Careers 101

Goodwill Career

Development Center

Banking and Customer Service

Rules of Engagement

• Ask questions

• Take ownership of the learning process

• Take notes

Steps in your job search

• Preparing your professional resume

• Writing cover letters – hard copy and emails

• Getting prepared for the interview

• Following up - letters/phone calls/thank you

notes etc

RESUMES

What is a resume?

Resumes are what people use to get jobs, right?

WRONG!

A resume is a one-page summary of your education, skills, accomplishments and experience. The

purpose of the resume is to get your foot in the door. A resume does its job successfully if it does not

exclude you from consideration.–

Resumes cont….

To prepare a successful resume, you need to know how to review, summarize and present your experience and achievements on ONE

PAGE.

Preparing an effective resume:• Self-assessment

• Contact information

• Educational information

• Academic honors

• Work experience

• Use action verbs to promote your experience

• Spell check and proof read

ELECTRONIC RESUMES

• Use plain, white 8 ½” by 11” paper and black ink.

• Emphasize key words and nouns, use ACTION verbs

• Do not fold or staple. Use large envelopes when mailing your resume

• Do not use borders, graphics or landscape printing

• Do select an unembellished typeface: Arial and Helvetica. Do not use Times or Times New Roman

• Avoid Italics, underlining and use bold sparingly and preferably not on Key Words

• Place name alone on first line, and put it on each page of your resume

• Left justify the entire document

COMMON COMPLAINTS ABOUT RESUMES

•Too Long – useless information

•Disorganized – information scattered

•Hard to read - unprofessional

•Poor grammar – spelling, visible “typos”

•Overwritten – long paragraphs, poor sentence structure

•Not results-oriented – duties, but no accomplishments

•Irrelevant information – height, weight, DOB, health, marital status

Chronological

Resume

Example

Functional

Resume

Example

Your resume is a

“working document”

• Make sure your resume “works” for you.

• You may need to make small changes to your

resume depending on the job you are applying for.

• If you are applying for various types of positions,

you may want more than one type of resume.

• If nothing else, make sure to change your

objective for each position, if necessary.

Let’s talk about some examples…

Successful Cover Letter

• Address the letter to a specific person when

the information is made available to you.

• Open the letter with Dear……….

• Have a minimum of two paragraphs.

• Include your “current” contact information

(ex. Phone number, email address, home

address.)

• Close the letter with Sincerely.

What to write in the cover letter

• State why you are writing, what you have to

offer and what you are requesting.

– I am applying for position…

– State what qualifications you have and why you

would fit the position.

– I am interested learning more about the position

and find out how “I” you can help your

business the best.

– I would like an opportunity for a phone or

personal interview

– Thank them for their time

E-mail Etiquette

• E-mail communications should be well

thought out and appropriately constructed

• Carefully construct cover letters, even in

email form.

– Write a new cover letter for each position, make it

represent each position you are applying for

Common mistakes are:

being too informal

misspellings and poor grammar

no capitalization

spelling words the way they sound

E-mail etiquette continuedRules of the Road:

•Treat your e-mail as if you were writing a professional cover or thank-you letter on paper, but be brief.

•In the subject line make it obvious why you are writing: “Application for XYZ position.”

•If you are responding to an e-mail, include the original message in the reply so the receiver can put your e-mail in the correct context.

•Always spell words correctly! DON’T rely on spell check It will not catch words that are spelled correctly but are misused within the context of the sentence. (ex: where/wear, dinner/diner)

•Think about the message your email address sends. Keep your address simple and professional.

(open a new gmail or yahoo account for your job search)

•Proofread your e-mails.•If you are including attachments, make sure they are in a format that the receiver prefers.

So you got the interview

Now what??

Preparing for the interview

• Internet research- know the company

– Size/locations

– How long have they been in business

– Who would be direct supervisor and who is

hiring manager

– More info on job tasks expected to perform

– Growth rate/ room for advancement

– Know the salary range for the position

• Talk to current employees

Top Interview Mistakes Made by Job

Candidates

• Unprepared

• Lack of interest/enthusiasm

• Inappropriate attire

• Poor body language

• Lack of resume knowledge

• Lack of punctuality

• Unprofessional

• Rambling answers

• Cell phones

Reading the interviewer’s body language

Negative Body Language

Silently saying “No”

Hands are closed or fisted

Avoids Eye Contact

Puts head in hands

Squints eyes and furrows brow

Lips are tightly set

Sits rigidly with feet flat

Drums fingers on desk

Handshake is quick, weak or tentative

Positive Body Language

Silently saying “Yes”

Maintains Eye Contact

Looks directly at you

Sits up and leans toward you

Firm, strong handshake

Legs crossed loosely

Smiles and laughs easily

Moves desk items to maintain line of sight

Shows you any personal memorabilia, such as

photos

What your body language says about you

Negative Body Language

Silently saying “No”

Hands are closed or fisted

Arms crossed

Avoid Eye Contact

Put head in hands

Squint or furrow brow

Lips are tightly set

Sit rigidly with feet flat

Fidget with hands, drum on desk or play with

pen/pencil

Handshake is quick, weak or tentative

Positive Body Language

Silently saying “Yes”

Maintain Eye Contact

Look directly at interviewer

Sit up and lean toward

Firm, strong handshake

Legs crossed loosely

Smile sincerely

laugh easily and comfortably

Dress for success for an interview

• Dress Attire / Grooming

MEN

Slacks and button down shirt and tie or Suit

Clean shaven or trimmed beards/mustaches etc

WOMEN

Suit

Slacks or skirt (knee length or below) with

business top or button down shirt and blazer

BOTHno excessive cologne, jewelry or accessories

Job Interviewing Strategies

• Know Yourself

• Know Your Strength and Weaknesses

• Be able to communicate your skills

• Be able to speak to your key character traits– What are your key character traits?? Review

the list and be prepared

Be prepared with pen and take notes

Keep the Conversation Flowing

• Ask Questions – relevant to position

• Appear Engaged

– give positive body language

– “Mirroring” your interviewer

• If they are sitting back, be more relaxed as they

are

• If they are involved with you and leaning in, do

the same

• People relate to “silent” similarities

Be A Good Listener

• Work on developing your listening skills

immediately

• Don’t be preoccupied

• Control your biases

– Don’t let past experiences prevent you from

succeeding in a new environment

• Focus on their needs, not yours

– How can you help them in this business over and

above another candidate.

– “if you help more people get what they want in life,

you will ultimately get what you want in return”

• Before leaving the interview: establish a

timetable– Will there be another round of interviews

– When do they expect they will make a decision

Follow Up and Follow Through

• Send a thank you note– Make sure the interviewer knows you appreciate

their time

• Follow up on specific requests– If they asked you for something in particular,

make sure you send it or give a return call or email

with the info.

Phone/Voice Mail Etiquette

If you know in advance that you will be speaking to a company

representative:

–Schedule the call at a time where you will have some peace and

quiet.

–No kids yelling, dogs barking, traffic noise etc

–Try NOT to use your cell phone, but make sure you have a good

signal if you do.

When you leave a message:

–Always speak clearly and distinctly

–Give your name and the reason for your call – BE CONCISE

–Spell your name if necessary

–Give a return phone number and repeat the digits.

Your voicemail message: what someone hears when they call you.

–Be professional

–Leave your name and an appropriate greeting.

»No music playing, no funny sayings etc.