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Chapter 15 The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters

Chapter 15 The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters. Topics in This Chapter. Topics in This Chapter. The Job Search. Preparing Identify your interests and goals. Evaluate your qualifications. Recognize today’s employment trends. Choose a career path. The Job Search.

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Chapter 15 The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters

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  1. Chapter 15 The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters
  2. Topics in This Chapter
  3. Topics in This Chapter
  4. The Job Search Preparing Identify your interests and goals. Evaluate your qualifications. Recognize today’s employment trends. Choose a career path.
  5. The Job Search Today’s employment trends More people work for smaller companies, or they start their own business. Fewer people have permanent positions. Teams complete special projects and then disband. Companies outsource work to outsiders. Contingency employees work temporarily and then leave the company.
  6. The Job Search Searching electronically Visit big job boards, such as CareerBuilder, Indeed, Monster, CollegeGrad, CareerJournal, and so on. Look beyond the big boards to company Web sites, professional associations, local sites, niche sites, and social media sites.
  7. The Job Search Tips for conducting a safe, effective Web job search Use reputable sites. Limit the number of sites on which you post your résumé. Use a dedicated, professional-sounding e-mail address. Limit personal information. Post your résumé privately, if possible.
  8. The Job Search Tips for conducting a safe, effective Web job search Renew your résumé posting every 14 days. Keep careful records of where you post your résumé. Omit references when posting. Avoid replying to a “blind” job posting.
  9. The Job Search Searching traditionally See announcements of professional organizations. Visit career centers, attend career fairs, ask advice of instructors. Contact companies directly. Develop your own network. Check classified ads.
  10. The Job Search Searching by using online resources Join a career networking group. Participate in a discussion group or mailing list. Locate a relevant blog. Start tweeting.
  11. The Job Search
  12. Résumé Categories Heading and objective List your name, address, e-mail, and phone. Include a career objective customized for a targeted job.
  13. Résumé Categories Summary of qualifications Provide 3 to 8 bulleted statements. List your most impressive qualifications: experience, skills, education, awards. Customize the statements to fit the requirements of the targeted job.
  14. Résumé Categories Education Name your degree, date of graduation, and institution. List your major and GPA. Give information about your studies, but don’t inventory all your courses.
  15. Résumé Categories Work experience List your jobs. Start with the most recent. Include employer's name and city, dates of employment (month, year), and most significant title. Salesperson, Kmart, Dayton, Ohio. April 2010 to May 2011. Manager, Fleet Equipment, Kettering, Ohio. June 2011 to present. Tax Preparer, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA). March 2011 to present. Sinclair College, Dayton, Ohio.
  16. Résumé Categories Work experience Use action verbs to describe your experience.  Summarize your achievements and skills relevant to the targeted job. Prepared state and federal tax returns for individuals with incomes under $25,000. Conducted interviews with over 50 individuals to elicit data regarding taxes. Determined legitimate tax deductions and recorded them accurately.
  17. Résumé Categories Capabilities and skills Highlight your technical skills. Mention word processing, database, spreadsheet, and Internet proficiency. Emphasize your nontechnical skills. Give evidence of communication, management, and interpersonal skills. Employers want more than empty assurances. Try to quantify your skills. Organized holiday awards program for 1200 attendees and 140 awardees. Praised by top management for enthusiastic teamwork and achievement.
  18. Résumé Categories Awards, honors, and activities Show that you are well-rounded. List awards and extracurricular activities, especially if they demonstrate leadership, teamwork, reliability, loyalty, initiative, efficiency, and self-sufficiency.
  19. Résumé Categories Final tips Omit references unless specifically required. Look for ways to condense your data. Double-check for parallel phrasing. Project professionalism and quality.
  20. Résumé Categories Final tips Avoid personal pronouns. Omit humor. Use quality paper and a quality printer. Have a friend or colleague critique your résumé. Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!
  21. Poor Résumé
  22. Poor Résumé
  23. Improved Résumé
  24. Improved Résumé
  25. Optimizing Your Résuméfor Today‘s Technologies You will need three résumé versions: Print-based presentation résumé Scannable résumé Plain-text resume Print-based presentation résumé
