FUNDAMENTALS OF WRITING April 24, 2014

Today Business writing: Job applications

Résumé - A résumé may be the most important document for your job search. - It proves 3 things to potential employers: 1. Proves you are qualified 2. Proves you care about the job 3. Proves you understand the working world

Résumé – What is it? A résumé is not : - Your life story. - Your emotional autobiography - A college transcript.

Résumé - – What is it? - A résumé is a factual and concise summary of your qualifications. - A résumé shows prospective employers that you have the education and experience for the job you are applying for. Think of it like a persuasive advertisement about yourself. - It’s your billboard

Résumé - What employers like to see 1. Honesty - Be truthful about your qualifications: - education - experience - skills i.e., if you were the manager’s assistant, don’t say you were the assistant manager. i.e., # 2: professor’s assistant vs. assistant professor

Résumé - What employers like to see 2. Attractiveness - The document should be “pleasing to the eye.” - Appropriate spacing - font - use of boldface This tells the employer that you are visually intelligent.

Résumé - What employers like to see 3. Organization - Careful organization of information is: - easy to follow - logical - consistent This shows your ability to process information.

Résumé - What employers like to see 4. Concise - Keep to your purpose (get the job). - Generally, your résumé should be 1 page (2 at the most). - Résumés are written in SHORT sentences - They do not use the word “I” - Use “action-packed” verbs.

Action-oriented language - Examples Duties at my last job: I made the company website  Designed the company website. I helped with lab reports  Assisted lab report composition. I changed programs to suit each customer  Customized programs for customers.

Résumé - What employers like to see 5. Accuracy - Make sure: - grammar - spelling - dates - names -titles -programs Are ERROR-FREE Inconsistencies and errors say: “I don’t know what I’m doing.” credit: thechive.comthechive.com

Real résumé lines Graduated in the top 66% of my class. Thank you for your consideration. Hope to hear from you shorty! I am very detail-oreinted. Here are my qualifications for you to overlook. Education: College, August May 1984.

Résumé - What employers like to see 6. Currency (current) - Make sure that ALL information is up-to-date.

Résumé - What employers like to see 7. Relevant - Make sure the information is appropriate for the job. Employers are looking for necessary education and experience.

Résumé - What employers like to see 1. Honesty – no false is misrepresented information 2. Attractiveness – proper font and layout 3. Organization – proper format 4. Conciseness – brief, and to the point (descriptive) 5. Accuracy – error-free 6. Currency – all information should be up-to-date 7. Relevance – Information should be relevant to the position

Résumé - What employers like to see Which of these do you have?

Parts of a résumé Contact information At the top of the résumé: - Your name (avoid nicknames) - Address - telephone number - address.

Parts of a résumé Contact information Gwen Gao 42 Lanark Street, Clayton, VIC 3168 Ph: Note: avoid unprofessional addresses

Parts of a résumé Career objective Create an objective that directly related to the position you have applied for. Consider: 1. What kind of job am I Iooking for? 2. What kind of job am I qualified for? 3. What abilities do I have that match the position?

Parts of a résumé Career objective Avoid: “I want to join a company.” “Looking for high-paying job that brings personal satisfaction.” Real-life example: Objective: I want a base salary of $50-$60,000 dollars, not including bonus. And some decent benefits. Like a retirement plan, health insurance, personal or sick days.

Parts of a résumé Career objective Be focused: Internship in marketing to apply the training earned through my education. Regional sales representative using my proven skills in e- commerce and communication to develop and expand a company base.

Parts of a résumé Credentials (Education & Experience) - The order can vary. - If you are a recent (or soon-to-be) graduate with little experience, list education first. - Only include relevant items!

Balancing Education and Experience Any part-time work (paid, or not), vacation job, volunteer experience, or internship show an employer that you are responsible and knowledgeable. i.e,. If you worked at GS 25, it shows that you can work with money and provide customer service and take responsibility for your own duties without supervision.

Parts of a résumé Credentials - Education - Begin with most recent education first, then list everything significant since high school. Include: Name(s) of school(s) Dates attended Degree/Diploma/Certificate earned. - This includes relevant training courses or military training.

Parts of a résumé Credentials - Education IMPORANT: A résumé is NOT a transcript, though. Do not simply list all the courses you took. - Instead, concentrate on describing the skills you learned.

Parts of a résumé Credentials - Experience - A key category for many employers - Show that you have held a job before and that you are responsible.

Parts of a résumé Credentials - Experience - Begin with most recent position (reverse chronological order). Include: - Company name - Location (city, province, country [if necessary]) - Your job title - Dates of employment

Parts of a résumé Credentials - Experience - For each job, provide a short description (one or two lines) of your duties and achievements.

March 2010 – June 2012 Promotions Assistant, Promostaff - Managed product research studies in supermarkets - Collated results and highlighted critical feedback items. - Promoted to team leader due to excellent feedback from clients.

Parts of a résumé Credentials - Experience - You may include any relevant volunteer work you have done. - This may be especially important if you have no work experience. - Describing your volunteer duties can demonstrate your previous responsibilities.

Parts of a résumé Related skills and achievements - Indicate any additional languages you speak or write, extensive travel, certificates or licenses, and memberships to professional organizations or community groups. i.e., Language skills. - English: Advanced (spoken and written) How could I prove this on a résumé?

Parts of a résumé Computer skills - Knowledge of computer hardware, software, etc. is extremely valuable in the job market.

Parts of a résumé Honors/awards - Include only if they are relevant. i.e., Community service awards Academic awards

Parts of a résumé References - Usually, you state: References available upon request.

Parts of a résumé - summary NAME Contact information Career objective Credentials (Education and Experience) Related skills and Achievements Computer skills Honors/awards References

Résumé language: “Action” words Points to remember: - Résumés must be concise and to-the-point. - In this small space, you must be as descriptive as possible. Using the proper “résumé language” can help your résumé stand out from others. i.e., I looked after the store’s money that people bought things with.  Managed daily cash flow.

Sample résumés job/resume-samples.html

Assignment 3 introduction Internship Application. - Pretend you are in your junior (3 rd ) year of study. - You must; - Find an internship that you are interested in. - apply for that internship  Letter of Application (cover letter)  Résumé

Assignment 3 Internship Application. - Pretend you are in your junior (3 rd ) year of study. Consider: - By the second semester of your 3 rd year, what courses will you have completed? - What experiences will you have had?  do not exaggerate.