Julie Miranda Director of Student Enrichment and Career Development

Business college job-finder praises brevity, frowns on idea of scented, pink resumŽs

WILDCAT: What is it that you do here at the Eller College of Business and Public Administration?

MIRANDA: I work with students and employers. I spend a lot of time encouraging them to recruit our students. We do a lot of career development aspects like resumŽ-writing, walk-in interviews and programming efforts that help our students to become more professional.

WILDCAT: Who wouldn't want a UA student working for them? We're the best. Do you just work with students within the business college, or across campus?

MIRANDA: Students in business and public administration, that's our main focus. There is a central career services office and we support all of their activities.

WILDCAT: What do you think is the biggest bonehead mistake people make in writing their resumŽ? Do you get people who try to include accomplishments from seventh grade, like, "I was the lawyer in my junior high's mock trial?"

MIRANDA: The interesting thing with resumŽs is that people don't know what the true focus of a resumŽ is. It's just to kind of give an overview and get an interview. It's not supposed to give all the information. It's just supposed to summarize who you are.

WILDCAT: I have been told to make sure that my resumŽ isn't on white paper, is that true?

MIRANDA: You're going to get a lot of opinions about that. The typical thing we tell our students is white, a nice, clean white space and one page.

WILDCAT: So bright pink paper drenched in perfume is inappropriate?

MIRANDA: I think if you're more in a creative thing, like I could see media arts students doing that, but if you are looking to be a business professional, bright pink isn't very professional. You know, cream colored, light blue is fine, but I wouldn't do anything too bright, again, unless you are looking for a more creative job.