Are You Looking For a Job?

For additional information on these legalities, please refer to the Equal Employment Opportunity website at http://www.eeoc.gov

The Supportive Elements of a Resume are:

1. Cover Letter:

a Address it to the Interviewer

a Be brief, clear and direct –

this is their first glance at

you.

a Get their attention.

a Explain what you can do for the company.

a Sell your skills and abilities.

a Show enthusiasm, wrap it up with a way to contact you to set up an interview.

2. References:

a Someone who can verify the

kind of worker you are professionally and personally,

include coworkers, supervisors, teachers, coaches, committee

or organization acquaintances

a Make sure the person you

list as a reference has approved

this and will give you a good recommendation

a Make sure contact information

is correct

a Make sure the reference

has good communication

skills

a Use a responsible reference

who will follow through

a Use reference’s business

address and phone numbers

unless they cannot be reached

at work.

As a side note when using written

references, have reference use

company letterhead.

3. Thank You Letter

ü Address it to the Interviewer

ü Thank them for taking time to interview with you

ü Include specific information about the interview

ü Do not bring up anything negative

ü Show interest in the job and state that you are looking forward to hearing from them.

As a side note, if you have decided that you are no longer interested in the job, then be sure to thank them for their time, but let them know that you are no longer interested.

TIPS FOR RESUME WRITING

ü Limit the resume to one page. Employers are short on time.

ü List most recent jobs first. Only go back ten years with work experience.

ü Be consistent. If you do it for one, you should do it for all. Example: If you give your high school’s zip code, then you must give all zip codes.

ü Avoid using slang words.

ü Use simple words that say what you want to say.

ü Use action words.

ü Show accomplishments and problem-solving skills, not just duties. Show that you can do the work required for the job.

ü Be honest!

ü Make it perfect. Check for spelling and other mistakes. Use a good copier or have the resume printed.

ü State information in a positive way. List strong skills.

ü Do not include personal information such as date of birth, height, or weight.

ü Include a cover letter when sending the resume.

ü Balance your resume on the page.

ü Do not fold or staple resume.

ü Include volunteer work, hobbies, and awards if it applies or shows experience or skills.

ü Use action words ending with “ed” for past jobs. Use action words ending with “ing” for present jobs. Keep resume in the same tense, based on employment dates.

TIPS FOR COVER LETTER WRITING

Address your cover letter to the person listed as the contact and make sure the name is spelled correctly.

Make your cover letter specific to the job you are applying for.

State the position you are interested in applying for and list any pertinent related experience that they may want to review on your enclosed resume.

Use the following checklist to narrow your top strengths down to two or three that you could use to list in your cover letter, such as:

My personal qualities and work values include:

Ø Honesty – The cash drawer was never short on any of my cashier jobs.

Ø Reliable – I was always on time and only missed work if it was absolutely necessary.

PERSONAL STRENGTHS

Place a check next to the strength you believe you have:

Able to give orders

Able to take orders

Able to take care of self

Accepts advice

Admires others

Affectionate

Alive

Appreciative

Articulate

Artistic

Assertive

Athletic

Attractive

Bright

Brave

Businesslike

Calm

Can be firm when needed

Caring

Clean

Committed

Common sense

Communicates well

Compassionate

Considerate

Cooperative

Courteous

Creative

Daring

Dedicated

Dependable

Diligent

Disciplined

Do what needs to be done

Do not give up

Eager to get along with

others

Effective

Efficient

Elegant

Encourages others

Enjoys taking care of

others

Fair

Feeling

Forceful

Frank and honest

Friendly

Funny

Generous

Gets along with others

Gets things done

Gives a lot

Goal setter

Good cook

Good dancer

Good friend

Good leader

Good listener

Good manners

Good neighbor

Good parent

Good singer

Good with details

Good with words

Good with hands

Graceful

Grateful

Happy

Hard worker

Healthy

Helpful

Honest

Humorous

Independent

Inspiring

Intelligent

Joyful

Keep agreements

Kind and reassuring

Leadership

Likes responsibility

Lots of friends

Loveable

Loyal

Makes a difference

Makes a good impression

Mathematical

Mechanical

Motivates others

Musical

Never gives up

Observant

Often admired

Orderly

Organized

On time

Open

Patient

Peaceful

Physically fit

Pleasant

Positive attitude

Quick learner

Religious

Resilient

Respectful of authority

Respected by others

Responsible

Risk taker

Self-reliant

Self-confident

Sense of humor

Sensitive

Speak several languages

Spiritual

Spontaneous

Stand up for myself

Straightforward

Strong

Team player

Tolerant

Trusting

Truthful

Understanding

Unselfish

Visionary

Warm

Well dressed

Other

DRESSING FOR THE JOB

Looking our best makes us feel better and function better. The way we look also affects what other people think about us. How sharp and well-groomed you appear to others does make a difference in how well people listen and respond to what you have to say. Our appearance affects not only how others perceive us, but also how we feel about ourselves. Just as positive feelings about our appearance can trigger great benefits, negative feelings about our appearance can start a chain of self-doubt. Let’s take a look at the positive benefits of dressing properly for the job.

*Good grooming, exercise, nutrition, hygiene and other practices which contribute to good appearance do more than improve psychological well-being and boost confidence.

*First impressions are important and can often be made very quickly, often in as little as 30 seconds.

*Be confident – Be organized.

*Well-groomed job applicants are chosen more often and offered higher salaries than less well-groomed rivals.

*Good appearance can be the deciding factor between two equally qualified candidates.

*Well-groomed employees are more likely to be promoted and have their salary increased.

