Expanded information about the assignment
You are going to create an actual resume for yourself that you may use to help you find a job this summer. I understand that some of you are just in your first or second year of college and feel that you don't have anything to write on a resume. It may be true that you don't have a lot....but you are to learn how to showcase what you do have. This assignment may also help you to realize that you need to begin to get relevant experiences this spring and summer so that when you are updating your resume prior to graduation you have a strong one. Any time you send someone a copy of your resume you should always include a cover letter. Nevertheless, for this assignment, only the resume is wanted. For this assignment you are to submit the hard copy, printed resume so you and I can see how it actually looks. Plain white paper from the computer lab is fine; there is no need to spend extra money for special paper at this stage in your career. It is due by midnight on the assigned date, but by class is better.
How do I suggest you begin, if this is your first attempt at a resume?
 | Start by reading the information on the Career Services web site about resumes. |
| Go to S-120 Henderson south and see resources on the table. There are sample resumes from underclass nutrition majors in the NUTR 170 binder. Among the many resources for NUTR 370 is a binder with resumes of seniors in nutrition. Look at those also to have a goal of what you hope yours can be in your final year. Notice that few, if any, items from high school are included other than actual work experiences. Under the Education category just list Penn State University with expected graduation date. The fact that you are now in college implies you graduated from high school so you do not include your high school graduation information. If your objective in this resume is to find a summer job related to food and nutrition, then you might want to fill some space with "relevant college courses." Don't forget to include your computer skills, especially if you are taking CMPSC 100 or have attended some of the Sunday afternoon free computer classes in Wagner Building. Notice how nutrition majors have described their work experiences in food service or other jobs. Take notes on what you see. |
| Now begin a draft of your resume. I recommend that you just use a standard word processing program rather than a specialized resume program with templates. You can adjust the size and style of the font to make your resume special. If you are unsure about that, you could go to 7 Sparks for assistance or talk with a consultant at one of the other CAC labs. Save your draft and print it. |
| Check out the Career Services resume seminar schedule and attend one that suits you. If you have a draft of your resume you can bring it with you and show it to the career counselor for advice at the end of the seminar . |
| Return to your computer to make revisions. Print the most recent version and take it to the intake counselor at Career Services in 214 Boucke for additional feedback. You may also want to refer to some of the resume resources they have. |
| Finally, make more revisions to your resume. Save it on disk and print a copy to submit for the assignment. Know that you will be doing a resume for ENGL 202 in a year or two and, if you are an applied nutrition major, you will have a resume assignment for NUTR 370 in the fall of your senior year. It is recommended that everyone update their resume at least once a year. This is just your first attempt. You will delete material that seems less important as the years go by and you have new experiences and honors and jobs to include. |
Feb. 8: Write a letter addressed to a nutrition professional to request an appointment for an informational interview. Save your letter as <yourlastname>. Email the letter to me as an "attachment." To do that in Eudora, and click on the paperclip icon "attach document" and a window will appear so you can scroll through your document files until you find the filename <yourlastname>; click on "attach" and you will be back in Eudora with your letter attached to the email. Then send it to me with N170 yourlastname in the subject line. You are encouraged to revise that letter and actually use it for your interview request. You may want to include your resume when you mail the letter. Unless your permanent residence is in Centre County, the nutrition professional you interview must be outside Centre County.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about this assignment:
| How do I find a nutrition professional to write to ask for an
informational interview? If you can't use your home town networking contacts through parents and parents of friends to identify a nutrition professional then I'd suggest simply using the yellow pages of the phone book. Look up hospitals and/or nursing homes and call a few to ask the name (and how to spell it) of the clinical nutrition manager. At that phone call you don't actually talk to the dietitian...you just need the name and address for the letter that you will write. |
| What do I say in the letter? The letter must be in standard business format. Unless you already know the person, use the "title" and last name in the "salutation" (e.g. Dear Ms. Jones:) You should identify yourself as a Penn State student, but don't start out "My name is...." because the reader can look to the bottom of the letter to see your name in the signature. Say something about yourself in relation to the letter request, for example "I am considering a major in nutrition and want to learn more about career possibilities after graduation." Then make your request: "May I have an appointment for an information interview with you?" If the reader has not had this kind of request before, s/he may appreciate an idea about what you want to discuss: "I am interested to know your educational background, your career path to your present job, and what you do in your current job. If you have any advice for me I would appreciate it, too." It is important to say when you hope the interview can be held: "I will be home for our spring break from March __ to __ so I hope we can meet then at your convenience." It is ESSENTIAL that you say you will follow up your letter with a phone call; do NOT ask the person to phone you. "I will phone you next week to see if an informational interview will be possible for you and to arrange a time." [If you send your letter, you MUST make that follow-up phone call.] Close with "sincerely" or other formal closing. Leave space to sign your name and then type your name below that. There are some examples of letters in 1 HHD East in the NUTR 170 resource binder. |
| How do I write a standard business letter? The link to the Career Services page on "letters for the job search" should give you help in writing a letter in standard business format. Based on the assignments I received last year, I believe many of you have never learned how to write a business letter. Writing a professional business letter is an important skill. You need to learn it. |
| Your return address (can include your name and/or your phone number if you want) |
| The date |
| The full name, title and address of the person to whom you are writing |
| The "salutation" using the person's "honorific" (Ms. Dr.
