Sacramento State’s Career Center will offer students the opportunity to perfect their resumes with a resume clinic from noon to 3 p.m. on Wednesday in the Union Ballroom.

Students are able to bring in their resumes for critique by industry professionals as well as receive critical tips on how to build a successful resume.

Candace McGee, coordinator of the event and Internships and Student Employment Program Manager, said that each student should drop by for a critique because, “there’s always room for improvement (in every resume),” McGee said.

“Students don’t realize that resumes are just to get you the interview. They don’t just get you the job. They are a way to showcase their skills and work experience,” McGee said.

In order for a resume to do its job successfully, the appropriate information needs to not only be present, but interesting as well. McGee said that resumes should be tailored to the job the students are applying to.

Eva Gabbe, manager of employee relations and recruitment, agrees with McGee that “skill set and work history should be related to what you want to do.”

It’s important to make your resume competitive if you want to stand out. Ensure that you mention the different programs you are involved with that may help you snag a related job.

“Students should realize that they can put their community involvement, clubs and organizations on their resume. Students also shouldn’t forget about related coursework,” McGee said. “Now, (employers) look at club involvement. They also look at GPA if you include it.”

McGee said the resume clinic has been successful in past years, servicing approximately 130 students last semester.

“We’ve had high success with several resume formats. One is chronological and another is a combination-skills format,” Gabbe said. “Pick out three skills that are related to the job you are applying for. Also, include related classroom projects and skills.”

Ashley Robison, a 2009 Sac State graduate and accountant at Gallina LLP, has seen several resume mistakes committed by candidates applying at her company.

“We’ve seen candidates applying for internships and forgetting that their appearance expresses who you are, just like resumes,” Robison said. “I’ve seen a lot of interesting grammatical errors; obvious stuff like people not getting their street address right. And keep it clean. Not too cluttered.”

To avoid such accidents on your resume, bring copies to the drop-in resume clinic for free. The Career Center also has a career fair Sept. 29 in the University Ballroom.

In the coming spring semester Sac State’s Career Center will also host several student-oriented programs like Dress for Success, Job Search and interviewing pointers.

Kayla Oliveiro can be reached at [email protected]