CURRICULUM FOR THE JOB CLUB AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
REHABILITATION, CAPITOL MALL OFFICE, SACRAMENTO
A Project
Presented to the faculty of the Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation,
School Psychology, and Deaf Studies
California State University, Sacramento
Submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
in
Counseling
(Vocational Rehabilitation)
by
Hameeda Judha
SPRING
2013
CURRICULUM FOR THE JOB CLUB AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
REHABILITATION, CAPITOL MALL OFFICE, SACRAMENTO
A Project
by
Hameeda Judha
Approved by:
__________________________________, Committee Chair
Guy Deaner, Ph.D.,
____________________
Date
ii
Student: Hameeda Judha
I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the
University format manual, and that this project is suitable for shelving in the Library
and credit is to be awarded for the project.
_____________________________, Department Chair
Susan M. Heredia, Ph.D.
Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation,
School Psychology, and Deaf Studies
iii
______________
Date
Abstract
of
CURRICULUM FOR THE JOB CLUB AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
REHABILITATION, CAPITOL MALL OFFICE, SACRAMENTO
by
Hameeda Judha
Statement of Purpose
This project is designed to provide information about the topics covered by the
Employment Coordinator (EC) in the Job Club. It is intended to provide a curriculum
for the Job Club.
Sources of Data
Research materials were attained from peer reviewed journal articles, textbooks,
information from relevant websites such as edu and org. Three counselors and one
Service Coordinator were interviewed for collecting the information regarding the
reasons for referring a client to the Job Club. Attending the Job Club meetings at DOR
was extremely helpful resource for gaining information regarding the activities
practiced by the EC and clients at the Job Club.
Conclusion Reached
A curriculum for the Job Club at DOR Capitol mall office has been created to provide
detailed information regarding the activities conducted at the Job Club. The reasons for
referring the client to the Job Club, skills necessary for preparing resumes and cover
iv
letters have been discussed in detail through samples. Importance of components like
Interviewing, Networking and Following Up has been explained in detail.
, Committee Chair
Guy Deaner, Ph.D.
_______________________
Date
v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Dr. Deaner from the Department of Special Education,
Rehabilitation, School Psychology and Deaf Studies for providing me guidance to
complete this project. I would like to thank my parents and two elder sisters for
motivating and supporting me to complete Master’s degree in USA. I would especially
like to thank my sister Hameeda Esmail, my biggest support and my best friend for her
endless support and motivation at every step to overcome all obstacles to complete this
project.
I would also like to thank Kymerica McGee, the Employment Coordinator (EC) for
her time and efforts in sharing all the information I needed to complete this project.
Thank you to Janice Sweatt, the supervisor of DOR for granting me the permission to
prepare the curriculum for the Job Club. I also acknowledge the support of all
counselors in sharing the information that was necessary to complete the project.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Acknowledgements ... ………………………………………………… ............ ……..vi
Chapter
1.
INTRODUCTION ............ ………………………………………………………..1
Statement of the Problem ............................................................................ 2
Definition of Terms ..................................................................................... 4
Limitations ................................................................................................... 6
Organization of the Project .......................................................................... 6
2.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE.............................................................. 7
Introduction ................................................................................................ 7
Job Club ...................................................................................................... 7
Resume Preparation .................................................................................. 12
Interview Preparation ............................................................................... 15
Why Job Clubs are Needed ...................................................................... 18
Disclosing a Disability During a Job Interview ....................................... 22
Job Search Strategies ................................................................................ 24
Informational Interviews .......................................................................... 29
Summary.................................................................................................... 33
3.
METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 34
4.
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................... 37
Summary.................................................................................................... 37
Recommendations ..................................................................................... 38
Appendix A: Curriculum for the Job Club at the Department of Rehabilitation,
Capitol Mall Office, Sacramento…………………………………… 39
References ................................................................................................................. 115
vii
1
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this project is to develop a curriculum for the Job Club at California
Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), Capitol Mall office. This curriculum will help the
clients with disabilities of DOR take advantage of the services of a newly formed Job
Club in an organized and systematic way. The Job Club will assist clients with job
preparation services, job seeking skills, gaining information about the resources and
employment opportunities. It will also provide a structure to the activities of the Job
Club thus offering the clients the basic skills they need in order to find employment in
the community.
Azrin and Besalel (1980) were the founders of the Job Club method and they
developed a book Job Club Counselor’s Manual, A Behavioral Approach to
Counseling. According to Azrin and Besalel (1980), “The Job Club method, as its name
implies, is more than the activity of an individual; it is the activity of an individual as
part of a group of fellow job seekers, working together under the instruction and
encouragement of a leader who provides support, information, facilities, and supplies.
The goal of the Job Club method of counseling is to obtain a job of the highest feasible
quality within the shortest feasible time period for all participating job seekers” (p. 1).
One of the reasons the author has selected this topic for the project is because Job
Clubs in the past have shown positive outcomes for people with disabilities. Rutter and
Jones (2007) stated that Job Clubs and workshops for people with disabilities were
2
positively related to more intense job search behavior and more self-efficacy. In
addition, other studies that do not focus on people with disabilities found similar results.
For example, Career counselors at Walsh and Brown (W & B), a private outplacement
company, believe that the job club approach has worked well for their clients. They
performed an assessment of their job clubs after the clubs had been implemented in
about half of their offices. W & B reported that, on average, clients of offices that used
job clubs obtained employment 20 percent faster than clients of offices that did not use
job club (as cited in Kondo, 2009). Another study by Boyatzis (1998), on 10 executive
job seekers summarized the benefits of participating in the Job Clubs as (a) helping the
clients in gaining improved understanding of the job search process; (b) participants
learning about job search activities and experiences through interaction with other
members; and (c) participants receiving social and emotional support, helpful advice,
positive reactions, encouragement and understanding from fellow members.
Statement of the Problem
The idea for the project came to the author when she was working as an intern at the
California DOR in fall 2011. The Capitol Mall office had a room for Job Club but did
not have any electronic equipment and gadgets to set up a Job Club for the clients at
DOR. But with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, the
district office was able to purchase and set up electronic equipment like computers,
cameras, television, tripod, fax machine and printer. The author talked to the supervisor
and counselors in the office and they expressed that there is a need for a well-organized
3
curriculum for the Job Club that can assist all the staff and clients using the Job Club.
Around the same time when the Job Club was being set up, a pilot project entitled
Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery (VRSD) model was being implemented in
the DOR. The VRSD team will consist of 6 members performing different functions.
According to the DOR website, “Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (SVRC),
Qualified Rehabilitation Professional (QRP) will be working with a team comprised of
other SVRC, QRP’s , Service Coordinators, an Employment Coordinator and Office
Technician to provide Vocational Rehabilitation services”
(http://www.rehab.cahwnet.gov/vr-mod/). The relevance of this new team concept is
that the Job Club will be managed by the Employment Coordinator. The essential
functions of an Employment Coordinator, as stated by the DOR website, include
“providing support to the development of the Job Club including but not limited to
assisting consumers with career assessment services, mock interviews, resume
development, interviewing skills development and job searching skills”
(http://www.rehab.cahwnet.gov/vr-mod/).
The author conducted research and found out that there was no curriculum for the
Job Club that was being set up in the Capitol Mall office. Since the Job Club will now
have the Employment Coordinator as provided by the VRSD team to manage the Job
Club, it needs a well-organized curriculum to make it function effectively. Hence, the
purpose of this project is to prepare a curriculum for the Job Club.
4
Definition of Terms
American Reinvestment and Recovery Act
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 was signed into
law by President Barack Obama on February 17, 2009. ARRA was designed by the
federal government to create and save jobs, revive the faltering economy and build the
foundation for long term economic growth. DOR received $61.8 million in federal
stimulus funds for its programs. This included 56.5 million for vocational rehabilitation
(http://www.dor.ca.gov/arra/index.htm).
Department of Rehabilitation
The California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) administers the largest
vocational rehabilitation program in the country. They have a three-pronged mission to
provide services and advocacy that assist people with disabilities to live independently,
become employed and have equality in the communities in which they live and work.
DOR provides consultation, counseling and vocational rehabilitation, and works with
community partners to assist the consumers they serve.
Disability
A disability includes: (a) a physical or mental impairment that substantially
limits one or more major life activities; (b) a record of such impairment; (c) being
regarded as having such impairment (as cited in Sorgani, 2004).
5
Employment Coordinator
Under the supervision of the Rehabilitation Supervisor and in partnership with the
Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery (VRSD) team, an Employment Coordinator
performs a variety of professional work related to the employment preparation services
and employment provided to DOR consumers. The Employment Coordinator provides
support to the development of Job Clubs including but not limited to assisting
consumers with career assessment services, mock interviews, resume development,
interviewing skills development and Job searching skills.
Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Qualified Rehabilitation Professional
A Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (SVRC) and Qualified Rehabilitation
Professional (QRP) facilitate the effective delivery of services to consumers in a
Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery (VRSD) team. The SVRC and QRP are
accountable for the quality, quantity, and effectiveness of consumer employment
outcomes.
Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery Model
VRSD Model was designed to streamline service delivery and enhance the quality
and effectiveness of the services DOR provides to its consumers.
The new VRSD Model has three primary goals:
1. Cultivate a team environment that will support the recruitment and retention of
qualified staff to provide exceptional services to consumers.
2. Refine and standardize practices to provide timely, cost effective and quality
6
services to consumers.
3. Increase the number and quality of employment outcomes for consumers.
Limitations
This project shall be designed only for the consumers of DOR and Employment
Coordinator in the Capitol Mall office. The labor market information, which is a part of
the curriculum is relevant as of 2011.The labor market information will be relevant to
only the Sacramento area. The development of the curriculum will be partially based
on the author’s perception and ideas about the Job Club. Lastly, a limitation of this
project is the author’s bias that the Job Club’s curriculum would help the clients gain
employment faster.
Organization of the Project
An introduction to the problem, purpose, limitations and definition of terms
comprise Chapter 1. A review of the literature related to Job Club, resume preparation,
interview preparation, disclosing a disability during job interview, job search strategies
and informational interviews are discussed in Chapter 2. The methodology used to (a)
collect valuable information by searching for articles on internet (b) interview the
counselors to understand the reasons for referring the clients to the Job Club is
discussed in Chapter 3. A summary of the purpose of creating a curriculum for the Job
Club for the DOR as well as recommendations is discussed is Chapter 4. The actual
curriculum for the Job Club appears in the Appendix. The project concludes with the
references.
7
Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
The review of literature has been divided into seven sections. The first section
reviews literature about the benefits of Job Clubs. The second section focuses on
resume preparation whereas the third section focuses on interview preparation. The
fourth section focuses on why job clubs are needed. The fifth section reviews studies
conducted on disclosing disability during job interview. The sixth section includes job
search strategies and the last section gives information about informational interviews.
Job Club
Azrin and Besalel were the founders of Job Club method and they developed a book
Job Club Counselor’s Manual, A Behavioral Approach to Counseling in 1980.
According to the authors, “The goal of the Job Club method of counseling is to obtain a
job of the highest feasible quality within the shortest feasible time period for all
participating job seekers” (Azrin & Besalel, 1980). The Job Club program teaches job
seekers how to emphasize distinctive personal and social skills in addition to work
skills. These personal skills are stressed in the job seeker’s resume, in making contacts
to obtain job leads, and in the interview. The program teaches job seekers how to turn
unsuccessful job inquiries into job leads so as to generate a continuous fresh supply of
leads and contacts. The Job Club Counselor commits himself to helping every member
obtain a job. He makes no exception and allows no excuses. The counselor views
8
every job seeker as employable. Whether the member is a high school dropout, is
physically handicapped, or is seeking a job in an area in which none seems available,
the counselor assumes that employment is possible and the only obstacle to be
overcome is to find the right job lead or to change the job objective slightly or to assist
in relocation if all else fails.
According to Sterrett (1998), “The Job Club method consists of specific activities
designed to teach participants how to successfully conduct their own job search. A
typical Job Club includes the following components:
1.
Team building and personal encouragement of group members by the trainer.
2.
Clearly articulating the goals of the Job Club to identify a career goal and
find satisfying employment.
3.
Training in how to obtain occupational information on jobs and career fields
of interest.
4.
Constructing a script of what to say to a potential employer, whether contact
is by telephone or in Person.
5.
Practicing how to assertively counter reasons employers offer for not hiring
the applicant.
6.
Grooming and appearance.
7.
Learning how to network with people in one’s own social circle.
8.
Preparing answers for anticipated interview questions.
9.
Reducing interview stress and overcoming employment barriers.
9
10.
Preparing a Resume.
11.
Completing Job application forms”.
According to Rutter and Jones (2007), Job Clubs and employment workshops for
people with disabilities were positively related to a more intense Job search behavior
and more self-efficacy. Individuals with disabilities who participate in Job Clubs are
more likely to obtain employment because they develop a positive attitude towards
employment compared to individuals with disabilities who don’t participate in Job
Clubs or in employment workshops. According to the authors, “Job Clubs feature
individualized curriculum to empower the job seeker through information, training and
practice on specific aspects of the job search; through concrete expectations for tasks to
be worked on between scheduled meetings; and through social reinforcement”.
Kondo (2009) conducted a qualitative research study to compare the experiences of
2 groups of executive job seekers- Job Club members and non-members through
thematic analysis of open ended interviews. The findings indicated that Job Club
members benefitted from group learning, increased accountability, networking
opportunities, emotional support, helping other members, and enhanced understanding
of the context of their experiences. In addition, Job Club members also enjoyed lower
levels of frustration with the search process, used a wider range of outplacement firm
services, and devoted more time on average to job search activities.
