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Chapter: 12Writing Job Application Letters And Resumes
Presented by: Kamelia Gulam
Chapter Outline
• Job Application Letters
• Writing Resumes
Job Application letters
Vocabulary
• Applicant
• Employee
• Employer
• Job Application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• A person who applies for a job
• Hopefully you! An Employee is a person who works for a company – a successful applicant
• The company or person who you (will) work for
• A form Employers use to ensure they have the same information from every applicant
• A cover letter provides additional information on your skills and qualifications for the job for which your applying.
• A document that highlights you, your skills and abilities
What is a cover letter?
•A way to introduce yourself and your resume
•Your opportunity to say why you are the right person for the job
•A chance to talk about skills that relate to the job that are not on your resume
What makes a good covering letter?
Do• Find out the name of the
person you need to write to.
• Research the employer and show that you know something about them.
• Highlight your key skills/experience related to the job.
Don’t• Just repeat what you have
put in your CV.
• Write more than a page.
• Use the same letter for different jobs/companies.
• Send a letter containing spelling mistakes.
What should I include in a covering letter?
•Why you are writing.
•Why you want the job.
•Why you are interested in the company.
•Sell your main skills/achievements relevant to the role.
•What you would like to happen next.
Types of Application Letters
• The purpose of the application letter is to persuade an employer to grant you a job interview.
• There are two types of application letters: a. solicited b. unsolicited.
Solicited
• A solicited letter is sent in response to an employment advertisement.
• The first requirement of the solicited application letter is that it must mention the job advertisement and refer to the specific job advertised.
• Your solicited application letter will be competing with many others, so it must be written with care and distinction.
unsolicited• An unsolicited application letter is one sent to a
company you would like to work for, even though you don't know of any particular job vacancies.
• There are three advantages to this type of application letter:
1. you may send to any employer you wish at any time
2. you may define in your letter the type of job you want
3. with no advertised openings, there will be less competition
unsolicited
• The most important thing to remember when sending unsolicited application letters is to address the letter to a specific person and use his or her full name and title.
• This is much more appealing and likely to get more attention than simply addressing your letter to "Human Resources" or "To whom it may concern."
The Job Application Form
Most forms ask for:
• Personal Information
• Education
• Work Experience
• Availability
• References
When filling out the application form always do one as a draft and then a final copy.
The Cover Letter• Cover Letter Format – Contact / Mailing Information
• Your Contact Information
• Name
• Address
• City, Province, Postal Code
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Date
• Employer Contact Information (if you have it)
• Title (of Employer Contact)
• Company
• Address
• City, Province, Postal Code
• Salutation;
Cover Letter – the body
First Paragraph
The first paragraph of your letter should include information on why you are writing. Mention the position you are applying for and where you found the job listing. Include the name of a mutual contact, if you have one.
Middle Paragraph(s)The next section of your cover letter should describe what you have to offer the employer. Mention specifically how your qualifications match the job you are applying for. Remember, you are interpreting your resume, not repeating it.
Cover Letter – the body• Final Paragraph
Conclude your cover letter by thanking the employer for considering you for the position. Include information on how you will follow-up.
• Complimentary CloseEnd with a closing such as:
• Sincerely (yours)
• (Best) (Kind) Regards
• Yours truly
• Most sincerely
• Respectfully (yours)
Leave space for your signature and then type your name
Stacy Lolkus
222 Harrison Dr
Apartment 5
West Lafayette, IN 47906
765-450-7583
October 16, 2006
Jenny Lock
Uline — HR Recruiting Center
2105 S. Lakeside Drive
Waukegan, IL 60085
Dear Ms. Lockridge:
After speaking with Emily Richards about her past summer in the internship program, I am very interested in your
Human Resources Summer Internship position. I worked with employee benefits this past summer and became
very interested in the human resources aspect. I have obtained many leadership opportunities while working as a Business Writing Consultant Assistant Coordinator at Purdue’s Writing Lab that would be valuable in a career at Uline.
As Business Writing Consultant Assistant Coordinator at Purdue’s Writing Lab, my primary role is to help train
new tutors for the Writing Lab. I work directly with the Business Writing Coordinator teaching classes and
participating in mock tutorials to allow students to obtain hands-on experience tutoring business documents. I
also organize educational workshops to refresh the skills of current Business Writing Consultants. My position as
a Boiler Gold Rush Team Leader also challenged me to use my enthusiastic personality to motivate incoming
freshmen to be involved in campus activities. As a Human Resources Intern at Uline, I could use all of these
leadership skills while learning more about recruiting and hiring practices.
Thank you for considering me for this position. I would love to discuss these and other qualifications with you. If
you have any questions, please call me at 765-450-7583 or e-mail me at [email protected].
Sincerely
Stacy Lolkus,
Stacy Lolkus
Enclosure: Résumé
Student Address
Date
Salutation
Middle Paragraph
Employer Address
First Paragraph
Conclusion
Closing
First Paragraph
Purpose:•Get the reader’s attention•Introduce yourself•Explain purpose of letter •Explain why interested in the position or the company
• Culture?• Approach?
