BOLD Advisor, Hugo Ottolenghi, Guides Members With Tips on Creating a Professional Resume

BOLD offered valuable student support during its second workshop of the semester on Tuesday, November 2nd. Throughout the session, members were able to appreciate the Do’s and Don’ts when constructing a professional resume from Hugo Ottolenghi. Not only was the organization excited to hear more tips & tricks from the FIU professor of high accolades, BOLD’s very own advisor had plenty to share with his fellow members.

Professor Hugo Ottolenghi has been a long-time educator and advisor throughout his FIU career thus far. He has been an incredible instructor within CARTA’s School of Communication + Journalism undergraduate and graduate programs for 15 years in the making. Currently, Hugo holds the faculty advisor position to BOLD FIU along with several other FIU organizations. He also produces senior consulting work, and stands as an appreciable mentor to many FIU alumni. Inside the BOLD organization beginning Fall of 2021, his genuine guidance has prepared members for real world applications and readiness. 

Hugo simplified the notion of resumes, and explained that its main purpose should lead to securing an interview. With his presentation titled, “The 5 biggest mistakes you are making on your resume” Ottolenghi went over what should be included in a general past experience and how it should cater as a self-marketing tool. As Hugo plainly described resumes to be “a means for employers to rank candidates, communicate [a person’s] qualifications, and to summarize relevant job accomplishments’ ‘, many members took the opportunity to ask solid questions of where’s a good place to start. Hugo condensed key takeaways to involve thorough work experience, volunteer work, clubs and organizations, and any relevant coursework as a great base to integrate in a resume.

In terms of what to avoid when constructing a top resume, Hugo enforced how these big no-no’s will stop your resume from reaching the hiring manager.

  1. Describing duties, not accomplishments
  2. Leaving out details
  3. Profile that anyone could use to describe themselves
  4. Confusing your hard and soft skills
  5. Spray & Pray!

Hugo concluded the evening by emphasizing the importance behind having a proper structure and to not forget the little things. Components such as stating complete school, program, or company names, listing one’s experiences in chronological order, and utilizing a hint of color to make a resume pop but still pose as professional, are all enhancers for an average document to transform into a top tier resume. As many students were glad to receive valuable advice by the experienced Professor Hugo Ottolenghi, BOLD remains committed to providing career guidance for its members.

Click here to connect with Hugo Ottolenghi!

BOLD is a student-run strategic communications agency at Florida International University. Click here to learn more

Written by: Carri Medina, Director of Public Relations