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Career Skills 2

Applying & TailoringToday’s lesson will focus on:

Learning proven techniques that have gotten people employed.

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Class Agenda:Applying & Tailoring

At the end of today’s session, you should feel better answering the following questions:1. What are the most effective ways to apply for a job?2. What types of interviews and questions are there?3. How do I tailor my resume and cover letter?

This session’s topics will be:• Job Search Mindset• Job Search Techniques • Resume Tailoring• Cover Letter Tailoring

Deliverable: None

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• Positive Outlook• This is a Marathon, not a sprint

– Grit!– Budget time accordingly– Best method: “If it is Wednesday, I will apply

for a job”

Job Search Mindset: Main Points

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Reasons for Rejection Include• Personality did not fit • There was an internal hire• You need to improve certain skills• You are seen as overqualified• Your resume didn’t hit enough keywords

A Rejection Is Not a measurement of your worth. So many factors go into employment, it’s impossible to know the exact reason. IT doesn’t even mean your skills were bad, just that someone else’s combined with their personality were a strong fit.

Job Search Mindset: Rejection

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That being said, rejection is never easy.

In These Times, apply following techniques:• Treat yourself to something nice• Remember: Stress is NOT helpful • Think of past obstacles you have overcome• Remember: Jobs will ALWAYS be available• Create a support network to reach out to• Do not compare yourself

Job Search Mindset:Be Prepared to Re-Motivate Self

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• Be realistic about your job search• It will help you learn and understand what is out there and how to

position yourself.

Job Search Mindset: Manage Expectations

Job Boards• Employers typically pay a fee to post

jobs (Monster)

Job Search Engine• Search web and list all job listings

from job boards and employer websites

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Active: Actively searching for positionsTiptoer: Not seriously pursuing new positionsPassive: Not seeking positions, but will put name out there if the right job comes up

Survey of 3000 respondents by Lou Adler-CEO Performance-based Hiring Learning Systems

Job Search Techniques: Vary Your Approach

Ways To Apply:-Online Job Search - Career Fairs -Apply in Person-Volunteering/Internships -Networking (Friends, Family, etc.) -Local Classes-Follow Up!

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Job Search Techniques: Your Timetable

“Applying for jobs is a PT job itself!”

• Generally suggested you will need to search for several months.• Staff surveyed at Byte Back stated they applied for 7-10 jobs, daily!• Set a reliable schedule to apply at least several hours per week.

– Ex: Every Tuesday I’ll apply for jobs from 5:30pm-7:00pm

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Job Search Techniques: Where To Find Jobs?Careers.dc.gov• DC Government Jobs

USAJobs.gov• Federal Government Jobs

DCJobs.com• DC Jobs

LinkedIn.com• Combining Networking w/ Applying

Indeed.com • Combine jobs from multiple sources

Idealist.org• Jobs at nonprofits/schools

VolunteerMatch.com• Volunteer Opportunities

Dice.com• IT-specific jobs (Generally Mid to High Level)

Tips • You can use words like “entry level” if you do

not have much experience yet• Focus on more recent positions• Apply directly to the company if possible.

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Job Search Techniques:Comparing the Search Engines

Most Job Boards can be engaged with in the same manner, but below is an overview of major different between the main ones:

Indeed: Known as top external source-of-hire resource from employers.• 73% of all external interviews last year.

LinkedIn: Main job board that combines applying with networking

Craigslist: Community Based Job Board• Generally the quickest turnaround for jobs, particularly for entry level administrative. • Less likely to use ATS. • Apply for recent jobs only, and be careful of who you respond to and engage with.

Idealist: Nonprofit focused• Less likely to use ATS.• Has one of the strongest filtering systems, allowing you to filter by level of education required,

which most job boards don’t adjust for.

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Search words determine search results.• Know what you want and search using similar job titles, skills, and their

synonyms. • Job Title

– What job title do you want to hold?• Specific Skill

– What skills are you able to bring to the work force?• Specific Certifications

– What certifications are you able to bring to the work force?

