1. Chapter 15 Job Search Process and Documents ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

2. Process of Applying for a Job ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

3. Résumé Presentation and Delivery Options Print (Presentation) Mailed to company along with application letter Mailed follow up to electronic submission Print (Presentation) Mailed to company along with application letter Mailed follow up to electronic submission Print (Scannable) Print résumé formatted for computer scanning Print (Scannable) Print résumé formatted for computer scanning Electronic Postings Emailed to contacts, career and corporate sites, and career service centers Online form Electronic portfolio at personal website Beamer to PDA or cell phone Electronic Postings Emailed to contacts, career and corporate sites, and career service centers Online form Electronic portfolio at personal website Beamer to PDA or cell phone ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

4. Gathering Essential Information Self-assessment Information about career field and specific job in field Information about company Qualifications with supporting information Self-assessment Information about career field and specific job in field Information about company Qualifications with supporting information ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

5. Self-Assessment What are five things that you have accomplished that have made you most proud? What qualities were required? What job do you want? What are the qualifications? How much money do you want to make in your first position after college? After 10 years? What skills, talents, characteristics do you have to offer an employer? What are five things that you have accomplished that have made you most proud? What qualities were required? What job do you want? What are the qualifications? How much money do you want to make in your first position after college? After 10 years? What skills, talents, characteristics do you have to offer an employer? ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

6. Information About Career Field and Specific Job Information About Career Field and Specific Job Current employment trends Career requirements (education, experience, certifications, etc.) Job duties and responsibilities Career outlook and salary Input from others ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

7. Information about Companies and Career Opportunities Printed sources (newspapers, business and financial news, journals) University Career Centers Employers offices Employment agencies Professional organizations Contacts Printed sources (newspapers, business and financial news, journals) University Career Centers Employers offices Employment agencies Professional organizations Contacts Career guidance information Job listings Company web pages Résumé posting services Career Development Center at MTSU http://www.mtsu.edu/career/ Career guidance information Job listings Company web pages Résumé posting services Career Development Center at MTSU http://www.mtsu.edu/career/ Traditional Sources Electronic Sources ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

8.  Keep an employment portfolio.  Join professional or student organizations associated with major.  Interview someone in your field.  Talk to professors in your major.  Polish and update your skills.  Get an internship.  Take interim assignments.  Keep an employment portfolio.  Join professional or student organizations associated with major.  Interview someone in your field.  Talk to professors in your major.  Polish and update your skills.  Get an internship.  Take interim assignments. Other Suggestions for Job Search ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

9. Traditional Application Documents  Traditional vs. Electronic  Documents  Letter of application  Resume  Scannable & inline resumes  References  Study models  Target resumes for specific jobs  Experiment with formatting ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

10. Creating Successful Résumés Qualities Employers Look For Your résumé should convey qualities employers seek in candidates:  Get things done  Are well rounded  Are flexible  Have standards of excellence  Have good interpersonal skills  Possess strong communication skills ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

11.  More people work for smaller companies, or they start their own business.  Fewer people have permanent positions.  Teams complete special projects and then disband.  Companies outsource work to outsiders.  Contingency employees work temporarily and then leave the company.  More people work for smaller companies, or they start their own business.  Fewer people have permanent positions.  Teams complete special projects and then disband.  Companies outsource work to outsiders.  Contingency employees work temporarily and then leave the company. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

12. Searching Electronically Visit big job boards, such as CareerBuilder, Indeed, Monster, CollegeGrad, CareerJournal, and so on. Look beyond the big boards to company Web sites, professional associations, local sites, niche sites, and social media sites. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

13. Tips For Conducting a Safe, Effective Job Search on the Web Use reputable sites. Limit the number of sites on which you post your résumé. Use a dedicated, professional-sounding e-mail address. Limit personal information. Post your résumé privately, if possible. Use reputable sites. Limit the number of sites on which you post your résumé. Use a dedicated, professional-sounding e-mail address. Limit personal information. Post your résumé privately, if possible. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

14. Searching Traditionally See announcements of professional organizations. Visit career centers, attend career fairs, ask advice of instructors. Contact companies directly. Develop your own network. Check classified ads. See announcements of professional organizations. Visit career centers, attend career fairs, ask advice of instructors. Contact companies directly. Develop your own network. Check classified ads. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

15. Searching by Using Online Resources Join a career networking group. Participate in a discussion group or mailing list. Locate a relevant blog. Start tweeting. Join a career networking group. Participate in a discussion group or mailing list. Locate a relevant blog. Start tweeting. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

16. Common Resume Problems Too shortToo long Too slick Too amateurish MisspellingsPoor print quality Grammatical errorsHard to read Boastful Dishonest WordyGimmicky Too shortToo long Too slick Too amateurish MisspellingsPoor print quality Grammatical errorsHard to read Boastful Dishonest WordyGimmicky http://jobmob.co.il/blog/funny-job-search-work-pictures/ ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

17. Honesty In today's competitive job market, it's easy to be tempted to make your resume look more desirable than it actually is. Small lies could take your career to the next level. But does that make it okay? And for both employers and jobseekers, what are the consequences? 78% of resumes are misleading 27% of U.S. workers have been fired due to resume lies W hat is unethical, however, is outright lying on a resume or job application, which is something 53% of job applicants admit to doing.

