A resume isn’t just a chronology of where an individual has worked. To get noticed, a resume needs two ingredients, says Kellie Byrd Danso, M.Ed., NCC, Gateway Community College’s (GCC) director of Career Services: professional polish and some serious swag.

Swag is loosely defined as style, but Byrd Danso calls it “flavor.” A resume with swag is professional and confident. It paints a specific picture. A single page must show individual style.

“You have to show how what you did affected the overall company, how you contributed or will contribute to the larger picture,” Byrd Danso said.

“Resume Swag” is just one in a series of workshops Career Services is offering to GCC students who are heading out into a challenging job market, either as graduation approaches or as they are looking for part-time work.

The workshops will be held twice a month, on Tuesdays, from 11 a.m. to noon in N208. They are:

• Major Selection/Career Planning on February 5
• Resume Swag on February 19 and March 5
• A Networking/Prepare for Career Fair on March 19
• Effective Interviewing on April 2
• More Resume Swag on April 16
• How to Market Yourself on April 30

In addition, workshops will be held twice monthly on Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Those include:

• Major Selection/Career Planning on February 13
• Effective Interviewing on February 27
• Resume Swag on March 12
• Effective Interviewing on April 10
• How to Market Yourself on April 24

Other major events include a Program Fair on February 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Fairway, and a Career Fair on April 3.

In Byrd Danso's opinion, students have a lot to gain by attending one or more of the workshops, or even by checking out the Career Board in Career Services at the Student Success Center N213. Students can also visit College Central Network , a free online job board.

“In this economy you are competing with a lot of people. You may be going for an entry level position and there will be more experienced applicants also seeking the job. This is the time we live in. Students have to find ways to compete,” she said.

* Students attending the Resume Swag workshop should bring hard copies of their resume and be able to access it on a computer.