Resume and Interview WorkshopThe Pennsylvania State UniversityActuarial Science ClubWednesday, September 9th, 2015

Agenda

• Career Fair is Coming!!!!

• Preparing Your Resume

•How to knock their socks off in the

interview

•Where to go for more help

• Resume Reviewing

Career Fair is Coming• Monday, September 21st, 4:30pm – 8:00pm, Business Building

Atrium• 35+ Companies Attending!! • Full-Time Jobs, Internships• Remember to pay dues!

Upload Your Resume!! – Do it by Friday, 9/11/15• Smeal Students – Put your resume on Simplicity• Eberly Students – Put your resume on SciOpps• Seniors – Put your Resume on NLCN• If you don’t know how, easy to Google and follow directions

Is your resume ready?

• If not, you are in the right place• Tonight we will focus on actuarial- specific resume building• Resources• Penn State Career Services• Smeal Corporate Connections• Club Website – Sample Resumes

Purpose of the Resume

• A resume is for getting an interview• An interview is for getting a job

• Give highlights and relevant details, but don’t get bogged down – you can elaborate in the interview• You have 30-60 seconds to make an

impression• Show value to the employer: put yourself in

their shoes and ask yourself, “why do they care?”

What’s in a resume?• Objective/Personal Profile – Who? What?

• Unless yours is unique, this can be optional

• Education – School, major, GPA, accomplishments• If your GPA is <3.0, strongly consider also listing your major GPA if it is higher• Do not round your GPA (a 3.46 is not a 3.5)

• Exams – Passed and/or future sittings• Highlight this in its own section• Highlight VEEs underneath if you like

• Work Experience – Internships and previous jobs• Don’t use bullet points to just list what you did – focus on communicating value to

the employer

• Leadership/ Service /Activities – Clubs, intramurals, and/or other interests• Demonstrates initiative, time management skills and personality

Resume Gap Analysis• How can you become a stronger candidate?

• Identify gaps in your resume early in college

• Find opportunities at Penn State to fill them• Ex: Find a club that interests you and pursue a

leadership role

• Fill white space

FAQs• If I passed an exam, where should I put that

on my resume?• Make it stand out• In its own section or under “Education” with your

anticipated Penn State degree, often the first section of your resume

• Don’t forget to mention VEE credit too

• If I have taken all of the courses required for VEE credit but have not yet applied to the SOA/CAS for credit how can I show that on my resume?• Use can the terms “met course requirements” or

“completing course requirements”

FAQs• If I have passed an actuarial exam, should I list

my score?• Your score is not necessary and is usually considered

private information (therefore unless you got a 10 and really want to put it on, you don’t need to)

• For most/all situations, the term “passed” will suffice

• If I have registered for but have not yet taken an actuarial exam, how can I put that on my resume?• List the exam, then the term “sitting” and the

date/month for which you are registered

FAQs• If I failed an exam, should I still put the attempt

on my resume?• If you are registered to take the exam again, we

recommend that you mark on your resume that you are sitting for the upcoming exam…. Or don’t mention it at all.

• If I am an international student with permanent residence, should I mention that on my resume?• Yes, if you are a permanent resident, put that near

the top of your resume. If you are not, don’t put it on your resume but inform the employer honestly about your visa status if asked.

Tips

• Eliminate all spelling and grammatical errors

• Focus on transferrable, intangible skills learned from non-actuarial jobs more than technical skills

• Use strong wording

• Keep it organized

• Make it easy to read – make sure your accomplishments stand out

• Every line should demonstrate value to the employer

• Have several trusted sources look over your resume for constructive criticism

Purpose of the Interview

• An Interview is for getting a job! • Show that you are more than some facts on

a piece of paper – show off your personality!• Learn as much as you can about the

company and position you’re interviewing for – you are interviewing them too!• You both want to see if the match will be a

good fit• Show value to the employer: put yourself in

their shoes – Why should they hire you instead of the next Joe Shmoe?

