Resume Resource shared by one of your classmates

1. Resume Resource shared by one of your classmates http://petdance.com/2011/11/how-do-i-make-my-resume-stand-out/

2. Cover Letters

3. Cover Letter • A letter that highlights your specific skills, qualifications, achievements, etc. that tie directly to the position you are applying for • Can be a very critical document in your job search success • Strongly encourage you to cater your cover letter to the specific company/position you are applying to

4. Strategy to Writing a Solid Cover Letter • Research! • Figure out your key selling points • Write opening paragraph • Write the body • Write the closing • Proofread, proofread, proofread!

5. Research! • Learn about the company/organization you are applying to! • Good idea to do this as part of your resume preparation too • Not only will be helpful in your resume/cover letter writing, but will also be helpful to your interview!

6. Research! • Learn about the company/organization you are applying to! • Learn about what the company/organization does! • Learn about its accomplishments! • Learn about its organizational structure! • Get a sense of why you would like to be a part of it besides simply to have a job

7. Research Group Exercise

8. Research • Research, or more so analyze the actual job posting! • What exactly are they looking for? • How do you fit any of their criteria? • By knowing about the company/organization and by knowing what they are truly looking for will help you tailor your cover letter to the opening

9. Figure out your selling points • Don’t just restate your resume • Here’s a chance to do some more highlighting as to why you are a good fit for the opening • Utilize what you discovered in your research to fine tune your “sales pitch” to the company/opportunity you are applying for

10. Opening Paragraph(s) • Often the opening paragraph will indicate why you are writing to the company/organization and how you found out about the opportunity • Try to “hook” your reader quickly. In other words grab the reader’s attention • You may opt to go immediately into your sales pitch • You want to grab your reader’s attention quickly

11. Body • What about yourself do you want to highlight in order to entice the reader to closely look at your resume and bring you in for an interview?

12. Body Some questions to ask yourself that can help with composing the body of your letter: • What will catch my attention? • What's interesting about this candidate? • What's innovative or unique about this candidate? • Why is this candidate different from (or better than) other competitive candidates? • Do I understand the value I'll get from this candidate? • Do I need this candidate? • Do I want this candidate? Sourced from: Wendy S Enelow and Louise M Kursmark. Expert Resumes for Computer and Web Jobs, 3rd Ed (Kindle Locations 917-918). Kindle Edition.

13. Body “TIP: Your cover letter should not be written as "Here I am, give me a job," but should be written as, "Here I am; this is why I am so valuable; give me a chance to solve your problems." Focusing on the value and benefits you have to offer is a good way to capture the reader's attention. Remember, the employer's most compelling question is "What can you do for me?" not "What do you want?”” Sourced from: Wendy S Enelow and Louise M Kursmark. Expert Resumes for Computer and Web Jobs, 3rd Ed (Kindle Locations 922-924). Kindle Edition.

14. Closing • Passive or Assertive? • Passive: I look forward to hearing from you. • Assertive: I look forward to interviewing with you and will follow up next week to schedule a convenient appointment. Sourced from: Wendy S Enelow and Louise M Kursmark. Expert Resumes for Computer and Web Jobs, 3rd Ed (Kindle Locations 922-924). Kindle Edition.

15. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!!

16. Specific Letter Structure that I have had success with The following is the structure I have used in the past and have had success with. It’s just another approach to consider • Tell them why you are writing and how you found out about the opportunity • Tell them something you know about them and why you find it interesting • Sell yourself • Close assertively

17. Other Advice • Create and use a letterhead • the “header” feature in Microsoft Word can be handy for this • helps create a more professional look • Use a clean easy to read font

18. Cover Letter Samples

19. Cover Letter Resources http://www.fvtc.edu/public/content.aspx?ID=1965&PID=45 http://susanireland.com/letter/how-to/ http://www.quintcareers.com/covres.html

20. Job Applications • In addition to being required to submit a resume & cover letter there is a pretty good chance you will have to complete an application • Items it will often request: • Schools attended & date ranges • Employment history including date ranges & supervisors • References • I encourage you to gather the information ahead of time

21. Job Application Resources http://www.fvtc.edu/public/content.aspx?ID=1965&PID=36

22. Individual Presentations • Presentations will be given on 3/12/2012 • Worth 50 points • Requirements: • Approximately 5 minute long presentation (note: 3 minutes is too short, 8+ minutes too long) • must utilize a PowerPoint presentation (might only be a single slide). Presentation should be emailed to instructor by midnight on 3/9/2012

23. Individual Presentations • Grading will be based on • staying within allotted time • utilizing a PowerPoint presentation • eye contact • Sure ways to lose points • Simply reading to the audience, whether from the PowerPoint of some other source • Filling a chunk of your allotted time by showing a video • Inappropriateness • Not being prepared