According to Black, Tsuhako, and, McDougall (1998), Job Club combines direct
instruction, modeling, guided practice, repetition, rehearsal, and positive reinforcement
10
to help clients develop skills needed to find competitive employment. They conducted
a study to determine the extent to which a Job Club intervention improved knowledge
of appropriate interview and self-presentation skills of ten adults with mild to moderate
mental retardation who participated in a supported employment program. More
specifically, the objectives were to determine if the Job Club intervention would
improve knowledge of job interviewing skills and help participants perform adequately
during a mock interview. Results demonstrated that participants did improve their
knowledge of job interviewing skills following Job Club training. In addition,
participants’ mock interview performance indicated that they applied their improved
knowledge appropriately. Job Club’s weekly instruction using videos, role playing, and
repetition of topics appears to have helped them remember important aspects of
interviewing. It was also observed that several participants’ self-confidence appeared
increase during the intervention.
Another study done by Parizek and Kesawan in 2002 examined the performance of
students of senior high school in a program by name The Senior Mastery Process (SMP)
(as cited in Waltz, Lambert, & Kirkman, 2002). The goal of this program was to assist
students in developing an awareness of the skills and attitudes required to function as
productive, contributing members of the community. The program was divided into
four parts which included the junior workshop, the Senior Practicum, the Senior
Workshop and the Senior Defense. In the Junior Workshop, students investigated
possible career choices and learned Job Search skills by writing an effective
11
professional resume, and participated in an ‘interview by committee’ with the members
of the local business community who then debriefed the experience with the students.
In the senior Practicum, students worked with adult partners in the workplace who
provided meaningful learning opportunities for the students. In the senior workshop,
students prepared a self-reflection essay on the learning and challenges they faced in the
Senior Practicum and the results of their research process. In the Senior Defense, which
was the culminating experience of the Senior Mastery Process, the students gave a
twenty minutes presentation on the experiences they had with their adult partners and
their personal reflections on having come through SMP. The results of the SMP
showed that students changed in a number of ways by their participation in the SMP.
They demonstrated an increased level of independence, responsibility and selfconfidence. They learned to prepare several important professional documents
including Resume. In addition, students recognized the elements of work place
etiquettes and its importance to success, gained an understanding about what work is
and the expectations of the employers, and also developed greater understanding about
effective networking, communication and on- the job learning. It was also observed
that students who successfully completed the SMP showed increased levels of personal
responsibility, significant on site or work experience and strong decision making skills.
A study was conducted by Lugas, Timmons and Smith (2010), to identify services
that are most closely associated with an employment outcome for youth with Autism.
The study was done on two groups, one that received services like Job training and the
12
other that did not receive any services. Findings suggested that the group that received
services like Job placement, on the job supports, Job search and on the job training
services were associated with an employment outcome. In fact, 79.7 % of those who
received job placement services achieved employment outcome versus 47.7% of those
who did not receive any services that achieved outcome.
Resume Preparation
Boerner (2004) developed a manual that included a suggested Lesson Plan for a 30
hour Job Seeking Skills Course for people with disabilities. The Job Seeking Skills
Instructor’s Manual contained information about many job seeking related topics like
Resume Development, Job goal planning, Discussion of disability related issues and
Informational Interview. According to the manual, the goal of the Resume
Development class is “to provide participants with practice in making written
application for employment in a positive manner and to assist participants in developing
factual, significant experience, skills and abilities into an appropriate resume format.”
The methods for reaching this goal included:
1.
Describe and discuss the purpose of a resume.
2.
Show examples of formats.
3.
Work one on one with participants.
4.
Refer back to individual job goals, skills, abilities, past experience.
5.
Select resume format.
6.
Have resumes typed.
13
7.
Proof and share with participants.
8.
Have copies of resume made for participants.
Colorado Career Web of the Community Colleges in Colorado (2001) developed a
Job Hunting Guide for Colorado Citizens with Disabilities. The guide was created to
help people with disabilities in the state of Colorado look for and find employment.
One of the chapters included in the guide was about ‘resume writing’. According to the
guide, four types of resume are most useful for people with disabilities. They are
Chronological, Functional, Accomplishment and Combination. Each of these categories
is explained below.
1. Chronological: This resume highlights your work experience beginning with
the most recent position. It includes a listing of jobs, job duties, employers
and dates of employment and is the most common style of resume. This
resume is useful for people who are changing jobs and do not have major
employment gaps or numerous job changes.
2. Functional: This resume highlights skills and potential, rather than work
experience and education. It is particularly helpful when you are changing
careers, have good skills but limited work experience or there are gaps in
your work history.
3. Accomplishment: This resume emphasizes outstanding achievements and
capabilities with less emphasis on experience. It presents items such as sales
made, contracts written, money saved, improvements to the organization and
14
awards.
4. Combination: This resume emphasizes the best parts of the three resumes
listed above. It is the preferred type of resume for an individual with a
disability making a career change.
According to Szymanski and Parker (2003), Job seeking skills training includes a
range of services designed to assist persons with disabilities in developing the skills
necessary to find potential jobs, apply for open positions, and effectively interview with
employers. An initial activity in the job skills training is the development of a resume.
There are a number of approaches to resume development and many excellent resources
to assist consumers and placement personnel in writing a resume. No specific type of
resume is appropriate for all consumers or even for a specific consumer in all situations.
The resume needs to be both accurate and relevant for the position being sought. The
resume needs to highlight the consumer’s relevant skills, education and qualifications
while still providing a coherent narrative concerning the person’s work history. For
consumers with limited work histories or numerous employment gaps, a resume that
focuses on related skills rather than a chronological listing of positions, is generally
more effective. Once a resume has been developed and consumers are clear about their
qualifications, employment opportunities need to be identified and pursued.
According to Spinell (2004), the debate over the length of the resume will continue
forever. Some experts say two pages is the maximum. If you need three pages to list
your experiences, you should do so. There is a fundamental question you must answer
15
prominently on your resume. What makes you different from the other people in your
field pursuing a job? Place the answer on the top of the first page. In two or three
sentences describe how your unique combination of skills and expertise makes you the
ideal candidate for the job. Most screeners only scan the first half of your first page of
your resume so make the most of what you place there.
Interview Preparation
According to Bolles (2011), an interview is two people trying to decide if they want
“to go steady”. An interview is not to be thought of as marketing yourself: i.e., selling
yourself to a half interested employer. Rather, an interview is part of your research, i.e.,
the data collecting process that you have been engaged in, or should have been engaged
in, during your whole job hunt. An interview is best prepared for, before you go in, by
taking these three steps:
1. Research the organization or company, before going in. Go to their website if
they have one and read everything there that is ‘About us’.
2. When setting up the interview, specify the time you need. Experts recommend
that you only ask for twenty minutes and observe this commitment religiously.
3. As you go to the interview, keep in mind that the person who has the power to
hire you is sweating too because the hiring interview is not a very reliable way
to choose an employee.
Wydick (2006) developed a guide for career development and job seeking skills for
individuals with disabilities. In one of the chapters titled ‘Interview dress and
16
etiquette’, the author has mentioned about a formal and professional dress for men and
women for the Job interview. According to the author, “It’s fairly easy to dress a man
for an interview. For anything, but top level interviews, go with a button down shirt, a
matching tie, slacks and leather shoes. Add a jacket if you are in a more formal office.
Don’t wear a tie if you are in an industrial setting”. The author further describes the
interview clothing for women. According to the author, “In most situations, a basic suit
will work with pants or a skirt. Wear a neutral color blouse. Quiet flat or low heels will
usually work”. The author further describes about Interview etiquette. According to
the author, “An employer has the nearly impossible responsibility of selecting the best
qualified candidate to hire- based on little more than a 30 minute interview. They will
be looking at your behavior, manners, expressions, decision making skills, and overall
attitude”. The author elaborates the discussion on this topic by suggesting simple things
which are as follows:
1. Arrive a few minutes early for the interview and never be late.
2. Watch others to pick up on behavioral cues- handshakes, seating, casual
conversations.
3. Listen: Most of the candidates don’t listen when they are uncomfortable.
Maintain eye contact with the employer and listen to the questions thoughtfully.
Listening skills are one thing that employers look for in an applicant.
4. Relax and enjoy the interview: Be fun- not scared, conservative and boring.
According to Szymanski and Parker (2003), a major component of job seeking skills
17
training is interview skills. The attitude of the consumer will have a significant effect
on the success of the interview. Employers are generally looking for someone with a
positive attitude towards work and an ability to get along with supervisors and peers.
One of the difficult questions for consumers with disabilities is about their
accommodation needs. The ability of the consumer to provide the employer with a
straight forward accommodation plan can greatly enhance their ability to get a job offer.
Rehabilitation professionals need to help the consumers identify their accommodation
needs and then assist the consumer to develop a plan that the consumer can present to
the employer.
David (2004) published an article that presents tips on successful interviewing.
According to him, the most challenging part of the job search is the interviewing. Most
job interviews have a general pattern where the interviewer tries to set the interviewee
at ease by engaging in small talk for about five minutes about the interviewee’s
background. The author suggests talking about credentials the employer can use instead
of talking about hobbies and family. On the basis of the interviewee’s appearance, the
employer will determine if he or she wants to spend time interviewing. The attire for
women and men as described by author is mentioned below.
Attire for women: Suit: Skirt /Jacket in colors of navy blue, dark gray or black.
Blouse: White plain neckline or collar. No plunging necklines.
Hose: skin tone, off black or beige.
18
Hair: Conservative hairstyle that do not attract attention.
Jewelry: simple jewelry with one ear ring per ear
Hand bag: Small. Do not carry a hand bag and briefcase.
Make up: natural
Perfume: None
Attire for men: Suit: Single breasted in black, dark gray or navy blue
Shirt: Long sleeve, white cotton with classic collar, professionally pressed
Socks: Over the calf matching or complimentary to the suit
Tie: Silk with modest print in contrast to suit, no bow tie
Hair: Neatly trimmed, professional image
Perfume: None
The author in this study gave a detailed description about the appropriate attire for the
job interview.
Why Job Clubs are Needed
According to Ryan (2004) as cited in Rubin and Roessler (2008) poor job seeking
skills is one of the reasons why many rehabilitation clients secure only entry level,
secondary labor market positions. Unfortunately, being in entry level jobs, many clients
19
find themselves in expendable positions during massive shifts in the economy- the last
hired, first fired. Without job seeking skills, they are unable to reenter the workforce on
their own initiative. Fortunately, both self-help and group techniques can enable
individuals to improve their job seeking skills.
A study conducted by Hall and Parker (2010) focused on finding out the Individual
and system barriers for job seekers with disabilities. According to the authors, job
seekers with disabilities face employment barriers frequently beyond those of able
bodied job seekers including significantly lower self-esteem. Job seekers with
disabilities face external obstacles to employment like physical limitations, gaps in
employment due to illness and need for accommodations that career counselors need to
address. The intrinsic barriers to employment that job seekers with disabilities face
include low self-esteem and low self-confidence for which the counselors must be
prepared to address. The authors selected eight customers who were job seekers with
disabilities and selected one stop career center as the agency for the study. The purpose
of the study was to increase the responsiveness of the one stop centers towards job
seekers with disabilities and to find out the approach and attitude of the one stop staff
members towards customers with disabilities. Of the eight customers, 1 had multiple
sclerosis and walked with a limp, 1 had cerebral palsy, 1 had low vision and 1 was
blind. The other 4 had disabilities that were not apparent. 1 had asthma and depression,
1 had bipolar disorder, 1 had major depression and 1 had attention deficit hyperactive
disorder. Each customer made two trips to the one stop center. The findings indicated
20
that the one stop staff members and other job service providers do not understand
barriers to employment for people with disabilities and are generally not comfortable
working with people who have disabilities. The customers reported that the staff
members were not helpful. Hence it was concluded in the study that career counselors
need to adopt a universal approach to their interactions with consumers that would
improve their self-esteem and help them figure out how to market their skills and talents
to employers. This study showed that there is a need for agencies like one stops and Job
Clubs with trained, skilled counselors who can consider the disabilities of the job
seekers and help them appropriately. So this study highlighted the need of the proper
use of resources by career counselors towards job seekers with disabilities.
According to Lindstorm, Dorren, and Miksch (2011), youth with disabilities face
many barriers in making the transition from high school to stable long term
employment. In this study, researchers used case study methodology to examine the
career development process and post school employment outcomes for individuals with
disabilities. The results of the study showed that participants benefitted from transition
services and supports offered through the high school. All the participants had
transition specialists or teachers who served as advocates or mentors. These school
staff offered specific transition planning services such as assistance with resumes,
interview tips, job leads and site visits to potential employment or post school training
opportunities. Hence the results indicated that transition services and individualized
supports led to increased confidence and clearer plans for post school goals. This study
21
showed that individualized support in job preparation services contributes to the career
development of people with disabilities.
Hall (2005) conducted a study to understand the needs and experiences of job
seekers with disabilities and to relate these findings to requirements of the workforce
Investment Act one stop service delivery system. The participants selected for the study
had been looking for work on an average of 1.4 years. The participants were asked to
visit the one stop centers and fill out the checklist that included questions regarding the
accessibility, attitudes and disability awareness of the staff, and services including ideal,
actual and required. The results indicated that few participants reported about the lack
of availability of telephones to contact potential employers as a serious problem. Many
participants voiced a perception that one stop and other service providers are not
comfortable working with people with disabilities. Many participants with invisible
disabilities reported that they are more concerned that one stop members understand the
complexities of disability and the fact that many disabilities, while not readily apparent,
can greatly impact an individual’s ability to find and keep a job. Regarding the services
at the one stop center, the participants indicated that most often, they were being pointed
to computers and left to fend for themselves. When asked about the ways one stops
could become more consumer directed, many participants expressed the need of
counseling services including help to ‘put you in the right frame of mind so you can be
productive. The study concluded that the specific areas that need improvement at the
one stop centers include staff knowledge about disabilities and disability etiquette, staff
22
interactions with customers, physical and programmatic accessibility and marketing
both to consumers and employers.