Mr., etc.) and last name followed by a colon <:> For example:
Dear Ms. Dietitian: The "body" of the letter (usually 2-3 paragraphs. |
| The closing ("Sincerely,") with space to sign the
letter and your full name typed below. |
| Are there picky rules about how to send the assignment? YES. You are to save your letter in your word processing directory with your last name as the name of the document. Follow the directions on the assignment page about attaching the letter document to an email that you will send to me. Remember to follow the precise directions about the subject line of the email (N170 yourlastname). You do not have to write anything in the message area of the email to me unless you want to. This is due by midnight of the due date. |
Mar. 22: E-mail (subject: N170 yourlastname) a report of your interview with a nutritionist. Include the person's full name, address, phone number, title, colleges/internship attended and degrees earned). How did s/he decide to enter the profession and what path did his/her career take? What are the typical daily activities performed in the current job? What does the person like best/least about his/her job? What suggestions, if any, did s/he offer to you? What would you like/dislike about that job if it were yours? I hope you have had the courtesy to write a thank you letter to the nutritionist for taking time from his/her day to help you!
April 12: Start to create a professional portfolio. Purchase a "Presentation and Display Book" by ITOYA for about $7 from the Penn State bookstore or a 1/2-inch binder and about 10 plastic sleeves. The $7 ITOYA book has 24 plastic sleeves permanently bound into the cover and looks very classy. In your portfolio place a copy of your resume and examples of things you have created or documents that show your accomplishments. You will use this in NUTR 370 and on job interviews.
There are some examples of portfolios in S-120 Henderson south that were done by NUTR 370
students. This assignment is meant to get you thinking about saving examples of your
professional work to display in a portfolio as a way to illustrate your skills and
talents. Portfolios aren't just for artists anymore. Some futurists have predicted that
portfolios will replace resumes in the
future. I want you to be "ahead of the curve" and know what they are because you
have your own. If you are proud of your portfolio, I suggest you bring it with you to
interviews. If the interviewer asks you for more explanation about something that is on
your resume and also in your portfolio, you will be able to SHOW part of the answer.
Impressive!
This portfolio will contain the START of a collection of things you have
created. Type a short explanation caption to attach to each item if it
isn't self-explanatory. Ideas of what you could include are the following
Your resume typically goes on the first page
Your "advertisement" from NUTR 360 or other assignment from that class
The printout of the web page you created for NUTR 360
The printout of your personal web page you learned how to create from a class
A printout (handouts: 6 slides per page) of a PowerPoint presentation you developed
A page or two from your HRIM 330 pre- or post-production report that illustrates what you
were doing as manager
A menu from a restaurant where you were a cook for one or more of the menu items
A flyer you designed to promote an activity for your organization
The concluding page from your NUTR 358 Healthy Adult project
Protocol page from a research project you assisted
A page from a Nutritionist IV printout
Photo (and caption) of a display you created to educate the public on a nutrition or
wellness issue
Cut out article you wrote for Collegian or local newspaper
Certificate of an award you won or membership in an honor society
Letter of thanks for volunteering at food or nutrition-related community service
organization
A nutrition education piece designed for Penn State's Housing and Food Service
Photos of a research poster session you helped to author
Abstract from NUTR 490W paper
Apr. 26: Email (subject: N170 yourlastname) an academic plan and extra-curricular plan for obtaining your post-graduate career goal. State your goal for the year following graduation. Semester-by-semester, including summers, list courses you intend to take, activities you intend to participate in and jobs you hope to hold which will help you obtain your first career goal. Include name of your academic adviser.
Academic Plan Assignment: further information
At this time of year, you have planned and maybe scheduled your courses for fall. Do you know what you will take for next spring and each semester after that until graduation? This assignment requires you to use your degree audit (so you will know what courses you still need to take), the spring and fall schedule of courses currently on the web (to estimate which courses are typically given in fall and which in spring), and your blue book (to check descriptions and prerequisites for classes you might need/want to take). Develop an academic plan to show how you can fit all the remaining courses needed on your audit into a particular summer session or semester. You need to check to be sure you will have the prerequisite by the time you are ready to take the class. You also need to check to be sure the course will be offered in the semester you want it. Total the number of credits proposed for each semester, is it OK for you?
In addition to planning your academic classes, you should also list by name the kinds of extracurricular activities and/or work experiences you plan to have each semester or summer to help you reach your career goal. All of this information is to be written into the body of an email message. At the top of the message state your (1) name and your (2) goal for the year following graduation and (3) the name of your academic adviser. Don't forget to write N170 Yourlast name on the subject line of the email. Following is an example of the beginning:
Penny Student I want to be attending a dietetic internship the year after graduation. My adviser is Dr. Probart
Fall 2002
CHEM 34 (3)
NUTR 358 (1)
MGMT 100 (3)
AG EC 101 (3) -- to sub for ECON 2/4
CMPSC 100 (3) -- to sub for CMPSC 203
KINES 150 (3) --supporting course
Total= 16 credits.
In the fall I will attend Student Nutr Assn meetings and volunteer to be in charge of a committee if there is a chance to do that. I will have a part time job in the HUB eateries to get food service experience.
