Conducting the Job Search
Based on Chapter 9, Goodall and Goodall
Lynne Dahmen
COM 2301: Advanced Speech
Continuum of Job Seekers
Focused
Idle job seeker
interested
Conscious
Thinking about Your Career
What do you have to offer?
 What do you want to do?
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Your interests
 Your compensation goals
 Your preferred working environment
 Your lifestyle goals/choices
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What is the current market?
Building your Skills
Travel/gain intercultural experience
 Develop portfolio
 Take internship opportunities
 Part-time jobs
 Network
 Expand your ‘life experience’
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Why do Job Research?
Can focus/broaden possible types of
jobs
 Can define job parameters
 Can identify potential
employers/industries
 Can define you contributions
 Can impress potential interviewers
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Finding out about Jobs
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Newspapers
Internet research
Other employees
Jobsites on the Web
Company tours
Friends/relatives
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On campus
opportunities
 Job fairs
 Placement agencies
 Unsolicited résumés
Ways to use the Web
Career Counseling
 Making contacts (newsgroups, listservs)
 Research companies
 Search for vacancies
 Post online résumés
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Résumé Basics
Less than one page
 2 fonts
 Use active verbs
 Avoid ‘I’
 Choose appropriate format (formal,
contemporary, artistic)
 Make an impression in 45 seconds
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Basic Categories
Contact information (school and/or
home)
 Career objective/qualifications
 Education
 Work experience
 Skills
 Accomplishments
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Basic Info
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American Info
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Name
Address
Phone numbers
Email
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French info
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Name
Address
Phone numbers
Email
Marital status
Age
Gender
Photo (ask)
Objectives/Summary of Qualifications
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Objectives
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To obtain an entry-level sales position which makes
use of my communication and language skills.
To obtain an entry-level sales position which makes
use of my communication and language skills and
which will lead towards the development of
management skills
Qualifications
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Ten years teaching experience to a variety of age
groups in both formal and informal settings.
Five years editorial experience with three as
supervisor of development teams in technical
environment
Education
Most recent school first
 Name and location
 Term of enrollment (months/years)
 Major/minor fields
 Significant skills/abilities
 High school (usually not in American)
 If including GPA, include scale
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Sample English Education
Section
B.A., Anthropology
1992
Rutgers College General Honors Program
Rutgers, the State University of NJ, New
Brunswick, NJ
General Honors, High Departmental Honors
B.S., Biology
May 2004 (expected)
Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco
GPA: 3.2/4.0
Dean’s list, Spring 2002, Fall 2002
Job Section
Name & Location of Employer
 What organization does (if not clear)
 Functional title
 Your duties and responsibilities
 Significant achievements/contributions
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Sample English Job Listing
S.A.T. Preparation Instructor, Stanley Kaplan
Education Center. Madison, WI. Taught
preparation in verbal and math skills. (Jan.
2001-June 2003)
Assistant Hospitality Clerk, Sheraton Hotel.
Fes, Morocco. (summer 2000)
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Ensured smooth check-in of international clients
Solved complaints of foreign guests (especially
English-speaking)
Developed guide sheet for intercultural
communication for Moroccan staff.
Activities & Achievements
Volunteer experience
 Family related experience
 Tutoring
 Community service
 Service activities
 Awards
 Scholarships
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Sample English Activities
Activities and Achievements
School Related
Team participant, English Public Speaking
Contest (2001-2004)
 Writing center tutor (2002)
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Extra-curricular
Helped raise younger sister for 3 years
 Volunteered at Dar Chebab (Summers, 20012002)
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Adding Computer skills
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Include complete name of producer and
program
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Include skill level
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Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Fireworks,
Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
NOT: Adobe, Word, Access
Basic familiarity, intermediate experience,
advanced user or ‘power user’
Include Computer languages and level
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Basic Visual Basic, Introductory C++, Advanced
Java
Adding Language Skills
Separate ‘Arabic’ from ‘Moroccan Arabic’
unless you are FLUENT in Classical
Arabic (be prepared to write and present)
 Use standard measurements of language
skill (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced,
Bilingual)
 Specify reading, writing, speaking
 Avoid French interference (Basic notions
of…)
 Do NOT overstate your abilities
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Basic Organizational
Approaches
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Chronological
 Most traditional, work experience dominates
Functional
 Skills dominates, deemphasizes lack of
employment
Combination
 Includes both, not commonly used, repetitive
Academic
 Includes publications, presentations, teaching
Basic Style do’s and don’ts
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Use only 1 or 2 fonts (Times, Arial, Garamond)
Use bold or italics (NOT underlining) for
emphasis
Use slight differences in size sparingly
Use Headings or design your own Word style to
be consistent
Use tabs correctly to align data
Use ‘space before/after’ instead of blank lines to
ensure even spacing
Do not make information larger than 12 point
Do not compensate for lack of information with
SIZE
Basics for Adapting a Résumé for
the Web
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Prepare résumé for scanning
Convert to ‘text only’ (removes ALL formatting
except line breaks)
Ensure legibility in ASCII format
Add keywords
Consider a Web résumé
Make links ‘active’
Print out web page to make sure it is not
longer than 1 page
Do not include personal contact details (other
than email) on publicly published CVs
Basic Problems with Résumés
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Too long
To short or sketchy
Hard to read or
understand
Too wordy
Too ‘slick’
Amateurish
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Poorly reproduced
Grammatical
errors/typos
Boastful
Dishonest
‘Gimmicky’
The AIDA Approach to Cover Letters
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Attention
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Interest
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Connect skills to job required
Give evidence to support assertions
Desire
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Mention company and products
Argue your best skills
State clear reference to job ad/position when
relevant
Suggest how you will contribute to organization
Action
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Ask to meet them or indicate interest to meet
The bulk of the letter…
Summarizes your qualifications
 Emphasizes your accomplishments
 Suggests your personal qualities
 Justifies salary requirements (rare)
 Refers to your résumé
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Parts of the Letter
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Your address
Your correspondent
Date
Objective/subject of letter
Introduction phrase
Mentioning the company
Your ‘arguments’
Conclusion with polite closing
Signature
Attachments at bottom of page
Qualities Employers Look for in a
Candidate…
Candidate thinks about results
 Knows how to complete tasks
 Is well rounded
 Shows progress/development
 Has personal standards/ethics
 Flexible
 Can communicate well
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Dressing the Part
DO:
 Match clothing to type of
company
 Have simple and neat
hair
 Be well groomed (eg
nails)
 Carry briefcase/portfolio
(avoid ‘student’ sacks
and bags)
DON’T:
 Wear heavy
perfume/cologne
 Wear lots of jewelry
 Wear lots of makeup
 Wear crazy/very highheeled shoes
 Smell of smoke/body
odor/food
 Chew gum or eat
Following Up after an Interview
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Thank-you letter
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Inquiry letter
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If you are waiting for other offers
Letter of Acceptance
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After 2 weeks, or if you have another offer
Request for time extension
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Within 2 days of interview
Positive and ‘you’ oriented
Reply within 5 days, identify position in letter
Letter of Declining an Offer
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Polite and direct