*Remember the old saying, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”

*What should you wear to the interview? Dress one step up from on-the-job clothing. Keep it simple, clean, and neat. Don’t wear too much jewelry or cologne.

Hint: If you’re not sure what clothing is appropriate for the job you’re interviewing for, ask someone, job shadow, or observe employees.

Good appearance can be the deciding factor between two equally qualified candidates. Being well groomed makes the most of your features. Being attractive is not about having ‘perfect’ features of models you may see in magazines. It is about how you present yourself and how you ‘groom’ your outside appearance.

Once you have established the dress code, you should plan to dress one step up from what is worn in the position. For instance, if people wear t-shirts, jeans and tennis shoes to work, you will want to wear ‘nice casual.’

*Dress conservatively. You can adjust your wardrobe to the work atmosphere once hired.

*Make sure clothing is clean, free of stains and wrinkles, and in good repair.

*Size is important. Make sure clothing is neither too tight nor too loose.

*Length is important if a skirt is appropriate. Make sure when you sit, your skirt or dress does not ride up.

*Do not use too many accessories.

*Jewelry should be understated and simple.

*Makeup should be conservative.

*Stockings should work with skirts or dresses and should be in a neutral skin tone.

*Shoes should be polished, in good repair and have a low to mid heel. Any heel above 1½ to 2” is too high. Black, brown and navy are always appropriate colors.

*Choose a hairstyle that flatters your face. Spray lightly and don’t overuse.

*Short, clean nails that are well manicured are a must.

*Having a clean, healthy mouth is important. It gives you fresh breath and a nicer-looking smile, making you feel more confident.

*You need to be well rested to be your best.

Body Language

What you say physically with your body is as important as what you say verbally. Learning to control negative body movements and have positive ones will heighten your chances for success during the interview.

*Smile. Your natural smile is one of your best assets – it shows confidence and enthusiasm.

*Have a friendly, upbeat tone of voice.

*Give a firm handshake and look at the interviewer when you shake hands; not a limp handshake nor a crushing handshake.

*Maintain eye contact. Your gaze should be steady, calm and non-threatening. Eye contact shows that you are interested in what the interviewer is saying and that you have nothing to hide.

Be careful of ‘body-signal barriers.’ When nervous, many people fold or cross their arms over their chest or hold things in front of their body. This sends a message that you’re closed off. Keep your hands folded in your lap or resting on the arms of the chair.

*Do not fidget, including biting your lip or nails, swiveling in your chair, twirling your hair, bouncing or tapping your feet or hands.

*Do not slouch while sitting or standing. Always stand and sit up straight.

Prepare for Possible Interviewing Questions

-What interests you most about this job?

-What applicable attributes/ experience do you have?

-Why are you the best person for the job?

-What do you know about this company?

-Why do you want to work for this organization?

-What challenges are you looking for in a position?

-What can you contribute to this company?

-Are you willing to travel?

-What are you looking for in your next job? What is important to you?

-What are your goals for the next five/ten years?

-How do you plan to achieve those goals?

-What are your salary requirements – both short-term and long-term?

-Tell me about when and where you have done this type of work in the past.

-If you have one word to describe yourself, what would it be and why?

-How do you take advantage of your strengths? How do you compensate for your weaknesses?

-What do you think are the most important attributes of successful people?

-Tell me about a work incident in which you were totally honest, despite a potential risk or downsize.

-When you make an important business decision and someone challenges it, how do you handle the situation?

-Describe a time when you were asked to do something you weren’t trained to do. How did you handle it?

-What is your greatest fear about this opportunity?

-What qualities in your coworkers bother you the most? What about them do you appreciate the most?

-Tell me about one accomplishment of which you are most proud?

-What is one thing that you would like to do better? What is your plan for improving?

-What kind of grant writing experience do you have?

--What sets you apart from others?

-What part of your current job are you the most comfortable with?

-What are your strong points and how have they helped you succeed?

-What about yourself would you like to improve?

-How does your experience qualify you for this job?

-Why do you want to leave your current job?

-In areas where your experience falls short for this job, what steps will you take to make up for this shortfall?

-How do you decide what assignments to delegate to your staff?

-Under what circumstances may a person decide to delegate upward to their supervisor?

-Cost reduction is often associated with budget reductions. What are some positive means of reducing costs?

-A subordinate supervisor directs an employee to correct a potentially unsafe action. The employee refuses. What is your direction to the supervisor?

-Another supervisor has told you that one of your subordinate supervisors made a sexually-oriented comment to a new employee. What course of action will you take?

-Two employees come to you about a verbal disagreement. One says the incident happened one way, and the other employee has a different story. There are no other witnesses. What will you do?

Remember….Asking a question after the interview could be important enough to land the job! Deciding factors are very important. Do your homework and be prepared! Following are possible questions you can ask the interviewer:

-Could you please describe a typical day on the job?

-Which duties are the most important for this job?

-How will I be trained and introduced to this job?

-Can you provide me with a complete job description?

-How is this job important to the company and how does it contribute?

-How many people will I be working with in my area?

-Who are the people I would be working with and what do they do?

-What is the most important thing for a new employee to learn?

-How will I get feedback on my job performance?

-Who will I directly report to?

-Has the company had any layoffs in the past few years? And how long did they last?

-Are the annual sales for this company increasing?

-What could I say to you to offer me this job?

-Why is this position vacant?

***Last, but certainly not least, pray and ask for God’s intervention in what you do and say. Ask God to lead you by His Holy Spirit. He is always there and cares for you. For help with writing a resume, contact Sue Evans at sevans@sscc.edu