Before the Interview• Do your research on the companies you’re interested in

• Dress for Success• During the Interview and Career Fair – Business Professional

• This means Suit and Tie, Polished Dress Shoes • Don’t forget your socks…

• During Info Sessions – Business Casual• Understand the difference!

• Smart Casual ≠ Business Casual ≠ Business Professional

Researching a Company• Go to the company’s info session

• What is their internship program like?• Find aspects that make it stand out• Review the skills they are looking for

• Company information• Lines of business• Recent initiatives

• Ask good questions• Chance to show off your knowledge about company

(without going over the top)• Evaluate whether the company is a good fit

• Be ready for “why do you want to work for us?” question

Key to a Successful Interview

Anticipate the questions you’ll be asked!!

The Interview

• Traditional• Behavioral• Case• Analytical

• 1st round: usually on-campus or by phone• 2nd round: usually on-site

Traditional Questions

• Tell me about yourself.• Why do you want to be an actuary?• What makes you interested in our company?• What accomplishment are you most proud of? • What are your strengths/weaknesses?• Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?• Tell me about [something on your resume].• What was your preparation strategy for the

last actuarial exam you took?• What was your favorite/least favorite course

that you’ve taken?

Behavioral Questions• Tell me about a time when you…• demonstrated leadership.• went above and beyond.• made a suggestion that was implemented.• worked on a team with someone who didn’t pull

their weight.• made an unpopular decision.• made a mistake.• failed at something the first time and tried it again.• balanced multiple commitments.• solved a conflict.

Case Questions• 30-45 min interview• Presented with a business problem• Collaborate with your interviewer to arrive at a solution• Assesses your thought process in solving business issues

Analytical Questions• How many taxi cabs are there in NYC?

• Could I fit a stack of pennies as tall as the Empire State Building in this conference room?

• How many windows are there in the business building?

• You won’t know the answer – just talk through your reasoning!• They’re looking for your logic, not the final answer

(but an answer that’s close definitely helps!)

Other Questions• Be prepared to talk about an industry trend, company news,

or a popular topic in the company’s field.

• Be prepared for: “Explain a concept you learned recently in class to someone who isn’t an actuary.”This one is really common!

Professional Attitude• Respectful yet relaxed• Confident but not arrogant• No matter how qualified, you’re still an unproven

entry-level candidate; act like it• Portray that you are willing to learn

• “Would I want to work with this person?”• Make the interview conversational and personable

General Tips• Pause to collect your thoughts • Give concise and detailed answers• Don’t ramble• Don’t complain or make excuses• Don’t speak negatively• Don’t fret if one or two questions don’t go well• Ask good questions• Mock Interview…Practice

Thank You Follow-up• Send a “thank you” note/e-mail to everyone who

interviewed you• Remember to get contact information• Personalize each message – recruiters can spot

canned responses• Be concise – recruiters are busy!

FAQs• If I already received/accepted an interview with my dream

company, should I cancel a second round interview with another company?• We asked many recruiters, and in general, they responded that

you should respectfully cancel a second round interview if you’ve already accepted somewhere else, but you should still attend (and show interest in) an interview if you have not accepted elsewhere. Who knows – maybe you’ll end up loving this company after all!

Recap• Communication skills / Personality / Leadership

• Extracurriculars – focus on transferrable skills• Leadership positions

• Dedication to an actuarial career• “What made you want to be an actuary?”• Prior internships• Attempted exams• Major

• Technical skills• Passed exams• GPA • MS Excel, MS Access, VBA, coding experience

• Time Management (work-exam-life balance)• Responsibilities outside of the classroom (work, extracurriculars)

• Evaluate Fit• Are you right for them?• Are they right for you?

Resume Reviewing

•Now is your chance to have your resume individually reviewed by an officer of the club

References• http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/assist.shtml• http://www.events.psu.edu/cgi-bin/cal/webevent.c

gi?cmd=opencal&cal=cal13• See this site for numerous events hosted by Career

Services

• http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/actsci/Tips.html• See our Resume page for sample resumes and

templates