Chapter 15 The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 2 The Job SearchRésumé CategoriesPoor and Improved Résumé SamplesOptimizing Your Résumé for Today‘s Technologies Topics in This Chapter

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 3 Submitting Your RésuméThe Customized Cover LetterSending Your Cover Letter by Preview Employment Quiz Topics in This Chapter

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 4  Preparing  Identify your interests and goals.  Evaluate your qualifications.  Recognize today’s employment trends.  Choose a career path. The Job Search

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 5  Today’s employment trends  More people work for smaller companies, or they start their own business.  Fewer people have permanent positions.  Teams complete special projects and then disband.  Companies outsource work to outsiders.  Contingency employees work temporarily and then leave the company. The Job Search

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 6  Searching electronically  Visit big job boards, such as CareerBuilder, Indeed, Monster, CollegeGrad, CareerJournal, and so on.  Look beyond the big boards to company Web sites, professional associations, local sites, niche sites, and social media sites. The Job Search

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 7  Tips for conducting a safe, effective Web job search  Use reputable sites.  Limit the number of sites on which you post your résumé.  Use a dedicated, professional-sounding address.  Limit personal information.  Post your résumé privately, if possible. The Job Search

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 8  Tips for conducting a safe, effective Web job search  Renew your résumé posting every 14 days.  Keep careful records of where you post your résumé.  Omit references when posting.  Avoid replying to a “blind” job posting. The Job Search

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 9  Searching traditionally  See announcements of professional organizations.  Visit career centers, attend career fairs, ask advice of instructors.  Contact companies directly.  Develop your own network.  Check classified ads. The Job Search

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 10  Searching by using online resources  Join a career networking group.  Participate in a discussion group or mailing list.  Locate a relevant blog.  Start tweeting. The Job Search

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 11 The Job Search

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 12  Heading and objective  List your name, address, , and phone.  Include a career objective customized for a targeted job. Résumé Categories

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 13  Summary of qualifications  Provide 3 to 8 bulleted statements.  List your most impressive qualifications: experience, skills, education, awards.  Customize the statements to fit the requirements of the targeted job. Résumé Categories

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 14  Education  Name your degree, date of graduation, and institution.  List your major and GPA.  Give information about your studies, but don’t inventory all your courses. Résumé Categories

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 15  Work experience  List your jobs. Start with the most recent. Include employer's name and city, dates of employment (month, year), and most significant title. Résumé Categories Salesperson, Kmart, Dayton, Ohio. April 2010 to May Manager, Fleet Equipment, Kettering, Ohio. June 2011 to present. Tax Preparer, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA). March 2011 to present. Sinclair College, Dayton, Ohio.

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 16  Work experience  Use action verbs to describe your experience.  Summarize your achievements and skills relevant to the targeted job. Résumé Categories Prepared state and federal tax returns for individuals with incomes under $25,000. Conducted interviews with over 50 individuals to elicit data regarding taxes. Determined legitimate tax deductions and recorded them accurately.

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 17  Capabilities and skills  Highlight your technical skills. Mention word processing, database, spreadsheet, and Internet proficiency.  Emphasize your nontechnical skills. Give evidence of communication, management, and interpersonal skills. Employers want more than empty assurances. Try to quantify your skills. Résumé Categories Organized holiday awards program for 1200 attendees and 140 awardees. Praised by top management for enthusiastic teamwork and achievement.

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 18  Awards, honors, and activities  Show that you are well-rounded.  List awards and extracurricular activities, especially if they demonstrate leadership, teamwork, reliability, loyalty, initiative, efficiency, and self- sufficiency. Résumé Categories

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 19  Final tips  Omit references unless specifically required.  Look for ways to condense your data.  Double-check for parallel phrasing.  Project professionalism and quality. Résumé Categories

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 20  Final tips  Avoid personal pronouns. Omit humor.  Use quality paper and a quality printer.  Have a friend or colleague critique your résumé.  Proofread! Proofread! Proofread! Résumé Categories

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 21 Poor Résumé

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 22 Poor Résumé

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 23 Improved Résumé

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 24 Improved Résumé

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 25  You will need three résumé versions: 1.Print-based presentation résumé 2.Scannable résumé 3.Plain-text resume Optimizing Your Résumé for Today‘s Technologies Print-based presentation résumé

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 26 Convert your print résumé. Use 10- to 14-point font such as Times New Roman or Arial. Be sure your name is on first line. Avoid underlining, italics, borders, shading. Include keywords mentioned in job description. Optimizing Your Résumé for Today‘s Technologies To prepare a scannable résumé

