Applying for Jobs

Other

There are a variety of other documents you might include in your portfolio, depending on the type of job you are applying for. Some other portfolio documents could include: Awards and certificates School transcripts (not always requested by employers) Evidence of participation in school, community, or volunteer activities Employer evaluations (you may need to get permission from a previous employer in order to show these to other employers)

Follow-Up Letter

After an interview, send a follow-up letter restating your interest in the position. You can say a few things that you wished you'd said in the interview, or emphasize certain parts of your experience or skills one more time. Keep the letter short, friendly, and professional. It's best to format it as a business letter and send it electronically, if your other communications with the company were done electronically. If you interviewed with more than one person, it's good to send each person a letter.

Which of the following pieces of information should be included in a resume? (Select three answers.)

Contact information Education Employment history

Notify References

If an interview goes well, the employer will probably call your references. Of course, you should have asked your references for permission before giving their contact information to a potential employer. After an interview, it's a good idea to remind those people that you used them as references and to warn them that they may be receiving a call from the potential employer. To help your references be prepared, you can send them the job description and give them any other helpful information, such as a link to the employer's Web site. This can help your references stay focused on the ways you will succeed in this particular job. It will also show your professionalism in communicating with your references and preparing them well, since there's a good chance that the employer will be able to tell if the reference is informed about the job.

Work Samples

Work samples are examples of work you have done in the past. This may be work you did for previous employers, or projects you produced outside of your job. Work samples make more sense for certain types of jobs than others. EXAMPLE If you are a writer or artist, work samples might be expected as part of your job application. If you are an accountant or a truck driver, work samples might not make as much sense.

The Basics

An interview is a meeting in which the employer and job applicant discuss the job and the applicant's qualifications. The person conducting the interview is called the interviewer. The job applicant is the interviewee. Some jobs require just one interview, while others require more than one. The interviewee may meet with a single interviewer, rotate between a few different interviewers, or meet with multiple interviewers at once. An interview might be very short, or it might take multiple days. Some companies do phone interviews to screen out some candidates before meeting people for in person interviews. An interview is the job applicant's chance to demonstrate their professionalism and ability to succeed in the job

Dress and Grooming

Appropriate dress and grooming is important. Even if the company's dress code is casual, it is a good idea to dress up for an interview. Take care to look professional, clean, and well groomed. Don't chew gum or smoke in the presence of your interviewers. This will help make a good first impression and show that you are taking the interview seriously.

Behavior

Plan to get to your interview early, so that a little extra traffic, getting lost, or other unforeseen obstacles won't make you late. If you get there too early, wait somewhere nearby until you are just a little early. When you meet your interviewer or interviewers, introduce yourself, look them in the eye, and shake their hands. Stay as calm and relaxed as you can. Sit up straight, and use eye contact. Try not to fidget or act nervous. Be polite, and avoid using slang or inappropriate language. When the interviewer asks you questions, answer them clearly and completely. Try to stay focused on the question you were asked. Ask clarifying questions if you aren't sure what the interviewer meant. Be confident and positive. Show your enthusiasm. Toward the end of the interview, the interviewer will probably ask if you have any questions. This is when you can ask the questions you have prepared. At the end of the interview, shake hands again and thank the interviewer.

portfolio

is a collection of documents that demonstrate a worker's experience, abilities, and qualifications. If you are planning to apply for jobs, you will need to create a portfolio.

resume

is a document that describes a worker's employment experience, strengths, skills, education, and other qualifications. Nearly everyone who applies for a job needs a resume. It's best to keep your resume to about one page in length. Resumes are often sent to employers by e- mail or through a Web site. Let us learn more about how to format business documents like resumes later. There are many different ways to organize the information in a resume.

follow-up letter

is a letter sent from a job applicant to an employer after they have had an interaction, usually an interview. The follow-up letter is sometimes also called a thank-you letter because it usually thanks the employer for their time and consideration. Many job applicants don't send follow-up letters, so it can help you stand out from other applicants. The letter can restate your interest in the job and mention anything you wished you had said in the interview. Keep the follow-up letter to no more than one page. It is best to format it as a formal business letter. You'll learn more about business letters later.

letter of recommendation

is a letter written by a professional colleague in support of a job applicant. A letter of recommendation is usually a general letter, not customized for a specific job.

list of references

is a list of people who are willing to discuss a job applicant with a potential employer. It's best to get references from professional colleagues who worked with you in the recent past. Make sure they agree to be your reference, and let them know if they are likely to get called, so they are prepared. Employers usually want at least three references.

