JOB SEARCH MATERIALS

1. JOB SEARCH MATERIALS Making Yourself the Ideal Job Candidate

2. Contents • Application (cover) letters • Résumés: traditional, scanned, web • Follow-up letters: no fault, thank you, accept, refuse, stall

3. Application (Cover) Letter • Purpose: persuade your audience to move you onto the next step of the job search process • Tone: project self-confidence and maturity; do not be apologetic, timid, stuffy, or arrogant • Homework: learn something about the company that you can mention in the letter. Can you tie your qualifications to what you learned or the way you might benefit the company?

4. Format • Letter conventions: heading, inside address, salutation, complimentary close, end notations • Single spacing • Introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs • Letter length-- one page (entry level job)

5. Letter Format • Heading: your address; city, state, zip code; date • Inside address: audience name and job title, company name, address, city, state, zip • Salutation or attention line • Body of letter • Complimentary close, signature block • End notations

6. Specifics • Use an attention line when you don’t have a specific person to address • Ex. Attention: Human Resources Department • Choose a traditional complimentary closing • Sincerely yours, • Very truly yours, • Respectfully yours,

7. Specifics 2 • End notations • Signature block: typed name four lines below complimentary closing phrase with space for signature • Enclosure: can include name or type of enclosure. Use the entire word or abbreviate. • Ex. • Enclosure: résumé • Encl.

8. Types of formats • Block style: all parts of letter start on left margin • Semi-block style: heading, complimentary close, signature block flush right margin; all other parts on left margin • Single space within paragraph, skip line after each paragraph

9. Heading and Inside Address Example • 4912 Starsplit Way • Gwynn Oak, MD 21207 • November 28, 2006 • Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President • UMBC • 1000 Hilltop Circle • Catonsville, MD 21250 • Dear Dr. Hrabowski:

10. Complimentary Close, etc. Example • Sincerely yours, • Mattias Cowpens • Enclosure: résumé

11. Introduction (paragraph 1) • Begin by stating purpose (cold contact or advertised position) • Tell how you learned about job • Name drop if applicable • Include specifics: name of newspaper, date you saw ad, job title • Describe self here or at start of body • Tell name, student status, major/degree. Can include reference to research on company.

12. Body (paragraph 2-3) • Discuss work and education experience, one paragraph each • For education, include specifics about work done in classes. Class titles without supporting specifics won’t tell your audience much about you. • For job, include specifics about duties, accomplishments, rewards, promotions

13. Details • Education example • In my technical writing course, I designed a web site and worked on a collaborative manual on using Front Page. • Job example • During my 4 years of IT experience, I have spent time as a Level I Help Desk Specialist, providing end-user support via telephone, email, and the Remedy system.  

14. Conclusion (paragraph 4) • Ask for action from audience: an interview • Give contact information • E-mail address • Landline phone number(s) (mention answering machine or voice mail) • Cell phone number • End all letters with a courteous closing sentence • Ex. Thank you for your assistance.

15. Traditional Résumé • Major categories: personal data, education, work experience, references (almost optional) • Optional categories: job objective, computer/professional skills, organizations, awards, publications, interests, military experience, extracurricular activities • Order: personal first and references last. All other categories organized by importance.

16. Personal Data • List name, address(es), phone number(s), e-mail address(es), website URL. For online résumé, don’t list address and phone numbers. • Do not include marital status, race, ethnic group, health, date and place of birth, age

17. Education • Reverse chronological order-- list current school first and work backwards • School name, dates of attendance (if no large gaps), major/minor/certificate, GPA (3.0+), courses, internships, awards • High school information not needed

18. Work Experience • Job title, company name, city, state, zip, dates of employment • Job duties • Verb phrases best for describing duties (present tense=current job, past tense= former job) • Descriptive action verbs: administer, analyze, conduct, create, design, develop, direct, edit, evaluate, manage, operate, organize, supervise, write

19. References • Use phrase “Available upon request” if out of space, or omit this category if you don’t have a list of references. • Always ask before listing someone as reference. • Give name, job title, company address and phone number for each person. • Do not give personal address/phone.

