BSU Gives Students Head Starts on Their Careers with ‘Resumes on the Run’

Resumes are an incredibly important tool when kicking off a career, essential in creating a strong first impression so that one can put their best foot forward. For the past 12 years, Bemidji State University’s Career Services Department has been attempting to help students create strong resumes with their Resumes on the Run program.

“All students need to have a resume,” said BSU Career Services Interim Director Nancy Haugen, “because right now, the job market is such that, you know, every employer is looking for those resumes.”

This program helps students understand what key items their resumes should possess, and they also offer critiques so that a student will have an easier time applying for a possible career.

“A resume’s very important to get the skills on there and the key words so that it will actually get into the hands of that recruiter, or that hiring manager, so the student can get that internship or that professional job,” said Haugen.

One of the unique aspects of the program is that it’s staffed almost entirely by students known as Career Peers.

“We do online reviews and email consults, leaving comments on people’s resumes that they upload if they can’t make it here in person,” explained Resumes on the Run Career Peer Ryan Forster, “We also have, kind of like an office hours-type setting here where people can drop by anytime between classes, if they’ve got 10-15 minutes and we’ll sit down with them in person and give them critiques.”

The goal of having Career Peers is to make sure students feel more comfortable accepting help on their resumes. That way, they can succeed in kicking off their own careers.

“And that’s been super beneficial,” said Forster. “I’m a senior this year and so applying to professional jobs here in the spring, yeah, Nancy and the staff here has been a wonderful resource to me.”

Resumes on the Run’s hours vary from semester to semester to correspond with the program’s Career Peers. BSU also offers online support through a program known as Handshake.