Chapter 17

1. Chapter 17 Résumé Building, Applying, and Interviewing Skills

2. Chapter 17 Lessons Lesson 17-1 Previewing and preparing Job Search Documents Lesson 17-2 Creating a chronological Résuméand application correspondence, and Applying online Lesson 17-3 Preparing Portfolios, Recommendations, and presentations Lesson 17-4 Preparing for Impressive Job Interviews Chapter 17

3. Opening doorways to Opportunity • Job openings are doorways to opportunity. They open for a short time and close as jobs are filled. • To get your foot in the door, you must be ready to compete. You can compete for a job with the following: • A winning résumé • A clear application • Several rousing references • A clever career Facebook or Web page • A clear business card • A polished letter of application • Even the greeting on your cell phone will help you stand out from the crowd. Chapter 17

4. Lesson 17-1 Previewing and preparing Job Search Documents In this Lesson You Will: 1. Preview the documents needed for employment. 2. Collect personal employment data. 3. Plan your career communications system, including e-mail address, URL to personal career Web page, and phone numbers. Chapter 17

5. Creating a winning Career strategy • To get a great job, you need to be prepared to act quickly! As soon as you hear about a job opening, you may have only a few minutes or a few days to apply and submit your résumé. • You must have all the information you need at your fingertips so you can “strike while the iron is hot.” • To get the job, you must prove you have the skills that an employer wants and needs. • A résumé is a vital communications tool for you as a job seeker. An effective résumé communicates to an employer the match between your skills and the requirements of the job. Chapter 17

6. Commit Your Employment Data to Writing A personal career data file is a written self-assessment of your interests, skills, work-related experience, and other job qualifications. Chapter 17

7. Create a Professional E-mail Address • You should list an e-mail address in your résumé. • E-mail connects the working world. Having an e-mail is important. • You can choose to sign up for free e-mail from the dozens of free e-mail service providers on the Web, such as Google’s Gmail and Yahoo. • When creating a new career- oriented e-mail account, choose a professional-sounding name. Use your name or invent a clever career-oriented e-mail address that potential employers can use to contact you. Chapter 17

8. Facebook or Web page • For many of today’s high-tech jobs, it is important that you post your personal career-oriented Web page to creatively display your qualifications and skills and an online résumé. • Tools like Facebook and MySpace may be used for this purpose. However, it is better to create a separate online page for professional networking use only, keeping your normal social networking pages for personal use. One networking alternative is LinkedIn – a professional site. • Another option is to create a website for your professional needs. Chapter 17

9. Your Cell Phone Message • Prospective employers are likely to contact you for an interview over the phone. You will need a cell phone number at which an employer can easily reach you. • Your phone should also have text messaging, which is used more and more in business situations. • A summary of a company’s overall charges—local services, long-distance services, roaming charges, texting, call waiting, and so on—is called a rate structure. • If you are not available to take a call, the last thing you want on your voice mail message is something silly and embarrassing. As you record your message, remember to use a professional-sounding voice or have someone else record the message for you. Chapter 17

10. Lesson 17-2 Creating a Chronological résumé and application Correspondence, and applying online In this Lesson You Will: 1. Learn the components of a chronological résumé. 2. Choose a target job description for which you will develop a résumé. 3. Write a chronological résumé. 4. Review a letter of application and application correspondence and then prepare your own. 5. Convert your résumé and letter of application to a format appropriate for online input and then complete an online application. Chapter 17

11. Building Your Résumé Contact information Career objective Related experience Education Work experience Achievements References (typically on a separate page) • A chronological résumélists your work experience, education, skills, and achievements in order by date from the most recent to the oldest entry. This format is sometimes called a traditional resume. • The typical chronological résumé has seven parts: Chapter 17

12. Target Your Résumé to your Audience • Have a copy of your career data file open as you write to move quickly through the résumé creation process. • When writing résumés, it helps to have a job description in front of you. A job description can give you insight into what your audience (your prospective employer) is looking for and will help guide your writing. • Every job for which you apply will have specific tasks. You need to address those specifics in your résumé. • Do not fall into the trap of using the same résumé for all job applications. Chapter 17

13. A Letter (or E-mail) of Application • The purpose of a letter of application is to interest the prospective employer in looking at your résumé. This letter almost always accompanies a resume. • State that you want to be considered as an applicant for a particular job. • Introduce your strongest and most relevant qualifications for the job. • Invite the prospective employer to review your qualifications in more detail in your accompanying resume. • Ask for an interview. • Thank the reader for his or her time. Chapter # 2

14. Sample Letter of Application Chapter 17

15. Online Applications • An online application form often requires the same information that is in an application, a résumé, and a letter of application. • Identify your strongest skills and experiences, and make sure they appear somewhere on the form. • Proofread carefully before clicking the Submit or Send button. Chapter 17

16. Lesson 17-3 Preparing Portfolios, recommendations, and Presentations In this Lesson You Will: 1. Begin to develop a personal employment portfolio. 2. Acquire, write, and proofread letters (or e-mails) of recommendation. 3. Develop a multimedia presentation, using Microsoft PowerPoint, to highlight your skills and achievements. 4. Improve your résumé using Microsoft templates. 5. Improve your employment documents, including a business card, using an original design. 6. Preview and then create a personal career Web page. Chapter 17

17. Starting a personal employment portfolio • Some companies may require you to present a portfolio of your accomplishments. • An employment portfolio is a collection of items demonstrating your skills and abilities. It should also reflect your career goals, creativity, and personality. A portfolio is a place to display the best of what you can doand should include: • Résumé • Letter (or e-mail) of application • Letters of recommendation • Business card • Samples of your best work • Professional presentations Chapter 17

