Kolin Ch. 5: How to Get a Job

From the employer's viewpoint, the stages in the search for a valuable employee include the following: Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 159). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

1. Deciding what duties and responsibilities go with the job and determining the qualifications the future employee should possess 2. Advertising the job on the company website, on online job-posting sites, in newspapers, and in professional publications 3. Reviewing and evaluating résumés and letters of application 4. Having candidates complete application forms 5. Requesting further proof of candidates' skills (letters of recommendation, transcripts, portfolios/webfolios) 6. Interviewing selected candidates 7. Doing further follow-ups and selecting those to be interviewed again 8. Offering the job to the best-qualified individual Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 159). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Preparing for an interview

1. Do your homework about the company. 2. Review the job description carefully. 3. Prepare a one- or two-minute summary of your chief qualifications. 4. Take your portfolio, including three or four extra copies of your résumé, with you. 5. Practice your interview skills with a friend or job counselor. 6. Brush up on business etiquette. 7. Bring your photo ID and Social Security card.

Writing the Letter of Application

1. Follow the standard conventions of letter writing. 2. Supply all contact information as part of your heading. 3. Make sure your letter looks attractive. 4. Send your letter to a specific person. 5. Don't send a form letter to every potential employer. 6. Be concise. 7. Emphasize the "you attitude." 8. Don't be tempted to send out your first draft.

analyze your job skills, career goals, and interests. Here are some points to consider: Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 160). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

1. Make an inventory of your most significant accomplishments in your major or on the job—writing and speaking, working with people, organizing, and troubleshooting, managing money, speaking a second language, designing websites, working for a healthcare agency. 2. Decide which specialty within your chosen career appeals to you the most. If you are in a nursing program, do you want to work in a large teaching hospital, for a home health or hospice agency, or in a physician's office? 3. What types of working conditions most appeal to you—small groups, traveling, telecommuting, relocating overseas? 4. What most interests you about a position—travel, technology, international contacts, on-the-job training, helping people, being creative? 5. What are some of the greatest challenges you face in your career today—or will face in five years? 6. Which specific companies or organizations have the best track record in hiring and promoting individuals in your field? What qualifications will such firms insist on from prospective employees? Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 161). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition. Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 160). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Capitalize on these when preparing your résumé and drafting your letter of application:

1. Offering leadership by training and example 2. Excelling in building teamwork and efficiency 3. Meeting deadlines under stressful conditions 4. Working respectfully with individuals from diverse cultures 5. Adapting quickly to change 6. Paying attention to detail 7. Troubleshooting and solving problems quickly 8. Receiving specialized technical training 9. Managing budgets, equipment, supplies and other resources 10. Maintaining equipment 11. Exhibiting self-discipline 12. Being physically fit

Consult the following resources for a wealth of job-related information. Use as many of them as you can. Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 162). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

1. Personal networking (face-to-face) 2. Your campus placement office 3. Online job-posting sites 4. Newspapers 5. Federal and State employment offices 6. Professional and trade journals and associations in your major 7. The human resources department of a company or agency you would like to work for 8. A resume database service 9. Professional employment agencies

To write an effective résumé, ask the following important questions: Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 176). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

1. What classes did you excel in? 2. What papers, reports, surveys, or presentations earned you your highest grades? 3. What computer skills have you mastered—languages, software, e-commerce, blog or website design, collaborative online editing? 4. What other technical skills have you acquired? 5. What relevant jobs have you had? For how long and where? What were your primary duties? Did you supervise other employees? 6. How did you open or expand a business market? Increase a customer base? 7. What did you do to earn a raise or a promotion in a previous or current job? 8. Do you work well with people? What skills do you possess as a member of a team working toward a common job goal (e.g., finishing a report)? 9. Can you organize complicated tasks or identify and solve problems quickly? 10. Have you had experiences or responsibilities managing money—collecting fees or receipts, preparing payrolls, conducting nightly audits, and so on? 11. Have you won any awards or scholarships or received a commendation or other recognition at work? Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 177). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Expect to go through the following eight procedures: Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 160). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

