employment – The Western Howl

February 12, 2025

Written by: Daniella Dugan | Title III Coordinator

How do you honestly feel about being a student at Western? What would you change if you could? How has Western fallen short of your expectations? This is your chance to share what you honestly think about your experience at Western. The WOLF Student Experience Feedback form is Western’s first annual opportunity for students to give their anonymous feedback on all areas of student life. Academics, co-curriculars, on-campus dining, housing, employment, personal growth, sense of belonging and purpose — all of these topics and more are included. There is even an open comment section for you to talk about whatever specific issue you feel strongly about at the end of the form. The institution is eager to hear what is improving your experience, worth continued investment and what negatively impacts your overall satisfaction as a “Wolf.”

The goal of the form is not only to give student voices a new platform to be heard, but to use this feedback to help make actionable change on campus. The responses collected will help guide revisions of programs, new services and student opportunities that you are asking for. There is often a large gap between the perceived needs of students and the actual needs of students — this is our chance to lessen that gap. While there may be efforts from your academic department to collect feedback and make improvements, this form is for the institution as a whole and aims to help guide high level decision making for various areas of the student experience, not just in academics.

In addition to being part of the change you want to see, you’ll also be able to enter into a drawing for one of eight prizes, including two $100 Wolfstore gift cards. Depending on your campus involvement, you may be able to enter the drawing more than once. Once you make it to the end of the form, you’ll be led to a new page to collect your contact information and enter the drawing; this entry will not be linked to your form responses. If at any point in the form you have trouble answering or maybe don’t understand the question, just skip ahead. All sections are optional, so you can pick and choose what you want to respond to if you are short on time.

The feedback form will be open during weeks seven through nine of winter term, Feb. 17 – March 9. It will not be open again until the 2025-26 year, so don’t miss your chance to inspire change at your campus.

Contact the author at dugand@mail.wou.edu

The Western Howl

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How to improve your resume

Tips to improve your resume for career applications

Mollie Herron | News Editor

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

The 2021–22 school year is coming to an end, which means that for many students the next step is applying for “real jobs.” As students start applying for more prestigious jobs, their resumes need to reflect their new education experiences. Here are some tips to improve a resume to impress future employers.

The most important role of a resume is to showcase the most relevant information and skills of an applicant. Many people graduating from college have experience in a wide variety of jobs including retail, customer service, fast food and coaching. If someone has worked in all of these different positions but is applying for something specifically food-related, it might not be as important to include the retail or coaching experience. The fast food and customer service experience would be a great description to include in the past employment section due to the requirements.

While it may feel strange to omit a school from a resume, high school education does not need to be listed. Unless having a diploma from a specific high school increases the chances of getting the job, there is no need to include it in the education section. This would be most helpful in positions like coaching or teaching, where a connection to the community is valued in employees.

At the beginning of every resume there should be a brief summary or profile of the applicant that provides a brief introduction as well as the relevant qualifications that fit the job they are applying for. Later in the resume, the specifics of the qualifications can be listed in the form of bullet points so that more information can be included.

A resume is all about the applicant, so it may be tempting to use the word “I” when describing oneself. The bullet points make it easy to avoid using “I” and to explain all requirements of past jobs.

Western offers many resources to help students looking to prepare for future applications. Visit the Service Learning & Career Development Center for help with all career advising needs. Career counseling, resume critiques, workshops and more are offered in person and even more are offered online. Drop in the Werner University Center room 119 or visit wou.edu/slcd for more information.

The Western Howl

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Time to revitalize those resumes

Tips for updating the resume in 2021

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

Summer time, for some, means summer jobs. Though we aren’t quite to summer break, now is the perfect time to start preparing for job hunting, including updating the resume. The resume is the ticket to an interview, meaning it can make or break one’s chance at getting hired. Follow these tips for creating a resume that will stand out among the rest this year.

Start by choosing a desirable format. According to indeed.com, the two most popular resume formats are chronological, which focuses on consistent employment history, and functional, which focuses on relevant skills. Whichever layout is chosen, be sure to organize the information using clear headers above each section and a readable font.

Some resume tips learned back in high school could be outdated by now. For example, in most cases, it is no longer necessary to include a mailing address since everything is digital nowadays. Objective statements have also gone out of style — after all, employers know what an applicants’ goal is. Additionally, be careful to not overload the resume with too many items; pick and choose relevant work, volunteer and education experiences based on the job.

2021 has been eye opening, including for employers. According to writingguru.net, some common skills jobs will be looking for in 2021 include adaptability, versatility and innovation ⏤ especially in the face of COVID-19. Technological literacy is also increasingly important, as are strong online and in person communication skills.

Keep in mind, however, that each job will value different skill sets. Study the specific job description being applied for, and include relevant keywords and skills on the resume. This is also important in the face of applicant tracking systems, which are pieces of software that automatically filter through resumes based on keywords. Many companies rely on ATS technology to sift through the dozens of applications they receive. Be sure to include some keywords from the job description, but be honest: make sure all included skills are demonstrable when it comes time for an interview.

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

How to improve your resume

Time to revitalize those resumes

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