Job Search Techniques: Keyword Searches

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• Filter to find exactly what you’re looking for

• Filter options are often on the left side of the search results

• May require you to click an “Update” or “Filter” button after you have chosen how you would like to filter the results

Job Search Techniques: Filtering Job Searches

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• Many large companies have an online page or website for job seekers

• Look for words like Career, Jobs or Join our team• View announcements for the available jobs, or search using

keywords

Job Search Techniques: Company Career Sites

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Job Search Techniques: E-mailing

Initial E-mail What’s Wrong? Improved E-mail

See attached resume. -Way Too Short-No Greeting-No Signature

Dear Hiring Manager,

Attached is my resume and cover letter for the Administrative Assistant position with your company. I look forward to hearing next steps. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Sally Student

Imaging you are a Hiring Manager, How Would You Rate This E-mail?

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• Search regularly and record your efforts. Keep track of the search engines you use, your search words, when you search, and whether the search was helpful.

• Once you know which sites do and don’t meet your needs, you can prioritize your search efforts.

• Create a simple excel template – Name of position, date of posting, Link, contact, follow-up dates

Job Search Techniques: Job Search Tracker

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Job Search Techniques: Job Search Tracker

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Job Search Techniques: Follow-Up

• One of the MOST important steps• Time Courtesies

– Reach out 5-10 business days after posting closes, otherwise:

– Reach out 5-10 business days later after applying• Some companies use this as a weeding tool, and

won’t reply unless people reach out• Also can help you stand out later in the process

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• 19 Protected Traits. If you feel you were discriminated against, call the Office of Human Rights: 202-727-4559

Job Search Techniques: Handling Discrimination

1. Race2. Color3. Religion4. National Origin5. Sex6. Age7. Marital Status8. Personal Appearance9. Sexual Orientation10. Gender Identity &

Expression

11. Family Responsibilities12. Political Affiliation13. Disability14. Matriculation15. Familial Status16. Genetic Information17. Source of Income18. Place of Residence or

Business19. Status as a Victim of an

Intrafamily Offense

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Job Search Techniques: Noticing Discrimination

Specific questions should not be asked of you:• Age: How old are you?, When were you born?

– Generally, applications can ask this for demographic reasons but should be anonymized, none of the above questions should be asked in the interview.

– Employers can ask if you are over 18 ,as this relates to labor laws, but shouldn’t try to focus on getting a certain number out of you.

• Familial Status: Are you married? Do you plan on having children? Do you have children?

• Background: What’s your race? What’s your religion? Are you gay?

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Job Search Techniques: Responding to Discrimination

If you are asked an illegal questions, here are some options for you:

• You can respond truthfully, but address any stereotypes associated in the question.– “Do you plan to have children?”– “I plan to pursue a career whether or not I decided to raise a family”

• Refuse to answer– “Can you remind me how this is relevant to the position?”

• Make sure to note any questions you feel are illegal should you decide to pursue legal action.

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Resume Tailoring: Let’s PracticeFor a real life example, together we will be reviewing how one would tailor a resume.

• Resume: We will be practicing with Example IT Resume 1.– This is an actual student resume that gained a student

a job.

• Application: Mock IT Assistant Application– This was created from actual IT job postings online

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Resume Tailoring: Overview• Objective: Include Job Title and Company

– If it fits, include main qualities from job• Summary of Qualifications: Make sure main

job requirements are highlighted• Keywords: Insert keywords from job

description– www.jobscan.co

• Bullet Points: Readjust bullet points so most relevant are at top of job description

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Resume Tailoring: Objective (IT)• Adjust your Objective Statement each time to include the

company name and job title, and potentially modify skills based on what position is asking for.

What to Change (Resume) What Caused this Change? (Job Description)

Military professional seeking to transition skills of organization, customer service, and attention to detail from medical technology to succeed in IT field.

Job Title: IT TechnicianCompany: Byte BackJob Responnsibilites Section:• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to

work as part of a team;• Proven decision making experience, ability

to work without daily supervision and be autonomous;

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;

BECOMES

Military professional seeking to transition skills of organization, communication, and decision making from medical technology to succeed in IT field as Byte Back’s IT Technician

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Resume Tailoring: Summary of Qualifications (IT)What to Change (Resume) What Caused this Change?

(Job Description) Certified radiographic technologist; experienced in troubleshooting and

maintenance obtained from top national trauma hospital and region’s only adult burn center.