1. analyzing your strengths and restricting your job search 2. enhancing your image 3. looking in the right places for a job 4. assembling a dossier and a portfolio 5. preparing a résumé 6. writing a letter of application and filling out a job application 7. going to an interview 8. accepting or declining a job offer Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 160). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Letters of Application

Along with your résumé, you must send your prospective employer a letter of application, one of the most important pieces of correspondence you may ever write. Its goal is to get you an interview and ultimately the job. Letters you write in applying for jobs should be personable, professional, and persuasive—the three P's. Knowing how the letter of application and résumé work together and how they differ can give you a better idea of how to compose your letter. Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 197). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Parts of a Resume

Contact Info Keywords Career Objective Credentials Education Experience - most recent and work backwards Related Skills and Achievements References - available on request

Dossier

French for "bundle of documents," provides a file of information about you and your work—recommendations and so on—that others have supplied. Basically, your dossier contains the following documents: ■■letters of recommendation ■■letters that awarded you a scholarship, gave you an academic honor, or acknowledged your community service ■■letters that praised your work on the job, notified you of a merit raise, promotion, or recognition ("Employee of the Month") ■■your academic transcript(s)

Your Opening paragraph Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 199). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

It must get your reader's attention by answering four questions: 1. Why are you writing? 2. Where or how did you learn of the vacancy, the company, or the job? 3. What is the specific job title for which you are applying? 4. What is your most important qualification for the job?

Closing

The purpose of your last paragraph is clear-cut—to convince the reader to call or email you for an interview. Keep your closing paragraph short—about two or three sentences—but be sure it fulfills the following four important functions: 1. briefly emphasizes once again your major qualifications 2. asks for an interview or a phone call 3. indicates when you are available for an interview 4. thanks the reader

how application Letters and résumés Differ Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 197). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Your letter of application, however, is much more personal. It introduces you to a prospective employer. Because you must write a new, original letter to each prospective employer, you may write (or adapt) many different letters. Each letter of application should be tailored to a specific job. It should respond precisely to the qualifications the employer seeks. The letter of application is a sales letter that emphasizes and applies the most relevant details (of education, experience, and talents) in your résumé. résumé Facts to exclude from Letters of application ■■personal data, including license or certificate numbers ■■specific course numbers ■■names and addresses of your references

The body of your letter, Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 199). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

comprising one or two paragraphs, cites evidence from your résumé to prove you are qualified for the job. You might want to spend one paragraph on your education and one on your experience or combine your accomplishments into one paragraph. relate Your education and experience to the Job

What employers like to see in a resume

honesty attractive carefully organized concise accurate current relevant quantifiable

The résumé, Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 174). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

sometimes called a curriculum vitae (cv), may be the most important document you prepare for your job search. It merits doing some careful homework. A résumé is not your life history or your emotional autobiography, nor is it a transcript of your college work. It is a factual and concise summary of your qualifications, convincing a prospective employer that you have the education and experience to do the job you are applying for. Regard your résumé as a persuasive ad for your professional qualifications. It is a billboard advertising you. Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 174). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Steps for enhancing your image

■■Attend job fairs and interviewing workshops on campus as well as those sponsored by municipal, state, and federal agencies. ■■Go to trade shows to learn about the latest products, services, and technologies in your profession and to meet contacts and even potential employers. ■■Join and participate in student and professional organizations and societies in your area of interest. ■■Apply for relevant internships and training programs to gain real-world experience and increase your networking contacts. ■■If available, take a temporary job in your profession to gain some experience. ■■Confer with your academic adviser regularly, not just once a semester. ■■Find a mentor—someone in a field you might want to join. ■■Do volunteer work to gain or enhance experience working in a group setting, preparing documents, and so on. ■■Find out if your school or university offers job shadowing opportunities, where you can follow someone during his/her daily work routine to gauge whether or not a particular position or profession matches your skills and interests. Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 161). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Questions to expect at Your Interview Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 206). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

