Preparing for the job market and harnessing relevant skills is an evolving process. A key way for School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) students to stand out is to highlight on their LinkedIn and resume the attributes and skills they’ve developed in the classroom, through on-campus programming and internships.
What are employers looking for in today’s college students? According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, students should ensure their resumes include the following four attributes and skills:
Problem-solving skills
Thinking outside the box and showcasing how you can come up with creative solutions to problems is a highly coveted skill. Developing problem solving skills comes from your experience navigating workplace situations in part-time jobs, volunteer experiences and community service opportunities.
Your Next Step: Make the connection between what you’ve done and how you’ve done it by developing your stories using the STAR method (situation-task-action-result).
Get in the routine to create a STAR story after each problem-solving experience so you can document it while it’s fresh in your mind. It will also help you develop bullet points on a resume and prepare you with specific examples during an interview.
Work together with the STHM Center for Industry Engagement (CIE) to develop your STAR stories. Schedule an appointment by emailing STHMcie@temple.edu. Once on campus, you also get access to the STHM Career Launchpad professional development resource canvas!
Ability to work in a team
Developing soft skills—like active listening, conflict resolution and navigating transitions—are needed for successful and productive collaboration. These skills are vital components to a team’s success.
Your Next Step: Join a student professional organization at STHM or another group on Temple’s campus. Once a member of the organization, take it one step further and apply for a leadership role. Immersing yourself in groups of new students from different majors with diverse ideas will allow you to strengthen your soft skills. You will then be able to share how you navigate these situations in an interview.
Communication skills (written)
Writing is an essential skill for any workplace. Being able to effectively communicate what you need for your role or from your team is paramount. Whether you are typing messages in Microsoft Teams, or writing a cover letter or academic paper, excellent communication across all platforms is key.
Your Next Step: Connect with Temple’s Writing Center for writing and presentation coaching throughout your STHM career. Tutors aim to help you improve not just your grades, but also your skills in tailoring your messages to specific audiences.
You can also enroll in one of the many LinkedIn communication courses in TU Portal—they are free! Many recruiters are working in the digital space using online hiring tools. Thus, the interview process is your time to showcase your communication skills—from your written resume and cover letter to email correspondence with recruiters to an in-person or Zoom interview. All of these methods allow you to demonstrate your communication skills, so start practicing interview answers and proofreading your resume.
Initiative
Seeking out opportunities that put you in the driver’s seat—whether within the classroom, as a member of an organization or at your job—will demonstrate your ability to proactively take on extra tasks, anticipate problems and put solutions in action, assist team members who need help, and even apply for leadership roles.
Your Next Step: Apply to be a Peer2Peer mentor to help new international students successfully transition to life at Temple. Join an STHM student professional organization or become a Wellness Peer Educator. The possibilities are endless on campus!