Careers 
Career Advice
It is important to take an active role in finding a job that is a good match for you.
In this section, job seekers find articles written by our college recruiters that encompass topics such as searching for jobs, writing resumes, job interviews, navigating the Federal hiring process, communication, networking, how to make the most out of your internship and many more! Career service professionals will find this information as a helpful aid to pass along to their students.
Each month, a new topic will be covered. To subscribe to a mailing list and receive emails when a new topic is posted, email work@ferc.gov.
Sample topic: Resumes that Work
Most candidates create a resume designed to get an interview when what they really want is a job offer. With a well constructed resume, written to "get the job," you can guide the interview and give yourself an advantage over other candidates. During the interview you will have the answers to the questions right in front of you!
To create such a powerful resume, you need to target each specific job opportunity, organization, or industry. To effectively target, plenty of research is required. What are the job duties and what skills sets are necessary to perform the job well? What are the organization's values? What type of person is the hiring manager looking for? What type of competencies do employees in the industry posses?
There are a number of ways to acquire this information. The organization's website is a great place to start. Try turning the table and interview recruiters at career fairs! Network through your professors. Get to know others who are in the industry. Ask the question, "What should I put on my resume that would impress a hiring manager at your organization?" Ask for a job description or list of duties.
This initial research will become the background theme of your resume. Emailing an unsolicited resume will get better results if the recruiter does not need to figure out where you would fit in an organization. Do that work for them. The traditional way to accomplish that is a cover letter or through your email. Often times the resume is separated from a cover letter or note. A resume should be tailored to each organization based on the organizational values and needs.
Your resume should focus on your accomplishments. In your part-time jobs and summer internships you were hired for a reason. You completed projects. The projects had goals and objectives and solved current challenges. The project's goals and objectives are your accomplishments. When reviewing your past projects ask yourself 'Why?" "Why did they have me do that?" Be sure to articulate those accomplishments in your resume.
