Internship

[jMarkt]

Ok well I'm a college student attending DeVry University studying a BA in electrical engineering.

And for the past couple of months I've been trying to get an internship with Schlumberger or TI... and I still haven't gotten it!!

I mean.. I have the credentials and everything. I'm on the dean's list and I'm a sophomore and I've worked since I was 15.

What am I doing wrong?

[vashti]

I don't know how to put this delicately, but it may have something to do with your choice of "university". I *think* (and I could certainly be wrong) that your school is considered a diploma mill... I hope I am wrong. Can't you apply to a state university?

[jurupa]

I believe the main reason why your not getting internships is because your going to a place like DeVry for electrical engineering. You be better off either getting into an apprenticeship or a trade school or a college that has a major for this.

[jMarkt]

DeVry DOES have a major for electrical engineering.
and 90+ of eet graduates get hired within 6 months



perhaps it's still cuz i'm a sophomore..

[jMarkt]

anyone wanna edit my cover letter and intern resume?

[jurupa]

We are not saying DeVry does not have that major. What we are saying is companies may see DeVry and say no thank you. I have read lies about their stats to their students. When they say 90+ people get hired, do they actually say they get hired into a job that relates to their degree or just get hired because they have a degree?

Secondly, I just quickly look thru your resume and cover letter. I am going to be frank here, they both suck big time. Your resume is to long (a page max) as well as your cover letter (HR people do not want to read a book). And your layout for your resume sucks as well. As your currently layout for you resume is way to busy and distracting. Look at examples of cover letter and resumes online.

[jMarkt]

thanx for the bluntness. but I have looked at examples online and I based both documents on both of them.

and about devry, a know a few people who've graduated from devry and have gotten the job that they've wanted and studied for and so I'm just taking that from word of mouth.

[jMarkt]

well keep reviewing it please.

but I've only applied for Texas Instruments. I'm gonna try for Schlumberger, BP, Halliburton and such.

Hopefully I'll get it.

[vashti]

You can have a preofessional service write your resume for you. I won't bother to advise you about it since I don't know what people in your field are looking for.

[jMarkt]

eww? pay? naawh.

rather just improve it myself.
i need to learn how to use word a lil better though cuz I don't really know how to make it look all fancy and stuff...

[Charlie Boy]

Both your letter and your CV are good. Jurupa's tripping.

[jurupa]

Both your letter and your CV are good. Jurupa's tripping.

No I am not. One of my moms friends is a person that does human resources and she had told me that if the person in HR sees a cover letter longer than 3 paragraphs they go to the next one. The HR people in big companies get tons of resumes and cover letters and so they do not have time to read a "book". And the resume goes on to 2 pages, which is a no no unless it is someone with a ton of experience and achievements, and they are applying for a big time job. But jMarkt is not. Plus his resume is way to busy. Again going back to what I was saying about the cover letter basically applies to the resume. If the resume is to busy and or to long they pass it over.

Charlie Boy take my word on this. I have talked to various people in the corporate world on this stuff and they all say the same thing. Keep the cover letter as direct and simple and to the point as possible, as well as the resume.

jMarkt - I will do some editing to your resume to show you the direction you should be taking.

[jMarkt]

hoorray! attach in when you finish.. I'll probably cut out some of the fluff on the cover letter. Just leave the good stuff.. hard-working, goal-oriented.. blah blah blah. I just want mine to stand out though.

I wish I could just say BITCH HIRE ME OR I'LL KILL YOUR FAMILY.

[jurupa]

jMarkt - Heres the quick edit I did to your resume. I am sure you can see what I have done to your resume. I tried to take out the line under your name and address, as that should not be there. It is not done by any means, but I bet it will be at least be read now and not passed over. Here are some things you may want to work on:

- Tidy up the Skills section as it is lengthy and only have skills that you have that relate to the job you are applying for
- Add your graduating date and GPA for your high school. If it is not a good GPA then drop the GPA from DeVry and just put the month and year you graduated.
- Tidy up your work experience section, as like the skills section its a tad wordy.

Hopefully that help. Another thing you seem to be going after big companies for internships. You may want to go after smaller companies as you will have lesser competition and therefore you are more likely to get one if they have a spot open. Its good to think big, but you have to also know what is within your reach and from just looking at your resume you will have a better chance with smaller companies than the ones your going after, as you have an okay GPA, and you have an degree from a school with a mix reputation. I don't doubt your going against people with 4.0 and a degree from a school with reputation.

[jMarkt]

thanks jurupa. I'll have others review this one too.