Moore (2001) conducted a study to analyze the vocational rehabilitation services for
consumers with hearing impairments who received college or university training (as
cited in Boutin & Wilson, 2009). They concluded that deaf and hard of hearing
consumers are more likely to become competitively employed after receiving postsecondary education, on the job training, and job placement services than are deaf and
hard of hearing consumers who did not receive these VR services. In another study,
Moore (2001) found that a higher proportion of deaf and hard of hearing consumers
who received assessment, counseling and guidance, and job placement achieved
competitive employment when compared to deaf and hard of hearing consumers who
did not receive these services (as cited in Boutin & Wilson, 2009). This study showed
that services like Vocational counseling and guidance does help consumers with
disabilities in gaining employment.
Disclosing a Disability During a Job Interview
Goldstein, Chun, and Winkler (2001) developed a handbook on Job Seeking Skills
to enhance career services for students with disabilities of California State University,
Northridge. One of the informative topics the author of this project found in the
curriculum of the handbook was about when and how to disclose a disability.
According to the authors of the handbook, it is important to focus on the ability and not
on the disability. The authors further elaborated discussion on this topic by explaining
23
that whether the client’s disability is visible or not visible, interview must be used as an
opportunity to sell the skills and abilities to do the job. Disability can be disclosed in a
casual yet confident manner close to the end of the interview or at the time of the job
offer. In addition, it is important to explain to the employer how the disability of the
client may or may not affect his or her ability to perform the required job duties and
what accommodations will be required to perform those essential functions. Another
important issue discussed in the handbook was about handling illegal questions.
According to the authors, by law an interviewer can only ask questions that relate to the
client’s disability to perform essential functions of the job, however, some interviewers
are not aware of what constitutes illegal questions and may ask inappropriate questions.
The authors further suggests that if asked an illegal question, it is often best not to
alienate the interviewer by getting angry. Instead, try to briefly answer the questions
and quickly relate to the ability to perform the work.
According to Sheffield (2005), as cited in Rubin and Roessler (2008), the ADA
clearly mandates that employers not discriminate against people in the hiring process
because they have disabilities. The applicant is not required to disclose the presence of
a disability during the interview and the employer may not ask if the person has a
disabling condition. However, at some point immediately following the offer of
employment, prospective employees with disabilities are required to inform employers
if they will need accommodations.
Hebl and Skorinko (2006) conducted research to investigate acknowledgements that
24
physically disabled individuals made in an interview setting and examined whether the
timing of an acknowledgement made a difference to the impressions that the evaluators
formed. A total of 137 participants watched an interview of a disabled applicant who
made no acknowledgement about the disability; or who acknowledged the disability at
the beginning, middle, or end of a job interview. Applicants who did not acknowledge
or who acknowledged at the end of the interview were perceived less favorably than
were those who disclosed earlier in the interview. More favorable impressions of
applicants on a job related hiring measure emerged when applicants disclosed their
disability at the beginning or middle of the interview, relative to the end of the interview
or relative to when they did not acknowledge at all. Applicants who acknowledged at
the beginning of the interview also tended to be seen as happier and more capable.
Marley (2009) published an article that reports on a survey from Great Britain’s
Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), which suggests that only 40 % of the
teachers claimed they would not be concerned about informing a new employer of a
disability or a long term illness. It also found that one in five teachers reported hiding
their disabilities when interviewing fearing that discrimination would prevent them
from getting the job. Just two in five teachers with handicaps felt confident about
telling a new employer about their disability.
Job Search Strategies
Timmons, Schuster, and Moloney (2001) conducted a study at Institute for
Community Inclusion (ICI) with high school students with disabilities and their
25
parents/guardians. The 12 students and 10 parents came from four different high
schools in Massachusetts. The students represented each high school grade level and
had a wide range of disabilities including learning, cognitive, physical or health related,
sensory, behavioral, and psychiatric. The ICI asked these families to share their
experiences in planning for and finding employment. Both students and their parents
explained the positive and negative factors that influenced the job search. The findings
showed that students with disabilities and their families used their personal networks
and mentoring relationships throughout the career planning process. According to the
authors, personal network is all of the people that a family knows. This includes family
members, friends, neighbors, community connections through religious organizations,
clubs, local services and stores and professional or business relationships, such as past
employers, classmates, teachers and doctors. Hence it was concluded in the study that
the participants their parents used social networks in finding and obtaining current jobs,
securing future employment, and becoming familiar with a particular career field
through the use of mentoring relationships.
According to Bolles (2011), there are eighteen different places the job seekers can
turn to for help in finding the kind of work that suits them the best. They are selfinventory of transferable skills and interests, the internet, networking, School, the
federal unemployment service, private employment agencies, civil service, newspapers,
journals, temp agencies, pickups, job clubs, mailing out resumes, choosing places of
interest, yellow pages, volunteering and retraining. The author has also mentioned
26
about the five best ways to hunt for a job. They are briefly explained below:
1. Knocking on the door of any employer, factory or office that interest you
whether they are known to have a vacancy or not.
2. By yourself, using the phone book’s yellow pages to identify fields of interest to
you in the town or city where you want to work, and then visiting the employers
listed in that field, to ask if they are hiring for the type of tasks you can do, and
do well.
3. Asking for job leads from: family members, friends, people in the community,
staff at career centers- especially at your local community college or the high
school or college where you graduated- using your ‘links’ on LinkedIn or from
other social networks on the internet.
4. In a job club - a group with about seven other job hunters – identifying subjects
or fields of interest to you in the town or city where you are and then visiting the
employers listed in that field to ask if they are hiring for the type of position you
can do, and do well.
5. Doing a Life – changing job hunt. This method depends upon doing extensive
homework on yourself before you go out there pounding the pavement. This
homework involves step by step planning, revolving around three simple words:
What, Where and How. Step by step suggests that we break the goal down into
its parts, and tackle them one by one.
27
According to Szymanski and Parker (2003), the Internet has dramatically affected
many aspects of our culture and economy. Many of the fundamental tools for
vocational exploration are already online such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook
(O*Net) and US Department of Labor. Placement professionals can use these resources
to find current information about jobs and careers. Another growing use of Internet
concerns applying for positions online and posting resumes. Undoubtedly, the Internet
will continue to have a growing effect on the job seeking process.
Ryan (2011) mentions about different disability-related sites geared towards the
employment of people with disabilities. A few of the websites and their descriptions are
explained below.
1. ABILITY Jobs: www.jobaccess.org is affiliated with ABILITY Magazine,
specializes in opportunities for people with disabilities.
2. Careers and the DisABLED Magazine: www.eop.com/mags-CD.php is the
site for the nation’s first and only career guidance and recruitment magazine
for people with disabilities.
3. Getting Hired: www.gettinghired.com is a social networking and job search
site for people with disabilities. It provides connections to mentors and
service providers as well as a database of job postings.
4. National Business and Disability Council (NBDC): www.businessdisability.com is an organization for companies that recruit people with
28
disabilities. Its site includes a section for job seekers where people can post
their resumes and search job listings from NBDC companies.
5. United Cerebral Palsy Employment and Training: www.ucp.org/ucpchannel.cfm/1/17 is an organization that trains and places people with
Cerebral Palsy.
One of the Master’s student’s projects was also reviewed to gain more information
on job seeking strategies. Malone (2011) developed a power point presentation,
providing Pre-employment job search instructions to veterans with disabilities at the
Sacramento Veterans Resource Center. He mentioned about Job search training power
points, workshops and videos. As cited by Malone, the University of Colorado’s
National Learning Center, is the home of the National Veterans Training Institute. The
National Veterans Training Institute was established in 1986 to further develop and
enhance the professional skills of veteran’s employment and training service providers
throughout the United States. The program offers the Ultimate Job Search (UJS) video
series and an Electronic Interactive Workbook. The series is applicable to job seekers
who are unemployed, those who may be looking for a better job, about to be laid off,
making a career transition, or job seekers who are new to the job market. The Ultimate
Job Search is a complete series designed for Employment Service, Military Transition
Sites and individual job seekers. The five part job UJS series lays out the job search in
detail and takes the job seeker from the very start of the job search- all the way through
to how to successfully hold onto, and excel in the job. The UJS series consists of five
29
separate video programs such as: (a) Program 1, Starting the Job Search; (b) Program 2,
Job Search Techniques; (c) Program 3, Writing Effective Resumes; (d) program 4,
Interviewing with confidence; and (e) Program 5, Success on the job. The series also
includes an interactive, online workbook that provides the job seekers with sample
applications, resume tips, interviewing skills practice and everything needed for an
effective job search.
Informational Interviews
According to Crosby (2002) an informational interview is a brief meeting between a
person who wants to investigate a career and a person working in that career. The
interview usually lasts 20 to 30 minutes. Informational interviews, talking to people
about their jobs and asking them for advice, is a technique that usually works very well
for people exploring careers. Many students use informational interviews to decide
between occupations or to find a way to convert their interests into a paying job. When
evaluating an informational interview, counselors warn interviewers not to let
impressions of a particular person or company clouds their judgment of an occupation.
Informational interviewers should conduct at least a few interviews in an occupation
and try to confirm the information they find with other sources.
Ryan (2011) mentioned a list of questions that could be considered by an
interviewee in an informational interview. The questions are listed below:
1. What are the duties that you feel are most essential to your position?
30
2. How different are those duties for someone performing this type of job at
another organization?
3. How did you reach this position – What was your career path?
4. Was that the typical career path for this type of position/
5. What skills/ traits /background are employers looking for when they hire for
these types of positions?
6. Has there been a lot of hiring activity in this area?
7. Is the field growing, stagnant or in decline?
8. This conversation has solidified my decision to pursue a career in this area.
What suggestions would you have for me as I attempt to break into this
field?
9. Are you aware of any opportunities currently available in this field, or
positions that could be seen as a possible stepping stone to this field?
10. Would you be willing to keep your eyes and ears open for me in the event
that you hear about any position for which I might be able to compete?
11. Is there anything else you would suggest that I do?
12. Is there anyone else that you would suggest I speak to about this field?
Bolles (2011) explains about few important points to be remembered while doing
the Informational interviewing. According to him, throughout informational
interviewing, don’t assume anything. Question all assumptions no matter how many
people tell you that “this is just the way things are”. Keep in mind that there are people
31
out there who will tell you something that is absolutely not so, with every conviction in
their being – because they think it’s true. Accuracy is something else again. You will
need to check and cross check any information that people tell you or that you read in
books. After anyone has done you a favor, during this informational interviewing phase
of your job hunt, you must be sure to send them a thank you note by the very next day,
at the latest.
According to Topper (2003), the informational interview is an often overlooked
strategy that is one of the most important tools you can use before making a career
change. The purpose of the informational interview is to get real world information by
talking to people already working in your field of interest. The gains one can get from
the informational interviews are mentioned below.
1. A network of contacts.
2. Information about internships, practicum experience, and positions in the
hidden job market.
3. Exposure to the terminology and issues of a particular field.
4. Glimpses into different types of organizational cultures.
5. An awareness of potential employer’s needs and values.
6. Practice using interview skills in a less stressful setting.
One of the Master’s degree projects was reviewed to collect more information on
informational interviewing. Sorgani (2004) prepared a work skills workbook on
teaching job seeking skills for students with disabilities at American River College. He
32
has mentioned about informational interviewing as part of one of the chapters titled
“Job search & Employer Contact”. According to Ferret (2003), as cited by Sorgani
(2004), few points that should be kept in mind before and while going through
informational interviewing are mentioned below:
1. When calling for an information interview, ask for no more than 20 minutes.
2. Do not ask for a job. It will be easier to obtain and conduct interviews if
your request focuses on information gathering rather than on whether there
are any job openings.
3. Probe for information about the organization, its structure, missions etc.,
about the industry in general; and about the target person’s career
development and ambitions.
4. Make sure you also talk about your own skills, interests and values. Give
them a picture of the way you work and think.
5. Engage them in a “Professional conversation” that will leave them with the
impression that you would be a valuable person to work with who has skills
that match their needs.
6. Establish rapport and ask open ended questions to keep them talking.
7. At the end, be sure to thank them for their time.
8. Write a thank you note to the employer you spoke to and send it to him or
her.
33
Summary
Job Clubs for people with disabilities have helped the individuals in learning
necessary job seeking skills. Important tasks in the job search process like filling out
job applications, preparation of resume, preparing for the job interview and presenting
oneself appropriately in a job interview were discussed. Accessing professional help in
places like Job Clubs about disclosing disability during job interviews helps clients in
addressing this sensitive issue in a more appropriate way. Furthermore, studies on
informational interviews were reviewed to provide more information about the best
ways of gaining information on different careers by clients. Lastly, graduate Master’s
degree projects from California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) were used as
guidance in developing the present review of literature in this Project.
34
Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY
During the third year, as a Masters’ degree student at the Vocational Rehabilitation
Counseling Program at CSUS, the author began gaining practical experience (spring
2011) in the field of Vocational Rehabilitation by interning at the Department of
Rehabilitation, Capitol Mall office, Sacramento. When the internship was coming to an
end, a new project entitled “Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery” model was
being implemented at DOR. This project involved a team of six members performing
different functions. The team included a Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
(SVRC), a Qualified Rehabilitation professional (QRP), Service Coordinators, an
Employment Coordinator (EC) and an Office technician to provide vocational
rehabilitation services. The EC was responsible for managing the Job Club which was
being set up at that time.
The author noticed that the Job Club that was going to start around that time did not
have a curriculum. The author talked to the Supervisor of the Capitol Mall office (Fall
2011) to obtain her suggestions about the idea of preparing a curriculum for the Job
Club as the topic for the Masters’ project. The supervisor liked the idea and the author
was given the permission to work in collaboration with the EC and attend the Job Club
meetings conducted on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Job Club in Capitol
Mall office.
The author started her research using DOR intranet (Fall 2011) to find out the details
35
regarding the job duties and responsibilities of EC. The research helped in gaining
information about the services that the Job Club will be offering to the clients at DOR.
The author was able to collect basic information about Job Club and its origin through
“Job Club Counselors Manual, A Behavioral Approach to Counseling” by Azrin and
Besalel (1980).
