coverletter resumewriting
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Cover Letter and Resume Writing Workshop
MARGARET BELLO-DIGAMON, MEED-ICTResource Speaker
RATIONALE
Hiring qualified people remains the biggest issue faced by different government and private industries today.
Job mismatch – what does this really mean? The students lack the required competencies needed for them to get hired.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Job applicationWhen you apply for a job, you’ll generally be
asked to send in your CV/résumé, together with a letter or email of application.
A CV (short for curriculum vitae) or résumé is a brief account of your previous employment, education, and qualifications.
Employers often receive hundreds of applications for a job, so it’s very important to make sure that your CV/résumé and job application letter create the right impression and present your personal information in a focused, well-structured, and attractive way.
How important is an application?
… employers use application information to select who will get an interview.
… do not under estimate the importance of the application.
The NO file
Where will your application end up?
The NO file
The MAYBE file
Where will your application end up?
The NO file
The MAYBE file
The YES file
Where will your application end up?
Remember…
your application is a type of interview…
… make a good impression!
Effective Applications
Finding out about jobsApplication FormsCover LettersPreparing CVsOnline ApplicationsUseful sources of information
Finding out about Jobs
Company Notice of Vacancy DOLE: Jobs sectionNoticeboardsJobs/Careers FairNewspapers and periodicalsBusiness reportsOwn contacts
Before Applying
Research the Company◦ Company literature, websites, directories◦ Analyze job descriptions
Research Yourself◦ Review experience and career interests◦ What is relevant to this particular job◦ What evidence will I provide
Research Careers◦ Check out similar or related jobs◦ Prospects Planner/website
Employer’s Perspective
Find out about the candidateWhat contribution can she make?Why is she interested in this
job/company?Does she understand what the
job entails?Does she have the relevant
qualifications?Does she have the right mix of
skills?Is it worth my time interviewing
her?
Questions to ask yourselfWhat sort of person is the
organization looking for?What knowledge, experience,
skills are required to fill this role?What past experience do I have
that demonstrate these competencies?
Provide evidence to match the key competencies
You only get one chance to make a first impression…
…always be confident and prepared.
Since employers are looking for the best person to fill the job…
…making a good first impression to potential employers is essential to securing employment.
The Cover Letter
Cover Letter
◦Purpose of Cover Letter Augments resume. Do not repeat/restate items from resume.
Give the big picture, summary of your talents and skills.
“If you don’t toot your own horn, nobody will.”
Maintain a sense of pride
Cover Letter
Vital Ingredients of Cover Letter
• Gratitude for the opportunity.• A significant accomplishment.
• Your interest in becoming a
part of the organization
Cover LettersOne page - business letter formatSend to a named personLetter supports CVTailor it to company and jobHighlight skills and experienceStructure it well
◦ Introduce yourself, specify vacancy◦ Why are you interested in the company/job?◦ Why should they consider you? (relevant
skills)◦ What next? – availability for interview
Cover Letter Writing Activity
The Resume/CV
The Resume Decision TreeThe Resume Decision Tree
The Resume
Purpose of Resume◦Your Ambassador to the Professional
WorldWho Looks at Resumes?
◦Human Resources◦IT Manager◦Department Manager◦Owner of company
The Resume
Resume Basics◦ Length: Brevity is Key – 1 page◦ Bulleted lists – no paragraphs
1.Skills2.Experience3.Education and Awards
Do not put initials for certifications after your name.
The Resume
Resume Guidelines◦ No special groups or unrelated
awards◦ Be honest!◦ Job Objective (optional)◦ Neat, looks professional◦ Error free◦ Experience – can omit unrelated jobs◦ See sample resumes on.
Tips for preparing CVRestrict it to 2 pages, no fancy coverCustomize CV to reflect job requirementsStart with the most recent/relevant
informationAllocate space in accordance with the
importance of the informationEmphasize the most relevant detailsUse action wordsUse headings and bullet pointsHighlight skills and responsibilitiesMake it look good – plain fontCheck spelling and grammarSend it with a decent cover letter
Reasons for Rejection of CVToo much/too little informationIrrelevant InformationPoor presentationSpelling mistakesNot targeted to positionNo personality or enthusiasm
Standard Contents Personal Details
◦ Name, Address, Tel No, Email addressEducation
◦ Start with most recent◦ Dates, Name of college, Course Title,Thesis title, Core
subjects, results (if impressive)◦ Provide details of research projects
Work Experience◦ Start with most recent or relevant◦ Separate relevant and other experience◦ Provide job title and name of organization◦ Highlight responsibilities and achievements◦ Include unpaid work
Standard CVs (cont)Competencies
◦ Identify key competencies required for position◦ Provide relevant evidence from previous experience
Skills Profile◦ Computing – be specific, name packages◦ Languages – what level ◦ Driving Licence
Interests◦ Provide evidence of balanced individual◦ Focus on achievements
Referees◦ Normally 2 referees required: one academic, one
work◦ Seek permission in advance and provide information
Helpful hintsUse action verbs: achieved, created,
managed, produced, demonstrated, supervised, trained, investigated, co-ordinated, monitored, reported, etc
Adjectives- to describe yourself: adaptable, analytical, determined, logical, resourceful, precise, supportive, etc
The Resume Styles
Chronological – presents information in chronological (oldest first to most recent) or reverse chronological order (most recent listed first and then going backwards in time) your job-related volunteer and work experience.
Functional – groups your skills and experiences together based on job-related functional areas regardless of when they occurred.
Accomplishment – emphasizes your accomplishment and what you have done well that relates to the needs of the employer
Accomplishment Style Resume
When writing an accomplishment style resume it is often challenging to figure out what to write about.
This exercise will help you identify what you have done in the past that you may want to share with employers (while obtaining a degree or in the period following).
The key is to identify tangible evidence in your history that allows you are a qualified, effective worker who is able to utilize particular skills to produce results.
Accomplishment style (cont.)
Complete as many of the following sentence fragments as you can. Quantify your examples using time, percentages, of increase or decrease, as much as possible. From these examples you will be able to create stories to tell employers.
One relevant project I completed while obtaining my degree was:
One time that I went beyond what was asked of me was: One time I solved a problem was when:One good thing my previous instructor said about me in
performance review was: One time I received a compliment or award for:
Sentence Completion
Activity
Online Applications◦Increasingly popular with large employers
◦Fast and efficient – scan for key words
◦Preselection - can incorporate aptitude & personality tests
◦Self-assessment - match to different jobs
Tips for Emailing CVs for Online ApplicationCheck with company first in case of
virusesUse common software, Microsoft Word.To retain format of CV, send as
attached fileAlso include CV in body of emailIf cutting and pasting, check font size Check impact by sending copy to
yourselfTo be doubly sure, also forward hard
copy
Resume Writing Activity
Conclusion
You have opportunities.Careers always exist because they are
long term.You must understand the role of
technology, understand and speak in business terms, and provide solutions that are focused on that understanding.
“Confidence is terrific, overconfidence is terrible”.
References:
The IT Career Builder’s Toolkit by Matthew Moran
Five Star Staffing & Accounting Recruiters