HOW TO WIN THE JOB. Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center 07 1

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1 Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center 07 1 HOW TO WIN THE JOB Prepare for the job search 1. Evaluate your goals What are your long-term and short-term goals? 2. Use a research network List all of the people you, your family and/or your friends know who have connections in your field of interest 3. Develop a winning resume and cover letter (choose the proper style) 4. Make a daily plan Each day you need to set a goal for the number of contacts and follow-up calls you will make. 5. Learn effective interview skills Résumés Your initial goal is to write a one-page advertisement that is targeted toward a very specific audience the employer. You want your resume to make you stand out as a superior candidate to fill a very specific need for an organization. In 20 seconds, your résumé must create interest. Therefore it must make a positive first impression, be pleasing to the eye, and stimulate interest in you by indicating what you can do for the employer. The most important step in creating a winning resume is to analyze what the employer is looking for in order to meet their needs. 1. Employers look for a response to the advertisement that reflects the following: Relevant experience Ability to multitask Ability to learn material quickly Computer literacy Capacity to organize Ability to communicate Ability to be a team player 2. Evaluate your skills showing that you will be the perfect candidate: List all of your classes and experiences that can be used on a job such as sales, management, and computer experience Note educational skills you are competent at your body of knowledge: accounting, math, communication, language(s) List additional skills: written or spoken language, observation, analysis, organization, evaluation 3. Gather your work experience information Employers and dates Responsibilities What a résumé is NOT! 1. It is not an account of your entire life history 2. It is not an emotional biography 3. It is not your transcript Special projects Awards Create a quality, positive first impression 1. Begin by using quality paper for both your cover letter and résumé 2. Print a pristine, error free copy on white, off-white, or grey paper 3. Make sure to address your letter and résumé to the proper person and that you have the correct spelling of both their name and their job title

2 Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center 07 2 Objective Section of the Résumé Elements of a Strong Résumé 1. For each job that you apply for, create a specific job objective that clarifies the position you are interested in filling. Don t make the employer guess what you can do for them. 2. An objective statement is preferable, although the statement is optional for some position Examples of an Effective Objective Statement A career in accounting that involves coordinating, communicating and training Seeking a position in Construction Estimating, Sales and/or Project Coordination Catalogue your Experience 1. Work experience listing the most recent job first Job title and the name of the company Contact information: city, state, and dates of employment Give a brief description of your title and duties; highlight how you improved the company Catalogue your responsibilities: management, budgetary, production, technical Use action verbs to describe your contributions Attained Accomplished Acquired Adapted Addressed Adjusted Administered Advised Applied Approached Budgeted Built Conducted Controlled Coordinated Developed Established Expanded Implemented Improved Initiated Kept Leased Lectured Maintained Modified Performed Produced Reorganized Reduced Saved Supervised Treated Targeted Trained Update Example Initiated new market policy that resulted in both lines complementing each other in the market place, and stronger, more strategically placed dealers. Education Post-secondary education School name and address Years attended Year graduated and degree (s) earned GPA (indicate the scale) Honors and scholarships earned Major courses that relate to your field as well as any major projects you completed

3 Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center 07 3 Accomplishments, Awards, Achievements This section is optional and should contain achievements relevant to the position which will be of interest to the employer. References You have two options: References available upon request or leave this section off completely Types of references to seek and keep on file o Instructors for classes in your major. Ask for the letter at the end of the semester o Employers o People working in the field you are targeting who know of your credentials Keep letters up to date and ask for letters from instructors at the end of each semester Remind your reference of your key accomplishments in their class or at the job Edit your résumé carefully Check for strong verbs Make sure you have correct spelling of names, accurate dates, proper grammar and punctuation Clear divisions in the formatting for heading and lists with good spacing Choosing the format Chronological Works for applicants with a strong employment history who are staying in the same career path. Most common means of organization and preferred by most employers. Functional Also called a skills resume, it highlights abilities acquired through volunteer and unpaid experience. Can also be helpful to those changing fields. Combination Résumé Contains the best of both the chronological and functional resumes. In this resume, one must avoid repetition and be careful of creating too lengthy of a resume.

4 Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center 07 4 Example Chronological Résumé JANE OWENSTUDENT 334 Park Street #5 Maumee, OH janeowen@yahoo.com Explain your motive for applying for the position and how OBJECTIVE you will benefit To obtain an executive position in marketing with an emerging company the company dedicated to a long-term program. Highlight the dates EXPERIENCE 5/2002 Present ABC SOFTWARE, INC., Temperance, MI Regional Sales Manager Contingency marketing agency Designed marketing strategies for local and national companies Meet payroll of 25 full-time employees Improved sales for one company by over 25 percent in a 12-month period Developed marketing programs for corporations 1/1999 5/2002 CASSIDY ENGINEERS, Fort Wayne, IN Sales Associate Business communications systems Education is listed after experience Set regional sales record in six months Procured ten national accounts Exceeded company goals for the 2000 fiscal year Developed sales marketing program for the northwest regional area Developed database for reselling directly EDUCATION Associate degree in Marketing and Sales, Owens Community College, Toledo, OH Graduated summa cum laude Completed project on International Business and outsourcing Completed Business Management Co-op with ABC Software focusing on international marketing programs REFERENCES Available upon request

