CAS Cheat Sheet

Résumé

Length and Margins

One Page and 1" or .5"

Résumés are tailored documents designed to highlight your relevant experiences to the job/internship/scholarship/graduate program you are applying for.

Font Sizes

San Serif Fonts Only

Name = 24 - 26 pt. font
Contact Info = 14 pt. font
Section Headers and Body = 10 -12 pt. font

Section Titles

Unique to You

Education
Paid or Unpaid Experience
Personal Projects
Research
Labs
Shadowing
Volunteering
Clubs
Technical Skills, etc.

Bullet Points

Tasks + Skill + Result

Tailor your bullet points to include the qualities, skills or experiences that the job description requires to you have.

Cover Letter

Header

Same as Your Résumé

Application documents should go together so use the same header for your Résumé, cover letter and references.

Style

Traditional Letter

Contact: Name of Hiring Manager, Name of Company, Location
Greeting: Dear (name of hiring manager) (NEVER TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN)

Content

Unique to You

First Paragraph: Introduction, the job you are applying for and why.
Second Paragraph: Your skills and experiences related to the job description.
Third Paragraph: Thanking them for their time and how to follow up with you.

Salutation

Sincerely,

Always end with a salutation and a signature.

Personal Statement

Section One

Motivation

Write about the spark that led you to your interest, why you are interested in the field and what motivates you to continue your education.

Section Two

Qualities

Give descriptions of how your experiences impacted who you are, your interests and what you want to be. Discuss how these qualities/experience will help you succeed.

Section Three

Future Goals

Explain what you want to do and more importantly what impact you want to make on your community and those you will work with.

Section Four

Program

Break down how a graduate program is going to help you reach your goals. If you are submitting an application to a specific college instead of a common app, explain how the programs courses, faculty, graduate student opportunities are going to help you grow and reach your goals.

Interview

Tell Me About Yourself

Past + Present + Future

One to two minute response detailing where you came from, what you are doing now and what you want to do, and how this job will help you achieve that goal.

Weaknesses, Challenges, Failures

20/80 Rule

20% of your answer is the negative.
80% of your answer is how you overcame, what you learned or the steps you are taking to improve.

Experiences and Behaviors

Star Method

What is the SITUATION?
What TASK did you need to complete?
What ACTION did you take?
What were the RESULTS of that action?

Ask Questions

Themes

Training
Culture
Professional Development

Job Search

Job Boards

OSU and Niche Websites

Career Services | Job and Interview Portal has employers looking for OSU students.
Internet | Search for industry specific job boards to broaden your search.

Search Alerts

Save Your Filters

When you save your filtered search, you will receive emails with new job postings so you don't have to continue to return to the job board.

Common filters: location, job type, industry.

Networking

Find Professionals

Use LinkedIn or other connections to meet with people who have the job they want. Connect with them to learn about how they got to where they are and what it is like.

The Source

Company Websites

Go to the company website and find their careers page. Look to see what they are offering and reach out if you have questions.

Exploring Your Options

Who Are You?

Assessments

Take the free assessments provided by Career Services to learn more about your personality, interests and values and how those connect to different career paths.

Find Options

Majors and Careers

Use your assessment results and onetonline.org to explore in detail job titles. Learn the skills and education needed, work environment and salary ranges.

Connect

Clubs, Faculty, Staff

Join clubs and professional organizations to get involved in your area(s) of interest. Talk with faculty, academic advisors or other staff to learn more about the steps to get into the field.

Evaluate

Career Coaching

Make a career or major exploration appointment to discuss what you have learned and to map out a plan to find the right career for you.

Testing Your Career

Network

Informational Interviews

Connect with professionals in the industry you are interested in and ask questions about their day-to-day life. This can be done over email or in person.

Shadow

Find Professionals

Reach out and find opportunities to shadow a professional at their workplace. This can be a day experience where you see what goes into the job.

Intern

Apply

Look for opportunities to intern in the industry you are interested in working for. Use job boards, career fairs and employer events to learn about internship opportunities.

Micro-Credentials

Education

OSU students have access to the forage and Coursera where you can gain experience through micro-internships or online coursework.