20. Optional Categories • Job objective: neither too specific nor too general • Computer skills: use separate sub categories--applications, languages, platforms, operating systems, etc. (must include) • Honors, awards, publications: brag if you can • Organizations: include offices held

21. Functional Résumé • Emphasizes skills and strengths before specific jobs • Works better than chronological if there are gaps in history • Use headings for skills, expertise, or roles • Include descriptions of abilities in each section • Can be problematic if employers can’t match skills and jobs

22. Functional Résumé 2 • Education and work categories placed after functional sections • Other items that show your abilities may fit in these sections • Job descriptions appear in functional section, rather than in the employment section • Sample Functional Résumé • Functional Résumé Template

23. Scanned Résumé • Can send both traditional and electronic • Begin all categories on left margin, one column only • Name, address, phone number • Keywords: to identify job titles, job related tasks, skills or special knowledge, degrees, certifications, colleges. Use terms from ad.

24. Scanned Résumé 2 • Paper and typeface: smooth white paper, black ink, simple fonts (use only one font) like Courier or Times Roman as long as letters don’t touch. • Don’t use: graphics, shading, script fonts, italics, underlining, bold, horizontal or vertical lines, parentheses, brackets, abbreviations. • Don’t fold or staple pages. Send in a 9x12 mailing envelope.

25. Scanned Résumés 3 • Don’t use: compressed lines of text, tabs, dot matrix printers • Do use: wide margins around text, 8.5”x11” paper. • Send an original, not a photocopy • Mail, don’t fax

26. WWW Résumé • Definition: résumé that contains clickable text and images created in HTML • Hyperlinks: • establish at start of résumé to link to important categories • should support data, not distract viewer • should aid in navigating through résumé

27. WWW Résumé 2 • Should be one web page long • Provide prioritized keyword summary, 25-35 keywords • Only list e-mail address in personal section as contact information for security • Use a variety of internal links • Keep design simple • Register résumé with search engines • Choose most appropriate résumé for you from these types: traditional, scanned, web

28. Follow-up Letters • Several types fit search situations • Companies use them as invisible obstacle to narrow applicant pool • One type chosen for this assignment

29. No Fault Letter • No response to initial mailing • “No fault” approach • ex. Because something might have happened to my original letter, I am enclosing another copy of my letter and résumé. • 2 paragraphs long • Final paragraph asks for notice of decision, positive or negative as well as contact information • Don’t forget the courteous closing sentence.

30. Thank You Letter • Thank you for the interview • Say thanks and something flattering about the company-- ¶ 1 • Repeat a qualification that was impressive or give an answer that you couldn’t think of at the time; remind audience about your strengths-- ¶ 2 • Close with contact information, hope for continued participation, and courteous closing sentence-- ¶ 3

31. Acceptance Letter • Job acceptance = direct approach • Say yes and thank you-- ¶ 1 • Schedule interview, meeting, medical exam, etc.– respond to any specifics mentioned with job offer-- ¶ 2 • Close with enthusiastic comment about working for company and courteous closing-- ¶ 3

32. Refusal Letter • Job refusal = indirect approach • Say thank you for job offer and something flattering about company--¶ 1 • Refuse job and give reason--¶ 2 • Close with hope that might apply again to company in future--¶ 3

33. The Stall Letter • More time needed to decide • Thank you for job offer-- ¶ 1 • Ask for more time with the reason-- ¶ 2 • Assure audience that you will decide immediately if you can’t get the extension and repeat contact information-- ¶ 3

34. Letters Exercise • Keyword summary • Using the job you’re applying for, create a 25 word summary. Include specific key words and phrases from the job ad as well as from your personal background. • Places to look for good keywords are the job duties/requirements. • If you aren’t using a job ad, find one online to use for this exercise. • Send this exercise to the Discussion Board.