Expect A+ Certification by mid-2019, Certified in IT Fundamentals Excellent reputation for customer service, with top patient reviews in hospital Exceptional analytical skills and collaborative abilities, deep interest in patient

care and MRI scanning and CT scan. Currently hold Secret Clearance

Job Responsibilities:• Servers on site (Win7-10,

Macintosh, Windows 2008-16 Server, and various Linux) general support may be required;

Qualifications:• Ideal candidate has 0-2 years of

experience in IT/Networking fundamentals

Other:• Secret Clearance was removed

because there was no indication of needing that on application.

BECOMES Certified radiographic technologist; experienced in troubleshooting and

maintenance obtained from top national trauma hospital and region’s only adult burn center.

1+ Year of Experience in IT; Expecting A+ Certification by mid-2019, Certified in IT Fundamentals with strong knowledge in Win 7-10, Macintosh, Windows 2008-16 Server.

Excellent reputation for customer service, with top patient reviews in hospital Exceptional analytical skills and collaborative abilities, deep interest in patient

care and MRI scanning and CT scan.

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Resume Tailoring: Keywords (IT)Best Site: www.jobscan.co• Don’t aim for 100% because the site is super specific with verb

tense and grammar, anything above 50% is fine• Will ask you to create (free) account, but you can also just

clear your history for unlimited searches

Most used Technical Terms Most used Soft Skills Most used Keywords

• Technical Support (3)• Technical (3)• Hardware (3)• Mobile (2)

• Communication (1)• Excellent Interpersonal

Skills (1)• Reliable (1)

• Support (15)• Management (5)• Network (4)

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Resume Tailoring: Keywords (IT)Experience Education

• Utilized Lodox Stat scan Total Body Imaging systems, one of several machines in the nation.

• Set up and managed mobile X-ray equipment in the operating room, emergency room, and patient’s bedside.

• Applied multiple software components daily: PACS Imaging archive, RIS, HIS, DICOM storage systems, propriety hospital patient transportation system, and billing systems.

2018: CompTIA IT Fundamentals Certification: Byte Back, Inc., Received: January 2019• Topics: Installing software; Establishing network

connectivity; Identifying/preventing basic security risks; Explaining troubleshooting theory and preventative maintenance of devices

BECOMES• Utilized Lodox Stat scan Total Body Imaging system

hardware, one of several machines in the nation.• Set up and managed mobile X-ray and related technical

equipment in the operating room, emergency room, and patient’s bedside.

• Applied multiple software components daily to support patients: PACS Imaging archive, RIS, HIS, DICOM storage systems, propriety hospital patient transportation system, and billing systems.

2018: CompTIA IT Fundamentals Certification: Byte Back, Inc., Received: January 2019• Topics: Resolving technical issues; Repairing

hardware; Installing software, Establishing network connectivity; Identifying/preventing basic security risks; Explaining troubleshooting theory and preventative maintenance of devices

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Resume Tailoring: Bullet Point Order (IT)What to Change (Resume) What Caused this Change?

(Job Description)1. Provide emergency medical treatment, limited primary care and

health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illness. 2. Utilize database and customer relationship management (CRM)

software to manage patient records, analyze issues, escalate unresolved problems, and track issues to completion.

3. Set up and employ medical software and hardware as needed.

Job Responsibilities:• Maintain network and

workstation/hardware and software;

• Configuration and monitoring of network storage;

• Able to lift up to 50 lbs.

BECOMES1. Provide emergency medical treatment, limited primary care and

health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illness. 3. Configure and employ medical software and hardware as needed,

lifting up to 50 pounds at a time.2. Utilize database and customer relationship management (CRM)

software to manage patient records, analyze issues, escalate unresolved problems, and track issues to completion.

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Cover Letter Tailoring: Let’s PracticeFor a real life example, we will be reviewing how one would tailor a resume.

• Cover Letter: We will be practicing with Example IT Cover Letter A in the Example IT Cover Letters document.– This is an actual student cover letter that has been

modified for privacy.

• Application: Mock IT Assistant Application– This was created from actual IT job postings online

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Cover Letter Tailoring: OverviewCover Letter• Research company to hit upon values and skills the company desires.• Adjust Cover Letter in a way so it doesn’t look adjusted

First Paragraph: Adjust job title, company name, and any other sections you previously identified.• If stronger personal connection to company, lay it out.