The author was able to collect valuable information by searching for articles on the
Internet (using Google) regarding the positive outcomes of Job Clubs for people with
disabilities in the past. Also, research using EBSCOHost was helpful in collecting
review of literature regarding Job Club. The author also found literature on related
terms like job seeking skills; resume preparation, job interview skills, career
development and career services for people with disabilities using the Internet. The
studies reviewed by the author about Job Club and related terms were included in the
Review of Literature section of the project.
Reading books like “Foundations of the Vocational Rehabilitation Process”, “Case
Management and Rehabilitation Counseling”, “What Color is your Parachute?”, “Job
Seeking Skills for People with Disabilities”, “Job Search Handbook for People with
Disabilities”, helped to gather information needed to understand the benefits of Job
Clubs for people with disabilities. These sources gave information about other studies
conducted about Job Clubs.
Interviewing three counselors and one service coordinator (spring 2012) at DOR,
Capitol Mall office helped the author to gain understanding about the reasons for
36
referring a client to the Job Club. The information shared by the counselors and service
coordinator gave a clear picture about the factors they take into consideration when
referring the client to the Job Club. All the counselors were kind in providing the
information the author needed.
To organize the curriculum for the Job Club, the author interviewed the EC (fall
2012). She provided information with how she started organizing the activities in the
Job Club. She explained about the procedure that is followed after the client is
approved by the Supervisor to invite the client to participate in the Job Club. She was
also helpful in permitting the author to participate in the Job Club meetings conducted
by her every week (from September 2012 to March 2013).
Attending the Job Club meetings was extremely helpful for the author since it
gave her an opportunity to practically observe the services provided by the EC at the
Job Club. Also, interacting with the clients at the Job Club meetings helped the author
to gain more insights about the benefits they were experiencing by participating in the
Job Club. Regular visits to the Job Club meetings helped the author to clarify any
questions she had regarding the topics covered in every Job Club meeting with the EC.
37
Chapter 4
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The main focus of this project was to create a curriculum for the Job Club of the
Department of Rehabilitation, Capitol Mall Sacramento, California. The information
included in this project is intended to assist the employment coordinator (EC),
counselors and the clients of DOR to become knowledgeable about the activities
practiced in the Job Club. The curriculum can be helpful for the counselors to gain an
understanding about the functions of the Job Club. The curriculum is intended for
clients to develop a good understanding of the topics covered in the Job Club meetings.
The EC will have a well-organized curriculum with the meaning and purpose of every
topic she covers in the Job Club meetings.
The purpose of the review of literature was to demonstrate the benefits that Job
Clubs for people with disabilities have shown in the past. The information presented in
the review of literature included the following: review of studies about the benefits of
Job Clubs, resume preparation, interview preparation, reasons for the need of job Clubs,
disclosing disability during the job interviews, job search strategies and informational
interviews.
The curriculum prepared for the Job Club will assist the clients to understand the
key requirements of a job search process. It will help them to figure out the steps they
need in order to succeed in their job search. It will assist the counselors to understand
38
the important lessons their clients learn and will learn after joining the Job club.
Recommendations
Firstly, it would be a recommendation of the author that the curriculum be entered
into an electronic data management program and periodically updated; specifically the
topics that EC might decide to add in the future Job Club meetings.
Secondly, information about disclosing disabilities during job interviews could be
broadened. The author has addressed the general questions expected to be asked in a
job interview and has also showed the best ways to answer them but questions regarding
disclosing disability can be explored. It is important for the clients to know if it is
important to disclose about their disability. Also, how and when to disclose about a
disability is an important topic that could be covered in the curriculum. This will help
the clients feel more confident and comfortable before a job interview.
Thirdly, the author suggests that information regarding job accommodations be
included in the curriculum of the Job Club. It is important that the client should be
informed about the job accommodations that he or she might need when looking for
work. This topic can be covered in the curriculum of the Job Club. Knowledge and
awareness about different job accommodations based on their disability can help the
clients feel more relaxed and confident when looking for work.
39
APPENDIX A
Curriculum for the Job Club at the Department of Rehabilitation,
Capitol Mall Office, Sacramento
40
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface……………………………………………………………………..………… 43
Chapter
1.
Reasons and Procedure for Referring a client to the Job Club……….………... 45
Reasons…………………………………………………….……………….. 45
Procedure……………………………………………….…………………… 46
Attachment A – Referral Form Sent by the Counselor to the Supervisor….. 47
Attachment B – Approval Letter Sent to the Client by the EC…………...… 50
2.
Job Club Orientation……………………………………………………….…… 51
Attachment C – Job Club Agreement…………………………………..…… 53
Attachment D – Job Search & Interview Skills – Self Assessment………… 55
Attachment E – Employment Preparation Skills………………….…………. 58
Attachment F – Participants Job Tracking Log………………………………. 59
3.
Two Minute Me…………………………………………………………………. 60
Attachment G – Two Minute Me! What is it? ……………………………… 62
Attachment H – Example of “Two Minute Me”…………………………… 63
Attachment I– Sample Job Interview Questions……………………………. 64
4.
Interviewing, Following Up and Networking………………………………….. 66
Interviewing………………………………………………………………… 66
Following Up………………………………………….…………………….. 68
Networking…………………………………………..………………………. 69
41
Attachment J – Interviewing…………………………………………..…….. 71
Attachment K – Arriving at the Interview………………………………..…. 73
Attachment L – Rules of Business Etiquette……………………………..….. 74
Attachment M – Following Up…………………………………………..….. 76
Attachment N – Thank You Letter………………………………………...…. 77
Attachment O – Networking…………………………………………..……... 78
Attachment P – Resources……………………………………………..……. 80
Attachment Q – How do you find Prospective Employers?............................ 81
Attachment R – Research Your Employer………………………………...… 82
5.
Resume, Cover Letter, References and Recommendation Letters……………… 84
Resume….…..………………………………………………………………. 84
Cover Letter……………………………………………………………….… 86
References…………………………………………………………………… 88
Letters of Recommendation…………………………………………….…… 89
Attachment S – Your Resume…..…………………………………………… 90
Attachment T – Information Needed on Resume…………………………… 92
Attachment U – Resumes…………………………………………….……… 95
Attachment V – Functional Resume Sample……………………………..…. 97
Attachment W – Chronological Resume Sample……………………………. 98
Attachment X – Cover Letters……………………………………………......100
Attachment Y – Writing an Excellent Cover Letter………………………….105
42
Attachment Z – References…………………………………………………..108
Attachment AA – Letters of Recommendation……….………………………111
6.
Job Search……………………………………………………………………….113
43
Preface
This Curriculum has been prepared for the Job Club of California Department of
Rehabilitation (DOR), Capitol Mall office. This Job Club provides job preparation
services to the clients of DOR . The Job Club was set up in the Capitol Mall office with
the help of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. These funds
were used to purchase electronic equipment and gadgets like computers, printers and
fax machine for the Job Club.
Around the same time when the Job Club was being set up, (Fall 2011) a pilot
project entitled ‘Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery (VRSD) model was being
implemented in the DOR. The VRSD team consists of 6 members performing different
functions. According to the DOR website (2011), “Senior Vocational Rehabilitation
Counselor (SVRC), Qualified Rehabilitation Professional (QRP) will be working with a
team comprised of other SVRC, QRP’s , Service Coordinators, an Employment
Coordinator and Office Technician to provide Vocational Rehabilitation Services”. .
The VRSD team in DOR Capitol Mall office was named as ‘Capitol Rehab &
Employment Solutions Team’. The relevance of this new team concept is that the Job
Club will be managed by the Employment Coordinator.
The author interviewed three Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and one
Service Coordinator to gain detailed information about the reasons and procedures for
referring the clients to the Job Club. The EC was contacted often to gain insights about
the meaning and purpose of every chapter included in this curriculum. The author
44
attended most of the Job Club meetings conducted by the EC on Mondays, Tuesdays
and Thursdays from September 2012 to March 2013 to gain more understanding about
the activities conducted in the Job Club meetings.
The organization of the curriculum for the Job Club is as follows: Chapter 1 offers
the reasons and procedure for referring a client to the Job Club. Chapter 2 discusses the
Job Club Orientation meeting. Chapter 3 explains the importance of teaching the clients
the best way to present themselves by practicing the group exercise “Two Minute Me”.
Chapter 4 titled ‘Interviewing, Following up and Networking’ explains the appropriate
ways to present oneself for the job interview. It also discusses the ways to follow up
after a job interview and the importance of networking. Chapter 5 outlines the sample
resumes, cover letters, references and letters of recommendation along with the key
points to be taken into consideration before preparing these documents. Chapter 6 lists
out the websites and resources used by the EC to search for jobs for the clients.
45
1. Reasons and Procedure for Referring a Client to the Job Club.
Reasons
The following are the reasons that counselors consider when referring a client to
the Job Club.
1. One of the conditions is that a client must have access to transportation to DOR,
Capitol Mall office.
2. If a client has the basic skills like reading, writing and is capable of doing the
homework assignments given to the clients at this Job Club like looking for jobs
on the internet, creating the resume on Microsoft Word under the supervision of
the EC, then he or she is considered independent and is referred to the Job Club.
The counselors strongly agree and understand the fact that EC is the only person
to manage the Job Club and so it would be unrealistic to expect the EC to work
with a client who does not possess the basic skills needed to look for a job.
3. The EC assists with job search for a client in the private sector, state and federal
jobs and in private- nonprofit agencies. However, the EC’s work experience and
expertise is primarily in state service. For example, the EC has worked in the
DOR, central office and is familiar with the process of applying for state jobs.
Hence this is considered as one of the reasons for referring a client to the Job
Club.
4. A client who needs assistance with employment training and not with pre
vocational training is referred to this Job Club. In other words, if a client knows
46
how to get around using public or private transportation, understands the
importance of personal hygiene and punctuality, motivated to go back to work,
then he or she is considered appropriate for this Job Club.
Procedure
If the client has the training pertaining to his or her IPE goal and is prepared to look
for a job, then the counselor completes the referral form which is then sent to the
supervisor for approval (Attachment A). The Supervisor reviews the referral form and
sends the approved form to the EC. The EC mails a letter (Attachment B) to the client
stating that he or she is approved. The EC also attaches her personal business card that
has her email and phone number. The EC waits for about one week for the client to
contact her. If she does not hear from the client for about a week, she calls and
schedules him or her for an orientation meeting.
47
Attachment A. Referral Sent by the Counselor to the Supervisor
Department of Rehabilitation, Northern Sierra District
Capitol Rehab & Employment Solutions Team
JOB CLUB Working Together
Counselor Referral
Participants Name _________________________________
Participants ID ________________
Home Number _______________________ Cell __________________
Address __________________________ City _____________________ State ____
Zip ____________
Participants email ______________________________________________________
Preferred Method of contact: Email or Phone
Participants Disabilities:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
48
Participants Vocational Goal:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Accommodations needed for workshop (please list)
1. __________________________
2. ________________________
Work Week Availability: FT____________
PT____________
Participant has worked with other agencies or ISP? Yes_________
No_________
Agency:
ISP:
Areas in need of assistance (Check all that apply):
Job Search ________________
Interviewing ____________________
Resume & Cover Letter __________ Workplace Etiquette Other: ______________
Additional Attachments (if Available):
Resume ______________ Cover Letter ______________
Master Application ____________
Participant has Interview clothing? Yes _________
No _________
If no, interview clothing discussed with participant? Yes _________ No _________
Being Arranged? Yes _________
No _________
Participant has transportation allowance? Yes _________
No _________
If no, transportation discussed with participant? Yes _________
No _________
49
Being Arranged? Yes _________
No _________
Method of Transportation: Car _________
Train _________
Bus _________
Other_________
Counselors Name_____________________ Date Referred___________________
Counselors Comments:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Reviewed & Approved: _________________________ Date ___________________
_________________________
Rehabilitation Supervisor
Employment Coordinator: ______________________
Proposed Start Date: ___________________________
Date Received: ___________
50
Attachment B. Approval letter sent to the client by the EC
Capitol Rehab & Employment Solutions Team
JOB CLUB Working Together
Dear
K
You have been selected to participate in the Job Club by your Counselor and Service
Delivery Team. We are working together to assist you with your job-search. Finding a
job requires hard work, a lot of time and a little bit of luck. We want you to be prepared
to look for work, so you will be successful in getting the job you really want.
Your counselor would like you to attend the Department of Rehabilitation Capitol
Rehab & Employment Solutions Job Club. During this time we will talk about how to
begin your job search, and we will practice interviewing skills, building your resume,
and filling out job applications. You will also learn where to look, find prospective
employers, and learning how to present yourself positively. You'll be working along
with your team at the Department of Rehabilitation, focusing on the goal of obtaining
employment.
We want you to come prepared to learn and share your experiences with others.
Each of you has different abilities and experiences you can bring to Job Club. Please
dress as if you were going to an interview.
We look forward to working with you at Job Club.
Sincerely,
Kymerica MaGee (Ky)
Employment Coordinator
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2. Job Club Orientation
The Job Club Orientation meeting is conducted by the EC on two Mondays of every
month. All the clients who contact the EC after receiving the letter (Attachment B) are
invited to participate in the Orientation meeting on one of the Mondays. The purpose of
the meeting is basically to understand the employment preparations skills the client will
need in order to make him or her ready to look for work. It is also an opportunity for
the client to show the copy of the resume he or she has to obtain the EC’s suggestions
for improvement. In addition, this Orientation meeting helps the client to share the
barriers that he or she has been facing while looking for employment. Thus by
exchanging this information, the EC gets to know about how best the services of the Job
Club could be utilized to help the client look for work.
The Orientation meeting also involves some paperwork to be completed by the
client and the EC. This paperwork includes completing the Job Club Agreement form
(Attachment C) and Job Search & Interview Skills - Self Assessment (Attachment D).
