Launching Your Career Resumes that Work

Launching Your Career Lets discuss the Hiring Process… An Organization decides to fill a personnel need Writes internal job description Composes job advertisement Posts job on web, newspapers, etcetera

Launching Your Career The Hiring Organization will: Receive hundreds of responses Some responses will include a cover letter Some responses will merely be a resume Usually <50% of applicants will be qualified

Launching Your Career The Hiring Organization will then: Greatly winnow the pile of responses before carefully reading any of them From perhaps the ~25 responses carefully read – of the hundreds received –, create a list of 6 to 8 applicants they want to talk with

Launching Your Career The Hiring Organization will then: Interview the ~6 to 8 top prospects Offer the job to their selected applicant

Launching Your Career These are your 3 response goals: The Hiring Organization will… 1. Read your cover letter 2. Read your resume 3. Offer you an interview

Launching Your Career Your Strategy: Cover letter itemizes your potential value Resume demonstrates your potential value Interview demonstrates your real value

Launching Your Career Focus your cover letter:Focus your cover letter: Use the organizations own keywords (Their software may scan the responses) (Their software may scan the responses) Use bullet points on why you are qualified (Unless they advertised for Shakespeare) Goal of cover letter: They read your resume

Launching Your Career Target your resume to specific job:Target your resume to specific job: Demonstrate why you are qualifiedDemonstrate why you are qualified Detail the relevant experiencesDetail the relevant experiences Detail the relevant educationDetail the relevant education People hire People… Who are you? Goal of resume: Invitation to interview

Launching Your Career Your 4 Interview Goals: 1. Mesh with the personalities you meet 2. Demonstrate your resume / value 3. Explain why that particular organization 3. Explain why that particular organization 4. Ask to be hired Goal of interview: Get the job offer

Launching Your Career Components of your Resume: Objective: What is your goal? Why? Education: School, major, GPA?, Date to work Work Experience: Job relevance = details Other Skills: As appropriate Honors / Achievements: As appropriate Activities / Hobbies: Who are you? References: Available upon request

Launching Your Career Resume Component: Objective Clearly state your goal… Launching your career? Part-time job? Internship? Clearly explain… Whythat company? Why that position?

Launching Your Career Examples of Objective: 1. Having both academic and internship experience, I am very excited to begin my career in consumer advertising as a media manager with Fidget & Fidget. 2. Having thoroughly enjoyed my academic introduction to advertising, I am very excited to gain real world experience through an internship with the award winning agency, Fidget & Fidget.

Launching Your Career Resume Component: Education List school (s) in chronological order School, city, state Dates attended Major, minor, certificates Graduation date GPA? GPA in major? Do not include high school information

Launching Your Career Example of Education: Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI 2005 – Present College of Business: Advertising Major w/ Sales Minor Overall GPA = 3.22 GPA in Major = 3.94 Grand Rapids Community College GR, MI 2004 – 2005 Overall GPA = 3.46

Launching Your Career Resume Component: Work Experience List in chronological order Detail experiences valuable to the employerDetail experiences valuable to the employer What will they not have to teach you? Honestly state your credentials… NEVER, NEVER, NEVER bluff NEVER, NEVER, NEVER bluff

Launching Your Career Example of Work Experience: Paris Ad Works Paris, France May 2006 – Sept 2006 Intern / Creative Department Specific details of what you did… MORE specific details of what you did… Still MORE specific details of what you did… Bennys Burgers Big Rapids, MI 2005 – Present Kitchen and waiting tables Part-time

Launching Your Career Resume Component: Other Skills Detail everything that you can do that has not been demonstrated elsewhere in the resumeDetail everything that you can do that has not been demonstrated elsewhere in the resume Explain the levels of your competencies – NEVER BLUFF – – NEVER BLUFF –

Launching Your Career Example of Other Skills: Competent: Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint; AutoCad; 3-D PRO-Engineer Expert: SPSS – Standard Statistical Calculations & Clementine Data Mining; MIG and TIG welding Fluent: In speaking and writing Spanish & French Fluent: In speaking Farsi & Mandarin Semi-Skilled: In writing Farsi & Mandarin

Launching Your Career Resume Component: Honors / Achievements These will demonstrate: Your leadership How your peers respect you How you perform in competition How the school values you Note: The key concept is demonstrate:

Launching Your Career Examples of Honors / Achievements: President, Student Advertising Assn 2006 – 2008 Vice President, Sorority / Fraternity 2005 – 2007 Member, FSU Judicial Council 2005 – Present Named Outstanding Ad Student November 3, 2008

Launching Your Career Resume Component: Activities / Hobbies Organizations are comprised of People People – not organizations – hire people People like people… who are like them People need to know, Who you are…

Launching Your Career Example of Activities / Hobbies: Varsity Baseball 2005 – Present Teach childrens Sunday School 2005 – Present Big Rapids Hospital 2006 – Present Intra-mural sports, fly fishing, weight training, fraternity / sorority, ballroom dancing Pet: African Grey Parrot (Gatsby)

Launching Your Career Resume Component: References Suggestions… Professor in your major Professor in your area of interest Professor you have bonded with Supervisor at relevant work experience

Launching Your Career Example of References: References are available upon request (Why not include them in the resume…?) (Why not include them in the resume…?)

Launching Your Career Why not references in the resume? Resumes can live for months & years Help your references to help you… Verify that your references are still willing Furnish them a copy of the job ad Furnish them the appropriate resume Explain what you would like them to stress

Launching Your Career Wont the interviewer be upset? When you are asked for references: Because some of my references travel, I would like to verify that they will be available to take your call. I will have that list to you by the end of business, tomorrow – if that meets your timing. No one will complain about that logic.

Launching Your Career The layout of References: Mrs. Susan Jones Ferris State University / College of Business Professor of Advertising Relationship: Academic Advisor / Instructor for 3 courses Office Phone: 231 / 555 – 1212 Mr. David Nicol Ferris State University / College of Business Dean of the College of Business Relationship: Served on Deans Advisory Committee / Instructor for 1 course Office Phone: 231 /

Launching Your Career Organizing your Career Launch: 3 ring binder w/ dividers for each opportunity Focused cover letter Focused cover letter Targeted resume Targeted resume List of references List of references All correspondence All correspondence Notes of all phone conversations Notes of all phone conversations

Launching Your Career Heads up! Heads up! Typos / Spelling Errors Typos / Spelling Errors Poor Word Usage / Grammar Poor Word Usage / Grammar Punctuation Errors / Etcetera Punctuation Errors / Etcetera Are Opportunity Destroyers Are Opportunity Destroyers

Launching Your Career Avoid the Opportunity Destroyers: It is very difficult to catch your own mistakes Have other people proof-read your material If you realized something was a mistake… you wouldnt have made it in the first place you wouldnt have made it in the first place

Launching Your Career Good Luck! Good Luck!