Job Hunting: It's Like a Job, Only Harder
Expert tips for writing resumes, cover letters and thank you notes
(ARA) - For recent college graduates or professionals beginning a new job search, a job hunt can be an exhausting process. One of the reasons is that, according to the experts, to be successful in your job search, you have to "market" yourself, and many people just don't know how.
According to Loribeth Dalton, director of career services for The Art Institute of Las Vegas, "The job search is very similar to sales and marketing. To be successful you must follow a linear strategic plan."
For example, says Dalton, start with the two of the most important building blocks for a successful job search: the resume and cover letter. "The purpose of a resume is to tell an employer what a person has done in the past. The cover letter tells the prospective employer what skills and abilities the job seeker has that will allow them to be successful in the future with their company," she says. "Each cover letter should be crafted to be very specific to the job applied for."
Michael Courteau, professional development instructor at The Art Institutes International Minnesota recommends never having a resume longer than one page. Anything beyond that won't get read. "Conventional wisdom is that most resumes are read, on average, for eight seconds, so adding another page to your resume becomes unnecessary, since you'll only be placing an even greater textual demand on the reader's eight seconds," he says.
If you have limited work experience, like a new college grad, consider creating a functional resume that emphasizes skills. For example, says Courteau, near the top of your resume you would list such skills as knowledge of specific software, bilingual skills, or relevant volunteer experience.
In your cover letter, says Kirsten Wright, graduate employment advisor at The Art Institute of Washington, "point out the strengths of your resume and direct a potential employer to things that you cannot explicitly state in your resume but that make you stand out."
In both resumes and cover letters, always use high quality paper. Stay away from slang language and avoid using contractions. You want to present yourself as a professional, even if you've never held a formal job before.
Find out if your school has a career services department, and if so, ask for guidance. "That's what they're there for," says Diana Graves-Sharple, director of career services of The Art Institute of Atlanta. Graves-Sharple also recommends seeking out friends, family, professional organizations, trade journals, job boards, recruiters, staffing agencies and industry specific directories to help in your job search. "Research your city, or the city you'd like to work in, the job market, and know the industry and the companies that you are contacting for potential employment," she advises.
With all the job seeking information available on the Web -- including Career Builder.com, CreativeHotlist.com, TalenZoo.com, and FlipDog.com. -- are today's graduates in better shape than a generation ago to find a job? "Overall, I'd have to say yes," says Jennifer Abramski, assistant director of career services of The Art Institute of Seattle.
But, she adds, there are common mistakes she sees over and over again. For example, graduates need to respond quickly to job leads, i.e. within a day. They need to return a potential employers' call immediately and be on time for interviews. Abramski adds, "five minutes late is not on time." Be enthusiastic. Often the recent graduate still has the "laid back" college mentality, but this doesn't work well in a job interview situation. "Employers often end up thinking you're not interested in the job or the company," she says. Remember, a first job is not necessarily a dream job. But it does add to your professional experience.
All these experts agree, thank you notes for an interview need to be sent within one day of an interview. Thank you notes "can tip the scales in your favor," says Kristin Wright. "When all other skill sets and experiences are equal, this can be the factor that gets you hired," she adds. Thank you notes also give you the opportunity to point something out about yourself that you didn't make clear during the interview process.
When it's time to sit back and wait for the job interview calls to come in, remember to listen to the outgoing message of your home answering machine or cell phone. Edie Beattie, career services advisor at The Art Institute of Charlotte, remembers calling a graduate who was actively job searching and hearing an outgoing message of "Whad Up?" and then beep. If a potential employer hears that, your job offer could be doomed.
So whether you're a new college graduate or an experienced professional who has been recently downsized, the guidelines are the same. Write a good resume and cover letter, be organized and keep track of who you interview with, write thank-you notes and maintain a professional image, even if you're just at home waiting for the phone to ring. You never know.
Courtesy of ARA Content
Present your job objective in a manner that relates both to the company and the job description.
Final hiring decisions are rarely base upon resume alone; however the resume should be concise, factual and positive listing of your education, employment history and accomplishment.
Test your resume for relevancy. The information included in your resume should either support your job or career objective directly or support your character in general. If you have no definite purpose for including something, just leave it out.
Be conscious of the continuity of your history. The reader will be looking for reason to eliminate as many resumes as possible. Resumes with gaps of unaccountable time often reach the circular file.
Weigh your choice of words. Select strong actions verbs, concrete nouns and positive modifiers for emphasis (see below). Use concise phrases and clauses rather than complete sentences.
Try your resume out on someone who knows you and who will be objective in his or her opinion.
Keep a separate list of references and made them available only upon request.
Your resume is only a door opener. You want aninterview.
Additionally Your Interviewer Will Ask For Questions of Your Resume…Make Sure You Have the Answers!*
Answering the following four questions in a fully persuasive way will greatly increase your odds of developing a winning resume. The questions are the crucial elements of the resume formula. Answering them will not only give you the material you need for building a strong resume, but will also prepare you for networking and interviewing. Use the sample resume below as a point of reference.
1. What do you want? That’s your Objective. Don’t struggle or agonize over this. Prospective employers want and need a simple, specific answer. Managers and human resources people need to know how to route your resume. If your objective is too vague, they’ll just scrap it. Change your objective for different markets if you have to.
2. Why are you qualified to do it? That’s the Summary section. Answer succinctly why you’re qualified to accomplish your objective. Ask yourself: why they should hire me? (You will need to get ready for that one at the interview anyway!) Summarize the answer in easy-to-read bullet points. These points become your Summary. This section should satisfy your audience that the rest of your resume is worth reading, bringing them to the next question.
3. Where have you done it? That’s the Experience Section. The reader needs to relate to the experience you’ve had. Identify the company in its most relevant light. If it’s not a recognizable company, write a line about it high points. Build it up. On the resume, the reader will often equate your value with that of your employer. Describe only the parts of your job that help sell you and showcase your value.
4. How Well Have You Done It? That’s the Achievement Section. This is where you should put in your most thought and effort. Think about what you did for each employer to make that company better. It could be a big thing or something small. But it should be enough to show value. Did you have an idea which was implemented and has saved the company money? Were you promoted several times due to your contributions? Were you given positive reviews, and why? Were you selected for a key program or training? Bullet these points separately from, and after, your job description. These points show your worth.
ACTION VERBS
accelerated
demonstrated
initiated
performed
scheduled
accomplished
designed
instructed
planned
simplified
achieved
directed
interpreted
pinpointed
set up
adapted
effected
improved
programmed
solved
administered
eliminated
launched
proposed
structured
analyzed
established
led
proved
streamlined
approved
evaluated
lectured
provided
supervised
coordinated
expanded
maintained
proficient in
supported
conceived
expedited
managed
recommended
taught
conducted
facilitated
mastered
reduced
trained
completed
found
motivated
reinforced
translated
controlled
generated
operated
reorganized
utilized
created
increased
originated
revamped
won
delegated
influenced
organized
revised
developed
implemented
participated
reviewed
CONCRETE NOUNS AND POSITVE MODIFIERS
ability
competent
effectiveness
qualified
technical
actively
competence
pertinent
resourceful
versatile
capacity
consistent
proficient
substantially
vigorous
Good luck!
Jeff Altman
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com
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