18. Rousing Written recommendations • Most employers require references. • Human resource specialists generally contact your references by phone or e-mail. • Sometimes employers require written references in the form of letters of recommendation. • When thinking about whom to ask to write a letter of recommendation, consider someone who knows you well and can evaluate your work ethic, abilities, and commitment to do a good job. • When you begin actively seeking a job, your employment portfolio should contain at least three strong, positive letters or e-mails of recommendation. Chapter 17

19. Writing Recommendation for Others • A letter of recommendation should include the following information: • An explanation of your relationship to the candidate and the length of time he or she has known you. • Details about the candidate’s skills, talents, responsibilities, work, and projects. • Your view of the candidate’s personal characteristics, such as honesty, initiative, and positive attitude. • Your opinion of the candidate’s interpersonal skills, such as his or her ability to get along with others and work well in a team. • How the candidate’s strengths, skills, training, and characteristics can contribute to his or her job performance. • Your contact information—where you can be reached for questions (via e-mail or by phone) on behalf of the candidate. Chapter 17

20. Personal Multimedia Show • Some professional-level jobs require several rounds of interviews. • Preliminary interviews narrow down the potential candidates to a select few. These interviews are sometimes held over the phone or online using communications tools. • A second round of interviews is organized to choose from among the top two to five candidates. • A final round of interviews selects one person over all the other candidates for a position. • You may be asked to deliver a multimedia presentation about your qualifications. Chapter 17

21. Improving Your Résumé • Your first résumé should be written in a plain and simple manner, making it easy to copy into an online application form. • The résumé you take to an interview, however, should be attractive, flawless, and eye-catching. • As with your earlier efforts in writing a résumé, it must be clear, state your skills, and be professionally written. • Microsoft Word has built-in templates to help you create a résumé with an attractive format. • Microsoft Publisher allows you to be even more creative. Chapter 17

22. Create an original Résumé Design • You may want to design your own creative résumé . • A trifold résumé brochure can be printed and folded to make a dynamic multipage presentation from a singe sheet of paper. • Considering different formats and using appealing templates gives you more flexibility than a traditional résumé . • If you create a different design for your résumé, you will likely want to create a companion letter of application and business cards using the same design elements. Chapter 17

23. Demonstrate your Net-Ability:A personal Career Web Page • Personal Career Web Page can include: • Your résumé. • Samples of your work. • Letters or certificates related to honors or awards. • Electronic copies of diplomas or certificates. • Sound or video clips of an online project. • Electronic copies of letters of recommendations. • A professional-looking personal career Web page can demonstrate your technical skills and display your work. • An online Web page gives you the opportunity to showcase yourself as a prospective employee. • Web biographies can be less formal than a résumé. Chapter 17

24. Lesson 17-4 Preparing for Impressive Job interviews In this Lesson You Will: 1. Write an interview acceptance message. 2. Develop your interview skills. 3. Consider and prepare for potential interview questions. 4. Learn key strategies for a successful interview. 5. Review a sample corporate interview rating scale and practice interviewing with team members so that you can interview like a professional. Chapter 17

25. Accepting an Interview • If you have not heard about a possible interview after a few days, call to inquire about the status of your application. • When talking to a prospective employer, use a professional tone. Go to a quiet place to take the call. Avoid interruptions and background noises whenever possible. • You must reply quickly, accept the interview, and make sure you know the following information: • Location of interview • Time of interview • Date of interview • Anything you need to bring • Appropriate dress Chapter 17

26. Learn How to Interview • On the day of the interview : • Wake up early. It is better to arrive 15 minutes early than 1 second late. • Plan to arrive at the interview site early so you do not feel rushed or pressured because you arrived late. • As the time of your interview approaches, turn off your cell phone or pager so these devices will not interrupt your interview. • Before the interview, relax. Breathe deeply. Do not “stress out.” • As the day of the interview approaches, you should: • Carefully consider the clothes you will wear. Professional dress is essential to making a good impression. • Prepare extra copies of your résumé and business card. • While not every interview will require a portfolio, have a copy ready just in case. • Often, qualified people fail to get the job they want because their interview skills are lacking. • Before any interview, you should practice how you will answer interview questions. Chapter 17

27. Interview Questions • When you are preparing for an interview, scan the company’s website and try to anticipate what skills, talents, or attitudes the company values. • There are two general categories of questions you may be asked in any job interview. • The first set relates specifically to the skills listed in the job description. To anticipate these questions, you must review the job description carefully and be prepared to explain how you fulfill the requirements of the job. • The second category of questions deals with general work habits and skills. Chapter 17

28. Vital Employee Skills • Problem-solving skills • Technical communication skills • Flexibility • Drive • Interpersonal skills • Project management skills • Teamwork skills Chapter 17

29. During the Interview • Follow these guidelines as you enter the room: • Shake hands with each member of the interview team. • Make eye contact with each interviewer. • Introduce yourself and listen for the names of the interviewers. Try to address each interviewer by name. • Follow these guidelines during the interview: • Sit up straight. • When an interviewer asks a question, look at him or her intently. Show interest in the question. • Answer questions completely and clearly; however, do not draw out the answers. • Do not spend too much time answering any one question. • Be (or at least act) confident. • Avoid phrases like and a, like, and uh. • Avoid slang terms. • Use technical and job-related terms when appropriate. • Never use profanity—ever! • Do not take lengthy notes. If you need to write something down, do so quickly and make eye contact again. • Avoid making negative comments about present or former coworkers or supervisors. Chapter 17

30. Interview Rating Scale Many corporations use a rating scale to evaluate candidates interviewing for a job. Chapter 17