dicover oneself.doc

III. Presenting YourselfSo now you have a direction in mind that you want to pursue- both long-term and short-term goals have been established and youve written them into a plan of action. The next step is to develop a presentation package that will serve as your marketing tools to reach your occupational goals. Presenting yourself well to employers means: On paper through applications and resumes; Verbally during interviews; and Visually by dressing appropriate to the setting and industry. Learning to use these presentation tools by developing a marketing strategy will be discussed later on in the Marketing Yourself section. Right now we will focus on developing your self presentation skills. A. Completing Job ApplicationsApplications are used by employers as a tool for finding additional information about who you are and for screening out applicants who do not demonstrate the qualifications they are looking for. Your application is often the how the employer forms their first impression of you. If you show the employer that you have the skills and abilities they need, you will be invited in to discuss your qualifications in person. Like everything else appearances count. Think of your application as an extension of yourself and an example of the kind of work you will do for the employer. Your applications should be: Neat Accurate Complete Professionally copies on quality paper Submitted within specific time frame Information Needed for Applications: a. Social Security number b. Drivers license c. Work experience d. School and Training experience e. Military record (DD Form 214) f. References g. Doctors name h. Emergency contact person i. Date of last physical exam j. Clubs and organizations you belong to The next pages contain tips for completing applications, followed by sample applications- both good and bad examples. Read through the tips, and see if you can figure out what is wrong or right about our examples. Tips To Filling Out The Application: Read over all questions first. Follow directions carefully. Answer all questions completely. Leave no blank spaces. Print N/A on questions that do not apply to you. Print or type - use black ink. Write neat, clean and complete. Use ACTION VERBS. (See Resume Writing) Check your spelling. Carry a pen and ruler. If filling it at home make additional copies for practice. If you are at the work site and have made several errors, ask for another application. Check your APPEARANCE, even when you are picking up the application. Bring a professional copy of your resume. How to Handle Difficult Questions Problem questions may be addressed by writing May discuss at time of interview Avoid writing fired. Instead put: seasonal employment moved laid off or will discuss at interview. If you have too little experience:a. look at volunteer, hobby, chores, and other experiences.b. use classroom and other educational and training experiences Explaining Gaps in Employment:It is important that you try to account for your past ten years, if possible, when completing a job application. Following is a list that might help to give you ideas for discussing gaps in employment on an application, or even in person during the interview: * Returned to or began school* Worked part-time* Self employed* Raised children* Traveled* Received career counseling* Use flexible dates: Fall 1993 - Spring 1994, or, put the years: 1993-1994 Common Mistakes:o Completing application in pencil o Sloppy and not neat o Writing open under position desired, or not being specific with position title o Listing an unrealistic amount under salary desired instead of writing openor negotiable o Not enough information on the former employment section o Failing to sign the application when completed o Making errors or omissions: Spelling mistakes; incomplete information; leaving items blank o Failing to relate skills to position desired B. Developing ResumesA resume by definition is a one page, concise piece of self-advertising that is focused on a specific position or job objective. The resume is designed as an enticement to an employer- To give them enough information so they can see you have the basic qualifications for the position, and so they will want to meet with you to discuss your qualifications further in a job interview. Your resume is a very individual document with its own special uniqueness that presents your qualifications. Good resumes are well-organized with a focused employment objective. What Should A Resume Include?- Identifying data: your name, address, and phone number - Objective (optional): a clear statement (usually 2-4 words) identifying the position you are seeking - Education: list your most current degree/credential first. Include the month and year of graduation, the institution attended. You may list relevant courses. - Honors: include GPA if 3.0 or higher, graduation with honors, awards, honor societies, deans list, etc. - Experience: include work-related activities. Describe not only job responsibilities, but what you created, accomplished, achieved, etc. (refer to handout on action verbs) - Professional Development: include completion or plans on taking an exam in your field; i.e. CPA, Actuarial, Civil Engineering, etc. - Special Skills: include skills applicable to your career field; i.e. computer