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    Capital One Recruiters’ 5 Resume Tips for Students

    It’s time to boil down your college experience into a one-page document that sells who you are to a stranger. Where do you list your major? How do you summarize your invigorating internship or great part-time job? What kind of file should my resume be?

    We know it can be intimidating putting together your resume. Thankfully, Nyla Walker and Olutoyin Asubiojo, recruiters for our Students & Grads programs, are here to help. Check out their answers to five common resume questions that will help you build a career with real impact.

    Q: Should I make my resume one page?

    Nyla: Yes. Recruiters only look at resumes for about six seconds, so we need to find your information quickly. You’ll eventually get to a point in your career where you can have a longer resume but stick to one page while you’re a student or recent grad.

    Q: How should I organize my resume?

    Olutoyin: Put your school, major and graduation date at the top of your resume so we can figure out which of our programs best match your skills and start date. You can also add relevant coursework, research and academic honors.

    Your jobs, internships and leadership roles should come next—in chronological order—giving us a glimpse at your relevant experience. Finally, you can have a separate section toward the bottom of your resume for extracurriculars like sports, volunteering and hobbies. 

    Q: How do I describe my experiences?

    Nyla: Use vivid descriptions, ranges or scales that show off your achievements, contributions and key results. Go deeper than listing a job description. Share how you improved parts of the company you worked for, and make connections between the job you want and the job you have. 

    If you’re a cashier, tell us you’re a mathematician extraordinaire and share how you can solve problems quickly. Maybe you worked in retail and organized a sales event. That’s project management. You’ll find ways to tweak your resume for each opportunity you’re applying for.

    Q: How should I format my resume?

    Olutoyin: Save it as a PDF. This guarantees your resume format will look the same on different computers.

    Q: Where can I get help preparing my resume and application?

    Olutoyin: Visit our events page for information on workshops about resume building, explaining your career journey, interview preparation and more.  More

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    From Intern to Full-Time: How to Launch Your Career in Capital One’s Early Career Programs

    Whether you’re an undergraduate student seeking your first internship or a graduate adjusting to your first full-time role, we understand navigating professional opportunities can be intimidating.

    Fortunately, associates from Capital One are here to help you with the early stages of your career. From making the most of available resources to stepping out of your comfort zone, find out their tips to help launch your career at Capital One.

    Take Advantage of Resources 

    One of Capital One’s best qualities is that they want to see you succeed and give you the resources to help. They provide resources like interview-prep programs, resume reviews, one-on-one counseling sessions with recruiters, and workshops on a variety of career-development subjects.

    Jesse Gvozdas, a Senior Recruiter at Capital One, spoke about what resources a candidate used to prepare for their application. 

    We also got the chance to talk to, Olutoyin Asubiojo, the HBCU/HSI Partnerships Lead, who shared that recruiters are also available to help. 

    Use the Network!

    Capital One’s resources extend well beyond the application phase. Once associates join the enterprise, they’ll find a network of support among their colleagues.

    We spoke to Judd Babbitt, a graduate of the University of Virginia, former intern, and current Cyber Security Development Program (CSDP) Associate, about how he realized that everyone around him during his internship was there to support him.

    Judd went on to tell us about “skip-level meetings” where interns and associates have a designated recurring time to connect with their boss’s manager to discuss things from goals to current project statuses. These meetings showed Judd how much senior leaders are invested in the growth of his career and within the organization.

    Follow the People, Not the Process

    Judd was not alone in emphasizing the benefits of Capital One’s vast network of associates. Brittany Courtney, Vice President of Product Management, echoed how colleagues helped propel her to a leadership position within the company.

    What Brittany is most passionate about is the idea that prospective candidates and entry-level associates should focus on what they want to learn and finding a mentor.

    Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

    Another piece of advice from Capital One associates is perhaps the boldest and most unexpected: Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. As calming as it might feel to feel at ease in a role and not be challenged, it is not the kind of environment where growth prospers. In order to grow professionally, you must expose yourself to new obstacles so that you can reach new milestones.

    “You have to learn how to apply your superpowers in a world that is unfamiliar. Force yourself to reflect periodically and ask, ‘Am I too comfortable here? Where am I not being stretched?”
    Brittany Courtney, Vice President of Product Management

    The idea behind Brittany’s advice is to test yourself whenever possible. She said that Capital One is a place that encourages you to take risks. So never be afraid to shoot your shot and make attempts at greatness!

