Is it pretentious of me to put “B.Sc.” after my name on my resume?
Here’s the situation:
I graduated from university last year with the aforementioned B.Sc. When a job didn’t materialize as easily as I thought it would, I decided to go back to CEGEP (I think the US equivalent would be junior college?) to get a degree in medical laboratory technology. It’s a field that holds more promise than physiology, anyway. I’m just finishing up the first year of the 3-year program.
I’ve been applying for part-time and summer jobs as a lab tech at various pharmaceutical places and research labs. I have my resume arranged more or less chronologically, with this program at the top of the list. I’m getting no responses. Nothing.
Maybe they’re just seeing the CEGEP name, and not going any further, missing the university stuff? I doubt that ALL the HR people could be so clueless, but I refuse to accept that I’m just not good enough for them to hire me.
My mom suggests that I put my name as “roxx222, B.Sc.” right at the top of my resume. Will that help or will that make me look like I’m full of myself?
I cringe if I see “Joe Bloggs BXyz”, in any context. I particularly hate “Dr Alf Biggles”, when their PhD is irrelevant to the context.
Your degree is an academic qualification. It should be listed as such. List the full title of the qualification, and the awarding institution. In a separate section you should be giving a paragraph explaining particularly important aspects of the degree: the areas you studied in detail, and why you found them interesting.
(Disclaimer - I’m a Brit, and we’re as a rule more reticent about such things than seems typical of American attitudes.)
I’m assuming that “B.Sc.” stands for Bachelor of Science. Given that, and the fact that I’m in the US, which could possibly differ from the perceptions in your locale, I would say don’t add it.
My reasoning is that Bachelor degrees are common enough in the US (I think around 50% of the adult population, but I may be mistaken, and I’m too lazy to research it) that listing immediately after your name it would sound pretentious.
Instead, I would reorganize your resume to focus on relevant experience instead of a chronological order. Though, it sounds like your present schooling may be your only relevant experience. In which case, i think it’s just circumstance.
I think direct experience in the specific field is more important for a summer internship then a degree in another field. So no, I wouldn’t include it after your name.
I agree. At least here, adding a bachelor’s of anything to your name comes off as vaguely sad. In my field, at least, people add on P.E. (for professional engineer, a certification) or Ph.D., but not anything else. The odd person uses their master’s degree, but it still looks strange.
I figured it would be seen as snobbery, and told my mom as much - thanks for backing me up!
Would it help if I added a “summary” paragraph right at the top of my resume, outlining my qualifications and abilities?
I know a cover letter will help, too. Unfortunately, most of the resumes I gave out were at career fairs, and I didn’t know which companies would be attending, so I couldn’t make targeted letters. I’m working on some for the next wave of applications, though. Any advice on those?
aside: Are Bachelor’s degrees really that common? I know I’m not automatically whisked to the ranks of the elite by having one, but I’m hoping it might give me a small edge when looking for work later.
This USA Today article from 2002 says that 24.4% of Americans 25 and over have a Bachelor’s degree (adding 15.5% Bachelor’s-only with 8.9% Graduate/Advanced). While this Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article says 26% of Americans 25 and over have a Bachelor’s degree.
Again, this is in the US, and you did not specify where you are, but you should be more proud of yourself than I originally let on. I, myself, feel twice as smug as I did 10 minutes ago.
I’m up in Canada, so the statistics are a little different. I seem to remember hearing on the news last year that 15% of Canadians had Bachelor’s degrees or higher.
Either way, I know that paper will be handy down the road. I don’t regret the time and money and effort spent on the degree, not one bit. My problem is that I have a hard time presenting and “selling” my skills to potential employers, because I have no experience outside of school. And if the degree itself won’t help much (makes sense, since many applicants in this field should have some higher education), then I need to impress them some other way.
I’m working on a cover letter tonight, for a job that I want very much, but I find I’m either coming across as begging for the job or bragging about how great I am for the job. Where is that happy middle ground?
OH BOY!!! Oh boy oh boy oh boy!!!
I can’t WAIT to work for you! I want to bring so much to your company!!!
You are the best company in the world!!!
U r teh 4337 haxxors!!!1111 one one one.
Well, not THAT excited. I find in my past interviews that a positive, excited and confident attitude can go a long way.
You and the company match.
The company is an industry leader.
You can bring so much to the company.
The company can teach you so much.
Lalalalalala…
I’d second this, as well as the stuff about leaving off any initials after your name. And I’ll second the thing about you degree being very valuable as well. You don’t have your foot in the door–yet–but when you do, everything that piece of paper represents will make a crucial difference in surviving rough times.
Since you don’t have actual work experience in your field, can you find other experiences to highlight your capablities? Not your technical knowledge; the degrees speak for that. You’re well educated and just starting out. There’s no fault in that. Everybody has to start out sometime. Most employers look for people who not only can do the job, but want to, and will do it without causing a lot of hassle. Emphasizing your potential and willingness would put muscle behind your credentials.
Think about some of the “workers from hell” threads here. Supposedly sane people turn into petty, petulant, lazy dolts. Simple things like a strong work ethic and getting along with other people can touch even cynical, stressed employers. Look at it from their point of view: there are plenty of people who want them to “give them a job.” Being desperate for a job is nothing new; being eager for work is. You don’t want to come off like a used car salesman on crack but just emphasizing that you work hard and get along well with just about anybody can make a real difference.
I can do that! The job is a summer one in Toronto (7 hours drive away), and all the money I make will probably end up paying for my living expenses while I’m out there. I’m in this for the experience, not the money, and I’m going to put my whole self into it and learn as much as is humanly possible. What’s fun about this job is that I want it so much that my cover letter won’t even be fake, the energy is really there.
Thanks so much for the advice, everyone! This is why I love this place. I’ll be sure to give you an update when I get that job and leave for Toronto!
