AOIT – 10/20/17 Life Skills: Resume and Interview Preparation Jackson A. Hayes, CDC Apex High School

A Resume is… A brief summary of your experience, education, and skills. A marketing tool! Usually one-two pages depending on your work experience. Designed to make an employer want to interview you.

Why is it important to have a professional resume? You need to stand out among the competition!

How long does a recruiter spend taking a first glance at your resume? A recruiter spends no more than 30 seconds! Therefore, your resume must be concise, accurate, and relevant to the job you are seeking.

True or False? A good length for a resume is three to four pages. False. A good length for a resume is one-two pages. Why?

True or False? One well-written resume can be used to apply for any job opening. False. You need to “sell” your skills that relate to the specific position!

True or False? Your resume should only include skills related directly to the job. True. You need to “sell” your skills that relate to the specific position! Even if you do not have many specialized and technical skills, most occupations also require reliability, teamwork, and communication.

Resume Checklist Did I use proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style? Did I have several trusted people to proofread my resume? Is my information logical? Are my job descriptions clear and to the point? Is my font easy to read? Did I “sell” my transferable skills (computer, communication, teamwork, organization) Did I tailor my resume to the job that I am seeking? Was I honest on my resume? Was I specific and did I give examples?

Resume Checklist Did I use simple everyday language? Did I include dates whenever appropriate? Did I write out what acronyms stand for because an employer might not know what they mean? Make sure that your resume does NOT include your age, marital status, health information, salary history. Make sure that your resume does NOT use pronouns “I” “We” or abbreviations “won’t” “can’t” Make sure that your resume does not overdo use of bold, italics, or small font Make sure that your resume does not crowd the margins of the page.

Guide to Resume and Cover Letter Writing (Cap-Sensitive Link): goo.gl/1jjvN3

Template Examples Template 2 - http://tinyurl.com/y8jozfha

What do you know about interviews?

Research the Company Know the company’s mission and products Know why you want to work for them Know why they should hire you Show you are truly interested and enthusiastic

How long does it take for the interviewer to make a first impression? 20-30 seconds! That’s all you have to make a first impression!

DRESS CONSERVATIVELY Important to make the interviewer focus on your intelligent answers, not your flashy attire!

Be Ready the Day Before & Arrive 20 Minutes Early

Handshake and Eye Contact

Why Smile? What does your smile say about you? What does it say to the potential employer? What characteristic does it show that an employer is seeking in an employee?

Have a Positive Attitude! Believe in Yourself!

PREPARE Interviews make people nervous! Feeling prepared increases your confidence! Being confident, not cocky will help you to have a more positive attitude and appear more competent!

HAVE A “PLAN B” You want to brainstorm as many examples of your skills and experience as possible so that questions will not stump you!

Skills to Emphasize Teamwork Communication Computer Organization Motivation Work Ethic Honesty Flexibility Goal-oriented

Know your strengths!

Know your weaknesses!

How to answer weakness question Offer a weakness not related to position Offer a weakness that you have overcome Offer a weakness that is really a strength (this is difficult!)

Ex: Weakness that is a Strength For example, you can say, “I try to take on too much work” or “I try to balance multiple projects” and have missed some deadlines because of it. How does this make you appear to the interviewer? It will hopefully make you appear to be a hard worker. The manager can easily help you to manage your time and the workflow. However, it is difficult for them to provide you with intrinsic motivation if you don’t already have it.

Don’t criticize others!

Difficult question… It is okay to pause and get your thoughts together!

Practice off the wall questions I need a volunteer to answer a question for us ! What is your favorite Color?

How would you describe your favorite color to someone who is blind How would you describe your favorite color to someone who is blind? Next Volunteer

What are 5 ways that you could use a pencil other than as a writing utensil? Next Volunteer

If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs — such as food and water — were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you?

Practice and build confidence!

Practice Tips

Brainstorm Questions to Ask WHY?

Sample Questions Can you describe what a day is like working for your company? What are the opportunities for advancement in your company? Do you have a time-line for when you will fill the position?

After the interview… WHY?

Thank you cards are a great idea! Thank the Interviewer Thank you cards are a great idea!

Life Skills: Resume and Interview Preparation Jackson A. Hayes, CDC Apex High School