My name is Kareem Barbis, and I am the new Career Services Specialist!
I am a two-time Coastal alumna and I am born and raised here in South Carolina. My undergraduate degree is in Psychology, and I did the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program for my master’s degree.
While I am here to help all students and alumni, my focus is on helping students in the Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts.
I have two offices: one in Lib Jackson Student Union A – 203 G, and another office in the Edwards building room 273. I am also available for virtual appointments through Zoom. My goal is to help students and alumni feel career ready, whether it’s through one-on-one appointments or through other means of communication, like this column!
Since starting this job in January, one of the things I have heard the most from students is that they don’t know what to put on their resume. My quick recommendation is to think about what you already do on almost a daily basis.
Transferable skills are abilities you typically learn in your classes that can be used for most jobs. For example, if you have ever had to write a research paper you had to organize your sources, analyze what the sources conclusions are, write your findings clearly and make sure the essay is as error free as possible all while juggling other assignments and deadlines.
Whether it feels like it or not, these are transferable skills that are required for just one assignment: critical thinking, research skills, written communication, attention to detail, analytical skills, time management and organizational skills.
Now, that was for just one research paper, imagine how many times you exercise these skills during your time as a student. Now think about all the major specific skills you learn that you can combine with your transferable skills.
A lot of the time job postings will just require a bachelor’s degree, but not a specific one. This is when it is time to highlight those transferable skills.
If you are having any questions or doubts about how to add them in your resume, make an appointment with us through Handshake or call us at (843)349-2341.
