Resumes and other Written Materials for a Job Search part 1

Resumes and Other Written Materials for a Job Search
(1) No ONE way to write a resume or a cover letter
(a) Purpose of writing a resume and a cover letter is to get an interview
(b) Guides offer ADVICE
(c) Common sense be your guide as you write advertisements for yourself
(2) Managers agreed that:
(a) Looked at resumes and cover letters
(b) Sometimes scanned an applicant’s application materials
To determine as quickly as possible who to interview

Application Materials:
(1) Preparation and experience candidates had in the following skills and areas
(a) Written and oral communication skills
(b) Computer skills
(c) Interpersonal skills, as demonstrated by the ability to work as a member of a team
(d) Self-reliance and initiative, as demonstrated by the ability to work alone
(e) A sense of what the world of work demands in terms of professionalism and deadlines
(f) Specific skills in at least one business or technical area supplemented by secondary skills in a variety of related areas
(g) A sense of business and personal ethics
(h) The ability to manage time, set priorities, and work under stress

Writing Resumes and Letters in the Language of Employers
(1) Employers read with one though in mind: What can the candidates do for us?
(Why use a Resume?)
(2) Message of Resume: “I have something to offer you.”
(3) Marketing Rule: Don’t confuse customers by flaunting things that don’t speak to their needs.
(Giving your Message)
(4) Language
(a) Employers – “I need”
(b) You – “I want”
(5) Trying to get an interview is like school work (You have to do your research / study). Make sure you know what the industry you are going to needs and looks for. Try to get others in the same industry to review your resume and tell you what the industry needs.
(6) Old Message: How do you stand out? Why should I hire you?
(The Importance of Knowing what the Job is all About)
(7) A need for people to get things done (realistically)
(8) Teach me is a passive solution (and a problem) – the idea is “I want to contribute”
(Letters of Application)
(9) Good letters have this in common
(a) Looked like business letters. Paragraphing, neatness, and white 8 ½ in x 11 in stationary
(b) Succinct
(c) No misspellings or grammatical errors
Layout of a good Letter
Paragraph:
(1) First paragraph stated who the writer was and what he wanted
(2) 2 – 4 paragraphs explain why the writer wrote to the employer and mentioned areas of mutual interest, special talents that might be of interest to employers, or other factors relating to qualifications that could be better described in a letter than in a resume
(3) Final paragraph suggested a course of action
(Hard Work and Attention to Detail Make for a Good Letter)
(10) Print is letter quality
(11) Get someone to check for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors (like an English teacher)
(Don’t Delegate the Job of Letter Writing)
(12) The value of a resume is frequently more in its preparation than in its use.
(Resume Preparation)
(13) Make resume a testimony to your ability to organize your thoughts
(Nancy Jones – A Good Resume Made Better)
(14) Summary – Emphasize related subjects with double spacing while single spacing non impressive subjects or stuff you hope they will miss
(Janet Smith – The Proper Use of Headlines)
(15) Summary – What you did not where you did it
(Mark Meyers – The Functional Resume)
(16) Summary – Feature functions of the job he wanted and then describe things he had done that pertained to each area.
(Preparing a Resume for a Specific Job)
(17) Summary – Make resume appeal to each particular employer (and write courses and activities that pertain to the degree they want in hopes of them accepting it)
(Bruce Gregory Robertson – A Resume Reflecting an Active Mind and Body)
(Michelle Trio – The Curriculum Vitae)
(18) Latin for “course of life”
(The Job Objective)
(19) Summary - don’t state the objective – show it with your credentials ( Don’t agree)
(One Page or Two?)
(20) Summary – as long as you need to
(Additional Advice about Resumes)
(21) Show critics a resume without telling them it’s yours and ask:
(a) What qualifications does this person have?
(b) What do you see this person doing with these qualifications?
(c) What kind of an employer would want to hire this person?
(d) Does the resume project an image of a certain kind of person and what kind?
(22) In other words: “What message do you get about me?”

Notes:
(1) Do not pad your resume with false statements
(2) First Impression is Last Impression <= Saying
(3) Imagine trying to impress a girl / boy you really like. What would you do to get their attention?
(4) What is a secretarial manual?
(5) Anybody else find the final paragraph of the good letter a little too presumptious?