Before you send a resume to a potential employer, consider for a moment - what will that employer find if they google your name?

Face it, the web and Social Media are whole new avenues for employers to find information on you, and it’s their job to find as much as they can before they make you a job offer.  Studies show more and more employers are using it as a hiring tool.  So try it.  Google yourself and see what a potential employer will find.  Then work to create an online profile that will get you hired, not fired.

Set up your privacy settings on material you don’t want made public.  Remove posts and photos that you don’t want shared with co-workers and bosses, and delete email accounts that are working against you in your search.  Sure, you may feel like you’re not being honest, but an employer is going to want an employee that is professional and is going to benefit the business.  Material you share with the public online can also be found by your customers, so they need to know you aren’t going to hurt business.  Make sure that is the person they find online is professional.

But Social Media is more than just a way for a potential employer to dig up dirt on you.  It can also be one of the best tools you have to get the job you want.  Abby Gilmore, an Internet marketing specialist with Vertical Measures, has written an excellent guide to using Social Media in your job search.  She offers quick and easy tips that ensure you are maximizing your job search potential.

In today’s economy, there are many things you can’t control in your job search.  Make sure to maximize the things you can control to your benefit before you send out your first resume, and you’ll be well on your way to finding a new job in no time!

You are ready to join the workforce, but what does that mean? How are employers going to know YOU are a rock star and potentially THE candidate they have been looking for?

Your resume is the first impression they have of you.

So what really is a resume? It’s a brief history of your accomplishments, skills, and qualifications that you prepare for potential employers.

 How does it work?

1. Introduces you to employers
2. Chance to describe who you are
3. Guide for you and the interviewer to discuss your background
4. Reminder to the interviewer of who you after the interview is over

 10 Resume Tips:

1. Look at resume examples
2. Start with a resume template
3. Choose a basic font throughout your resume
4. Include all of your contact information
5. Choose the right resume format
6. Include keywords in your resume
7. Prioritize your resume content
8. Customize your resume
9. Tailor your resume objective to specific job openings
10. Tweak for technology

 What to include in your resume?

1. Heading: Full name, complete address, phone number, professional email address
2. Education/Training
3. Work Experience
4. Awards/Affiliations/Skills

 Other Resume Tips:

1. Sell your strengths
2. Highlight accomplishments
3. Use action verbs
4. Avoid wordiness
5. Proofread carefully and let someone else proofread it with a keen/critical eye
6. Create an “e-friendly” version of your resume

 Keisha White is a Career Services Coordinator and instructor at Antonelli College in Ohio. Connect with her on Linked-In to learn more about the career placement opportunities.  Her professional skills have come a long way since the second grade when she was forced to take a school picture AFTER cutting off her own eyebrows.

As a student at Antonelli College, it is our goal to put your needs first. In fact, that is the highest priority of our Student Services department. Student Services is the direct point of contact on campus for students in need of assistance. From your enrollment appointment, and if needed even after graduation, Student Services will be there to help make your experience at Antonelli College as rewarding as possible. 

Did you know your journey at Antonelli College begins with Student Services? That’s right, the Student Services department actually enrolls all students during the admissions process. As a result, the department is responsible for keeping track of all pertinent information about each student. They may not need to know your shoe size, but if you move, create a new email address or get a new cell phone number, they are going to want to be in the know! The department keeps close tabs on this information for many reasons. Think of it this way, both you and your best friend in the program are named Will Hunting. You have straight A’s and your friend has a B or two this quarter. In order to avoid confusion on your transcripts, Student Services needs to be able to distinguish which of you is a member of the Director’s List and which earned Dean’s List honors. By tracking this information, each Will Hunting will have the correct transcripts and avoid confusion in the system.

Speaking of transcripts … the Student Services team is responsible for requesting high school/GED transcripts and processing any previous college transcripts for incoming students as well as maintaining an up-to-date Antonelli College transcript for continuing students. Once they have received all previous transcripts, the team will review the document and verify you have met the necessary entrance requirements set by the Department of Education.  Also, Student Services maintains all Antonelli College transcripts for former and current students; this means, if you are looking to further your education, and need a copy of your Antonelli College transcripts, Student Services is the department to contact!

And, in addition to transcripts, they also are responsible for accepting transfer credits. Students are allowed to transfer in academic credits from previously attended colleges until the end of their first quarter at Antonelli College. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity you must contact your previous college and request an official transcript be mailed to Student Services.  All official college transcripts are reviewed to determine which classes are transferable; eligible classes will then be entered on the student’s Antonelli College transcript as transfer credits.

 Now that you are enrolled, Student Services wants to help you get to graduation! Because our academic calendar is broken into 10-week quarters, absences from class are closely monitored by Student Services, but, at the same time, we understand life can throw unforeseen circumstance at a student. Let’s chat about Will Hunting again; maybe he is a father with a very sick child and no daycare options. As he tends to his child he might miss a few important classes – in fact, he might miss more than the allotted number. This is where Student Services can step in to help. If Will schedules a time to chat with Student Services, together they can get a meeting on the calendar to review his situation, stay in school and on track to graduate.

