Career Planning Process Preparing for a Career Resume

Career Planning Process Preparing for a Career, Resume Writing, and Job Interviewing

What do you know about writing a Resume and Interviewing for a Job • Please list everything you know about writing a resume. • Please list everything you know about interviewing for a job. • Please list 3 things you want to know about writing a resume and interviewing for a job.

Starting Now! • Why are we starting to look at this information in 8 th grade? • This is when you begin to gain skills and experience needed to get the career you want. • Colleges and Jobs take into consideration what you did in High School when hiring for a job or accepting you to the college of your choice. • Colleges stress the importance of internships, volunteer experience, and a well rounded student when they consider acceptance to their school. It is highly competitive to get into many colleges. • It is important to start early on the necessary classes and experience you need in order to go into the career you are interested in, for example a Doctor.

Step 4 Look for & Accept a Job ØResumes/Application ØFind Job Openings ØJob Interviews ØConsider Offers ØBegin Work Step 3 Pursue Education ØHigh School Diploma ØAssociate’s Degree ØBachelor’s Degree ØMaster’s or Ph. D. ØVocational Step 1 Learn about yourself Ø Interests Ø Abilities Ø Values Ø Experiences Ø Personal Situation Step 2 Explore Careers ØRead ØTalk with people ØVolunteer ØHobbies/Activities ØInternships/Co-Ops ØWork

At Each Step above you should do the following: ØIdentify Questions ØIdentify Resources ØGather Information ØEvaluate Options ØMake Decisions ØAct of Decisions ØEvaluate outcomes

Why are resume’s important? • Resume’s tell the employer what you have to offer. • It alerts the employer to what position you are applying for. • It tells the employer what education background you have, such as bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctorate, GPA, dean’s list, honor societies, and scholarships • It tells the employer what experience you have that is relevant to the job you are applying for, such as employment, internships, and volunteer experience.

Sample Resume Maureen Jenkins 1259 Lincolnshire Drive Brockport, NY 14420 Home: 585 -395 -5555 Cell: 585 -333 -5555 Mjenkins @coolmail. com Objective To obtain an entry-level position in human services Education Bachelor of Science in Psychology State University of New York College at Brockport, May 2008 Related Coursework: Introduction to Counseling Behavior Modification Psychological Disorder of Children Conditioning and Learning Social Psychology Applied Behavior Modification Study Abroad, Madrid, Spain, Fall Semester 2007 Experience • • Intern January – May 2008 New York State division of Human Rights, Rochester, NY Interviewed clients while assisting in investigations. Researched statistics at the state and federal level for inclusion report • • Server January 2006 – September 2007 Red Lobster, Greece, NY Excelled as a server in busy atmosphere with a diverse clientele. Promoted to trainer of wait staff within six months of being hired Volunteer Experience • Big Sister, Big Brother/Big Sister Program, Rochester, NY 2004 – Present • Volunteer, Admissions Open Houses, SUNY Brockport, 2005 Skills • • Fluent in Spanish Adept at SPSS

What if I don’t have any related experience? • Everyone has experience, it is a matter of how you present what you have that can make a difference! Using transferable skills on your resume helps relate your unrelated past experiences to your next career. • Transferable skills are skills you have acquired during any activity in your life-jobs, classes, projects, sports, hobbies-that are applicable to what you want to do in your next job

What if I don’t have any related experience? (cont. ) • For every item on your resume, think: – How can I portray this skills so that it supports what I want to do in my next job? – If you can’t make the statement to support what you want to do, leave it out. EXAMPLE: Before: – Provide customer service to patrons. – Manage multiple table orders ensuring prompt service – Use technology to input meals and beverages After: – Act as a “sales representative” for the restaurant, selling add-ons and extras to achieve one of the highest per-ticket and per-night sales averages. – Prioritize and juggle many simultaneous responsibilities – Have guilt loyal clientele of regulars – Use computer daily

COVER LETTERS • 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. A cover letter is used to introduce the resume. It is your chance to tell the employer in your own words why you would be a good fit with their company. Here are six tips to get started: Make it personal-find the name of someone to send it to within the company. Be concise-limit your cover letter to one page. Avoid starting every sentence with “I”-This will make it flow better Do NOT mass-produce your letter-it is easily recognizable. Show, don’t tell-include specific examples of certain skills you have. PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD

Your Street Address Sample Cover Letter City, State ZIP Date (hit the enter key four times) Name of contact person Title Company Street address City, State ZIP (hit the enter key twice) Dear (Mr. or Ms. ) Last Name: (choose Mr. or Ms. And hit the enter key twice): The opening paragraph should arouse the interest of the employer. State why you are writing and give information to show your interest in this specific organization. If it is a letter of application, name the position for which you are applying and how you heard of it. (hit the enter key twice) The middle paragraph should create a desire on the part of the employer to know more about you. Explain why you are interested in working for this employer. Point out your achievements or qualifications in this field, especially those that meet the job qualifications on your enclosed resume. Highlight important points from your resume. Also highlight points that will be of particular interest to this specific organization. (hit the enter key twice) Sincerely, (hit the enter key five times) (your signature goes here) Your Name (hit the enter key twice) Enclosure: Resume

Interviewing-Before the Interview do the Following: • Research the Organization you are interviewing with 44% of organizations hire people who have company knowledge. • Learn about yourself-look over your resume and see what you can bring to the organization. • Learn what to ask-Develop a list of questions to ask the interviewer. • Prepare answers to common questions-such as educational background, hobbies, and experience. • Rehearse your delivery-practice interviewing with a friend and work on body language.

During the Interview: • Make a good impression during the interview-people want to hire people they like. Be friendly, outgoing, and maintain good eye contact. Be on time and dress professionally. Don’t chew gum. • Stick to your message-Choose major points that you want to communicate to the company. • Know your weaknesses-almost every interviewer will ask in which areas are you weakest? Mention your weaknesses, and more to the strength that you use to compensate for the weakness. • Ask for the job-summarize in a couple sentences how you would benefit the organization. Ask what the next steps are and be sure to get a business card from each person.

After the Interview • Take time to reflect-immediately after the interview, reflect on what went well and what points you may have had trouble with. • Thank the interviewer-Send a thank you note to each person you interviewed with. You can do this by email or by letter.

Applying for Jobs • Many jobs do background check, fingerprinting, and drug testing-many times there is a place on the application that asks if you have been convicted of a felony. • Many jobs will not hire those who test positive for drugs or who have a felony on their record (sometimes even a misdemeanor). • If you are applying for a job that requires driving, employers will not hire you if you have had traffic violations or many accidents on your record.

Websites • Resume Website http: //www. monroecc. edu/depts/careercenter/St u. Serv/resumecoverinfo. htm • Preparations with Interviewing website http: //www. monroecc. edu/depts/careercenter/St u. Serv/interviewing. htm • Local/National Employment Liks http: //www. monroecc. edu/depts/careercenter/St u. Serv/Placement. Local. National. Links. htm • Research Employers on the Internet http: //www. monroecc. edu/depts/careercenter/St u. Serv/Placement. Research. Company. htm

What did you learn today? • Please list 4 things you learned today • Hand in your list of 4 things to Ms. Fisher