Second Paragraph: • Potentially adjust one of our bullets to line up with company standards if

current 3 bullets don’t.• If speaking of IT experience, relate it to current job description.

Third Paragraph: Adjust any company specific information in this section. Otherwise, don’t change unless something is requested in the job description, such as salary.

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Cover Letter Tailoring: First Paragraph (IT)Before After

Working with computers is a longtime passion of mine, and having earned my A+ Certification and volunteering in the IT field, I am confident I am a perfect fit for your System Analyst -Help Desk position. My communication skills and ability to resolve technical issues in person and over the phone are why I chose to apply for this position. Working with IT Essentials interests me because your work with major agencies in the US Government System relates to my experience at the World Bank, where I interacted with diverse crowds. It would be a pleasure to support IT Federal’s mission of providing hands-on, cost-effective, quality services to Federal clients.

Working with computers is a longtime passion of mine, and having earned my A+ Certification and volunteering in the IT field, I am confident I am a perfect fit for your IT Technician position. My communication skills and ability to resolve technical issues in person and over the phone are why I chose to apply for this position. Working with Byte Back interests me because your work with the local DC community relates to my experience at the World Bank, where I interacted with diverse crowds. It would be a pleasure to support Byte Back’s mission of providing a pathway of inclusive tech training that leads to living-wage careers.

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Cover Letter Tailoring: Second Paragraph (IT)Before After

• Dedication to IT: My interest in IT has lead me to teach IT and JavaScript in the community, self-study IT related books (i.e. Hacking for Dummies, CompTIA Security+/Security+ books), and pursue online courses and virtual training in Cybersecurity. In my current volunteer role. I am implementing online tutoring sessions to support students in IT training as I want to foster their IT knowledge.

• Team-Player: I am committed to bringing out the best in the people around me by showing gratitude and supporting as needed. I also provide coworkers who are interested in cybersecurity free resources to study and gain experience.

• Dedication to IT: My interest in IT has lead me to teach IT and JavaScript in the community, self-study IT related books (i.e. Hacking for Dummies, CompTIA Security+/Security+ books), and pursue online courses and virtual training in Cybersecurity. In my current volunteer role. I am implementing online tutoring sessions to support students in IT training in topics such as Servers and resolving PC support issues, as I want to foster their IT knowledge.

• Innovative: I work to improve systems, not just work within them. At my past company, I was able to negotiate with management to employ open computer time for students, increasing their grades by 20%.

Reason for Change:Core Values:• We believe in yes – yes to innovation, yes to taking risks, and yes to growth.

Job Responsibilities:• Provide laptop and desktop PC support for on and off site users with equipment running Windows operating systems integrated with

Servers on site (Win7-10, Macintosh, indows 2008-16 Server, and various Linux)• Diagnosis and resolution of all PC support issues including hardware failures, operating system errors, software compatibility issues,

printing issues, and network connectivity.

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Cover Letter Tailoring: Third Paragraph (IT)Before After

To summarize, I would be overjoyed to bring my IT skills and passion for innovation to IT Federal, Inc. Thank you for taking the time to review my resume and cover letter. I welcome the opportunity to meet to further discuss how my qualifications will be beneficial to IT Federal’s success.

To summarize, I would be overjoyed to bring my IT skills and passion for constant improvement to Byte Back. Thank you for taking the time to review my resume and cover letter. I welcome the opportunity to meet to further discuss how my qualifications will be beneficial to Byte Back’s success.

Based on my qualifications and training, I am requesting a salary between the ranges of $37500-$47500. I can be negotiable depending on the benefits package.

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Resume & Cover Letter: Your Presentation Matters

You can spend a long time on your resume and cover letter, and not have them be read at all because of a poor title.• Ex: ReSIME 2016.docx

If no specific directions are given by the company, make a title that clearly states your name, the document you are sending, and the company. This will make it easy for you to send the correct documents and for the company to identify which documents are yours.

Format: [Name] [Document] - [Company]• Betty Byte Resume - Byte Back.docx• Betty Byte Cover Letter – Byte Back.docx

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Class Review:Interview Questions

How do you feel about answering the following questions?

1. What are the most effective ways to apply for a job?

2. What types of interviews and questions are there?

3. How do I tailor my resume and cover letter?