language, fluency in foreign languages, public speaking, performing arts, etc. - Activities/Interests: include those activities that demonstrate leadership abilities or cooperation in working with others. - Disclosing a Disability: if you feel the employer would be very likely to hire someone with a disability such as, the government, then find a positive way of disclosing your disability. Ask yourself, will disclosing support my goal of being hired? Disclosure can be addressed either in your cover letter or on your resume. If there is any chance your disability will be viewed negatively, dont disclose it. In most situations, people should not disclose their disability at this time. Key Tips for Effective Resume Writing: Limit resume to one page (two pages maximum) Organize your thoughts by preparing a draft of your resume Begin the resume with what is important. Prioritize your resume by listing information your reader will look for first. Begin with your most qualifying experience: If limited experience, begin with education Use action words to describe work duties Emphasize specific accomplishments over duties and responsibilities Use concrete examples that can be measured: instead of has leadership abilities be specific as in supervised eight employees or conducted workshop on. . . Stress your accomplishments Use the complete page, but keep space between sections Use bullets, bold type, capital letters, and underlining Be consistent in capitalization and punctuation Design your resume to fit the position for which you are applying. One generic resume will not work for all of the job openings. Print resume on white or neutral color preferably on 20 - 24lb. bond 81/2 x 11. Send originals Do not include names of references Have others look at your resume to proofread and provide feedback Get your resume reproduced professionally (at Kinkos, for example) Send references either a copy of your resume or discuss how your past job duties relate to the job you are seeking Do You Use a TDD?For job seekers who use a TDD, or TT (Text Telephone), it is a personal decision whether or not you should put your TDD phone number on your resume. Why is the TDD number an issue? If you use your TDD phone number on your resume, you should also include the number for the relay service in your state. This will help employers to be able to get in contact with you. If you have activities or items on your resume that indicate you are deaf, have a speech impairment, or other disability- such as attendance at a school for the deaf or involvement with clubs and/or organizations- go ahead and use your TDD number with the relay service number. However, some employers may not know how to use the relay service, or what that means. Even if they do, they may allow their fears or stereotypes to interfere and not make the effort to call a TDD number. So what can you do? Use the voice phone number of a friend or family member for messages (ALWAYS Get Prior Permission Before Using Someones Number). Some state employment offices (Employment Development Department in California) offer free message services for TDD users. Tips For People With Little Or No Work ExperienceMany tasks have led to the acquirement of marketable skills. Consider the following experiences: Work on a school paper or yearbook Intern work for a business Serving on committees Coaching sports or tutoring academics Achieving recognition for an essay or project Assisting a teacher Baby-sitting Helping with lawn care Leadership in a club Helping with church activities Serving on a student government committee Think about the tasks listed above and how you might be able to state the task in a skill. For example: Work on a school paper: requires skill in researching, editing, writing, and possibly selling ads and using computers.Helping with lawn care: requires skill in operating machinery and tools, handling of chemicalsBaby-sitting: requires skill in supervision, planning activities, teaching, conflict resolution Developing a Rough Draft:The first step to writing an effective resume is to develop a rough draft. Using the Resume Worksheet on the facing page, write in the information requested. While working, keep the following points in mind: o Choose an appropriate format that promotes you to the employer in the best possible way. There are several different types of resumes to choose from, and a discussion of each is included on the next pages. o Select information you want to included. Remember to prioritize categories by placing the most important items towards the top of your resume. o Write, rewrite and edit your final copy. Remember to show your qualifications for the position through your number of experiences, skills, and capabilities. o List your experiences on the job, then translate them into brief, action oriented sentences. Use the list of Action Verbs to help you. For Example: * Organized office files * Maintained office books* Handled cash using a cash registerResume Worksheet_Name (Bold)Identifying Data:_ Personal Data (Optional):_ Objective _ Education:_ Experience:_ Professional Development: _ Special Skills:_ Activities/Interests:_ Honors:_ References: Available upon request (optional) Action VerbsThe bold words are especially good for pointing out accomplishments Management Skills