The Job Club Agreement form (Attachment C) mentions about the requirements of
attendance in the Job Club meetings and Workshop. The Job Club meetings involves
the participation of only one group of clients and the activities include sharing and
distribution of job leads in addition to the topic scheduled to be covered in that
particular meeting by the EC. The Workshop involves the participation of more than
one group of clients and the activities include working on only one topic like resume
writing or mock interviews. In addition, it also includes explaining to the client about
52
Employment Preparation Skills (Attachment E) and Participants Job Tracking Log
(Attachment F).
The Job Club Agreement form (Attachment C) is given to the client while
explaining to him or her about the requirements for participation in the upcoming Job
Club meetings that the client will be attending. Job Search & Interview Skills – Self
Assessment (Attachment D) is given to the client which includes 35 questions. The
answers to these questions help the EC gain a better understanding about the areas that
need to be addressed while preparing the client for employment. The EC considers the
responses given by the client on this assessment as very important because it clarifies if
the client needs more help with resume preparation, interview skills or application
completion. The purpose of Employment Preparation Skills (Attachment E) is to
explain to the client about the topics that he or she could accomplish by participating in
the Job Club meetings. Lastly the client is instructed on how to fill out the Participants
Job Tracking Log (Attachment F). It is also mentioned by the EC to the client that he or
she is expected to fill in and turn it in once every two or three weeks. This information
will be communicated with the respective counselors of the clients.
The Orientation meeting helps the EC and the client to know each other and to
figure out the areas that need to be addressed before they start the job search process. In
other words, it is an opportunity for the client to clarify any questions he or she may
have regarding the services provided at the Job Club.
53
Attachment C. Job Club Agreement
Capitol Rehab & Employment Solutions Team
JOB CLUB Working Together
Job Club Agreement
Requirements for participation:



Counselor Referral
Attend one Job Club session a week
Attend one Workshop a month
1. Maintain agreed upon attendance as noted above.
2. Call to advise the Employment Coordinator if you will be absence from Job
Club and/ or Workshops.
3. Maintain professional behavior in the Job Club room and in the DOR Lobby
Area.
4. Seek employment in the area of your vocational goal as outlined in your
Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).
5.
Dress appropriately for job search and IPE vocational goal while attending Job
Club.
I
, agree to participate in Job Club and abide by the
terms as outlined above, failure to do so will result in termination from Job Club
participation.
54
_________________________
Participant
_______________________
Date
_________________________
Referring Counselors Signature
________________________
Date
________________________
Employment Coordinator
________________________
Date
55
Attachment D. Job Search & Interview Skills – Self Assessment
Name: _______________________
Date: _________________
Job search and Interview Skills
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
I have experience in the field I am looking for work
in.
I can write letters of inquiry, follow-up letters and
thank you notes to employers.
I know how to contact employers directly and
establish a meeting or interview time.
I know how to canvas the community to search for
employment.
I know how to utilize the internet to search for
employment.
I know how to track and record job leads and
employers contacts.
I will spend at least six hours daily searching for
employment when I begin my job search.
I have my legal “Right to Work Documentation”.
My references will acknowledge that I have the
abilities and personal skills to do the job I am applying
for.
My references are aware that employers may be
contacting them.
I have a professional sounding message on my
answering machine
I can describe a method of independently following up
on job leads.
I have a network of friends, relatives, and business
contacts to assist me in locating job openings.
I know how to research various companies so that I
am knowledgeable during my interviews.
No
Way
May
be
Yes,
Sure
56
15 I have reliable transportation to interviews and work.
16 I have access to funds for transportation costs.
17 I know how to ride the bus, if necessary.
18 I know to arrive about 10 minutes early for interviews.
19 I have a well- organized, neatly typed resume that
reflects my job goal.
20 I have a master application with business, supervisor
& references, names, addresses, phone numbers, dates
of employment, wages and schools addresses, if
applicable.
21 I know how to dress appropriately for an interview.
22 I know how to make a good first impression by
greeting the employer.
23 I know how to be assertive in an interview (i.e., firm
handshake and good eye contact).
24 I know how to explain my gaps in employment to the
employer.
25 I know how to discuss my disability with an employer
(if necessary).
26 I know how to never make negative comments about
former employment situations.
27 I know how to positively relate my skills and
experience to the current job opportunity.
28 I know how to explain my criminal history to an
employer.
29 I know never to ask about salary or benefits during my
initial interview (unless employer brings up the
subject).
30 I know what questions to ask an employer during an
interview.
31 I know what my transferable skills are.
`
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32 I know what type of learner I am.
33 I know what work environment would be best for me.
34 I know how to access information about the job
market and future trends of employment.
35 I’ve been to One Stop Career Center and am familiar
with their services.
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Attachment E. Employment Preparation Skills
Things to accomplish in our Job Club Classes:
Interviewing skills Preparation brings confidence
 Presenting yourself positively to an employer
 How to convey your two minute me, with clarity
 Making eye contact
 Using your nervous energy, in a positive manner
Talking with Managers Introducing yourself when asking about employment opportunities
 Asking for applications
 Finding out when to check back about job openings
 Following up with the employee.
Dressing Professional What to wear when picking up application.
 How to dress for an interview
Application Completion How to fill out applications neatly and completely
 How to answer employment questions on an application
 How to explain lack of work, being let go from a job, quitting a job
Resume How to build your resume
 How to sell your skills
Resources Contacts for SSI/SSDI/SSA Benefits
 One Stop Career Centers
59
Attachment F. Participants Job Tracking Log
Capitol Mall Department of Rehabilitation
Participants Job Tracking Log
S No
Date of
Initial
Contact
Source
Contact
Person's Email
or Phone
Number
Company
Name and
City
Location
Date of
Interview
Result
for this
Opening
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3. Two Minute Me
The Job Club ongoing meetings are conducted in DOR, Capitol Mall office on
Tuesdays and Thursdays every week at 10 am and the topics vary from meeting to
meeting. For example, the ‘Two Minute Me’ is a topic that is practiced in a Job Club
meeting by the EC with the clients. The purpose of “Two Minute Me” is to help the
clients present themselves in the best possible way in two minutes. In the EC’s opinion,
the basic and the most important step for preparing the clients for job interviews is to
assist them in answering to the most common question that prospective employers ask
in any job interview, Tell me about yourself. This question is aimed at finding out not
just about the interviewee’s personal strengths and interests, but also about the
vocational history, job skills and the abilities that he or she possesses to offer as a
candidate for the specific job position. To help the clients reply to this question, the EC
has developed the exercise “Two Minute Me”.
Since the reply to the above question involves many areas to be addressed, the EC
feels that each client should be prepared with a ‘Two Minute Me’ reply. This can help
the client to present him or herself in a well-organized way. Most importantly, it makes
the clients feel confident before they go for the job interview because they know how to
present themselves in the best way in two minutes. Also, many job interviews are
conducted by panel consisting of two or more than two interviewers. The practice of
‘Two Minute Me’ in a group helps the clients overcome feelings of anxiety and fear and
prepares them to face a panel interview.
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To prepare the clients for ‘Two Minute Me’, the EC conducts a group activity that
involves explaining the clients about an ideal reply for the ‘Two Minute Me’. The EC
presents her own example to help the clients gain proper understanding about the
information that is important to be included in the ‘Two Minute Me’. It is explained to
the clients that they will be expected to include information about the kind of work they
have done in the past, skills they have learned and how can they be used to perform the
job for which they are being interviewed. This is followed by each client presenting
their own ‘Two Minute Me’ based on their work history, background and job skills.
After every client finishes the presentation, the EC and other group members give their
feedback to help the client improve and perform better. The EC feels that practicing
this exercise in group is helpful because it encourages the clients to share and learn
from each other.
Attachment G lists the ingredients needed to answer the ‘Two Minute Me’.
Attachment H is the ‘Two Minute Me” prepared by the EC and is given to every client
to show them an example. Attachment I include 4 questions that a job interviewer can
ask with the possible right and wrong answer for each one.
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Attachment G. Two Minute Me! What is it?
"The Two Minute Me" answers the question that employers will ask you. Tell me about
yourself?
Ingredients Needed to Answer:
1. Knowing Your Goal - (IPE)
2. Knowing Your Background - Work Experience (History)
3. Write it Down - (Confirming) write it down.
4. Summarize - Being able to convey with clarity.
5. Practice Your Two Minute Me with Group and Family Members.
6. Start Memorizing
7. Ready for Interview - "Prepared"
Notes:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Attachment H. Example of “Two Minute Me”
Who you are: Kymerica MaGee
I am seeking an:
Administrative Assistant position within an organization I can grow with.
My background is:





I have twenty years of experience of Administrative Assistant and Customer
Service Representative.
For the past five years, I have been working in the Real Estate Industry as a new
Home Sales Associate.
I accomplished the Sales Department goals of 4 Sales a month.
My prior position required me to multi task my responsibilities while working at
United Airlines, in operations as a Customer service Representative and the
Union Committee person assisting shop stewards and employee grievances.
My exceptional conceptual skills, developed through years of experience allow
me to establish strong relationships with whom I come in contact.
Closing: My past work experience has trained me as an excellent customer service
representative along with the ability to handle the customers with professionalism and
sensitivity.
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Attachment I. Sample Job Interview Questions
Question 1: Tell me about yourself.
Wrong answer: Well, I was born on the coast, but we moved here a couple of years later,
after my parents divorced. I am currently single, although I was engaged for two years,
but he cheated on me, so then…
Possible answer: I graduated from University three years ago, with a BA, and then spent
a year at company X, in the marketing department, then two years at a company T, also
in marketing. Unfortunately, company Y closed down, and then I heard about this
opportunity at your firm, doing the thing I really love…marketing.
Reason: In almost all cases, your answers to the hiring manager’s questions should be
related to business, not to your personal life.
Question 2: Why do you want to work here?
Wrong answer: It’s really close to where I live, and my sister works here. Also, you are
the only people hiring right now.
Possible answer: I’ve read that your company is the second most successful
manufacturer in this city and I like the idea of working somewhere with great future.
Reason: This is where research is essential, and where you can show the employer that
you didn’t just pick their company’s name out of a hat- that you’ve done research and
really want to work for them.
Question 3: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Wrong answer: Well, not still here, that’s for sure.
Possible answer: I don’t want to be someone who hops from job to job, like so many
people do today. I’d like to stay at the same company for a long time, although maybe
move up to higher positions within that company eventually.
Reason: Show you’re not a job hopper. Show them their training, time and money
won’t be wasted on you.
Question 4: When people compliment you, what do they compliment you on the most?
Wrong answer: Usually on my naturally curly hair. They also compliment that my
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eyelashes are unbelievably long.
Possible answer: I’ve been told I am very decisive. Also, that I am very good at
motivating people.
Reason: Your answers to the hiring manager’s questions should be related to business,
not to your personal life.
66
4. Interviewing, Following Up and Networking
Interviewing, Following up and Networking are the topics that are covered by the
EC in one or more Job Club ongoing meetings. These topics are not necessarily
covered in just one meeting. Depending on the level of understanding of the clients and
the number of questions the clients may have regarding each topic, the EC may decide
to cover the three topics in more than one meeting. The EC strongly believes that the
most important point is that the clients should understand the meaning and purpose of
the activities or the content discussed in the meetings. The number of meetings taken to
cover these three topics does not matter as much. The details delivered by the EC about
the three topics are discussed below.
Interviewing
Interviewing involves preparing the clients not only about the dress and etiquette
appropriate for a job interview, but also about the background preparation necessary
before going for an interview. In the EC’s words “Good preparation builds selfconfidence and helps to present one better”.
To prepare the clients with the job interview skills, the EC conducts mock
interviews with the clients. This activity involves the EC playing the role of an
interviewer and the client playing the role of an interviewee. The remaining clients act
as the audience and observe the two. After the mock interview, the EC gives feedback
about the performance of the interviewee. This feedback is given to the interviewee as
wells as to the remaining clients who were the audience for the mock interview so that
67
they could learn the same too. In addition, feedback is also encouraged from the
audience regarding the performance of the interviewee. While the feedback is in
session, the EC in brief covers a few points explained in Attachment J regarding the
grooming and appearance appropriate for a job interview. One of the most important
points explained to all the clients is about the importance of including “Two Minute
Me” (Chapter 3) while replying to the questions of the interviewer. It is reminded to the
clients to include their past work experience and skills and convey their expertise to the
interviewer. Hence this group activity involves sharing and learning from each other’s
experiences.
Attachment K explains about the positive attitude necessary after arriving at the
interview. The EC conducts a very interesting activity and practically demonstrates the
appropriate way to behave after arriving at the interview. She asks the clients to
observe her while she goes out of the Job Club room and greets and talks to the front
desk person at the DOR, Capitol Mall office. Since the Job Club room is very close to
the front desk, it is easier for the clients to watch the EC outside the door of the Job
Club room. The EC walks near the front desk and says the following to the receptionist
“Hello, I am Kymerica MaGee and I have an interview appointment with Mr. John”.
After saying this, the EC comes inside the Job Club room where the clients are seated.
She discussed with the clients about the way she presented herself with a smile and
greeted the receptionist with enthusiasm and confidence. Hence, practical
demonstration helps the clients gain better understanding about the importance of
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positive behavior after arriving at the interview. Attachment L includes detailed
information about the rules of business etiquette.
Following Up
Following up after a job interview or applying for a job is considered as one of the
most important steps in the job search process. It conveys the interest and willingness
of the interviewee or the applicant to work for the particular job. One of the best ways
to follow up is to call the employer two weeks after the job interview or after sending
the application. To help the clients understand this concept better, the EC verbalizes
and shows them what to ask when making a follow up call. She says the following
aloud “Hi, My name is Kymerica MaGee. I had applied for the position of
administrative assistant two weeks ago. I am interested in working for this position and
would like to know if the candidate for this position has been chosen”. The EC
emphasizes that proper follow up after the interview or application is helpful because it
shows that the applicant or interviewee is persistent, interested and motivated to work.
Attachment M explains about keeping the track of the calls made to the employers. The
clients are also reminded by the EC to fill in their Job Tracking Logs (Attachment F) at
this time.