    Take the Chance

    Are you ready to take the leap and join Capital One? Start exploring full-time careers jobs and internships at Capital One today. More

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    5 Interview Secrets for Landing a Job at Capital One

    Interviews can be exciting, intimidating, life-changing, and sometimes, all three. As you make your way into the professional world, chances are you will go through tons of different interviews and hiring processes, each one different from the last. 

    But if you happen to be fortunate enough to land an interview with Capital One, one of the most innovative and forward-thinking companies in the financial services industry, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

    From preparation tactics to presentation skills, here is a list of the 5 Ps that recruiters, hiring managers, and employees suggest familiarizing yourself with if you want to land a job at Capital One.

    Preparation

    First and foremost, you want to be prepared going into a Capital One interview. But prepared for what? According to Anna, an associate software engineer, she found success by familiarizing herself with life at Capital One and doing plenty of research prior to her interview.

    By digging deep and finding some relevant information about the company, Anna prepared herself to have meaningful and in-depth conversations with her recruiter. In doing so, she portrayed herself as both informed and interested in the position, two things that recruiters love to see. 

    In addition to gaining hard knowledge of the company and the role you will be undertaking, another thing you can do to stand out is familiarize yourself with the culture of the company. For example, maybe a company does monthly outings or other social events. Mentioning something like that, which may not have to do directly with your position, is a great way to show you want to work at a company and are looking at it from all aspects.

    Presentation

    Once you’ve dedicated enough time to prepare for the interview, then comes the time to present your knowledge, skills, and most importantly, who you are. In our conversation with Abhishek, a Senior Associate and Enterprise Services Project Manager, he shed some light on what he thinks is the best way to present yourself during an interview.

    Abhishek went on to say how at the end of the day, everyone is similar to one another in the sense that we all have lives and interests, and to present yourself as such helps form a connection that will ultimately work in your favor.

    At the same time, you don’t want to come off as overly familiar or unprofessional. By combining a personable and friendly attitude with a professional and corporate one, you will be able to check off even more boxes as a candidate.

    Patience

    Hand-in-hand with presentation skills comes the ability to be patient. Without it, you risk giving off the wrong impression or missing the chance to demonstrate the full extent of your worth. But interviews are nerve-racking! And oftentimes stressful. So what is an eager prospect like yourself to do?

    According to Senior Recruiter Kelly, the best way to remain and appear patient in an interview is to listen.

    Kelly spoke about how much of a turnoff it is for her as a recruiter when a candidate constantly cuts her off or interrupts her. But she agreed that a lot of the time it’s unintentional. So when you’re interviewing, remember to take a breath, take your time, and try not to worry about filling empty space or replying so quickly. 

    There are several things that public speakers suggest in order to help ease this burden. For example, repeating back the question, using a filling sentence like “that’s a great question,” or “let me think about the best example of that” all are ways you can buy time and make sure you answer the question correctly.

    Passion

    Throughout every conversation we had with the Capital One employees, there was one common trait that they all shared: passion. Passion not only for what they do at Capital One as employees but as individuals and what they do in their personal lives as well. 

    Although it may not seem like it, exuding your passions, whatever they may be, will get you very far in Capital One’s hiring process. Just ask Abhishek.

    “My recruiter and I connected on a very personal level after I mentioned my love of motorcycles. It was then that I realized that the people at Capital One are real people too with interests, passions, and beliefs of their own.”Abhishek, Senior Associate and Enterprise Services Project Manager

    Whether or not you end up sharing interests with your recruiter doesn’t matter. What Capital One wants to see out of people applying is that they can get excited about something, no matter what it is. So if there is something you love and are passionate about, don’t be afraid to mention it during the interview!

    Personality

    One factor that bears a lot of resemblance to your passion is your personality. And although they are similar, your personality has to show so much more than what you’re passionate about.

    We spoke with Student and Graduates Recruiter Addison regarding what the best steps are to show your personality during an interview and she responded with an ode to authenticity.

    Recruiters are able to tell when something sounds rehearsed. And it prevents them from getting a true understanding of who you really are. So during your interview process, make sure you’re confident in portraying yourself not only as a professional but as your true authentic self as well.

    Putting It All Together

    While all of the tips shared by these exceptional associates at Capital One are invaluable, there is one critical piece of information that everyone should remember, and that’s to apply.Now is the time to explore opportunities and really see how far your capabilities can get you. So what are you waiting for? Start browsing open opportunities at Capital One today and find the job of your dreams. More