cover letter

is sometimes included with a resume. It is a short letter from the job applicant that gives additional information about their qualifications for and interest in the job. A cover letter is sometimes called a letter of application. It's best to keep a cover letter to no more than one page in length. Ideally, it should be focused on this particular job at this particular company. This shows the employer that you have spent time learning about their company and job. This is a good place to highlight the ways you meet the criteria described in the job description. You can express your enthusiasm about the job, but it's usually best to focus more on the value you would bring to the employer and less on how much you would like the job. Sometimes, cover letters are formatted informally and included directly in an e-mail message. Other times, they are formatted as a formal business letter and sent as an e-mail attachment, like the resume. The letter may even be included in the same document as the resume. You'll learn more about business letters later. It's usually good to use a formal approach, just in case the employer prefers a professional format, but you can use your judgment based on the type of job. If writing and communication are an important part of the job, a cover letter is a good opportunity to demonstrate those skills. If a cover letter is not usually used for this specific type of job, it can help you stand out from the other candidates.

Preparation

As an interviewee, you should learn about the company and job before the interview. The company's Web site is usually a great way to do this. Be ready to talk about your experience and qualifications for this particular job. Bring a copy of any relevant portfolio materials, particularly your resume and list of references. If you know how many interviewers you will meet, bring enough copies of your resume for each interviewer. Consider the questions you would ask if you were interviewing people for this job, and be prepared to answer them. There are also many common questions asked by interviewers. EXAMPLE Some common questions include asking about your strengths and weaknesses, why you want this job, your personal goals, why you left other jobs, what you liked most and least about other jobs, and why they should hire you. It may help to practice interviewing with a friend or family member. Prepare your own questions about the company and job to ask the interviewer. Most interviewers will give you the chance to ask questions, and it's good to have some well thought out, relevant questions. Make sure your questions are not things you could find out easily on your own from checking their Web site or from doing research on your own. EXAMPLE Don't ask about what bus or train lines the company is near. You can figure that out yourself. Avoid asking questions about salary or benefits until the employer brings it up or offers you the job. Asking these questions too early may seem inappropriate to the employer. Instead, ask questions that would be difficult to learn from online research. EXAMPLE Good questions might include how tasks are divided between team members or what the management style of the company is like. Asking the interviewer what they like most or least about working for the company is also usually a good question.

EXAMPLE Some resumes put education first, while others put employment first. Contact information is usually at the top. A resume usually includes the following information:

Contact information • Name • Phone number • E-mail address • Home address or city of residence Objective • A short sentence describing the type of work being desired Employment history • List of job titles, company names, locations, dates of employment • Short description of each job and the skills/strengths developed or demonstrated there, in paragraph or bullet format • If the employment history is short, you can call this category "relevant experience" and include other types of experience, such as volunteering Education • List of schools attended • College majors • Date of graduation (optional) • Other academic awards, achievements, or certifications Technical skills • Software skills • Language skills • Any other technical skills related to the job Strengths (optional) • Strengths are often addressed in employment history, but some resumes have a separate section for listing them Hobbies/interests (optional) • These are not usually necessary unless they relate in some way to this particular type of job

Which of the following things should you do after an interview? (Select two answers.)

Send a follow-up letter to each of the people who interviewed you. Notify your references and give them information about the job.

A job description usually tells you what you need to do in order to apply. Most jobs require at least a resume. Even if a job doesn't say you should send a cover letter, it's usually a good idea. Most employers want employees to submit their portfolio electronically, often through e-mail. Your resume and cover letter can be attached to an e- mail with a short, professional message. Let us learn more about e-mail and business letters later.

Some employers want you to fill out a job application they provide. They may want you to submit a resume and cover letter with the application, or the application may replace those items. Read the employer's instructions carefully, and follow them. If you don't follow their instructions, they may be less likely to hire you, because you didn't follow instructions well.

Illegal Questions

There are some types of questions that are illegal for an employer to ask in an interview or job application. As a job applicant, you should know what types of questions you do not have to answer, and how to deal with them. Employers are not allowed to make hiring decisions based on personal information that isn't relevant to the job. This is discrimination, and it is illegal. Illegal questions include asking your age, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, health status, race, ethnicity, national origin, and whether you have or plan to have kids. However, if the question is truly related to the job, it may be allowed. The employer is allowed to ask about your criminal history, proof of eligibility to work in the U.S., and your ability to perform the job with or without accommodations. In general, employers should avoid personal questions that are not clearly related to the job. As an employee, consider how you will deal with questions that you think may be illegal. You can be direct and say that you think the question is illegal and inappropriate and that you refuse to answer. But if you still want the job, you probably want to answer more carefully so you don't upset or offend the interviewer, who may not realize the question is illegal or inappropriate. If you don't mind the question and are comfortable with it, you can choose to answer the question, knowing that you don't have to. Or you can say that the question is not really relevant to your ability to succeed in the job.