Additional Resources
Online resources for career planning.
Career Assessments
Career and Education Planning Solutions for Students/Recent Grads
Awato is a free, personalized assessment platform that helps Utica University students align their skills, personalities, interests, and values with an academic program and career path. By completing the variety of assessments, you'll gain greater self-awareness. We encourage you to make an appointment with your Career Coach to discuss your results! Sign in with your Utica email and password!
Jobs and Internships
Utica University's career management system is powered by Handshake. This system offers many features including:
- Access to internship and job opportunities from both our employer partners and from employers around the country.*
- The ability to create your professional profile and post your resume for employers to find and recruit you.
- Registration to The Center’s events and workshops, as well as employer events and information sessions.
- Scheduling appointments with your Career Coach and the Campus Employment Coordinator.
- A fully functional mobile app (search for Handshake), available in the App Store or GooglePlay.
Questions? Contact The Center or visit the help guide.
* Please note: While we review and vet opportunities from our employer partners, always be diligent about conducting your own review of all employers and their opportunities. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Likewise, never give out personal information like social security numbers, bank accounts, etc. If you believe an employer or an opportunity is fraudulent, notify The Center immediately.
An important first step in the job search process is the development of a professional resume, highlighting education, skills, experience, and qualifications. Make an appointment with a career coach in The Thurston Center for Career Readiness for an individualized resume critique.*
Cover letters are frequently used correspondence during the job search process. They typically accompany resumes and should be tailored to reflect the specific positions to which you apply. The Thurston Center for Career Readiness provides individualized critiques of cover letters.*
Interviewing and Thank You Letter Guide
An interview is your opportunity to communicate your experience, qualifications, personality, and enthusiasm about the position. The Thurston Center for Career Readiness can assist by conducting mock interviews and helping to prepare answers to commonly asked interview questions. After the interview, following up with a thank you letter is a professional and courteous gesture. The Center for Career and Professional Development will also critique your thank you letters.*
* A minimum of three business days is required for a document critique; time will vary based on critique volume.
Upstate Venture Connect (UVC)
UVC’s Talent Network connects job seekers to opportunities for significant wealth creation and rapid career advancement.
Connect Mohawk Valley facilitates on-the-job learning opportunities between high school students, college students and local businesses in the Mohawk Valley. Connect focuses on internships and apprenticeships.
Micro-Internships with Parker Dewey
Parker Dewey's "Micro-Internships" allow students to apply to remote, short-term, professional assignments, while also allowing companies to assess highly motivated students and recent graduates for fit, should there be full-time opportunities. These paid opportunities are non-credit bearing, typically range from 5 to 40 hours of work, can be completed year-round, and help students develop career readiness skills.
Leverage the world’s largest professional network to connect with opportunity. Use LinkedIn Jobs to harness the power of your network and get hired. LinkedIn Jobs surfaces insights such as whom you know at a company, providing you an edge in your job search.
Indeed is a job aggregator that pulls position postings from multiple sites and lists them in one convenient place.
ZipRecruiter is an online employment marketplace, powered by AI-driven smart matching technology, which connects businesses and job seekers through innovative mobile, web, and email services, as well as partnerships with the best job boards on the web.
U.S. Government's official site for jobs and employment information provided by the United States Office of Personnel Management.
Diversity Resources
The largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, the Human Rights Campaign also compiles a Corporate Equality Index, rating workplaces on LGBT policies and work practices.
Career Guides
Note: Printed guides with more information are available at the Thurston Center for Career Readiness.
Why are Resumes Important?
Resumes showcase your attention to detail, writing ability, and are often the first impression a potential employer will have of you.
Resume Sections
Personal Information
Personal information will be centered at the top of your resume. It will include your name, city/state in which you reside, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn URL. This information will remain the same for your cover letters and references page.
Education
Include the names of all schools from which you have received a degree. These will be listed with your most recent degree first. Include the school name,date of graduation (or anticipated graduation if you are currently enrolled), scholarships, honors, awards,your GPA, and relevant coursework.
Work Experience
Experience may be divided into two sections:Industry-Specific and Related. This will keep your most relevant positions at the top of your document.List paid and unpaid positions (such as internships and fieldwork) under these sections. Include the name of the organization, job title, location, the dates you were employed (Month & Year), your responsibilities, and any accomplishments or awards.
Campus Engagement
Include the names and positions held in clubs,University athletic teams, and organizations.
Additional Information
Include any certifications, training, professional development, and "hard skills" you have specific to your industry.
DOs
- Make your resume easy to read
Stick with one basic font in 11- or 12-point, use a simple format, and space evenly. - Integrate your skills into your work experiences
Contextualizing your skills within your experiences and job responsibilities gives employers an understanding of the scope of your impact. - Get specific
In your experiences section, describe what youdid, who you worked with, and what your impacts were. Quantify this information whenever possible.
DON'Ts
- Don't use an online template
Templates often include textboxes that are difficult for Application Tracking Software to read. Look over examples of resumes for your industry and create your resume in a blank document to ensure that it is formatted correctly. - Don't include references on your resume
Employers will ask for references when they want them. Keep a list of references with their name,title, and contact information handy. Ask all references for permission, ensure they have your up-to-date resume, and remember to thank them!
Why are Cover Letters Important?
Cover letters offer you the chance to explain, in detail, why and how your skills and experiences will be valuable to a potential employer.
Drafting a Cover Letter
Format
- Use a standard business letter format.
- Include the same header from your resume.
- Use an easy-to-read font like Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman.
- Set the font size to 11 or 12 point.
- Set margins to .75 or 1 inch.
Order of Content
- Header with contact information.
- The date you are submitting your application.
- The recipient's name and mailing address.
- Salutation (greeting).
- An introductory paragraph stating the role you are applying to, how you learned of the position, and a brief statement of why you're a strong candidate.
- 1-2 detailed paragraphs showing how your experience relates to the role you are applying to. Draw from both academic and professional experiences.
- A closing paragraph where you ask for an interview, leave your contact information and thank the reader for their consideration.
- Signature (especially if you send a hard copy).
- Your name, typed.
Additional Information
- Search company websites and social media to find the name of the hiring manager and address your letter accordingly.
- If you're unable to find their name, use "Dear Hiring Manager" as your salutation.
DOs
- Research
Learn about your prospective employer. Know their mission, history, products, competitors, etc. - Tailor your cover letter
A personalized, tailored cover letter will connect your experiences to the specific needs of your prospective employer. Have a job description handy to identify key words to include. - Be succinct and proofread your work
Cover letters should be no more than one single-spaced page. Re-read your letter to catch spelling and grammatical errors to make a good impression.
DON'Ts
- Don't use the same letter for every application
Employers can easily spot a generic cover letter. Doing this may seem like a time saver, but it will not help your candidacy. - Don't omit the cover letter
If you have the option to submit a cover letter (sometimes noted as "Additional Documents,") do so. This demonstrates that you are willing to go beyond what is expected of you and can make a good first impression with a prospective employer.
Contact Us
Carly Bonaventura
Carly Bonaventura
Director, Center for Career Readiness
(315) 792-3409
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