5 Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center 07 5 Example Chronological Résumé with Military Experience Translate military description to civilian equivalent NCOIC, Watch Captain, Petty Officer Supervisor, Manager Coordinator, Commander, Chief TDY/TAD Division Head, Director NCO Academy Leadership & Management Development Course George Patton 1212 Front Street (419) Toledo, Ohio gpatton@owens.edu Employment Objective Law enforcement position that calls for technical skills, military experience, reliability and State your motivation. employment objective Work Experience Positions held in the Ohio National Guard: Guard Supervisor Darmstadt Army Base, Germany Scheduled and supervised 24 guards. Marksmanship Instructor Darmstadt Army Base, Germany Trained personnel in small-arms marksmanship techniques. Company Clerk Port Clinton, Ohio, Handled correspondence; prepared training schedules and assignments. Skills and Qualifications In-depth knowledge of laws and regulations concerning apprehension, search and seizure, and rules of evidence Experience in physical training management, marksmanship and weaponry Knowledge of security-management principles and training methods Computer word-processing and database skills on Microsoft systems Education Associate Degree in Criminal Justice, Owens Community College, Toledo, OH, 2006 Basic Police Officer Academy, Owens Community College, Toledo, OH 2005 Laws of Arrest, Search and Seizure, and Riot Control Course, Darmstadt, Germany, 2002 Sexual-Harassment Sensitivity Training, Camp Pendleton, CA, 2002 School of Infantry, Fort Bragg, VA, 2000 Awards and Honors Promoted meritoriously from Private (E-1) to Lance Corporal (E-3); promoted meritoriously to final rank of Corporal (E-4) in less than 2 years. Achieved Expert rating for pistol at annual marksmanship qualifications References available upon request Contact information List most recent experience first.

6 Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center 07 6 Sample Functional Résumé Gwendolyn Lloyd Owens 590 Wales Rd. Rossford OH olstudent@hotmail.com Objective Management Office Writing Organization Related Experience Director of volunteer activity at a non-profit organization Skills and Abilities Recruitment and training of volunteers Scheduling of volunteer shifts Meeting certification requirements Proficiency in Microsoft Office Bookkeeping Script-writing for telemarketers Annual Reports Donations of refreshments and gifts Establishment of support groups Phone tree Volunteer office staff Glenwood Jr. H. S present Use Microsoft Office to create promotional materials, enter data, and keep financial records for PTO. Create phone trees and scripts for callers. Director of Book Fair - Brookdale Elementary School Assessed market, ordered books, and kept financial records. Recruited, trained, and organized volunteer staff. Reported to PTO. Swim Team Parents Leader Toledo Marlins Recruited parents to chaperone away meets, organized donations for refreshments, created directory of participants, trained meet officials in timing swimmers and recording data. Education Associate of Applied Business, Owens Community College, Toledo, OH, 2006 Work Experience J.B. Welders, St. Louis, MO Reviewed certifications of welders and safety codes. Scheduled educational events for employee certification. Entered data.

7 Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center 07 7 Contact information Use point font for your name Sample Combination Résumé Laura Mc Student, LPN 600 Elmwood Avenue Small-town, OH (419) Explain your motive for applying, the position and how you will benefit the company Objective Seeking a full-time nursing position at Flower Hospital that requires a more personal, one-on-one relationship with patients where my skills can strengthen and complement the medical staff. License & Licensed Practical Nurse State of Ohio, December 10, 2005 Certification CPR Certification (expires August 2007) First Aid Certification (expires March 2008) Education Associate of Applied Science, Owens Community College, Findlay, Ohio 2005 LPN Certification Nursing Toledo Children s Hospital, Toledo, Ohio Experience Clinicals Taught and prepared patients and their families for a surgical experience Monitored vital signs immediately after surgery Use white space for readability and balance Skills & Abilities Emphasize Abilities Accomplishments Professional Associations Skilled and trained in all LPN duties and have applied every skill Ability to interact with children with severe physical, emotional, and psychological problems Ability to establish rapport and communicate well with both patients and their families Teaching and training both other employees, patients, and their families Created a comic book to teach children about the hospital experience and help them know what to expect Wrote a Parent Information Handout to inform parents about the procedure for same day surgery Workshop Leader for Positive Action Committee Revamped Unit Clerk Expectations, resulting in a hospital-wide increase in the clerks productivity Awards: Hospitality Award, Image of Nursing Award American Nurses Association Ohio Nurses Association Nursing Council Forum

8 Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center 07 8 Cover Letters The purpose: to convey your understanding of the company s current needs and to reflect your skills and personality with more depth than the résumé 1. Do some basic research about the company and the town so that you can custom tailor the letter to that specific job 2. State the name of the person who referred you to the position or where you saw the position advertised 3. Include the title and the position you are applying for 4. Briefly express what you can offer the company and why you are interested in the position, highlighting qualities not evident in the résumé 5. Express your interest in an interview 6. Keep it short and simple 7. Follow proper business letter format 8. Read it several times checking for typos and misspellings Check List 1. Is proper business letter format used? 2. Is the letter addressed to the correct person, instead of a vague job title? 3. Is the position being applied for specifically stated? 4. Are the specific requirements mentioned in the job description clearly acknowledged in the letter? 5. Are the terms of what you can do for the employer clearly stated?

