Resume and interviewing services

Resume building and interviewing skills are both incredibly important, and incredibly challenging. To begin with, most of us lead humble lives, yet the resume and interview are rare occasions when we need to be able to communicate our accomplishments. And because job changes are infrequent, we don’t normally exercise these skills very often.

Practice can help. The Facilities Training Center offers resume building assistance and can arrange mock interviews with feedback to help you improve your ability to communicate your accomplishments and showcase the skills you offer. We can help regardless of where you are starting from - have a resume that needs updating? Excellent, let's review it. Need help drafting a new or first time resume? No problem, we will guide you through the process, assisting with formatting and asking you the thought provoking questions needed to help you recall and communicate your achievements.

This service is entirely CONFIDENTIAL. Your participation will not be shared with anyone in the organization unless you authorize it.

How it works

Our approach is straight forward and begins with the resume:

  1. Send us or drop off your resume, or schedule a time to meet with us to draft a new one.
  2. We review and provide feedback on your existing or new resume.
  3. With or without our assistance, you edit and modify your resume based on our feedback.
  4. When you are happy with the results, you have the option of conducting a mock interview. We will work with you to schedule a practice interview based on a position you are potentially interested in applying for at some point, even if it is not currently being recruited.
  5. We conduct your mock interview. We try to simulate a real interview as much as possible. This means a panel style interview consisting of multiple interviewers, usually three, and with live questions similar to what you may find for just that position in a normal interview.
  6. When the interview concludes, the interview panelists give you direct, immediate feedback on your performance, including things you did well and areas of opportunity.

How to get started

You can begin anytime by emailing us at fstrain@uw.edu, or stopping by the Training Center in person and requesting to start. Your supervisor may also reach out to us on your behalf. As always, please have this time and activity cleared by your supervisor.

Email: fstrain@uw.edu

Call: 206‐685‐9452

Or visit us in person.

Resources to get you started

Resume tips

These tips below are designed to help your resume answer the questions that UW Hiring Managers want to know.

Contact information

Include your contact info at the top of your resume so we know how to get in touch with you. An email is required - avoid using an inappropriate email. Utilize free services from Microsoft or Google if you need a new email.

Objective statement

You do not have to use an objective statement, but you may consider including a summary or overview.

Education

We can substitute required work experience with relevant coursework, but only if we know you took it, and how much, so list your accomplishments!

"The Dating Game"

Dates of employment are vital to demonstrating how you meet the required and desired elements of a position. Leaving dates off may be detrimental to your candidacy.

Missing in action

Resumes should be written with action verbs! What did you do or accomplish in this role? Avoid the use of 1st person pronouns (I or Me) or referring to yourself in 3rd person. Also, avoid personal information such as marital status, date of birth, or irrelevant hobbies.

The Whole Package

Our system does not allow you to attach application materials such as transcripts, letters of reference, or examples of work, unless specifically requested by the posting with instructions on how and where to do so. However, feel free to include links to online portfolios or work samples.

Uh-oh typos!

Spelling and grammar errors are the most common resume no-no's. Spell check, spell check, then proof read, then spell check again!

Reference section

References will be checked on all top candidates, so it is not necessary to include a reference list with the resume, or indicate "references available upon request."

Excuse me?

Be aware of the tone of your resume and how you are presenting yourself professionally. Including reasons for leaving employers such as "management didn't like me" or "unfair schedule" can come across negative.

Fish tales

Always be truthful in your resume. Lying, fudging dates, or exaggerating could come back to haunt you.