For Job Seekers: Resumes & Cover Letters. Welcome From Catholic Knights. Welcome From MRA

Transcription

1 For Job Seekers: Resumes & Cover Letters Welcome From Catholic Knights Catholic Knights: service for 124 years Members First Benefit: spiritual, educational and financial components The series of Webinars one piece of the educational component of this benefit Pleased to partner with MRA For more information: or call Welcome From MRA Not for profit employers association since Serving 4,000+ employers throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa MRA helps organizations recruit, develop, and retain a powerful workforce 20+ years of outplacement George Blomgren Career Coach For more information on MRA or call

2 Introduction The resume that s right for you Common misconceptions Cover letters Introduction Downloadable resources Executive Resume Technician Resume Recent Grad Resume Admin Assistant Resume Manager Resume Executive Resume Machine Operator Resume Cover Letter Purpose Of A Resume

3 Employers & Resumes Does Everyone Need One? Universal Questions Who are you? What do you know? What have you done? What can you do for me?

4 ! INSIDE TIP: Your resume may seem like it should be all about you. In one sense, that s true. But unless it s really all about what employers are interested in, it won t land you interviews! Targeting Resumes Customization Can Backfire Dear Acme Company, I m applying for your open position because I ve always wanted to work for Spacely Sprockets

5 Don t Over-Engineer Your resume is just one piece of the puzzle Just one step in the process Other priorities Anatomy Of A Resume Length How far back should it go? Personal information Recent graduates (candidates without work history) Length Of Resume RESUME

6 Personal Information Hobbies Personal affiliations & activities Social security number, birthdate, etc. Recent Grads, Etc. Objective Statement Include or not? How perfectly can you target the job? Avoid anything self-centered

7 Objective Statement Objective: a growth opportunity with a progressive, growing business, which enables me to leverage my accounting experience and management skills in a supportive environment. Objective Statement NOT GOOD GOOD Objective: a growth opportunity with a progressive, growing business, which enables me to leverage my accounting experience and management skills in a supportive environment. Objective: management position with an opportunity to generate significant ROI. Summary/Background Variety of possible formats Stress skills and/or accomplishments Quantified results are best!

8 Experience How to format Reverse chronological Details to include Titles Dates Description Computer Skills Software How important is it to job? How strong a differentiator is it for you? Hardware Expert At Adobe! INSIDE TIP: One sure way to look like you don t know what you are talking about is to refer to software products/versions that don t exist. Examples include expert at Office Vista, Lotus Excel skills or even something as broad and meaningless as accomplished Adobe user.

9 Education Whether to list Dates GPA Optional Sections Awards Training Professional affiliations References Never list references References Available On Request

10 More About References Summary document Confirm with your contacts Personal vs. professional The Odd Syntax Of Resumes Reviewed many resumes. Noted unusual ways of describing accomplishments. Analyzed patterns of unusual verbiage. Recognized lack of personal pronouns, definite and indefinite articles. Alternative Formats

11 Alternative Formats Alternative Formats 1. For some companies, your resume just goes right into the database 2. Career anomalies like employment gaps are increasingly common 3. Intentional: to place emphasis on your skills rather than history Alternative Formats by Joyce Lain Kennedy

12 Cover Letters Optional Why take the chance? The Purpose Of Cover Letters Dear Whoever You Are! INSIDE TIP: You can get away with using a generic salutation like Dear Sir/Madam or Dear Hiring Manager. But your goal should never be just getting away with anything! You really want to get the name of the manager who has the open hire or a senior HR person supporting the hiring process.

13 Getting Names 1. Networking 2. Ask the receptionist 3. Ask HR 4. Random Calls 5. Web site or LinkedIn In Search Of Contact Info Professional Resume Help

14 Resume Help MRA Career coaches Yellow Pages Web links Three Final Notes Perfect spelling, flawless grammar Accurate and honest Perspective: your resume is just one piece in the puzzle Closing Thoughts Thanks for participating in the Members First Benefit Webinar Series We hope that you found the information helpful If you have a specific question on the information presented in this module, please members.benefit@catholicknights.org Submitted questions will be answered in a follow-up Q&A posting