Attachment N focuses on the important points to be included when thanking the
employer in a ‘Thank You Letter’ after the job interview. It is explained to the clients
that thanking the interviewer by sending a ‘Thank You Letter’ conveys that the
interviewee is grateful for the time given by the employer. It also shows that the
69
interviewee is interested in the job.
Networking
Networking is the process of developing contacts and is considered very beneficial
in the job search process. It is explained to the clients that networking increases the
chances of finding a job. Applying for jobs using internet is useful, but at the same
time, meeting friends, relatives, volunteers at church can help to build networks and
opens more doors of opportunities. The EC feels that it is important to help the clients
understand that there should not be any feeling of shame or guilt while networking.
Every situation should be taken as an opportunity to let people know about the job
position one is looking for. One of the best ways to network with people is to take their
business cards and email them later to remind them about the details of the kind of job
position they are looking for. Experiences shared by clients regarding the ways
networking has helped them in the past helps the other clients understand the
advantages of networking. Hence a group discussion by the EC with the clients
regarding the best ways to network helped the clients learn the importance of it.
Attachment O explains the meaning and advantages of networking. It also explains
the steps that can be followed to start networking. Attachment P includes the resources
that can be used for networking. This is highlighted by the EC when explaining about
the people who can be contacted while looking for work. Attachment Q explains in
more detail about the ways to find prospective employers. It also includes five most
effective and least effective ways to find a job.
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Attachment R includes ten questions. It is important for the client to research a
potential employer when applying for a job. This would require the client to research
the company or agency, the job title and other relevant information that is important to
be known before being interviewed.
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Attachment J. Interviewing
Purpose
The purpose of the interview is to evaluate your:
1. Personality
2. Background and qualifications for the job
The following are suggestions for you to observe in order to do your best in each of the
areas in which you will be appraised during the interview.
Personality
1. Appearance: Be neat, well groomed and dress appropriately. An interview is
neither the time nor the place to "do your own thing" or try to be your own
person. Dress to fit the occasion. Conservative is the key word in job searching.
Clothing, jewelry, shoes and scent (perfume or cologne) need to be understated.
2. Courtesy: Old-fashioned courtesy can be expected to pay dividends. Begin in
the waiting room. Astute employers have been known to check with trusted
employees as to their impressions of an applicant before, as well as after, being
interviewed. Genuine courtesy is rare and remembered. Wait to be asked to be
seated, and avoid interrupting the interviewer. Always thank the person
interviewing you for his/her time.
3. Poise: Show confidence but not arrogance. Avoid acting overly humble by
playing up your limitations. You may feel ill at ease (employers understand
this), but don't spotlight your nervousness with annoying outward manifestations
(playing with your hair, glasses, brushing imaginary things off clothe, biting
your nails, etc.) Your body language will be talking louder than you are.
4. Frankness and Honesty: Be direct. If you don't know the answer, say so,
adding that you could learn. Describe your experience, skills and abilities
precisely and accurately.
5. Vitality: Act alive, alert and enthusiastic -- But beware of a falsely
effervescent, gushing, Put-on personality. It is called "phony" and it is number
one on the prospective employer's "Most Unwanted List".
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Background and Qualifications for the Job
1. Be prepared to talk about yourself. Relate your experience to the position and
the needs of the employer. You are the expert about your experiences. Make
sure you convey your expertise in the interview.
2. Do your homework. Report for the interview with a clear knowledge of the
company's operations. Know what they do, make, or sell so that you will be in a
position to show how you will fit into the operation, and why it will be to the
company's advantage that you do so. Skilled interviewers can quickly detect
familiarity with their operation and they are flattered as well as favorably
impressed.
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Attachment K. Arriving at the Interview
Even if you have appointment, you may have to wait to see the employer. BE
PATIENT. The interview will begin the minute you arrive at the company. People will
be watching you to how you act while you are waiting, Avoid unnecessary conversation.
Instead, think about how you will sell yourself and how you will calmly answer all the
interview questions. Treat the receptionist and other workers with respect. They may
have more influence on the decision than you think.
WHILE WAITING FOR THE INTERVIEW.......
PICTURE SUCCESS
Before entering into the establishment visualize yourself walking in and being
greeted by smiling faces. See yourself smiling back. Picture yourself being
interviewed in a positive, energetic way. Visualize closing the interview positively,
shaking hands, and thanking the employer.
SEE YOURSELF GETTING THE JOB!!
74
Attachment L. Rules of Business Etiquette
1. Arrive about 15minutes early for the interview.
2. Introduce yourself politely to the receptionist or front office person.
3. State your first name, and the name of the person you are interviewing with.
(For Example, "Hi, my name is Natalie Dennis. I have an interview with
Mary Thompson at 3:00.")
4. Do not chew gum.
5. Do not smoke before going into the interview.
6. Introduce yourself to the Interviewer by stating your first and last name, using
his/her last name. (For Example, "Hello Ms. Thompson, I'm Natalie Dennis.
It's nice to meet you.")
7. Shake hands using a firm handshake.
8. Always make eye contact and smile.
9. Sit straight and relatively still. Avoid wiggling or playing with your hands, legs
or hair.
10. Fold your hands across your lap. Avoid crossing your arms over your chest.
(Remember that body language is 70% of what you say and what others hear!)
11. Be attentive when the interviewer speaks. Avoid interrupting them. You will
have plenty of time to speak.
12. Be positive and upbeat in your remarks.
13. Listen CAREFULLY to the questions being asked.
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14. Keep your answers brief, but the question fully answered.
15. Don't be modest. Talk about your accomplishments and achievements.
16. Don't exaggerate or over-inflate your qualifications.
17. NEVER defend or argue a view during an interview.
18. At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for his/her time. Extend your
hand for a firm handshake, SMILE and make eye contact one last time.
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Attachment M. Following Up
Thank You Notes
After your interview always send a note to thank the employer for their time. It is
appropriate to add anything that you forgot to say in the interview. Tell the employer
that you want the job and you are looking forward to hearing from them. Mail the note
the day of the interview, or the following day.
Write it out in your own handwriting, as this adds a more personal touch. Taking
the time to send a thank you note will show the employer that you truly do care about
the job and that you are indeed detail oriented.
Calling
Make a note to call when the decision is to be made and ask about your standing.
(You should have asked at the end of the interview when a decision is expected to be
made.)
Keeping Track
During a job search it is very important to track your contacts. Make sure to note
the person or company who you have sent your resume to, had interviews with or
made phone calls to. (Use the "Job Tracking Logs” provided.) Don't assume you
will get an interview or job with sending out only 1 or 2 resumes. Keep looking for
a job is a full--time job!
Got the Job?
Great! Find out when you report to work. Where do you report? Who do you report
to? Express your appreciation and happiness!
Not Selected for the Job?
You could just say "thank you for the opportunity" and hang up the phone. Or
you can use this valuable opportunity to get insight into how you presented
yourself. You can take this opportunity to ask the employer what the deciding
factor was. You can also take this opportunity to ask the employer if he/she
may know of another employer who could use someone with your skills and
qualifications.
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Attachment N. Thank You Letter
After you have an interview it is very important that you write a letter of thanks.
This shows the employer that you are still interested in the job. It also shows
that you care enough to take the time to write a letter of thanks. It impresses
employers and it increases your chances of being hired.
Thank You Letter Checklist

Thank the employer for his or her time.

Tell the employer that you are interested in the job.

Tell the employer that you look forward to hearing from them in the future.
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Attachment O. Networking
Networking is the process of getting connected in order to advance your career and
utilizing these contacts for the purpose of exchanging information, exploring careers
and obtaining referrals for your job search. Since 70 – 80% of the jobs are found
through networking, it is important to stand out against the competition and make
networking work for you. Here are a few tips for you:
1.
Start small – Start with known contacts and builds up your comfort level;
successful conversations will give you the confidence to approach those
not well known to you.
2.
Stop apologizing – networking is not bothering someone, so you do not
need to apologize. You are worth their time and you have to convey that
message. Apologizing demonstrates lack of confidence.
3.
Be yourself – be authentic, people will remember you for being you
rather than a schmoozer.
4.
Ask for introduction – ask friends to introduce you to people they know.
5.
Be generous – Show sincere interest in whomever you are speaking to if
you have done research in the organization first you may be able to say
something like “your organization has wonderful programs that service
our community”.
6.
Be prepared – create a personal commercial about yourself and why you
want to work; have it ready to pitch, anticipate questions you may be
asked and have clear and concise answers ready.
7.
Follow up – this helps build credibility and professionalism. If you say
you are going to do something, so it This sends the message that you are
reliable, and you keep your word and would be a good employee.
8.
Get over your fear of rejection – do not take rejection personally. If
people do not wish to help you when you approach them, pick yourself
up and TRY AGAIN!
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9.
Take risks – approach people you normally would not have the courage
to approach (the person sitting next to you at an event this person might
also be the director of a company you would love to work for) TAKE
EVERY SITUATION AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
10.
Work at your job search EVERY DAY.
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Attachment P. Resources
1. Friends, relatives and neighbors (Networking)
2. Yellow Pages
3. Former employers or co-worker
4. Community based organization
5. Contact employers directly (in-person)
6. School placement offices
7. Employment Agencies
8. Trade Magazines
9. One-stop Career Centers
10. Marketing by telephone
11. Internet
12. Job lines
13. Volunteering
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Attachment Q. How do you Find Prospective Employers?
1. Stop at business establishments when you are out and about and ask if they have
any job openings. Even if they do not have any current openings, ask if you can
fill out an application anyway. Many times employers keep these applications
on file and return to them first when looking to hire for an open position.
2. Look in Yellow Pages. Start making a list of employers. Write down their
phone numbers and addresses. You can either call them to inquire about job
openings, or go to them in person. (Remember, it is best to go in person. It’s
easier to say no over the phone than in person!) Make sure before you call that
you write out what you want to say on paper first, so you are prepared. Lack of
preparation can jitter nerves and create butterflies. Remember that you’re
creating a “first impression “that may be a lasting one. Make sure it’s positive!
3. Network – let friends, relatives and neighbors know that you are job hunting.
Ask them to tell you if they hear of any job openings they might know or hear
about.
Five Most Effective Ways to Find a Job
1. Apply directly and in person with the company.
2. Ask friends to keep watch for job leads for you.
3. Ask family to watch for job leads for you.
4. Go to a career center to seek assistance from trained professionals.
5. Be creative and try different ways to contact employers.
Least Effective Ways to Find a Job
1. Answer blind newspaper ads.
2. Mail for fax our resumes blindly.
3. Use job banks or registers.
4. Answer local newspaper ads.
5. Use private employment agencies.
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Attachment R. Research Your Employer
Always make a point to learn about the companies to which you apply. Your extra
work not only helps you to be more knowledgeable at the interview, but also shows the
employer that you care about working for their company.
Name of Company_______________________________________________________
Position Applying For_____________________________________________________
1. What does the firm do? _____________________________________________
2. How old is the company, Or how long has it been in
business?______________________________________
3. Where are its plants, stores, offices? ___________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. What are its products or services? _____________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. Who is in charge of the company?
______________________________________
6. Who is in charge of the department you would be working for?
________________________________________________________________
7. Are you permitted to tell me what the beginning salary would be for the
position?
I am interested in_________________________________________________
8. What is the possibility of employment at this time?________________________
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9. Are there any other similar positions with this company?
___________________
10. How would one apply for employment with this company?
________________________________________________________________
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5. Resume, Cover Letter, References and Recommendation Letters
A well written resume, cover letter and list of references are important elements in a
successful job search. They represent a person to the prospective employer.
Recommendation letters help to share information regarding the skills, abilities and
work ethics that a person possesses. It is very important to make sure that the
information presented in the resume and cover letter conveys why the person could be
the best candidate for the job. Resume, cover letter, list of references and
recommendation letters are the topics that are covered by the EC in one of the ongoing
Job Club meetings. As mentioned in the last chapter, it might take more than one
meeting for the EC to cover these topics depending on the level of understanding of the
clients. The outline of the content delivered by the EC in these meetings is explained
below.
Resume
The EC strongly believes that since a resume will represent the client to the
prospective employer, it is more important that each client creates his or her own
resume under her supervision and guidelines. Creating their own resume will make the
clients feel more comfortable to represent themselves when called for an interview.
Therefore, the EC provides instructions to all the clients on how to create a resume.
Firstly, the EC asks the clients to read the Attachment S which explains about the
purpose, items important and not important to be included in a resume. It also
highlights a few resume tips that can assist the clients when creating a resume. Some
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clients who already have a resume are also required to participate in these meetings to
make sure if there is any need to make corrections to the resume they already have. The
Resume Checklist which is part of Attachment S helps the clients to pay attention to
details like the font size, grammar an punctuations on their resumes.
One of the important issues addressed by the EC is about the appropriateness of a
professional email address on the resume. It is explained to the clients that email
addresses that do not look simple or professional on resumes are most likely to get
rejected by the prospective employers. For example, an email address that includes
three underscores (_ _ _) makes it look a bit complicated and difficult to type in when
sending an email. An unprofessional email address like bumpkinpumkin@xyz.com can
look inappropriate on a resume. These examples help the clients to understand about
importance of a simple and professional email address on the resume.
To have all the information to be included in the resume ready, the EC asks the
clients to fill out Attachment T. This form includes blanks to be filled out by each client
about his or her objective, skills and abilities, work experience and education. The EC
instructs all the clients to carefully fill out all the blanks because they will be further
using the same information to create their own resumes. Filling out the Attachment T
can make the clients feel comfortable to create their resumes because they can have all
the information available beforehand. The attachment also includes a section on
references. This section includes blanks about the reference name, job title, address and
phone number of the persons who can be contacted by the prospective employers to
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clarify any questions they may have regarding the client before deciding to hire him or
her. Therefore, it is explained to the clients that they might want to include the
references of people who could give positive information about them to the prospective
employers.