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 27 Reformat with shorter lines (no more than 65 characters). Move all text to the left. Consider using equals signs (= = =) or tildes (~ ~ ~) to separate items and enhance format. Save file in plain-text (.txt) or rich text (.rtf) format. Send to yourself to check layout. Optimizing Your Résumé for Today‘s Technologies To prepare a plain-text résumé

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 28  Word document  Send your presentation résumé by surface mail or as an attachment.  PDF document  Use Adobe software to convert your presentation résumé. Send as an attachment. Submitting Your Résumé By John S. Donnellan

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 29  Plain-text, ASCII document  Embed within or send as an attachment.  Company database  Complete online form with your résumé information.  Fax  Send your presentation résumé. Submitting Your Résumé If you are faxing or sending a résumé by e- mail, consider following up with a copy of your presentation résumé.

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 30 The Customized Cover Letter OpeningBodyClosing  Address the letter to an individual by name.  Name the source, and include job title, date, and publication for advertised jobs.  Name the person who referred you, if applicable.  Tell how your qualifications fit the job specifications, show knowledge of the reader’s business, or describe how your special talents will be assets to the company.

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 31 The Customized Cover Letter OpeningBodyClosing  Demonstrate how your background and training fill the job requirements.  Summarize your principal assets from education, experience, and special skills.  Avoid repeating specific data from your résumé.  Refer to your résumé.

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 32 The Customized Cover Letter OpeningBodyClosing  Ask for an interview. Consider hooking the request to a statement reviewing your strongest points.  Make it easy to respond. Tell when you can be reached (during office hours). Some recruiters prefer that you call them.

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 33 Sending Your Cover Letter by

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 34 1.How many employers can you expect to have had before you reach the age of 38? __ 4__ 8 __ 6__ The average job tenure for an American worker between the ages of 18 and 38 is __ 2.6 years__ 6.6 years __ 4.6 years__ 8.6 years 3. Having your job terminated ranks in the top 10 of the most severe crises in life. __ True__ False 4.What résumé format do recruiters generally prefer? __ Chronological (arranged around dates of employment, education) __ Functional (arranged around skills) Preview Employment Quiz

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 35 1.How many employers can you expect to have had before you reach the age of 38? __ 4__ 8 __ 6__ The average job tenure for an American worker between the ages of 18 and 38 is __ 2.6 years__ 6.6 years __ 4.6 years__ 8.6 years 3. Having your job terminated ranks in the top 10 of the most severe crises in life. __ True__ False 4.What résumé format do recruiters generally prefer? __ Chronological (arranged around dates of employment, education) __ Functional (arranged around skills) Answers to Preview Employment Quiz    

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 36 Preview Employment Quiz 5.Many experts in the field of recruiting think that the best way for a college graduate to find a job today is by __ Searching the Internet__ Networking __ Sending out hundreds of résumés__ Reading the classified ads 6.The best place to look for a job online is at __ Monster.com__ Company Web sites __ Yahoo HotJobs__ CareerBuilder.com 7.You have heard that “networking” is a good way to find a job. Who should be on your list of people to contact about job leads? __ Potential employers, professional organizations, and friends __ Family members, neighbors, and business associates __ School alumni and former instructors __ Your dentist, doctor, insurance agent, and other service providers __ All of the above

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 37 Answers to Preview Employment Quiz 5.Many experts in the field of recruiting think that the best way for a college graduate to find a job today is by __ Searching the Internet__ Networking __ Sending out hundreds of résumés__ Reading the classified ads 6.The best place to look for a job online is at __ Monster.com__ Company Web sites __ Yahoo HotJobs__ CareerBuilder.com 7.You have heard that “networking” is a good way to find a job. Who should be on your list of people to contact about job leads? __ Potential employers, professional organizations, and friends __ Family members, neighbors, and business associates __ School alumni and former instructors __ Your dentist, doctor, insurance agent, and other service providers __ All of the above   

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 38 Preview Employment Quiz 8.A savvy job candidate would prepare which of the following résumés? __ A beautiful print-based résumé __ A plain-text résumé __ A scannable résumé__ All three versions 9. The primary purpose of a cover letter is to ask for a job. __True__ False 10.If you are sending your résumé by , you do not need to send a cover letter ? __True__ False

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 39 Preview Employment Quiz 8.A savvy job candidate would prepare which of the following résumés? __ A beautiful print-based résumé __ A plain-text résumé __ A scannable résumé__ All three versions 9. The primary purpose of a cover letter is to ask for a job. __True__ False 10.If you are sending your résumé by , you do not need to send a cover letter ? __True__ False   

©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. Ch. 15, Slide 40 END