Conducting the Job Search

1. Conducting the Job Search Based on Chapter 9, Goodall and Goodall Lynne Dahmen COM 2301: Advanced Speech

2. Continuum of Job Seekers Focused Idle job seeker interested Conscious

3. Thinking about Your Career • What do you have to offer? • What do you want to do? • Your interests • Your compensation goals • Your preferred working environment • Your lifestyle goals/choices • What is the current market?

4. Building your Skills • Travel/gain intercultural experience • Develop portfolio • Take internship opportunities • Part-time jobs • Network • Expand your ‘life experience’

5. Why do Job Research? • Can focus/broaden possible types of jobs • Can define job parameters • Can identify potential employers/industries • Can define you contributions • Can impress potential interviewers

6. Newspapers Internet research Other employees Jobsites on the Web Company tours Friends/relatives On campus opportunities Job fairs Placement agencies Unsolicited résumés Finding out about Jobs

7. Ways to use the Web • Career Counseling • Making contacts (newsgroups, listservs) • Research companies • Search for vacancies • Post online résumés

8. Résumé Basics • Less than one page • 2 fonts • Use active verbs • Avoid ‘I’ • Choose appropriate format (formal, contemporary, artistic) • Make an impression in 45 seconds

9. Basic Categories • Contact information (school and/or home) • Career objective/qualifications • Education • Work experience • Skills • Accomplishments

10. American Info Name Address Phone numbers Email French info Name Address Phone numbers Email Marital status Age Gender Photo (ask) Basic Info

11. Objectives/Summary of Qualifications • Objectives • To obtain an entry-level sales position which makes use of my communication and language skills. • To obtain an entry-level sales position which makes use of my communication and language skills and which will lead towards the development of management skills • Qualifications • Ten years teaching experience to a variety of age groups in both formal and informal settings. • Five years editorial experience with three as supervisor of development teams in technical environment

12. Education • Most recent school first • Name and location • Term of enrollment (months/years) • Major/minor fields • Significant skills/abilities • High school (usually not in American) • If including GPA, include scale

13. Sample English Education Section B.A., Anthropology 1992 Rutgers College General Honors Program Rutgers, the State University of NJ, New Brunswick, NJ General Honors, High Departmental Honors B.S., Biology May 2004 (expected) Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco GPA: 3.2/4.0 Dean’s list, Spring 2002, Fall 2002

14. Job Section • Name & Location of Employer • What organization does (if not clear) • Functional title • Your duties and responsibilities • Significant achievements/contributions

15. Sample English Job Listing S.A.T. Preparation Instructor,Stanley Kaplan Education Center. Madison, WI. Taught preparation in verbal and math skills. (Jan. 2001-June 2003) Assistant Hospitality Clerk, Sheraton Hotel. Fes, Morocco. (summer 2000) • Ensured smooth check-in of international clients • Solved complaints of foreign guests (especially English-speaking) • Developed guide sheet for intercultural communication for Moroccan staff.

16. Activities & Achievements • Volunteer experience • Family related experience • Tutoring • Community service • Service activities • Awards • Scholarships

17. Sample English Activities Activities and Achievements School Related • Team participant, English Public Speaking Contest (2001-2004) • Writing center tutor (2002) Extra-curricular • Helped raise younger sister for 3 years • Volunteered at Dar Chebab (Summers, 2001-2002)

18. Adding Computer skills • Include complete name of producer and program • Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Fireworks, Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) • NOT: Adobe, Word, Access • Include skill level • Basic familiarity, intermediate experience, advanced user or ‘power user’ • Include Computer languages and level • Basic Visual Basic, Introductory C++, Advanced Java

19. Adding Language Skills • Separate ‘Arabic’ from ‘Moroccan Arabic’ unless you are FLUENT in Classical Arabic (be prepared to write and present) • Use standard measurements of language skill (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Bilingual) • Specify reading, writing, speaking • Avoid French interference (Basic notions of…) • Do NOT overstate your abilities

20. Basic Organizational Approaches • Chronological • Most traditional, work experience dominates • Functional • Skills dominates, deemphasizes lack of employment • Combination • Includes both, not commonly used, repetitive • Academic • Includes publications, presentations, teaching

21. Basic Style do’s and don’ts • Use only 1 or 2 fonts (Times, Arial, Garamond) • Use bold or italics (NOT underlining) for emphasis • Use slight differences in size sparingly • Use Headings or design your own Word style to be consistent • Use tabs correctly to align data • Use ‘space before/after’ instead of blank lines to ensure even spacing • Do not make information larger than 12 point • Do not compensate for lack of information with SIZE

22. Basics for Adapting a Résumé for the Web • Prepare résumé for scanning • Convert to ‘text only’ (removes ALL formatting except line breaks) • Ensure legibility in ASCII format • Add keywords • Consider a Web résumé • Make links ‘active’ • Print out web page to make sure it is not longer than 1 page • Do not include personal contact details (other than email) on publicly published CVs

23. Too long To short or sketchy Hard to read or understand Too wordy Too ‘slick’ Amateurish Poorly reproduced Grammatical errors/typos Boastful Dishonest ‘Gimmicky’ Basic Problems with Résumés

24. The AIDA Approach to Cover Letters • Attention • Mention company and products • Argue your best skills • State clear reference to job ad/position when relevant • Interest • Connect skills to job required • Give evidence to support assertions • Desire • Suggest how you will contribute to organization • Action • Ask to meet them or indicate interest to meet

25. The bulk of the letter… • Summarizes your qualifications • Emphasizes your accomplishments • Suggests your personal qualities • Justifies salary requirements (rare) • Refers to your résumé

26. Parts of the Letter • Your address • Your correspondent • Date • Objective/subject of letter • Introduction phrase • Mentioning the company • Your ‘arguments’ • Conclusion with polite closing • Signature • Attachments at bottom of page

27. Qualities Employers Look for in a Candidate… • Candidate thinks about results • Knows how to complete tasks • Is well rounded • Shows progress/development • Has personal standards/ethics • Flexible • Can communicate well

28. DO: Match clothing to type of company Have simple and neat hair Be well groomed (eg nails) Carry briefcase/portfolio (avoid ‘student’ sacks and bags) DON’T: Wear heavy perfume/cologne Wear lots of jewelry Wear lots of makeup Wear crazy/very high- heeled shoes Smell of smoke/body odor/food Chew gum or eat Dressing the Part

29. Following Up after an Interview • Thank-you letter • Within 2 days of interview • Positive and ‘you’ oriented • Inquiry letter • After 2 weeks, or if you have another offer • Request for time extension • If you are waiting for other offers • Letter of Acceptance • Reply within 5 days, identify position in letter • Letter of Declining an Offer • Polite and direct