The EC explains to the clients about the two different categories of resumes:
Functional and Chronological. The details about each category are explained in
Attachment U. The key point explained to the clients is about the differences between
the two categories of resumes. It is explained that a Functional resume is designed to
show experience and skills in a specific career whereas a Chronological resume is
designed to show work experience and education emphasizing consistent pattern of
work within one or more careers. This explanation helps the clients to choose the
category they can use to create their own resumes based on their skills, work experience
and education. Attachment V consists of a Functional resume sample and Attachment
W consists of a chronological resume sample.
The clients create their own resumes with the help of above attachments and
instructions given by the EC. This is followed by feedback given by the EC on each
client’s resume in the next few Job Club ongoing meetings. The EC pays attention to
grammar, vocabulary, punctuation and email address mentioned in the resume of each
client.
Cover Letter
A cover letter is the document sent with the resume to provide additional
87
information on the skills and experiences earned. In other words, it provides detailed
information on why the candidate is qualified for the job for which he or she is
applying. The EC explains to the clients about the purpose of the cover letter and the
information important to be included in a cover letter. It is mentioned by the EC that a
cover letter needs to be tailored to each specific job position that he or she will be
applying. Tailoring a cover letter requires some research to be done about the job
position and the company to which he or she is applying. This research is important to
be done before writing a cover letter because the content of a cover letter should include
how the skills, interests and knowledge that the applicant possesses could be an asset to
the company. Attachment X is distributed to all the clients to gain proper understanding
about the purpose, content and format of a cover letter. Two sample cover letters are
also given in the same attachment. The vocabulary and sentences used in the two cover
letters are good examples that can help the clients to tailor their cover letters in the
appropriate way. In addition to the two examples of cover letters, the EC also provides
the clients with a template (Attachment Y) that can help them to compose their own
cover letters. Attachment Y can be helpful to the clients who have difficulty in starting
to write a cover letter. It gives five important points and the information about these
points should be included in a cover letter. Another sample cover letter is attached to
Attachment Y by the EC which includes details of all the five key points explained in
the same attachment.
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References
The purpose of providing a list of references is to make available to a prospective
employer contacts with one’s former employers and supervisors in a work situation.
This lets the prospective employer know that one has good work habits and skills which
are assets. The EC asks the clients to refer to Attachment T which includes the details
of the references. She asks them to fill out the blanks mentioned in that attachment
while explaining the purpose of the list of references. She mentions to the clients that
references are used by potential employers to do an informal background check.
Therefore, it is extremely important that the clients take time to think about their former
employers, supervisors and coworkers who could give positive information about them
to the prospective employers. The clients are also instructed to contact the persons
whom they wish to add in their list of references, let them know what they are doing
and then fill out the Attachment T. Once they are ready with a completed Attachment T,
they are further instructed to create their own list of references in the same format as
outlined in Attachment Z (Sample Reference List). The EC also suggests the clients
should include professional references and not to include family members in their list of
references.
One of the most important points that the EC discusses with the clients regarding
references is how not to feel hurt when someone refuses to give the permission to
include their name in the list of references. It is explained to the clients to not take it
personally and feel disappointed in case some of their former employers or coworkers
89
are not willing to give their name and details for the list of references. It is always good
to be hopeful and keep searching for people who are willing to give a good reference
Letters of Recommendation
A letter of recommendation is an official document that can be requested by a
potential employer from an interviewee before hiring him or her. The purpose of a
recommendation letter is to share information about the skills, abilities and work ethics
that a person possesses. The EC suggests the clients to contact the same people whom
they had added as their references for requesting the recommendation letters. Former
employers and supervisors can be good contacts for getting the recommendation letters
since they know the client. The clients are given Letters of Recommendation
(Attachment AA) which explains the important points about recommendation letters. A
sample letter of recommendation is included in the same attachment to help the clients
get an idea about the information important to be included in a letter of
recommendation. It is mentioned by the EC that it is important for the clients to learn
how to write a letter of recommendation because sometimes people may ask them to
write it on behalf of the recommender.
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Attachment S. Your Resume
Your resume is an introduction of yourself that is sent to the employer in advance or
presented at the interview. It highlights your past work history, education or training,
and objective in employment.
The resume is the employer's screening tool when more than one person is applying
for a job. The employer makes a decision based on what is written, so it should be
accurate, neat and easy to read. Your resume should be written in a way that would
make someone want to hire you.
Items You Must Include:
 Name, address, and phone number.
 A message number if you do not have an answering machine.
 Employment objective. (See Employment Objectives).
 Work History.
 Skills and Abilities.
 Educational background.
Items You Should Not Include:
 Personal data such as marital status, number of children, age, height, weight,
health, place of birth, and religious affiliations.
 Reasons for leaving past jobs.
 A photograph of yourself.
 Past salaries or present salary requirements.
 References.
Resume Tips:
 Proofread your resume. You want the employer to remember you by your
awesome skills and abilities; not your misspelled words.
 Keep it brief.
 Limit your resume to one page.
 Your resume should be readable in 15 seconds.
 Work experience should be listed in chronological order with most recent first.
Resume Checklist:
Type of Resume
 Chronological
 Functional
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
Combination
Consistent with tabs, dates and other formatting?
Accepted font?
10, 11, 12
Resume paper appropriate?
At least 20 pound?
White or cream?
Professional e-mail address?
Objective: Short, specific to job, employer focused.
Most recent degree listed first?
 Spell out college name
 Associate degree not included if you have Bachelor degree unless relevant.
 Don't list high school if college.
Employer names or city names spelled out?
 No abbreviations
 One page in length?
 Spelling checked?
 Grammar and punctuation checked?
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Attachment T. Information Needed on Resume
Name _________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________
City/State/ Zip ________________________________________________________
Objective______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Skills and Abilities:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Experience:
__________________
Name of Company
__________________
City, State
______________________
Title/Position
__________________
Mo/Yr to Mo/Yr
Duties:
_________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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__________________
Name of Company
__________________
City, State
___________________
Title/Position
__________________
Mo/Yr to Mo/Yr
Duties: ________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
__________________
Name of Company
__________________
City, State
__________________
Title/Position
__________________
Mo/Yr to Mo/Yr
Duties: ________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
__________________
Name of Company
__________________
City, State
____________________
Title/Position
__________________
Mo/Yr to Mo/Yr
Duties: ________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Education:
______________________________________________________________________
Name of High School, City, State
______________________________________________________________________
Name of Other School, Specialized Training, City, State
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References:
1. Reference Name: __________________________________________________
Job Title: ________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________
City/state/Zip: ____________________________________________________
Work Phone: ___________________ Home Phone: ______________________
2. Reference Name: __________________________________________________
Job Title: ________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________
City/state/Zip: ____________________________________________________
Work Phone: _______________________ Home Phone: __________________
3. Reference Name: __________________________________________________
Job Title: ________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________
City/state/Zip: ____________________________________________________
Work Phone: ___________________ Home Phone: ______________________
4. Reference Name: __________________________________________________
Job Title: ________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________
City/state/Zip: ____________________________________________________
Work Phone: ___________________ Home Phone: ______________________
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Attachment U. Resumes
According to the late resume guru Yana Parker, writing a resume is like creating a
work of art. “Like writing a poem, a haiku: given strictly limited space and conditions,
you say who you are, expressively. It’s a challenge.” (Yana Parker, Damn Good
Resumes, 2012).
Resumes are no longer the most important part of job search. However, a good
resume (or even a damn good resume) can be a strong marketing tool, whether it is part
of your application packet or a ‘cheat sheet’ to help you describe yourself in an
interview.
A resume is similar to the Two-Minute Me. You need to summarize your
educational and work experiences, as well as show the employer that you are an
excellent choice for the job you are applying for. You may have several different
resume styles to meet the needs of different employers.
Resume Styles:
Resumes often fall into two categories: Functional and Chronological. Most
resumes fuse aspects of both styles.
A functional resume is designed to show experience and professional development
in a specific career, and usually emphasizes skills and related experience. Functional
resumes tend to show how the specific experience the person has will relate to the job at
hand.
A chronological resume shows work experience and education, emphasizing a
consistent pattern of work within one or more careers. Chronological resumes not only
show work experience, but can illustrate how the applicant has consistently developed
their career in the direction of the job they are seeking now.
Many excellent workers have less than perfect work histories. Sometimes,
individuals with disabilities may have years (or decades) between jobs. Don’t worry
much about this. Your value as a worker is reflected by what you can contribute today,
rather than the experiences of your past.
For a typical resume, information is divided into six areas:
 Personal contact information
 Goal or Objective
 Skill Listing (Optional)
 Educational Experience
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
Community or Volunteer Experience
Personal Information: You need to provide your name and a reasonable way for an
employer to contact you. It is not absolutely necessary for you to include your home
address. Provide a single phone number (such as your cell phone) that you are likely to
answer if called. List your email address, but make sure the address is professional (no
using “Sactownsinger@spicemail.com). Personal information is personal - be very
conscious about who you share your resume with.
Goal/Objective: An employer should be able to know the type of job you wish to apply
for. Do not use vague statements like, “Seeking a dynamic position with an outstanding
company that offers opportunities for growth”. Instead, be very clear and specific with
your goal: “Seeking a position in retail sales management”.
Skills: You may wish to include a bulleted list of skills that directly pertain to the skills
the employer is looking for.
Educational Experience: List your education and training in clear, simple terms,
highlighting the degrees that most relate to the job you are applying for. It is not
necessary to include an AA degree if you have BA or Masters, unless the AA is directly
related to the job at hand. Include several sentences describing your coursework,
especially as it relates to the job you are applying for.
Work Experience: List, in reverse chronological order, the jobs you have done in the
past. Where possible, include three sentences for each:



A brief job description, including pertinent duties.
Some specific training you completed on this job.
A notable or valuable accomplishment you achieved on this job.
Community or Volunteer Experience: In many resumes, you can include some related
(or unrelated) experiences you have had, supporting your community as a volunteer.
Having this on your resume will accomplish two things: it can showcase the breadth of
your experiences, as well as show that you are a community- minded individual who
works for more than just a paycheck.
Note: Be conscious of including community or volunteer experience that includes items
that may be used to discriminate against you. References to religious, cultural, sexual/
gender orientation or political affiliation may endear you to some, and eliminate you
from others. Use your best judgment when including these.
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Attachment V. Functional Resume Sample
William Robert Thorton
1222 12th Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95824
(916) 413-1821
biscuits@yesm.com
Objective: Full time position for roadside assistance customer service.
Education:
1999 Goodwill Industries Inc., Sacramento
Certificate in Clerical studies: Computer application, filing systems, telephone,
Service, High School Diploma, Oakland Tech High School, Oakland, CA.
Skills:
Office Skills, Administrative Assistant
 Microsoft Office 98 (Word, Excel, Power Point, Access)
 Internet and email, Microsoft Outlook, business phone systems
 Keyboarding 35 wpm, copier use and maintenance.
 Managerial, and sales experience
Auto Service Station Manager
 Customer service, cashier, daily book keeping
 Basic emergency road care, auto and tire repair
 Business management, supervisory, human resources, payroll, benefits
Retail Customer Service
 Phone-based customer service skills, problem solving strategies
 Computer-based sales database programs
 Certificate in ‘Person to Person’ sales techniques, 1997
Work Experience
11/94-11/96 Customer Service Representative, Computer City, Sacramento.
4/93-10/94 Customer Service Representative, Sears Roebuck& Co., Sacramento.
2/71-10/93 Shift Supervisor, Shell Service Station, Sacramento.
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Attachment W. Chronological Resume Sample
William Robert Thorton
1222 12th Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95824
(916) 413-1821
biscuits@yesm.com
Objective: Full time position in Customer service and support.
Skills:
Office 2000 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access)
Microsoft Internet and email communications
General office, supervisory and sales experience
Education
Customer Service Certificate, Los Rios Community College, Sacramento
2002
Completed training in customer service theory and practice, technical applications,
sales and organizational systems.
High School Diploma, Oakland Tech High School, Oakland, CA.
Work Experience
11/97-1/06 Customer Service Representative, Computer City, Sacramento
Answered customer inquiries on computer hardware, software and accessories.
Knowledge of P-Tex routing systems. Received “Employee of the Year” award, 2001.
4/93-10/97 Customer Service Representative, Sears Roebuck & Co., Sacramento
Provided information to customers regarding products and warranties. Sold and
explained extended warranties for Sears products to customers. Utilized system
databases for customer tracking and sales closing.
2/71-10/93 Shift Supervisor, Shell Service Station, Sacramento.
Responsible for operations of full service filling station. Provided supervision for
8 employees, staffing inventory and maintenance.
Volunteer Experience
3/95 – date Community Service Volunteer, Sacramento and Oakland, CA
Worked to provide meals, shelter, clothing and counseling to homeless families in
Sacramento and Alameda County area.
the
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7/98 – date Vote Registration Volunteer, Pathways to Success, Sacramento, CA
Registered new voters, collected petitions, worked as Voting Assistant during
elections, applied political surveys.
100
Attachment X. Cover Letters
The preliminary application for a professional position generally consists of two
documents: a cover letter and a resume. This handout describes the cover letter. While
the resume is a somewhat generic advertisement for yourself, the cover letter allows you
to tailor your application to each specific job.
Overview:
Effective cover letters are constructed with close attention to
 Purpose
 Audience
 Content
 Format
 Examples: cover letter 1, cover letter 2
Purpose
Your cover letter and resume usually provide all the information which a prospective
employer will use to decide whether or not you will reach the next phase in the
application process: the interview.
While your goal is an interview and ultimately, a job offer, the more immediate
purpose of your cover letter in some cases may simply to gain an attentive audience for
your resume.
Audience
A cover letter provides, in a very real sense, an opportunity to let your prospective
employer hear your voice. It reflects your personality, your attention to detail, your
communication skills, your enthusiasm, your intellect, and your specific interest in the
company to which you are sending the letter.
Therefore, cover letters should be tailored to each specific company you are
applying to. You should conduct enough research to know the interests, needs, values,
and goals of each company, and your letters should reflect that knowledge.
