application stronger.

The last tips I have would be to try to enjoy your time at your current school. Although your mind is already at Stanford, you can't neglect your experience at UCLA. It is that experience that will help make you a competitive transfer applicant. Good luck!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Don't fall for a scam artist

In response to to Should I list classes on my resume?, a reader writes:

"My son just paid $700 to have a professional resume done. They listed all his courses in business management. Is this something new or did they do if for filler?"

Wow. First off, I'm really sorry that your son paid $700 for a "professional resume." Listing classes on a resume is not something new. The key is that classes should only be listed on a resume when they are relevant to the employer.

Also, I would be highly skeptical of a "professional" that charges $700 and includes all of a person's classes. Both of those are indications of a scam artist. I hope he is able to get another (free or low cost!) review of his resume.

Really, there is pretty much no way all of his classes are relevant. When classes that are not relevant are on your resume, that is filler. And filler is the kiss of death for a well-written resume. So, unfortunately, your son was ripped off. 

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Working with college students is awesome

Here is a dirty little secret about my profession: We advisors like to share "war stories" about our students. That's right, we talk about you. We don't share students' personal information, and never give names, but we do like to share the juicy details about students...

And occasionally, it might end up in a Facebook post. Check out the latest college student antics I read from a colleague:

"Why do I love my job? Because I get to have meetings like the one I did right before lunch, where the student decided to protest our not letting him study naked in the lounge by stripping down to his birthday suit as he walked out of my office."

Most of the students we deal with are average folks, but every now and then something outrageous like this happens. Working with college students is awesome!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

How would I list relevant classes in a cover letter?

A reader writes:

" How would I list relevant classes in a cover letter?"

I assume that this was in response to Should I list classes on my resume?, or maybe Can I list classes I haven't taken yet on my resume? Anyhow, there are two ways you can include relevant classes in a cover letter:

Your first option is to work the classes into the cover letter by relating them to the position or requirements. This might sounds something like this: "I am very excited to get my feet wet in design project management through your interior design internship. I've taken project management and an advanced design practicum, which complement my previous design experience and the grounding in design fundamentals you are looking for in an intern."

Your other options is to explain how the classes are relevant to set off a bulleted list. This one might look something like this: "I am very excited to get my feet wet in design project management through your interior design internship. I've taken several classes that will complement my previous design experience and the grounding in design fundamentals you are looking for in an intern:

• Project Management
• Advanced Design Practicum" 

Regardless of which option you choose, remember that you only want to incorporate classes into your cover letter when they are truly relevant to the position for which you are applying. Think about it from the perspective of the reader.

Ask yourself "Will he or she value the classes?" If the answer is "yes" then include it. On the other hand, if the answer is "maybe," "I'm not sure," or a resounding "no," you should not be including classes in your cover letter (or resume).

Happy cover letter writing!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

5 Myths About Student Debt

Student debt is a growing concern for many first generation and low income college students. And, sadly, there is a lot of misinformation floating around out there.

Instead of buying the hype, please check out 5 Myths About Student Debt from our friends over at HuffPost Education.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Listing continuing education classes on your resume

A reader writes:

"I know you have answered questions about putting specific classes & classes you will be taking in the future on your resume, but my question is slightly different... I am taking a gap year between high school and college and I don't have much education on my resume other than HS and an academic summer program. Although I'm not a "student" right now, I am taking two classes right now (continuing education courses) that are relevant to the places I am applying for internships/entry level jobs. If I list the classes at all, I'd do it upon completion. Should I do this at all? If so, how would that look? I am taking them at two different schools..."

You are a student if you are currently enrolled in continuing education classes and those classes are relevant to the things you are applying to. It is totally appropriate to list both "in progress" schools on your resume under Education. It might look something like this:

Education
ABC Community College & City College of XYZ
Event Planning Continuing Education
Spring 05/2012

• Relevant Coursework: Venue Contract Negotiations, Hospitality Management

Alternately, if you didn't want to list them on your resume, you can talk about the classes you are currently taking in your cover letter and how its relevant to the position, similar to this example.

Good luck making the most out of your gap year!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Take ownership of your grades, part II

Last semester I taught a class for first generation and low income college students on preparing for graduate school. Teaching this class also meant that I was grading students. I had a student (not-so-tactfully) disagree with some feedback I gave on an assignment.

But dealing with my student pales in comparison with an email one of my colleagues received. Check it out:

"Is there anyway you can possibly give me a high grade? I did try very hard in class but it was not able to translate my hard work onto the practicals.. I'm not asking for anything big, but to be raise to a C+ or a solid C please? I hope you have a great winter break as well. They will not accept me into Physical therapy school if I don't have a strong GPA. Please consider doing it out of the kindness of your heart."

EPIC. FAIL. Welcome to college, where you are expected to act like an adult and take ownership of your grades. This kind of behavior is totally out of line.

Professors and instructors do not give out grades, students earn them. As I've said before, you are responsible for your grades and what you did (or didn't do) to earn them. If you are in academic trouble or worried about how you're doing, work to prevent academic difficulty or deal with it appropriately.