  26. Optimizing Your Résuméfor Today‘s Technologies To prepare a scannable résumé
  27. Optimizing Your Résuméfor Today‘s Technologies To prepare a plain-text résumé
  28. Submitting Your Résumé Word document Send your presentation résumé by surface mail or as an e-mail attachment.  PDF document Use Adobe software to convert your presentation résumé. Send as an attachment. By John S. Donnellan
  29. Submitting Your Résumé Plain-text, ASCII document Embed within e-mail or send as an attachment.  Company database Complete online form with your résumé information.  Fax Send your presentation résumé. If you are faxing or sending a résumé by e-mail, consider following up with a copy of your presentation résumé.
  30. The Customized Cover Letter Address the letter to an individual by name. Name the source, and include job title, date, and publication for advertised jobs. Name the person who referred you, if applicable. Tell how your qualifications fit the job specifications, show knowledge of the reader’s business, or describe how your special talents will be assets to the company.
  31. The Customized Cover Letter Demonstrate how your background and training fill the job requirements. Summarize your principal assets from education, experience, and special skills. Avoid repeating specific data from your résumé. Refer to your résumé.
  32. The Customized Cover Letter Ask for an interview. Consider hooking the request to a statement reviewing your strongest points. Make it easy to respond. Tell when you can be reached (during office hours). Some recruiters prefer that you call them.
  33. Sending Your Cover Letter by E-Mail
  34. Preview Employment Quiz 1. How many employers can you expect to have had before you reach the age of 38? __ 4 __ 8 __ 6 __ 10 2. The average job tenure for an American worker between the ages of 18 and 38 is __ 2.6 years __ 6.6 years __ 4.6 years __ 8.6 years 3. Having your job terminated ranks in the top 10 of the most severe crises in life. __ True __ False 4. What résumé format do recruiters generally prefer? __ Chronological (arranged around dates of employment, education) __ Functional (arranged around skills)
  35. Answers to Preview Employment Quiz 1. How many employers can you expect to have had before you reach the age of 38? __ 4 __ 8 __ 6 __ 10 2. The average job tenure for an American worker between the ages of 18 and 38 is __ 2.6 years __ 6.6 years __ 4.6 years __ 8.6 years 3. Having your job terminated ranks in the top 10 of the most severe crises in life. __ True __ False 4. What résumé format do recruiters generally prefer? __ Chronological (arranged around dates of employment, education) __ Functional (arranged around skills)    
  36. Preview Employment Quiz 5. Many experts in the field of recruiting think that the best way for a college graduate to find a job today is by __ Searching the Internet __ Networking __ Sending out hundreds of résumés __ Reading the classified ads 6. The best place to look for a job online is at __ Monster.com __ Company Web sites __ Yahoo HotJobs __ CareerBuilder.com 7. You have heard that “networking” is a good way to find a job. Who should be on your list of people to contact about job leads? __ Potential employers, professional organizations, and friends __ Family members, neighbors, and business associates __ School alumni and former instructors __ Your dentist, doctor, insurance agent, and other service providers __ All of the above
  37. Answers to Preview Employment Quiz 5. Many experts in the field of recruiting think that the best way for a college graduate to find a job today is by __ Searching the Internet __ Networking __ Sending out hundreds of résumés __ Reading the classified ads 6. The best place to look for a job online is at __ Monster.com __ Company Web sites __ Yahoo HotJobs __ CareerBuilder.com 7. You have heard that “networking” is a good way to find a job. Who should be on your list of people to contact about job leads? __ Potential employers, professional organizations, and friends __ Family members, neighbors, and business associates __ School alumni and former instructors __ Your dentist, doctor, insurance agent, and other service providers __ All of the above   
  38. Preview Employment Quiz 8. A savvy job candidate would prepare which of the following résumés? __ A beautiful print-based résumé __ A plain-text résumé __ A scannable résumé __ All three versions 9. The primary purpose of a cover letter is to ask for a job. __True __ False 10. If you are sending your résumé by e-mail, you do not need to send a cover letter ? __True __ False
  39. Preview Employment Quiz 8. A savvy job candidate would prepare which of the following résumés? __ A beautiful print-based résumé __ A plain-text résumé __ A scannable résumé __ All three versions 9. The primary purpose of a cover letter is to ask for a job. __True __ False 10. If you are sending your résumé by e-mail, you do not need to send a cover letter ? __True __ False   
  40. End
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