Landing the Job: The Do’s and Don’ts of Seeking Employment

Purpose The National FFA Employment Skills Leadership Development Event is designed for FFA members to develop, practice and demonstrate skills needed for seeking employment in the industry of agriculture. Each part of the event simulates, as closely as possible, real-world activities that are used by real-world employers.

Activities for the National Event Pre-Convention Cover Letter (100 points) Resume (200 points) Job Application (100 points) Initial Phone Interview (50 points) Personal Interview (500 points) Follow-Up Correspondence (50 points)

Activities for the National Event Day 1 Personal Interview (500 points) Follow-Up Correspondence (50 points)

Activities for National Event Day Two – 12 semi-finalists Three personal one-on-one interviews (500 points) Day Two – 6 finalists Networking Activity (100 points) Telephone Job Offer (100 points)

Tips for Writing Cover Letters and Resumes

Cover Letters Read and follow the rules of the event Never address a letter to “To Whom It May Concern” Read the job description and use the language the employers are using Know who you are addressing the letter to and what the date should be Referencing your resume encourages the reader to learn more about you It is ok to call or e-mail to follow-up I will contact you the week of November 1st to confirm receipt of my application materials and schedule a time to discuss the opportunity further. Focus on research and learning rather than awards first. Please contact me after 4 p.m…. I can be reached by phone any day after 4 p.m. or by email at… Don’t say you have to complete an internship.,…that is not an enticement to an employer If I do not hear from you in the next two weeks.,.. I will contact you by (date) to confirm receipt of my application materials and resume.

Cover Letters Talk about the most relevant work experience first to get the reader’s attention Make sure you reference your resume within the experiences of your cover letter Discuss how you will follow up with the employer Know who you are addressing the letter to and what the date should be Referencing your resume encourages the reader to learn more about you It is ok to call or e-mail to follow-up I will contact you the week of November 1st to confirm receipt of my application materials and schedule a time to discuss the opportunity further. Focus on research and learning rather than awards first. Please contact me after 4 p.m…. I can be reached by phone any day after 4 p.m. or by email at… Don’t say you have to complete an internship.,…that is not an enticement to an employer If I do not hear from you in the next two weeks.,.. I will contact you by (date) to confirm receipt of my application materials and resume.

Cover Letters Rather than stating what the position will do for you, focus instead on how the skills and experiences are a good fit for the position. Introductory paragraph should describe why you are interested in the position Avoid the use of “I” in sentences Know who you are addressing the letter to and what the date should be Referencing your resume encourages the reader to learn more about you It is ok to call or e-mail to follow-up I will contact you the week of November 1st to confirm receipt of my application materials and schedule a time to discuss the opportunity further. Focus on research and learning rather than awards first. Please contact me after 4 p.m…. I can be reached by phone any day after 4 p.m. or by email at… Don’t say you have to complete an internship.,…that is not an enticement to an employer If I do not hear from you in the next two weeks.,.. I will contact you by (date) to confirm receipt of my application materials and resume.

Cover Letters Don’t use fancy words you would not normally use in a conversation Always double check your letter for grammar and spelling Thank the person for reading and considering your application Know who you are addressing the letter to and what the date should be Referencing your resume encourages the reader to learn more about you It is ok to call or e-mail to follow-up I will contact you the week of November 1st to confirm receipt of my application materials and schedule a time to discuss the opportunity further. Focus on research and learning rather than awards first. Please contact me after 4 p.m…. I can be reached by phone any day after 4 p.m. or by email at… Don’t say you have to complete an internship.,…that is not an enticement to an employer If I do not hear from you in the next two weeks.,.. I will contact you by (date) to confirm receipt of my application materials and resume.

