prepping college students for employment
TRANSCRIPT
PREPPING COLLEGE STUDENTS FOR EMPLOYMENT PROCESS
Sherry Ann C. Medrano
Where do I start?
Selling Yourself to Employers
• Self Appraisal Inventory
• Preparing the Résumé
• Writing a Cover Letter
Job application is like “selling your self” to the employer.
As the first step in marketing your talents, prepare a detailed self-appraisal or personal inventory of your background and experience—your qualifications. This will help you answer questions such as :
What work can I do?
What work do I want to do?
What kind of work do I do best?
Self-Appraisal Inventory
Your self appraisal inventory will help you...
• Provide facts and other pertinent information to an employer
• Assist you when filling out application forms • Provide the foundation from which to build your
résumé• Help you organize your qualifications for
presentation at an interview
To prepare your inventory carefully, completely, and critically, examine the following:
• Identify your interests, talents, and aptitudes• Identify your skills ans abilities • Assess your experience • Evaluate your education • Identify your career goals • Describe the position you want
ACTIVITYComplete the following self-appraisal inventory:
1. Interests/Talents/Aptitudes:
a. What are my hobbies and volunteer activities?
b. What are my special talents and aptitudes?
c. What do I learn most easily?
2. Skills/Abilities
a. What personal qualities do I have that make me good at a certain type of work?
b. Describe why you should be hired for a position?
3. Career Goal
a. What kind of work do I want to be doing?
b. What sort of position should I seek now in order to prepare for my career goal?
Preparing a Résumé
The term Résumé is a French past participle of résumer ("to summarize")
It is a brief account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience, as that prepared by job applicant.
What Information Should Be In A Résumé?
• Identify Yourself• Objectives• Education• Continuing Education• Work or Professional
Experience• Volunteer Experience• Activities• Computer Skills
• Professional Associations
• Special skills aand Abilities
• Character References
Characteristics Of A Successful Résumé
• Focuses on skills. Uses action words to define the
responsibilities of your job-related experience.
• Easy to read and understand.
• Visually powerful ( it may have 20 seconds to attract favorable attention)
• One page, or at most 2 pages long.
Characteristics Of A Successful Résumé
• Must always be 100% truthful.
• Contains no inappropriate personal information.
• Computer encoded and printed
• Data presented in chronological order (unless functional).
Résumé Sections • Heading or Identification
It appears on top of the résumé and includes the full name, complete mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
• Career Objective
An objective is a concise statement indicating the type of position you are seeking. Use action verbs or power words to make the objective concrete.
POWER WORDS
• Education• Work History • Skills • Awards Received • Membership • Seminars Attended• Personal Data • Character References
Résumé Styles
• Chronological Résumé
-the most traditional Résumé style
-it presents experience and education with the most recent information
-it uses the “reverse chronological order”
-it is effective for jobseekers who want to highlight their job progression
Résumé Styles
• Functional or Skills Résumé
-focuses more on the skills you have acquired and the skills you have attained
-in this type, the employer quickly sees what you can do for the company
-it is effective for applicants who had employment gaps
Résumé Styles
• Combination Résumé
-includes both the features of chronological and functional
-it makes an appropriate style for people who are changing positions or careers
-it is effective when both skill and work experience need to be emphasized
The Cover Letter
• It is an application letter. • It is a must with your résumé. • It is your formal introduction. • It highlights the particular aspects of your
skills and accomplishments. • It helps to get you an interview
What is a cover letter?
Preparation for writing a cover letter• Search about the company or organization• Know the position required • Identify your central selling point (your most
important attributes) • Know how should you address the letter • Identify the type of over letter to write.
Solicited application letter is written as a reply to an advertisement.
Unsolicited application letter is writtent when the applicant is just prospecting for a job.
Guidelines for writing a cover letter
• Attract the Reader’s Attention 1. Identify the type of position you are applying for
and tell how you learned about the opening.
2. Summarize your qualifications for a specific kind of position.
3. Refer to the organization’s reputation, progress, or policies.
4. Express supoort for the kind of work thee organization performs.
• Present Your Qualifications Convincingly
• Close with a Request for Action
• Have a Final Check of Your Cover Letter
Sample body of a cover letter (solicited)