Kristin is a student in the PhD-Organizational Psychology program who has been working as an assistant in a law firm for the past 5 years.  She had previously met with Career Services to receive help with transitioning into a new field that was more closely aligned with her academic and career goals.   Recently Kristin called us with some great news: she had accepted a job offer as a HR Specialist at a very prestigious government agency!

How did Kristin land her new position?  First of all, she researched HR-related jobs via the web and focused on keywords in job postings, and compared qualifications to her current skills.  She also researched government agencies, including www.studentjobs.gov, and then came across the PALACE Acquire Program http://afnafcareers.com/page.asp?PageID=1217 which recruits students who are pursuing higher degrees.  She re-structured her resume to highlight her education and transferable skills, and completed a federal resume with detailed application instructions. After successfully submitting her resume, she received a call from a US government personnel member, was told that she passed the screening process, and was offered the position with a relocation bonus. 

Kristin believes that focusing on her transferable skills and education helped land her the job. Her suggestions are to “be patient, restructure your resume to highlight your education first, and research.” As for what students can do to prepare themselves in these tough economic times, Kristin says, “I think working with Career Services is the one thing that you should do before starting [your] job search endeavors.”   

Written by Career Services Advisor Dina Bergren

If you have a success story you’d like to share, please email it to: careerservices@waldenu.edu