Post-secondary Division Newsletter – February 2020

Happy February BPA!

We are so excited to be celebrating Career and Technical Education (CTE) this month. While at Winter Meeting in January, the National Officer Team had the opportunity to advocate for BPA and discuss the future of CTE with Scott Stump, who serves as the Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education. While meeting with Assistant Secretary Stump, we were able to spotlight the numerous opportunities BPA offers to its members, and how these opportunities assist in preparing them for the workforce. We hope that you step outside of your comfort zone this membership year, and take advantage of all of the opportunities BPA has for members. Let’s work hard this month in promoting all of the opportunities that CTE has provided us with by sharing our #BPAStory. 

Cassandra & Teren (Your Post-secondary National Officer Team)

Building Your Resume

More companies today are accepting resumes that are untraditional, and instead that are eye-catching and original. How can you stand out in a crowd of hundreds of applicants? First, make sure that your layout is efficient, eye-catching, but also professional. Consider the different images that fonts, layout, and colors can have on the reader. If you are not the best at designing, no worries! There are several websites that have templates or help you structure your resume; however, make sure that you still make it unique! For some quick tips on how to format your resume, view the short video linked here

Second, it is important to mention that a lot of the large businesses and corporations that you are applying to likely have software that is vetting resumes looking for keywords that describe skills the job is specifically expecting you to have. It is important to know these keywords for the specific job you are applying for, and incorporate them throughout your resume. Click here to find a list of 500 key skill words that employees in all industries will value!

Although companies certainly value your educational and industry experiences, it is also important to include other aspects that make you unique. Remember, potential employers are potentially reviewing hundreds of resumes for a single job, and it is important to stand out. You can do this by including different aspects that make up who you are, whether that be awards, community service or leadership roles. 

Resume Boosters From BPA

Business Professionals of America has numerous programs that focus on leadership, service, and knowledge, that could serve as great resume boosters!

Leadership

In BPA, you are able to hold various leadership roles. Whether serving as a chapter, regional, state, or national officer, there are endless soft skills learned, including how to collaborate with others, effective communication, and problem-solving. To learn more about running for national office, click here! To learn more about running for office at the chapter, district, or state office, reach out to your chapter or state advisor.

Service

Both BPA Cares and the BPA Torch Awards Program give members the opportunity to be recognized for their service within their communities at numerous levels. Through BPA Cares, members can be recognized for Professional, Service Learning, and Special Recognition Awards. These prestigious awards can then be added to your resume and serve as a great way to make yourself stand out when being compared to others! Learn more about the Torch Award Program and BPA Cares!

Knowledge

Our members are equipped with innovative skills through the Workplace Skills Assessment Program (WSAP). The WSAP provides members with over forty different competitive events that test their industry skills amongst students across the country. By trying your best and succeeding in your events, you can receive recognition at the regional, state, and national levels. There are also several events that include widely known certification exams (Microsoft, Adobe, etc.) as part of the competition, which employers highly value. These awards and certifications are great to highlight on your resume because it shows that you truly do have the skills that you outline in other sections of your resume. To view the WSAP, click here!

Save the Dates

  • National Leadership Conference May 6 - May 10, 2020
  • Industry Leadership Conference June 25 - June 27, 2020