Content:
A cover letter should be addressed to the specific company and the specific
individual who will process your application. You can usually find this through
research or simply by calling the company to find out who you should address your
letter to.
The letter should name the position for which you are applying and also make
specific references to the company. Indicate your knowledge of and interest in the work
the company is currently doing, and your qualification for the position. You want the
reader to know:
 Why you want to work at that specific company
101


Why you fit with that company
How you qualify for the position to which you are applying
In addition to tailoring your application to a specific job with a specific company,
the cover letter should also
 Highlight the most important and relevant accomplishments, skills and
experience listed in your résumé.
 Point to the resume in some way (“as detailed in the enclosed resume”)
 Request specific follow up, such as an interview.
Format
A cover letter should be in a paragraph form (save bulleted lists for your resume)
with a conversational, though formal tone.
The first paragraph should be brief, perhaps two or three sentences, stating
 What job you are applying for and how you learned about it
 Any personal contacts you have in or with the company
 Your general qualifications for the job.
The body of your letter should consist of one to three longer paragraphs in which
you expand upon your qualifications for the position. Pick out the most relevant
qualifications listed in your resume and discuss them in detail, demonstrating how your
background and experience qualify you for the job. Be as specific as possible, and refer
the reader to your resume for additional details.
The concluding paragraph of your letter should request an interview (or some other
response, as appropriate). State where and when you can be reached, and express your
willingness to come to an interview or supply further information. Close by thanking
your reader for his or her time and consideration.
102
Example: Cover Letter 1
34 Second Street
Troy, New York 12180
October 4, 2001
Ms. Gail Roberts
Recruiting Coordinator
Department DRR 1201
Database Corporation
Princeton, New Jersey 05876
Dear Ms. Roberts:
Your advertisement for software engineers in the January issue of the IEEE
Spectrum caught my attention. I was drawn to the ad by my strong interest in both
software design and Database.
I have worked with a CALMA system in developing VLSI circuits, and I also have
substantial experience in the design of interactive CAD software. Because of this
experience, I can make a direct and immediate contribution to your department. I have
enclosed a copy of my resume, which details my qualifications and suggests how I
might be of service to Database.
I would like very much to meet with you to discuss your open positions for software
engineers. If you wish to arrange an interview, please contact me at the above address
or by telephone at (518) 271-9999.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely yours,
Joseph Smith
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Example: Cover Letter 2
1234 15th Street
Troy, New York 12180
January 30, 2002
Mr. John M. Curtis
Recruiting Coordinator
HAL Corporation
55 Washington Avenue
New York, New York 10081
Dear Mr. Curtis
As an experienced computer programmer who is presently pursuing a master’s
degree in electrical engineering at Renssealaer Polytechnic Institute, I am writing to
request information about possible summer employment opportunities with HAL. I am
interested in a position that will allow me to combine the talents I have developed in
both computer programming and electrical engineering.
I feel that it is important for me to maintain a practical, real world perspective while
developing my academic abilities. I am proud of the fact that I have financed my entire
education through scholarships and summer jobs related to my field of study. This
work experience has enhanced my appreciation for the education I am pursuing. I find
that I learn as much from my summer jobs as I do from my academic studies. For
example, during the summer of 1986, while working for IBM in Boca Raton, Florida, I
gained a great deal of practical experience in the field of electronic circuit logic and
driver design. When I returned to school in the fall and took Computer Hardware
Design, I found that my experience with IBM had thoroughly prepared me for the
subject.
Having said all this, I realize that your first consideration in hiring an applicant must
not be the potential educational experience HAL can provide, but the skills and services
the applicant has to offer. I hope the experience and education described in my resume
suggest how I might be of service to HAL.
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I welcome the opportunity to discuss with you and how I might best assist HAL in
fulfilling its present corporate needs. I will be available for employment from May 14
through August 31, 2001. Please let me know what summer employment opportunities
are available at HAL for someone with my education, experience, and interests. You
can reach me at the above address or by phone at (518) 271-0000.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely yours,
Joan Doe
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Attachment Y. Writing an Excellent Cover Letter
What is the role of a cover letter? In simple terms, your cover letter is an
introduction to you and your application packet. It summarizes your resume, presents a
written “Two Minute Me” and gives an employer an opportunity to judge your writing
skills. For these reasons, it is important that you be able to compose an excellent cover
letter regardless of the level of employment you are seeking.
Most people feel that cover letters are hard to start and even harder to finish. Here
is a template that you can use to help compose your letter:
Your Name
Your Address
Phone and Email
Date
Name of the Employer, Title (Director of Human Resources, etc.)
Name of Company
Address of Company
Dear Ms. So & So (note: for females use Ms., for males use Mr.)
I. I am applying for the position of _____________. Enclosed is my application,
resume and a letter of recommendation.
II. Review your work experience, relative to this position.
III. Review your education and training, relative to this position.
IV. Tell the employer why you want to work specifically for them.
V. Conclusion: Thank you for your time in reviewing my application. I look
forward to hearing from you in the future. If you have any questions, I can be
contacted at 916-558-2590.
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Write a cover letter for a job that you are interested in. Use the
template above and ideas from the Cover Letter Sample to help
you compose it.
Cover Letter Sample
Dudley Dookie
2345 Mowry Ave.
Freemont, CA 94539
(916) 558-2590
Dudley_dook@yahoo.com
March 14, 2007
William Joseph James Robert
Roy’s Auto Sales
34432 Auburn Rd
Sacramento, CA 95433
Dear Mr. Robert,
I am applying for the position of Auto Dealer. Enclosed is my application, a resume
and a letter of recommendation.
My training had prepared me well for a general auto dealing position. I attended the
Auto Body Certificate Program at Butte College and graduated in 1999. I have also
completed general education and computer classes at American River College. I
provide excellent customer service and I have experience using the Internet and
commercial databases to locate auto parts.
In the past I have worked in an auto paint shop doing prep work and some
supervised painting. I have also completed several detailing jobs on private vehicles,
including customizing and restoration.
I am very interested in working at Roy’s. Your business has earned a reputation for
quality sales and service. In a field where reputation is paramount, Roy’s has always
been honest with car buyers while still offering good prices. I would be proud to restore
cars for new owners at Roy’s.
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I appreciate your time in reviewing my application, and I hope to hear from you
soon. If you have any questions, I can be contacted at 916-558-2590.
Sincerely,
Dudley Dookie
Dudley Dookie
108
Attachment Z. References
References are actually part of your Career Network – these are the people who will
stand up for you and vouch for you as an employee. In some cultures, references are
the only way to secure employment. In our culture, references are usually used by
employers to do an informal background check.
The effort you make in maintaining your references is incredibly important in
healthy career development. Think about it – this is a list of people who think so highly
of you that they would stake their reputation on you. To earn this honor, you must
cultivate a relationship of trust and dependability with individuals you work with. In
turn, as an employee, you must continuously work hard to maintain the reputation that
your reference has given you.
Rules of Thumb for References:
Always get permission to use a person as your reference. Do not use family
members as references. There are two kinds of references you can use – professional
and personal. Professional is your former boss, supervisor or a co-worker. Personal
could include a teacher, counselor or friend who knows you well personally.
Nurture the relationship with your references. You need to maintain a relationship
with your reference. Communicate with them; let them know what you are doing. A
person can only give you a genuine, quality reference if they know you well.
Never burn bridges. If you get fired or laid off, try to exit with class. It’s possible
that your ex-employer will remember your finale more than the three ring circus you led
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as an employee. Some companies have regulations that will not allow them to provide a
professional reference for you. If that is the case for you, see if you can ask a former
co-worker to provide you an “off the record” reference.
If you had a bad relationship with a former employer (who perhaps fired you, or
danced The Macarena when you quit), you may want to take time to re- establish a
positive relationship with that boss. Try doing an information interview with them.
There’s a chance that they will see you in a more positive light when they no longer
have to supervise you. It is possible to get a great reference from a former enemy.
Sample Reference List:
Please feel free to contact any of these individuals for references regarding career,
educational or personal information for Dudley Dookie:
Dr. Heidi Hoa, professor
California State University, Hayward
33422 mission Blvd
Hayward, CA 95488
(510) 665-2354
Mr_hanky@csus.edu
Klaus Dismest, supervisor
Safeway Stores, Freemont
3354 Mowry Blvd
Freemont, CA 95922
(510) 534-2299
Klausto_phrobic@safeway.com
Pikkupp Andropov, Owner/Operator
Sacramento Quality Limo Services
3322 Broadway
Sacramento, CA 95822
(916) 877-RIDE
Limoheaven@yahoo.com
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Assignment Reference List
Develop a Reference List for yourself. You can include three to five
individuals on your list. Make sure you ask them for their permission and
ensure that you have current contact information for them.
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Attachment AA. Letters of Recommendation
A strong letter of recommendation can be an even more powerful tool than a
reference, in that is more ‘portable’. You can include a well-written letter of
recommendation in your application packet where it can be easily read by employers.
And in most cases, the person who wrote you a letter would also be willing to give a
verbal reference as well.
The rules we talked about earlier for references also apply for letters of
recommendation. Letters of recommendation also have some additional considerations:
 A good letter of recommendation takes at least an hour to write. Make it easy
for the person to write yours by supplying a resume or even a draft letter you
wrote.
 Ask the person to write it “To Whom it May Concern” unless you need
otherwise. It‘s a pain for a person to re-address 12 different letters of to specific
employers.
 Don’t ask for a letter unless you have deserved it by your exemplary work with
your writer. Lukewarm letters are useless and embarrassing.
 Absolutely write a thank you letter to the person who has given you a
recommendation. Consider a token of thanks like flowers, fudge or a lunch –
show your appreciation.
Once you collect 3-5 strong letters of recommendation, you can make copies and
keep them in your portfolio file. Make sure you keep the originals in a safe place.
Hopefully the person who wrote your recommendation will save it on their computer so
that can update it if needed.
A good place to start collecting letters of recommendation is to write one for
yourself, about yourself. It’s a tough assignment – it forces you to think in terms of
marketing your strongest skills and characteristics. It compels you to find ways to show
how you are a fantastic choice for the job.
Bonus Opportunity: Occasionally someone will ask you to write a letter of
recommendation for yourself before they will write one for you. If you get to do that,
make it positive, fair and accurate – you don’t want to undersell or over sell yourself.
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Assignment: Letter of Recommendation to yourself
Write yourself a formal Letter of Recommendation. Write it in first person,
as if you were an employer writing it for you. Take time to review
information on your resume, as well as positive experiences with former
supervisors.
Sample Letter of Recommendation
Crisco Systems Inc.
23433 1st street
Santa Clara, CA 94544
Febrauary 30, 2007
To Whom It May Concern,
I am happy to write this letter of recommendation for Dudley Dookie. Dudley
worked for me for three years as an assembler and packer. I was his direct supervisor
while he worked here at Crisco Systems.
Dudley’s work here was excellent. He was always on time for work. He only used
two days of his sick time the entire three years he worked here. He was very careful in
the workplace and never had any on the job injuries. I often used him to help train and
mentor new employees.
Dudley has very strong leadership skills. Many of his co-workers looked up to him
for advice, and he was an excellent role model. If Dudley had stayed with this
company, I would have definitely recommended him as a management trainee. But
since Dudley decided to leave us and go back to school, I am sure his next employer
will be even happier with his work.
I strongly recommend Dudley for any position that he chooses to apply for. He will
certainly be an excellent addition to your staff. If you have further questions, you can
contact me at (510) 659-6040 or email me at nancyloon@crisco.com.
Sincerely,
Nancy BeLooney
Nancy BeLooney, Production Supervisor
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6. Job Search
Job search is a process that requires a lot of work by both the clients and the EC.
The EC at the Job Club uses the internet to search for jobs for the clients. Searching for
jobs on the internet is convenient and has become one of the most popular job search
methods. There is no separate Job Club meeting that covers ‘Job Search’ as a topic.
Job search is integrated with other meetings. The EC provides the clients with job leads
in every Job Club meeting by printing out the job title, job description, location and
other details regarding the job positions on papers. The website mostly used by the EC
to provide job leads is www.spb.ca.gov. She prints out the job leads on papers and
distributes it to the clients in the Job Club meetings. This website lists the job
opportunities available with the state of California. According to the EC, the IPE goals
of most of the clients include Office Technician (General), Office Technician (Typing),
Staff Services Analyst, Program Technician and Office Assistant. Therefore, the EC
provides the clients with eight to ten job leads from this website in every Job Club
meeting.
Clients whose IPE goals are outside the positions mentioned above, like Customer
Service Representative, Janitor, Custodian, Receptionist, Medical Assistant are provided
with separate job leads depending on their IPE goals. The EC uses websites like
www.indeedjobs.com, www.craigslist.com, www.usajobs.com to look for positions for
these clients whose goals are not to work with the state. These job leads are provided to
the clients either in the same Job Club meetings by printing out the details regarding the
114
positions on papers or are emailed to them based on their respective IPE goals. The EC
does not have many contacts with the employers outside the DOR. She believes that
this Job Club is more about providing the clients with job preparation services rather
than job placement services.
The EC has recently started a sincere effort of building connections with the DOR
Central Office which is right above the district office. The EC has collaborated with the
‘Workforce Development’ in the central office which aims at creating staffing solutions
for California businesses. The DOR Central Office has volunteer positions available for
Office Assistant, Administrative Assistant and similar clerical positions. The EC is
currently working on connecting the clients of the Job Club to these volunteer positions
available in the Central Office. Since most of the clients have none or very little work
experience, the volunteer experience will help them to build up their skills and make
their resumes stronger.
The clients are expected to apply for at least two jobs on the same day after the Job
Club meeting is over. For this purpose, the clients are told to use the computers and
printers set up in the same Job Club room. This helps the EC to make sure that the
clients are using the job leads provided by her and are applying for jobs. This also helps
the clients to fill in their ‘Job Tracking Log’ (Attachment F) after they apply for each
position.
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