Decorated with tables covered in orange cloths and tan-colored balloons, the Grand Salon filled with students who were excited to meet with company recruiters Tuesday for Resumania.
Approximately 200 students from all majors across campus attended Resumania to have their resumes critiqued by professionals working in their desired field or industry during a one-on-one 10-minute session.
It takes several weeks on average to see nearly 200 students and review their resumes, but during Resumania it can be done within a few hours with help from a few counselors and industry professionals, said Patricia Gaynor, an assistant director for the Career Center.
“It’s an excellent resource to have,” said Cameron O’Hanlon, interim assistant house manager at the Valley Performance Arts Center (VPAC) and first-time attendee at Resumania, “Just being able to put yourself in a situation where you’re open to critique and making yourself better – it’s better for someone to learn here than when they actually go to a job interview. No pressure, no nothing…It’s just a chance to get some honest opinions about your resume.”
Students checked in with Career Center staff members under their appropriate college, then were directed inside to the waiting area until their names were called. While waiting for their turn with a recruiter, students had the opportunity to take a professional LinkedIn headshot on the small stage in order to update profiles.
Grace Mosqueda, a recruiter for Disney Professional Internships with The Walt Disney Company, said the event provides an opportunity for people trying to develop their resume.
“That doesn’t mean putting things on there that you haven’t done before, but it just means looking for ways to reword terminology,” Mosqueda said. “If somebody doesn’t have a lot of experience, to begin with, and they come in here, I think it’s a good opportunity for the employers, for us to explain how they can look for opportunity and build on their resume and add experience onto their resume. ”
Resumania is a bi-annual event that is free for students and alumni to attend. Students should register at least two weeks prior to the event to reserve a spot.
“I came to Resumania for the same reason she came,” Anu George, a graduate student in software engineering, said, referring to her friend, Nikita Karandikar, a computer science major. “We are graduating this semester, and we really need that exposure to the real world. Since we are graduate students, it is the right time to go into that big bad world out there. Not getting the right job would be my greatest fear.”
For more information about Resumania or other events and programs hosted by the Career Center, visit: www.csun.edu/career.