■■Tell us something about yourself. Emphasize achievements that show you are responsible (e.g., working to pay for your tuition), conscientious (participating in a community or service activity), and eager to contribute to and learn more about your profession and potential employer. ■■Why do you want to work for us? Recall any job goals you have and apply them specifically to the job under discussion. ■■What qualifications do you have for the job? Point to educational achievements and relevant work experience, especially IT skills. ■■What could you offer us that other candidates do not have? Why should we hire you? Say enthusiasm, being a team player, problem-solving skills, ability to meet deadlines under stress. Emphasize that you are diplomatic yet goal oriented. ■■Why did you attend this school? Be honest—location, costs, programs. ■■Why did you major in "X"? Do not simply say financial benefits; concentrate on professional goals and interests. ■■Why did you get a grade of C in a course? Don't say that you could have done better if you'd tried. Explain what the trouble was, and mention that you corrected it in a course in which you earned a B or an A. ■■What extracurricular activities did you participate in while in high school or college? Indicate any responsibilities you had—managing money, preparing minutes, coordinating events. If you were unable to participate in such activities, tell the interviewer that a part-time job or community or church activities prevented you from participating. Such answers sound better than saying that you did not like sports or clubs in school. ■■Did you learn as much as you wanted from your course work? This is a loaded question. Indicate that you learned a great deal but now look forward to the opportunity to gain more practical skills, to put into practice the principles and procedures you have learned. ■■What is your greatest strength? Say being a team player, planning and organizing tasks efficiently, concerned about the environment, being cooperative and willing to learn, having the ability to grasp difficult concepts easily, wanting to find a more efficient or economical way of doing something, being proficient at managing time or money, taking criticism easily, and profiting from it. ■■What is your greatest shortcoming? Be honest here and mention it, but then turn to ways in which you are improving. Don't say something deadly like, "I can never seem to finish what I start" or "I hate being criticized." You should neither dwell on your weaknesses nor keep silent about them. Saying "None" to this kind of question is as inadvisable as rattling off a list of faults. ■■How do you handle conflict with a co-worker, supervisor, or customer? Stress your ability to be courteous and honest and to work toward a productive resolution. State that you avoid language, tone of voice, or gestures that interfere with healthy dialogue. Describe a specific situation where you resolved a problem with maturity and grace. Indicate what you learned that helped you on the job. ■■Why did you leave your last job? Say "I returned to school full time" or "I moved from Jackson to Springfield," or say that you changed professions. Never attack your previous employer. That only makes you look bad. ■■Why would you leave your current job? Again, never attack an individual or an organization. Say your current job has prepared you for the position you are now applying for. Emphasize your desire to work for a specific company because of its goals, work environment, and opportunities. ■■What are your career goals over the next three to five years? State your career objectives in terms of what you would like to accomplish for the company, your profession, the community, and yourself. Be confident, not cocky.

Following is a sampling of the kinds of documents you might include in your career portfolio/webfolio. Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 173). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.

■■a mission statement (two or three paragraphs) that outlines your career goals and work skills ■■an additional copy of your résumé ■■scans of diplomas, certificates, licenses, internships, papers ■■copies of awards (academic and job-related), promotion letters, or commendations (e.g., for protecting the environment) ■■impressive examples of written work you did for college courses, such as reports or proposals (include any positive comments provided by instructors) ■■newspaper or newsletter stories about your academic, community, or onthe-job successes ■■pertinent examples of media presentations or other graphic work you have done, PowerPoint presentations you have created, or a USB flash drive of a website designed ■■a list of your references with contact information

Who should you ask for a LoR

■■previous employers (even for summer jobs or internships) who commended you and your work ■■two or three of your professors who know and like your work, have graded your papers, or have supervised you in fieldwork or laboratory activities ■■supervisors who evaluated and praised your work in the military ■■community leaders or officials with whom you have worked successfully on civic projects Kolin, Philip C.. Successful Writing at Work: Concise Edition (Page 171). Wadsworth Publishing. Kindle Edition.