question archive Discussion Searching for a job is one of the most important tasks you will do in your life, probably more than once
Discussion Searching for a job is one of the most important tasks you will do in your life, probably more than once
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Discussion
Searching for a job is one of the most important tasks you will do in your life, probably more than once. An initial preparation of an application package (résumé, application letter, sometimes an application form) may take 8 hours or longer. In advance you will want to contact people, generally three or more, who are willing to be your professional references, and obtain their phone numbers and email addresses. As a courtesy, send them a copy of your résumé and let them know what types of jobs you are seeking.
For more information about seeking employment, your textbook is a good source and explains networking, portfolios, job-posting sites, interviewing, and follow-up. Another book for job hunters is What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles.
In this assignment, you will concentrate on the written aspects of the job search.
Samples of your work may appear online or you may take them with you to an interview. If you have sent samples and want them back, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope along with the application.
Résumés
Make sure you begin with contact information: name, address, email address, phone number, personal website or portfolio site (if available). Preferably use an email address that is not hotmail (although Beth Pryor's email in your book has a hotmail address) or cutesy names, such as TheFabulousOne or TooTiredToWork. Make sure your Facebook does not have you in a photo with a lampshade on your head or strutting new underwear. Also have someone call the phone number on your résumé to make sure it is accurate.
Your textbook is particularly good about showing comparisons among types of résumés along with corresponding application letters. The best news about résumés is that you can write in fragments or use bulleted lists. Traditionally résumés are one page but may be longer. The following table outlines different samples in the chapter.
Chronological résumé: Information is actually written in reverse chronological order with the most recent work experience and education being first. You will include dates of employment, company name, location, and position along with responsibilities. For education, you will include schools where you received certificates or degrees, location, major, date of degree or anticipated graduation date, GPA of 3.0 or higher, and senior paper or project, if applicable; relevant courses may be included. After you receive a higher education degree, you do not need to list your high school.
Functional/skills résumé: Your skills are the focus of this résumé, such as financial management, supervision, communication, computer software, public relations, sales, and the like (see page 224 for more headings). Generally, three to five skills are listed with corresponding activities and should align with the advertisement or announcement. Employment and education will come after the skills and list only basic information. The functional/skills résumé is good choice for those moving from hourly employment to an annual contract, volunteer activities to paid employment, part-time to full-time jobs, or into higher level positions.
Conventional vs. digital (scannable/electronic) résumé: Both résumés contain the same information. The conventional résumé (or pdf) can be more ornate (Figure 7.4 on page 218, Figure 7.5 on page 219, or Figure 7.6 page 222) with boldface, bullets, italics, underlines, and even color. Its text uses action verbs (see Table 7.3 on page 216). The digital résumé is often scanned into a database, so applications can be sorted and saved by categories. Its font is plain, and the text uses nouns (see Figure 7.8, Figure 7.10, Figure 7.11, and Figure 7.13 on pages 226, 231, 232, and 235, respectively). Page 236 shows the comparison between vocabulary used in conventional résumés and digital résumés.
When using postal mail to send an application package, use a flat envelope or express mail envelope rather than put tri-folded documents in a #10 envelope, which is only 4 1/8" x 9 1/2".
When you are both working and going to school or holding down a couple of jobs, a good word to use is concurrent, such as Employment (concurrent with attendance at the University of Houston Clear Lake), Part-time Employment (concurrent with undergradute studies), or Part-time Employment (concurrent with full-time employment). This shows that you can balance activities, are ambitious, and can succeed.
Also do not be afraid to use data in your résumé and application letter. Look at Anthony H. Jones' resumes on pages 218 and 231 that include $35,600 in fundrasing for the Santa Rosa Humane Society. Likewise, look at Bohai Huang's résumés on pages 222 and 226 that lists $3 million in residential property being sold and then supervising six full-time and two part-time employees. Dora Cooper Bolger's information on pages 225, 232, and 242 shows her volunteer and civic work, where she delivered 24 presentations, collected $225,000 in fundraising, and organized a neighborhood carpool with 17 drivers and more than 70 children for 7 years.
Work experience does not have to be all paid work or full-time work. It can be an internship. It can be volunteer work. It can be part-time work. It can be summer or seasonal work.
Choose headings that fit your situation. You will not use all the headings below, but they are a way to start your personal analysis and organize the information on your résumé.
· career objective (optional)
· education/training/certifications
· qualifications/skills
· computer skills
· languages (translation, conversational, written)
· travel
· honors/awards
· military decorations/badges
· professional affiliations/memberships (offices held)
· related activities
· references (optional)
Application Letters
An application letter is a sales letter about you. It makes a connection between your knowledge, skills, abilities, and personality with the responsibilities of the position. Figure 7.15 (paragraph 2) on page 241 connects the applicant's skills with the job responsibilities.
Application letters have the same parts as other letters. Your application letter is a transmittal or cover letter since it goes with the résumé. Application letters are generally a page in length. Do not use letterhead from your current company to apply to another business. Although your book encourages you to use a person's name in the greeting, Dear Human Resources or DEar Selection Committee is acceptable.
The body of the application letter is like an essay. It is generally four to six paragraphs in length. The first paragraph identifies the job for which you are applying and establishes a thesis statement in the first paragraph. For example, my recent internship, education, and travel correlate with the position requirements. Following the sample thesis statement, you will start the second paragraph with your internship, in the third paragraph describe the completed degrees and/or courses you have taken, and then explain in the fourth paragraph how your recent study abroad program included cities where the employer has regional offices. In your concluding paragraph(s), you may let the potential employer know that you are available for an interview and thank the company for considering you for the position. See pages 239, 241, and 242 for other sample letters.
Assignment
This assignment has five parts.
1. Personal analysis (5 points): Make a list of at least 20 skills, job responsibilities, personal characteristics, education, certificates, credentials, jobs, volunteer experience, memberships in organizations, and professional activities that would qualify you for an internship, promotion, or job in your field. See Figures 2.1 and 2.2 on pages 38-39 for developing your list.
2. Announcement (5 points): Look for a job advertisement, internal posting, internship, or scholarship. Include a link to the announcement or include the full description. Identify four words in the announcement that match your primary personality style, such as enthusiastic, conscientious, flexible, or punctual. Identify at least four responsibilities or qualifications of the position, such as train employees, write monthly accounting reports, complete payroll, or supervise full-time marketing staff.
3. Company paragraph (10 points): Find out about the company by answering some of the questions below in a paragraph of about 100 words. Document your source(s); often you will find company details in the announcement itself. Although the textbook concentrates on company knowledge at the time of the interview, it is equally important to know about the company when writing the application letter, so you can make connections between your experience and the potential job.
· What is the primary mission of the company? Is it a Fortune 500 company?
· Where is the main office located? Is the company local, regional, national, or international?
· Does employment require relocating?
· What is the environment of the company – formal or casual?
· How many people are employed?
· Are there benefits that support daycare, family schedules, flexible hours, or working remotely?
4. Application letter (40 points).
5. Résumé (40 points).
Submit all five parts in a file in Blackboard.
Resources of Interest
"How often do people change jobs during a lifetime?"
Fortune 500 This year's Fortune 500 marks the 68th running of the list. Fortune
"How a Facebook Update Can Cost You Your Job"