As an instructor, I don't expect students to be happy with poor grades, but this email takes the cake... Please don't do this. EVER.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Should I list a previous school on my resume?

A reader writes:

"Should I list a school I didn't graduate from on my resume? I'm 24 and, after many setbacks, will be finishing up my Associate's degree soon. On my resume I list my current school and sometimes my previous school (it's an art school that I attended as a fashion major so I'll usually only list it if I'm applying for something fashion oriented). I attended from 2007-2009, right around the time the economy went down the drain, so I don't have any work experience for that time period. I figured showing that I was at least in school is better than it looking like I did nothing for almost three years of my life, but at the same time, I didn't graduate. Should I keep the previous school on to show that I was doing something during that time period or take the old school off? I'm afraid that the combination of not listing my previous school and only having a 7 year work history will make me come off younger than I really am and that'll work against me."

You're not alone in being a first generation or low income college student who ended up attending more than one school. Most of the time, you would not list a school that you no longer attend and didn't graduate from on your resume when that school is not related to the jobs you're applying to. But, if you are going to list your old school, try to make it relevant to the employer.

A great way to make you attractive to an employer even when the position you are applying for isn't related to your previous study is to tie your fashion skills to the position in your cover letter. Check out Ask a Manager's "wee answer Wednesday: 7 more short answers to 7 short questions," specifically question number 7 and the comment by Mike C. for awesome guidance on making the connection between unrelated areas relevant for employers so it can be an asset for you.

Also, at 24 years old with 7 years of experience, you really don't need to worry about coming off younger than you are. Many 24-year-olds do not have 7 years of experience, so if anything it would age you up instead of down.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Can I list classes I haven't taken yet on my resume?

In response to Should I list classes on my resume?, a reader writes:

"What do you do if you are taking relevant coursework in the Spring semester, long after the application is due? How do you include the Spring coursework on your resume?"

You should only be listing classes that you have completed or are currently taking on your resume, so it would not really be appropriate to list classes you have not yet taken.

I know you want that potential employer or internship coordinator to know what you are planning to take that matters to them, your resume is just not the place to do it. Instead incorporate it into your cover letter by tying those classes to the position for which you are applying.

For example, you might say, "I am very excited to get my feet wet in design project management through your interior design internship. Next semester, I will be taking project management and an advanced design practicum, which will compliment my previous design experience and the grounding in design fundamentals you are looking for in an intern."

The same way you should be tailoring a resume to the position or internship you are applying for, you should be doing the same thing with cover letters. Your cover letter is the perfect place to talk about classes that you are planning on taking when they are relevant to the position.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Get FREE business cards from InternMatch!

This is a guest post by Ashley, a first-generation college graduate. Ashley is the Community Manager for InternMatch, a free online internship database based in San Francisco, CA with positions all over.

As a first-generation college student I encountered many challenges when it was time to apply for internships. I didn’t know about the importance of interning, like that the majority of full-time employment offers are extended to students who have interned. I was also clueless about creating a professional cover letter and resume, finding positions that would be a good fit, and networking at internship job fairs.

Luckily for me, all was not lost! I discovered a great support system through my school’s career counseling office and professors. As a result, I completed several awesome internships in cool places like New York City and Cebu, Philippines. Now I’m the go-to girl for other people looking for awesome positions!

Many students don’t have the kind of support that I had, which is why sites like Ask an Advisor and InternMatch are such critical resources. It is our goal to make sure that the internship process is as effortless, effective and rewarding as possible - and that students are competitive for top positions.

This is why InrernMatch launched our free student business card campaign:

What's in it for you? InternMatch believes that every student should have a business card when interviewing with employers. Not only is it professional, but it's also a great way for you to demonstrate that you're serious about your career. It's also a unique way to standout among your peers.

You would be surprised at the number of students who don't have a business card! Once we realized this problem, we partnered with Moo.com to create this campaign.

Signing up is easy! First, register for a FREE InternMatch account. Once registered, you will be re-directed to a special page to begin designing your business cards, with the option to choose from hundreds of templates or design your own. Students often design cards based on their academic majors, extracurricular activities and hobbies.

In addition to free business cards, registered students will have access to InternMatch's over 4,000 internships with companies like CBS, Kiva, Yelp and Pixar - as well as access to lots of resources and how-to guides on applying for internships and tackling tricky interview questions.

What's in it for InternMatch? Nothing... We're just spreading some good karma! We know that students who complete internships are usually the most competitive for post-graduation employment. These resources prepare students to land their dream internship - and they’re also the first step toward their long-term professional development.

Finding internships means acquiring a slew of new skills, a process that often feels daunting in the beginning. However, once equipped with the tools needed to do well at job fairs and interviews, it becomes much less intimidating - even fun!

Business cards are not only easy and simple to create, but they’re also a great step toward getting ahead of the pack and InternMatch is excited to help!

As part of the campaign, InternMatch is offering to FREE custom design business card templates for student organizations. If your group is interested, please contact ashley@internmatch.com to take advantage of this limited time offer.

Got other questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.