18. And once those resumes get past the gatekeeper, the lying doesn’t stop, as Yolk Recruitment found that 60% of jobseekers admit to lying during an interview. All in all, 84.1% of employers say they have come across candidates who have misrepresented facts on their resumes and/or job applications. This trend is showing no signs of slowing down, as a full 70% of college students say they would lie on a resume to get a job they want. Top Lies: Past salary Job descriptions Exaggerated titles, Forged education credentials Covered-up criminal records Fake companies worked for

19. Rand Ghayad of Northeastern UniversityRand Ghayad of Northeastern University conducted a study in which he sent out 12,000 mock resumes and found that a resounding majority of employers would rather hire candidates with little experience over qualified candidates who have been out of work for more than six months. GradSchoolHub found that a similar situation occurs for new mothers, who, after taking time off to tend to their children, find difficulties in their job search and resort to lying about past employment dates.

20. Possible Consequence of Lying The first consequence is probably the most obvious: termination. GradSchoolHub reports that 27% of U.S. workers admit to lying on their resumes and getting fired once the lies were found out. Conversely, The Economic Times found that 82% of employers immediately terminate employees who fail professional, educational and/or criminal background checks. http://www.docstoc.com/article/170237602/How-Dishonest-Are-Jobseekers-These-Stats-Will-Surprise- You?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=222&utm_content=7011

21. no Emphasizes education and employment; shows continuity and stability; preferred by many Emphasizes accomplishments and skills; subordinates education and work history Provides chronological information as well as summary; is somewhat repetitive ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

22. Education Identification Career Objective Career Summary Experience Standard Resume Parts Personal Information

23. Heading & Objective  Heading – Contact Information. Name & mailing address(es) E-mail address Telephone number(s) Personal letterhead can be used for resume and other job-related documents  Career objective Targeted for specific job or company May include your qualities  Heading – Contact Information. Name & mailing address(es) E-mail address Telephone number(s) Personal letterhead can be used for resume and other job-related documents  Career objective Targeted for specific job or company May include your qualities Contact Information ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

24. Summary of Qualifications  Provide 3 to 8 bulleted statements.  List your most impressive qualifications: experience, skills, education, awards.  Customize the statements to fit the requirements of the targeted job. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

25. Education Most Recent First and Only Post-Secondary  Degree, graduation date, institution, city and state, major and minor, and GPA if over 3.0.  Scholarships, training, and accomplishments related to education

26. Sample Education Section Bachelor of Business Administration, May 2012 Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee Entrepreneurship major Business Administration minor GPA: 3.8 on 4.0 scale Associate of Science in Management, May 2010 Volunteer State Community College, Gallatin, Tennessee ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

27. Experience (Most Recent First)  Job title and dates of employment (month year)  Organization, city and state  Accomplishments (beginning with action verbs and in a bulleted list) ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

28. Sample Experience Section  Salesperson, April 2010-Present Kmart, Dayton, Ohio  Tax Return Preparer, March 2008-Present Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) Sinclair College, Dayton, Ohio  Manager, March 2007-April 2010 Craig’s Kitchen, Cleveland, Ohio ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

29. Experience: Accomplishments and Skills Action verbs to list accomplishments and skills relevant to targeted job Tax Return Preparer, March 2008-Present Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) Sinclair College, Dayton, Ohio  Prepared state and federal tax returns for individuals with incomes under $25,000.  Conducted interviews with over 50 individuals to elicit data regarding taxes.  Determined legitimate tax deductions and recorded them accurately. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

30. Soft Skills / Nontechnical Skills Interpersonal, communication, and management skills (quantify, if possible)  Organized holiday awards program for 1200 attendees and 140 awardees.  Praised by top management for enthusiasm, teamwork, and achievement.  Communicated with employees in both Spanish and English. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