If you have any further questions, please drop by the Student Services office at your campus!

You can see on NSLDS's website. Here are the steps:

When students are trying to keep track of their student financial aid whether it is loans or grants, there is one good website to reference.  The National Student Loan Database System (NSLDS) stores loan and grant information that both Financial Aid Professionals and Students can utilize.

For students searching for information on their loans such as current lenders, total amount borrowed (Direct and FFEL loans), and current enrollment status they can visit NSLDS for this information; https://www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA/SaFinLoginPage.do.  When you sign in, you will need your Personal Identification Number (PIN) used to electronically sign your FASFA which can be found at the following link http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp. If you have changed your last name, you will need to remember which name you used to sign up for the PIN as this is the key identifier associated.

Once you have logged into the student side of NSLDS you can look at all your loan and grant information under “Financial Aid Review”.  A list of Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans, Consolidated loans and grant information are listed with numbers next them.  If you click on the number next to the loan you will be given more information regarding the loan in question.

Within that loan you will know the current outstanding balance, if the loan is in repayment, deferment, forbearance, etc. Other information provided is your Servicer, Lender, and Guaranty Agency Information with their address and phone number. This information is extremely helpful if you are unaware of whom to contact regarding your student loans.

Another helpful tab within this site is the “Glossary of Terms” page.  This page provides a brief definition of what a word or group of words mean.  For example, if you were to click on the term “status” it would bring you to the definition and shows all the codes that are used within NSLDS.  You can use this reference to see which type your loan falls under and if you should be contacting your lender immediately. Also, don’t forget the “FAQ’s” tab.  Here you will be able to find commonly asked questions with answers.

Remember this website contains a bundle of information for the student to use in managing their debt and deferment status. If you have any questions, contact your lender or your schools Financial Aid Department with any questions.  There are many resources available for managing your loans and this is one of them.

Don’t forget to log off!

Last week I was at a soccer game, and a high school student (who knew I worked at Antonelli College) asked a simple question, “Why go to college?  Is it really necessary?”

I paused before I answered him.

Five-years ago, I wouldn’t have paused.  “Of course,” I would have said, with no doubt or hesitation in my voice. “Go to college!”  The person I was five-years ago would have believed the answer with all my heart and soul.  EVERYONE needed a college education.  College was a crucible where students were magically transformed.  College was a rite of passage.  Students had parties, stayed up late and talked philosophy and politics.  Students were exposed to new music, new entertainment, new experiences, friends and ideas.  College was coffee shops, late-night cram sessions, pizza and computer labs.

Times change, the world has changed, and I’m a different person.  I once believed going to college was embarking on a heroic adventure, and when you had a degree, jobs fell into your lap and debt was slowly, but magically, wiped clean.

“Why go to college?”  The question was spinning in my mind and making the memories of me five years ago seem so naive.  Now I pondered debt, contemplated current job prospects, gave gainful employment regulations a thought, and considered childcare and commuting costs. I wasn’t considering parties, the “experience,” or late nights discussing philosophy.

Luckily, I stopped myself before I answered.  The truth is, his question wasn’t about a rite of passage, a risk/reward analysis of debt, or my opinion on philosophy.  A party is a memory of our time in college.  We all face potentially difficult job prospects, no matter if we have a degree or not.  Debt is an investment we make in our future, with the expectation of a return.  None of this defines a college experience.

The goal of college is building a better future.  That is why we pay tuition and invest our time and effort.  We go to college in the hopes of creating a better life.  is a tool we use to create a better future.  In college, we seek knowledge, skills, experience, the opportunity to network, build relationships and ourselves.  Considering college like that, then the question is, “Why should we create a better future for ourselves?”  The answer is obvious.

“Yes,” I told him, after a LONG pause, but with no doubt in my mind.

You should go to college, but only if you are ready to make an investment.  To be honest, the five-years-ago me was a fool.  College isn’t a crucible that you dip yourself into.  College is a tool that requires an investment of time and energy.  You have to actively use it, to make an investment of effort.  Some people are happy where they are, and don’t see the need to work hard, and that’s fine.  If you can find happiness in your current situation, then there is no reason to invest in the future.  The purpose of college is giving people who want to change their life the resources to change.  We should continually strive for improvement.  College is necessary because our goal should be to make our world a better place.

Looking back, the moment it took to formulate an answer to his question was packed with a lot of thought.  Good thought, I believe.

“Huh,” the High School student replied.  “Cool.”

It was a soccer game, not a late-night college discussion about philosophy.  I really shouldn’t have expected much, but hopefully I’d made the world a better place with my answer.

Written by David Oeters, Ohio PR Associate