One of the most important parts of applying for a job is a resume – you probably won’t even get to the interview stage without it.

Northern Kentucky University’s Career Development Center helps students develop their resumes in order to sell their skills to employers and obtain a job.

“Having a good resume is very important because you only have seconds to sell yourself to a firm who may have hundreds of applicants,” said Jeff Schwierjohann, Science Co-op Coordiantor.

“The main purpose of the Career Development Center is help with resumes. That should show you how important a good resume can be to a students career.”

Typically, a resume should be one page long, and accompanied by a well-written cover letter.

The CDC stresses that one of the most important things in applying for jobs is to know what you’re applying for and who you’re applying to.

Students should research the business or company to which they are applying and incorporate that information into their cover letter.

If you’re informed, it shows the company you’re interested in being an integral part of their workforce.

Besides, it makes you look responsible, on-the-ball, and professional. Knowing more than is expected will set an applicant apart.

There is a career counselor on duty at the CDC every week day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to Schwierjohann. Students can come in to get “help with resumes, cover letters, interviewing skills, etc.”

The Career Development Center works one-on-one with students to help the resume writing process go a bit smoother.

Schwierjohann said that the CDC sees a variety of students, from non-traditional students to students who have never held a job.

“[W]e help students to market themselves through their resumes. It should be the easiest document a student writes, but sometimes it seems like the hardest,” he said.

Schwierjohann said they often deal with students through e-mail. Many find it easier than talking in person.

The CDC , located in UC 230, is open from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and from 8:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

For students short on time, the CDC suggests going to Web sites for resume assistance, such as the following: Monster.com, HotJobs.com, and Jobstar.org.

Visit the CDC Web site at http://access.nku.edu/cdc/students.html.