31. Special Skills & Awards  Computer skills Employers seek employees with computer skills. List programs and programming languages you know.  Skilled in Word, Excel, FrontPage, C++  Experience with Microsoft Access  Other accomplishments that show you are well-rounded List awards and extracurricular activities, especially if they demonstrate leadership, teamwork, reliability, loyalty, initiative, efficiency, and self-sufficiency. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

32. Other Suggestions  Omit references (unless requested)  Project professionalism and quality. Avoid personal pronouns. Look for ways to condense data. Avoid complete sentences. Omit humor. Double check for parallel phrasing. Have a good proofreader critique your résumé. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

33. Poor Resume ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

34. Poor continued ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

35. Improved Resume ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

36. Improved Continued ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

37. Optimizing Your Résumé for Today‘s Technologies You need three résumé versions: 1.Print-based 2.Electronic (Scannable) 3.Plain text (.txt) ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

38. Other Suggestions (continued) Explain red flags, if possible. Make sure spelling, grammar, and usage are correct. Proofread! Proofread! Proofread! ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

39.  Separate sheet to take to interview  Your heading with contact information  Three to five references  Name, title, company and address, work phone, and perhaps e-mail address.  Supervisors, Professors, Peers at work  Attractively placed on page ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

40. Convert your print résumé by saving as.txt file. Use a 10- to 14- point font such as Times New Roman or Arial. Be sure your name is on first line and contact items on separate lines Avoid underlines, italics, borders, shading. Include keywords mentioned in job descrip- tion. To prepare an electronic (scannable) résumé, … ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

41. Reformat with shorter lines—no more than 65 characters. Move all text to the left. Consider using equals signs (=) or tildes (~) to separate items and enhance format. Save file in plain- text (.txt) or rich text (.rtf) format. Email to yourself to check layout. To prepare a plain-text résumé, … ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

42.  Word document  Send your presentation résumé by surface mail or as an e-mail attachment.  PDF document  Use Adobe software to convert your presentation résumé. Send as an attachment. By John S. Donnellan ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

43.  Determine company preference for receiving resumes. ›Plain-text, ASCII document: Embed within e-mail or send as an attachment. ›Company database: Complete online form with résumé information. ›Fax: Fax presentation résumé.  Consider following up with a copy of your presentation resume. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

44. Methods of Sending Resumes Postal service Good quality paper and printer Large, good quality envelope No folding, stapling, or paper clipping Fax (traditional or scannable) Plain paper Sans serif font (Arial) or ASCII format E-mail (traditional or scannable) Word attachment ASCII attachment (.txt) Body of Email ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

45. Writing Cover Letters (Letters of Application) ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

46. Types of Letters of Application Solicited versus Unsolicited Expected – not expected Traditional versus Electronic Paper – Internet ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

47. Traditional Formatting Use your letterhead (or include a return address at the top). Use standard letter parts; don’t forget the date. Address to a person (unless specified otherwise). Include appropriate salutation (courtesy title & last name). Include enclosure(s) notation. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

48. Cover Letter Suggestions Avoid overuse of personal pronouns Use the organization’s name rather than saying “your company” so often. Include reference to resume and/or scannable resume. Include research about the company. Avoid obvious flattery. Use active voice. http://www.mtsu.edu/career/careerTV.shtml ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

49. Letter of Application Content Opening Mention the job you want. Tell your source; include job title, date, and publication. If someone referred you, name him/her. Briefly introduce your qualifications. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

50. Since I have focused my education and training on retail management, your advertisement for a management trainee, appearing October 7 in the Los Angeles Times, caught my attention. The sales associate opening advertised on the XYZ website is an excellent match to my credentials. I am writing to express my interest in this opportunity. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

51. Letter of Application Content Body Demonstrate how your background and training match the job requirements. Summarize your principal assets from education, experience, and special skills. Avoid repeating specific data from your résumé. ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

52. Recent sales and management experience at Day’s Department Store enabled me to develop the interpersonal and supervisory skills specified in the XYZ advertisement. I started as a salesperson and was soon promoted to assistant manager, a position demanding initiative and responsibility. In addition, my business courses have helped me develop computer and communications skills. Please examine the enclosed résumé for details of my qualifications. Example of Cover Letter Body ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

53. Cover Letter Closing Closing Ask for an interview (not a job). Hook the request to a statement reviewing your strongest points. Be enthusiastic, optimistic, and assertive. Make it easy to respond. Tell when you can be reached (if appropriate). (Some recruiters prefer that you call them.) ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

54. Please call or email me to schedule an interview so that we can discuss how my background and training could contribute to Home Depot Stores. Example of Cover Letter Closing ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

55. Before Sending Proofread your document READ YOUR LETTER ALOUD To yourself To someone else Have someone else read and critique your document Proofread again ©2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.