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WEP Graduate/Faculty Networking Lunch Seminars

Planning for an Industrial Career

      Joyce E.

      Lingousky

      Lucent Technologies- Bell Labs
      Whippany, NJ
 

Job Search and Resume Writing 101

Engineering and Technology Degrees 1998

  • Bachelor's Degrees : 18.6% women        Total: 63,262        Women: 11,764
  • Master's Degrees : 20.3% women           Total: 30,212        Women: 6,125
  • Doctoral Degrees : 12.3% women           Total: 6,567          Women: 810
                                                        (48% foreign nationals)    (40% foreign nationals)
Bachelor's Degree's by discipline
 
  • Aerospace-1,291
 (15.8% women)
  • Agricultural- 691
 (28.2% women)
  • Archtitectural- 514                                  
(28.0% women)
  • Bio- 1,000                                         
(33.6% women)
  • Ceramic- 163
 (28.2% women)
  • Chemical- 16,492
 (32.8% women)
  • Civil- 10,478
 (20.6% women)
  • Computer- 7,362
 (15.7% women)
  • Electrical- 12,498
 (12.3% women)
  • Engineering Science- 1,027
 (21.9% women)
  • Environmental- 791
 (37.8% women)
  • General- 1,046
 (19.2% women)
  • Industrial- 3,587
 (27.7% women)
  • Marine/ Naval Architecture- 411
 (11.9% women)
  • Materials/ Metallurgy/ Welding- 889
 (21.4% women)
  • Mechanical- 13,420
 (12.2% women)
  • Mining/ Minerals/ Geological- 419
 (21.7% women)
  • Nuclear- 147
 (12.9% women)
  • Petroleum- 220
 (12.3% women)
  • Systems- 393
 (18.8% women)
  • Other- 432
 (22.0% women)
* Industrial includes Engineering Management, Manufacturing, and all other Industrial Engineering areas
 

Where the jobs are

  • Network, network, network!
  • Look at job posting on corporate web sites
  • Attend job fairs
Resume Writing Fundamentals
  • Resumes for college recruiters
  • Resumes for changing jobs    (The typical engineer changes jobs 5 times in a career.)
Why Write a Resume?
  • Helps you assess where you want to go/ what you want to do
  • Prepares you for questions you'll be asked in an interview
  • Acts as a memory jogger for the employer after the interview
  • Can help you get the job interview
The Resume Gauntlet
  • In medium to large companies, HR does the first round of resume selection; they select what resumes go to hiring managers
  • The typical resume will get about 30 seconds of consideration by HR
  • If your resume passes first cut, HR may conduct a quick telephone screening
Mechanics of Resume Writing
  • Simple font and white paper   (Helvetica or Times New Roman, 12 pt font)
  • Use straightforward language
  • Start with most recent experience and work back
  • Limit length to 1 page (never more than 2)
  • Emphasize your experience that's most relevant to the job you're seeking
To Help your resume make the first cut:
  • Omit the career objective
    (unless you are applying for a specific job and make your career objective match the job description)
  • Go heavy on action verbs, but light on fuzzy adjectives
    -Use verbs like improved, planned, redesigned, solved, etc. followed by a succinctly worded      accomplishment.                                                                                                                                  -Avoid adjectives like top- producing, inventive, hands-on achiever, etc.
  • Never write "References available on request"
Specifics Lucent HR looks for:
  • GPA of 3.0 or better
  • A diverse work pool
  • Good solid people skills
  • Proficiency in multiple languages
  • Relevant experience
Specifics Lucent Managers Look for:
  • Evidence of technical capability
  • Attitude- energy, learn quickly, team player
  • Your style is a good fit to the existing group
  • Potential for leadership capabilities
From "Learning to Lead":
    A leader creates a vision that people want to follow.
  • A leader engages your heart and spirit
  • A vision taps into embedded concerns and needs
  • A vision asserts what you and your colleagues want to create
  • A vision is something worth going for
  • A vision provides meaning to the work you and your colleagues do
  • By definition, a vision is a little cloudy and grand
  • A vision is simple
  • A vision is a living document that can always be expanded
  • A vision proovides a starting place from which to get more and more levels of specificity
  • A vision is based in two deep human needs: quality and dedication


 Cover Letters

  • HR reps ver impressed with cover letters- but only about 10% of hires used cover letters
  • Best if you have a specific person you are writing to- spelling her/his name correctly is critical
  • Gives you a place to elaborate on your resume
 Cover Letter Specifics
  • Write to a specfic person
  • Explain your interest
  • Describe your credentials
  • State what you can do for the company
  • Ask for an interview
  • Use a professional- looking letter format
Resume Killers
  • Hiring a resume writing service- they are obvious to the HR reps and are terrible
  • Spelling mistakes
  • Don't list anything you don't want checked into
True Resume Faux Pas
  • As indicated, I have over five years of analyzing investments.
  • Am a perfectionist and rarelu if if ever forget details.
  • Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year.
  • My goal is to be a meteorologist, but since I possess no training in meterology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage.
  • It's best for employers that I not work with people.
  • I was working for my mom until she decided to move.
  • I am loyal to my employer at all costs. Please feel free to respond to my resume on my office voice mail.
  • I procrastinate, especially when the task is unpleasant.
  • Note: Please don't misconstrue my 14 jobs as "job-hopping". I have never quit a job.

 

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