Resumes In the employment objective, indicate what you will do for the company in additional to what you want from the company Quantify relevant experiences and skills as you can Provide specific details related to achievements and honors Identify relevant educational experiences that connects your ability to do the job you seek How many newsletters did you publish? How many hours of community service do you perform? How many members did you lead in committees? Just don’t say meeting their needs,…be specific in relating to company’s goals. Separate honors from leadership roles Fluent in foreign language….which language Words like I and me are assumed since the resume is about yourself

Resumes Make clear connections between awards/honors and career goals Provide complete information for your references Awards/honors listed should be relevant to the employment you seek Be consistent in listing information on the resume How many newsletters did you publish? How many hours of community service do you perform? How many members did you lead in committees? Just don’t say meeting their needs,…be specific in relating to company’s goals. Separate honors from leadership roles Fluent in foreign language….which language Words like I and me are assumed since the resume is about yourself

Resumes Use strong action verbs when identifying skills Make everything in the resume connect back to the objective Be consistent in the use of punctuation within the resume Use bulleted lists instead of sentences How many newsletters did you publish? How many hours of community service do you perform? How many members did you lead in committees? Just don’t say meeting their needs,…be specific in relating to company’s goals. Separate honors from leadership roles Fluent in foreign language….which language Words like I and me are assumed since the resume is about yourself

Resumes Be consistent in use of active/passive voice when writing statements If in school, list anticipated graduation date instead of dates of attendance List information in reverse chronological order Make sure the reader knows the language How many newsletters did you publish? How many hours of community service do you perform? How many members did you lead in committees? Just don’t say meeting their needs,…be specific in relating to company’s goals. Separate honors from leadership roles Fluent in foreign language….which language Words like I and me are assumed since the resume is about yourself

Completing the Job Application

Online Job Application Make sure information is consistent with resume Carefully edit for possible mistakes in capitalization, abbreviations, and spelling If you can, fill blanks with as much information as possible, particularly when asking for skills and experiences Information requested – addresses, three references, phone numbers, etc.

Online Job Application Provide all of the information requested on the application Follow directions listed on the application Maintain consistency throughout the application Watch the use of N/A within an application Information requested – addresses, three references, phone numbers, etc.

Initial Phone Interview

Initial Phone Interview Contacted by potential employer to arrange an interview time Potential employer may ask questions regarding the applicant’s resume Interview lasts approximately 3 – 5 minutes Potential employer will call, introduce self, and ask applicant if they can ask some questions regarding their resume

Initial Phone Interview Potential questions the applicant should expect: Why are you applying for the position? What personal experiences do you have related to the position you are applying for? What are one or two things that are important to you in a job?

Initial Phone Interview Applicant can ask questions Applicant should ask for date, time, and location of personal interview

Answer the phone confidently and make sure to introduce yourself Be cautious of using too many uhs, ums, and you knows in your conversation Speak in a pleasant voice

Remember to ask for all necessary information for the interview Don’t ramble with your answers and make them too long Try not to use clichés when talking on the phone Be knowledgeable and confident in your responses

Tips for Completing the Personal Interview

Personal Interview Personal interview with a panel of three judges Each judge scores the applicant individually Interview lasts between 15 and 20 minutes

Comments from judges Make sure official dress fits appropriately Make sure you introduce to everyone in the room (if there is a small number) Give the panel an opportunity to introduce themselves to you Use a firm handshake Wait to be asked to be seated

Comments from judges Smile Maintain a strong, confident voice throughout the interview Provide complete and thorough responses to questions you are asked Avoid canned responses

Comments from judges Avoid clichés Don’t ramble when answering questions Avoid using uhs and ums When speaking, maintain eye contact with the judges

Comments from judges Watch talking with your hands Be careful using rehearsed gestures Provide specific, concrete examples to situations when appropriate Remain seated when asking questions to the panel Be prepared with questions to ask the panel

Tips for Completing Follow-Up Correspondence

Follow-Up Correspondence May be a letter, e-mail, or thank you note/card Formats will be different, but content will be basically the same Address correspondence to the appropriate person and use appropriate salutation Express appreciation, reiterates qualities, re-expresses interest, provisions for follow-up Use appropriate grammar, punctuation, spelling

Tips for the Networking Activity

Start off with a strong confident introduction to whoever you “bump” in to Maintain eye contact with who you are networking with Give specific example to illustrate your abilities and skills End with a strong concluding statement and make provisions for following up

Tips for the Telephone Job Offer

Answer the call confidently Be enthusiastic when receiving the offer Do your research ahead of time on what the current benefits, salary, etc. are for the job in your are. Use that in negotiating the final details.