administered, analyzed, assigned, attained, chaired, consolidated, contracted, coordinated, delegated, developed, directed, evaluated, executed, improved, increased, organized, oversaw, planned, prioritized, produced, recommended, reviewed, scheduled, strengthened, supervised Communication Skills addressed, arbitrated, arranged, authored, collaborated, convinced, corresponded, developed, directed, drafted, edited, enlisted, formulated, influenced, interpreted, lectured, mediated, moderated, negotiated, persuaded, promoted, publicized, reconciled, recruited , spoke, translated Research Skills clarified, collected, critiqued, diagnosed, evaluated, examined, extracted, identified, inspected, interpreted, interviewed, investigated, organized, reviewed, summarized, surveyed, systematized Technical Skills assembled, built, calculated, computed, designed, devised, engineered, fabricated, maintained, operated, overhauled, programmed, remodeled, repaired, solved, upgraded Teaching Skills adapted, advised, clarified, coached, communicated, coordinated, demystified, developed, enabled, encouraged, evaluated, explained, facilitated, guided, informed, instructed, persuaded, set goals, stimulated, trained Financial Skills administered, allocated, analyzed, appraised, audited, balanced, budgeted, calculated, computed, developed, forecasted, managed, marketed, planned, projected, researched Creative Skills acted, conceptualized, created, customized, designed, developed, directed, established, fashioned, founded, illustrated, initiated, instituted, integrated, introduced, invented, originated, performed, planned, revitalized, shaped Helping Skill assessed, assisted, clarified, coached, counseled, demonstrated, diagnosed, educated, expedited, facilitated, familiarized, guided, motivated, referred, rehabilitated, represented Clerical or Detail Skills approved, arranged, catalogued, classified, collected, compiled, dispatched, executed, generated, implemented, inspected, monitored, operated, organized, prepared, processed, purchased, recorded, retrieved, screened, specified, systematized, tabulated, validated More Verbs for Accomplishments achieved, expanded, improved, pioneered ,reduced (losses), resolved (problems), restored, spearheaded, transformed Types of Resumes:Chronological:Employment is listed starting with the most current job and ending with the earliest. Dates follow the name of employer, job title, and a brief description of accomplishments and duties. Advantages: o Most widely used o Interviewers are most familiar with it o Easiest to prepare because format is structured o Can highlight a steady employment history Disadvantages:o Reveals employment gaps o Can place emphasis on unrelated or undesirable jobs in applicants past experience o Unless carefully constructed, could be difficult to spot important information o Does not highlight areas of skills and accomplishments Functional:Used by those who have acquired a variety of skills and achievements through a number of experiences. Allows the applicant to highlight selected areas which most relate to the job being sought. Information is ranked from the most important to least important down the page. This ranking is based on knowledge of the job/employer. Advantages: o Highlights selected areas which relate most to the job o Can de-emphasize certain areas on a spotty employment record o Is well organized and concise Disadvantages: o Can be difficult to write - requires extensive background work or knowledge of the job employer o Need strong related work experience and/or skills o Format does not connect skills/achievements to specific work situations in the case of multiple employment. Combination:Combines the functional/chronological format. Allows you to highlight major skills. Displays a continuous record of related work experience. This style usually lists functions/skills followed by a listing of employers and dates of employment. Advantages: o Can be individualized o Spotlights specific experience, achievements/skills o Is clear, concise, and well organized Disadvantages: o No standard format o Need strong related work experience and/or skills o Some interviewers are not familiar with this format Accounting:For those seeking a position as an accountant. Usually follows the chronological format. The following data is of particular importance: 25. Overall grade point average and GPA in major when 3.0 or above. 26. List of specific accounting courses completed with the grades earned plus courses in progress. 27. Professional development should always include CPA review course, plans to take the examination and any other special training in accounting and/or computers.Education:For applicants seeking a position in education (teachers, administrators, support services such as counselors, nurses, librarians). Includes specific information such as: 28. Education and Credentials: credential(s) listed with the most recent first, when and where received, whether clear or partially fulfilled, and followed by previous credentials held. Degree(s) listed with the most recent first, when and where received, your major. Honors optional. 29. Professional file: include where the file is located and how it may be obtained 30. Related Experiences: may include field work, internships, and student teaching assignments and should