9 Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center 07 9 SAMPLE COVER LETTERS 600 Elmwood Ave Small-town Oh (419) lmcstudent@yahoo.com June 13, 2007 Director of Human Resources Flower Hospital 200 Harroun Rd. Sylvania, Oh Dear Mr. Jacobs, Source you learned about the job from and specific position you desire Means to contact you After hearing from Dr. Kathy Pear about the cancer research and post operative care given to your patients, I was pleased to learn that there was an opening in your Oncology Unit for an LPN. I am interested in filling the full time nursing position beginning date. My experience at Toledo Hospital and studies completed at Owens Community College make me an excellent candidate for this position. I enjoy working with patients and their families and an especially interested in working as a liaison with cancer patients. As a student nurse at Toledo Children s Hospital, I enjoyed working closely with families explaining the medical procedures and preparing children for surgery. To help in the explanation of the procedure, I developed a comic book that is now being used at several area hospitals and helped me to earn the Image of Nursing Award. As a member of the American Nurses Association I helped to spearhead a committee on Unit Clerks. In this group, we explored ways to optimize the productivity of the unit clerks by minimizing their paper work. I hope to continue to work collaboratively with all departments within the hospital as well as the surrounding community. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you to further discuss the position and have enclosed my resume. If you have any questions, please me at lmcstudent@yahoo.com or call me at Thank you for considering me for this position, I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Laura Mc Student Enc.: Résumé

10 Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center George Patton 1212 Front Street Toledo, Ohio June 13, 2007 Jack Smith Chief of Police Toledo Police Department 523 Erie Street Toledo, Ohio Dear Chief Smith, In response to your recent advertisement in the Toledo Blade on June 12, 2006, I am applying for the position of corrections officer supervisor. I have worked as a guard supervisor in the National Guard and recently received my Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Owens Community College. I am eager to apply my varied military and professional skills to the workplace. I have been responsible for supervising 24 guards at an army base in Germany. As part of my military experience, I also trained personnel in small arms marksmanship and managed unit level training in physical fitness, marksmanship and weaponry. Further, I have prepared training schedules and assignments on the company level. In addition to the course work required for the Associate Degree in Criminal Justice, I have completed the Basic Police Officer Academy and advanced military training in sexual harassment sensitivity and in riot control. In these classes, I enjoyed learning about the psychological challenges of law enforcement, all of which I hope to use to improve the Toledo Police Department. To further detail my education and experience, I enclose my résumé. I look forward to hearing from you and discussing this position with you further. I can be reached at (419) Thank you for your considering me for this position. Sincerely, George Patton Enc.: Résumé

11 Created for the Owens Community College Writing Center Gwendolyn Lloyd Owens 590 Wales Rd. Toledo OH June 12, 2007 Ms. Joan Trompler, Director Red Cross, Toledo Chapter 300 Executive Parkway Toledo OH Dear Ms. Trompler: For the eleven years since I moved to Toledo from St. Louis, volunteer activities have fulfilled my desire to contribute to the community and add richness to my family s life. In addition to the rewards of knowing that I ve been of service, volunteering has also given me a wide variety of organizational and management skills. Director of Red Cross Water Safety in the Toledo Chapter John Alger s description of the team spirit, training support, and executive leadership make employment at Toledo s Red Cross Chapter attractive. I am happy to have the opportunity to apply for the Director of Volunteers job you advertised in The Free Press. As donations to non-profit organizations have decreased at the same time Red Cross is faced with increasingly stricter rules for blood donation, I hope to help Red Cross continue to send skilled volunteers to meet daily and emergency needs. Typically, I agree to take on a job and then find out ways to improve communication and training for an event or organization. With the Toledo Marlins, I built a team of 40 parents who could rotate chaperoning responsibilities for the 75 children. To facilitate scheduling volunteers and substitutes, I created a directory for the 54+ families. I found a parent with a catering business to supply a portable refrigerated unit for healthy snacks, thus improving the performance of swimmers and saving about $5/day per swimmer. At Brookdale School, I spearheaded parents efforts to increase 4 th grade reading scores and raise money for more books in classrooms. In the first year, we raised $900. By the fourth year, the school raised $4,000 and reading test scores rose from an Unsatisfactory, 3, to Satisfactory+, 5. I would like to discuss further how my skills in recruiting, scheduling, training, and inspiring volunteers could benefit Red Cross and look forward to hearing from you soon. The best way to reach me is at olstudent@hotmail.com or at my home phone above. Sincerely, Gwendolyn Owens Enc.: Résumé

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