Job Searches Rsums and Cover Letters 1 Effective

Job Searches, Résumés, and Cover Letters 1 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Learning Objectives Develop a job search strategy. Analyze both résumés and cover letters to verify that they reflect the six Cs of effective messages and acceptable message formats. Format résumés and cover letters to accommodate traditional and digital delivery. Prepare effective résumés and cover letters using the CBO approach and the AIDA strategy. 2 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Conduct a Job Search Section 1: The Job Search Opportunities for finding a job that satisfies both personal and professional needs increase by implementing a job search strategy. Analyze your personal characteristics. Determine and evaluate your job-related skills and abilities. Research employment opportunities. 3 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Employment Opportunities Networking Employers Career-Related Experiences College Career Centers 4 Print and Online Publications Employment Agencies The Internet Employer Information Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Section 2: The Résumé Use your résumé to highlight your ability to solve problems and adapt to change. • Tell who you are. • Communicate the kind of job you want. • Show that you can do the job. • Distinguish yourself from other candidates. 5 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Plan and Draft a Résumé The purpose of a résumé and cover letter is to obtain an interview. Make every word count! Design your résumé to: Attract the employer’s attention. Create interest in your skills. Build desire for your abilities. Encourage action. 6 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Plan and Draft a Résumé (continued) Identify the objective. Visualize the audience. Gather supporting information. Highlight transferable skills. Emphasize desirable traits. Organize the information. 7 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Format Guidelines Do not use personal pronouns (I, me, you, and my). Omit the articles (a, and the) whenever possible. Write in descriptive phrases punctuated like sentences. Use strong action verbs. Use keywords to explain accomplishments. Maintain parallel structure. Format consistently. 8 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Organize a Résumé Heading: name, address, phone, e-mail address Job objective: desired position and benefit to employer Summary of qualifications: experiences and skills that make you stand out Work experience: accomplishments in reverse chronological order 9 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Organize a Résumé (continued) Education: acquired knowledge and skills in reverse chronological order Achievements, honors, activities: foreign language, scholarships, certifications, volunteer work References: people other than personal friends who can comment positively on your abilities 10 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Short-Term or Unrelated Work Experience Short-term and unrelated work experiences may produce desirable skills and attitudes that are applicable to other jobs and careers. Emphasize transferable skills. De-emphasize dates. Minimize job details. Combine similar experiences. 11 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Employment Gaps Draw attention away from gaps in employment. Refer to years of experience rather than dates. Supply present company names with old names in parentheses. Use current professional jargon to describe jobs. Focus on abilities rather than on timelines. 12 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Information to Exclude Personal information does not belong on a résumé. 13 Age National origin Gender Religion Race Marital Status Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Résumés for the Internet More and more companies expect job hunters to utilize the Internet to submit résumés, cover letters, and applications. 14 E-résumés Faxing E-portfolios Online Posting Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

ASCII Plain Text Formatting Tips Keep line length short. Begin lines at the left. End lines with a hard return. Use a 10 - to 14 -point nondecorative, fixed-width font. Group under uppercase descriptive headings. Provide white space before and after headings. 15 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

ASCII Plain Text Formatting Tips (continued) Do not use unusual fonts, underlining, italics, shading, boxes, or columns. Do not use special characters. Use ASCII-friendly keyboard characters to add visual appeal. Use uppercase letters for headings. 16 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Online Posting Make your résumé cybersafe. Respond to job listings at web sites rather than generically posting your résumé. Remove your name and personal contact information. Create a separate e-mail address to use during your job search. Replace your current employer’s name with a description of the type of business. Investigate each site for its privacy guidelines. 17 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Complete the Résumé No matter how you transmit your résumé, the résumé must be perfect. Incorporate the six Cs of effective messages. Proofread for typos, grammar, and content. Check for completeness and ensure that your qualifications match the job specifications. Review your résumé using the Checklist for Preparing a Résumé. 18 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

The Cover Letter Section 3: The Persuasive Cover Letter The cover letter is a persuasive message—a sales letter about you. Apply the CBO approach and the AIDA strategy. Explain how your qualifications benefit an employer. Set yourself apart from other applicants. 19 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Compose a Cover Letter Incorporate the persuasive strategy AIDA. Attract attention. Open with one orand twobuild top qualifications. Create interest desire. Mention specific position and the source of the Research the potential employer. Ask forthe action. information. Determine your central selling point. Courteously and assertively ask for an interview. Appeal to the employer’s sense of logic. Tell the employer how and when to contact you. Present your qualifications in the order that best enhances your salability. 20 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

E-cover Letters Follow the ASCII format tips. Apply the persuasive strategy AIDA. Include the word résumé and the position sought. Get to the point quickly. Keep paragraphs short. Use keywords throughout the message. End with a complimentary close and signature block. Proofread! Conduct a trial run by e-mailing to a friend. 21 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©

Complete the Cover Letter Prepare a customized one-page, error-free cover letter in acceptable business letter format. Print on quality stationery that matches the résumé. Sign your name legibly and neatly. 22 Effective Communication for Colleges, 11 th ed. , Brantley & Miller 2008©