•Explain how you will help the organization•Preview the rest of the letter
After speaking with Emily Richards about her past summer in the internship program, I am interested in your Human Resources Summer Internship position. I worked with employee benefits this summer and became interested in the human resources aspect of the position. In addition to the leadership opportunities I obtained while working as a Business Writing Consultant Assistant Coordinator for Purdue’s Writing Lab, I have also developed my communication skills during my summer internship. I believe my skills will help your Human Resources department maintain its excellent track record.
First Paragraph (sample)
Middle Paragraphs
• Highlight skills and benefits to the company
• Emphasize interest in the company• Provide concrete evidence
- Show don’t tell (use information fromresume)
- Include specific, credible examples ofqualifications for the position
• Begin paragraphs with topic sentences
As a banking representative at Chase, I provided quality customer service while promoting the sale of products to customers. I also handled close to $20,000 each day and was responsible for balancing the bank’s ATM machine. My experience with customer relations and money management can help your accounting firm expand its Middle East division located in Dubai.
Middle Paragraph (Sample)
Conclusion
• Conclude your cover letter by thanking the employer for considering you for the position
• Provide contact information
Thank you for considering me for this position.I would like to discuss these and other qualifications with you to further explain how I can contribute to your Middle East operations. I look forward to meeting you soon. If you have any questions, please call me at 555-555-5555 or e-mail me at [email protected].
Extra Tips• Length
- Letter should only be one page
• Strongest and most relevant qualifications should be
highlighted
- Limit to a few qualifications
• Easy to read
- Begin with topic sentences•Appeal to company values, attitudes, goals, projects, etc.
•Explain how you will help organization
•Elaborate on the information in your resume
•Proofread carefully for grammatical and typographical errors
Resume
On the Resume…
• Personal Information
• Objective
• Education
• Experience
• Skills
• Activities
• References
• Your name, address and contact information - phone number, email address, etc.
• A brief statement saying what type of job you are looking for
• Details about your schooling
• A summary of all the work (paid and unpaid) that you have done
• Special skills and abilities that you have (like being fluent in another language!)
• Activities, groups, clubs, etc. that you have been / are involved in
• Names of people that can be contacted to speak about you (teachers, coaches, employers)
What is a Resume?
•Your marketing tool
•A way to sell yourself
•A way to highlight your experience and accomplishment
•A way to get you an interview
What should be included in a Resume?
•Your contact details.
•Employment history/work experience.
•Education/training.
•Skills/achievements (Honors/Awards)
• Interests.
What makes a good resume?
Do• Use a clear font.
• Use bold and larger font to highlight your name and headings.
• Have a sensible email address.
• Highlight your skills and achievements.
Don’t• Use fonts that are difficult
to read.
• Have an unprofessional email address.
• Have more than 2 pages.
What makes a good Resume?
Do• Target your resume towards
the job you are applying for.
• Use bullet points to make the resume easier to read.
• Check spelling and grammar.
Don’t• Leave lots of white space.
• Include your primary school.
• Send a resume without a covering letter.
Contents of Resume
1. Contact Information
•Your FULL nameJohn B. Student
•Your mailing address123 Main StreetSteinbach MBR5G 0P1
•Your phone number204-555-1212
•Your email [email protected]
Contact Information
•Should NEVER include:
•Your height, age, weight
•A photo of yourself
•Your Saudi ID Number
•Personal information such as age, ethnicity, marital status, children, etc.
Sample of Contact InformationMike Jones
1 Meadow Way
Altamonte Springs, FL 32116
(407) 555-1234
CHRIS SMITH83 Prospect Road Orlando, FL 32837 (407) 555-8975 [email protected]
2. Objective
• What is an objective?• A one or two sentence summary of position desired.
• Short• Specific• Tailored to the position
• What does an objective do?• Clarifies the purpose of your resume• Presents a clear statement of your goals
33
Sample Objectives
• To obtain a Part-time position at spa or salon
• To obtain a customer service representative at a call center
• Hostess at a upscale restaurant
• To obtain a part-time job or summer internship at a
communications firm
• To obtain a part-time retail sales position in a clothing store
3. Personal Skills and Assets
A couple of sentences or bullets that describe what you are like as a person and how you do things, including personality traits, attitudes, work habits, etc.
• This is a useful section, especially if you do not have much work experience.
• Think of the skills you use in school that employers want!!!▫ Punctuality, Time Management, Teamwork
Hard Working
Responsible
Dependable
Goal Oriented
Self-Starter
Motivated
Willing to Learn
Quick Learner
Reliable
Team Player
Works well with people
Enthusiastic
Punctual
Friendly
Flexible
Outgoing
Articulate
Effective at time management
Able to multitask
Confident
Honest
Sample Personal Skills and Assets
Try it now! List three of your personal qualities.
Sample Personal Skills and Assets Section
PERSONAL SKILLS AND ASSETS
I am a hard working young lady who is willing to learn
more. I am responsible, motivated, educated and punctual.
I am friendly person who enjoys helping others.
SKILLS SUMMARY
• Detail oriented and well organized
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Strong customer service focus
• Outgoing with a positive attitude
• Professional demeanor
4. Education• List your education, starting with most recent
• Name and location of the school
• Major, minor and area of concentration
• Graduation or anticipated graduation date
• GPA – if 3.2 or higher
• Relevant Coursework- See next slide for more information
Samples of Education SectionEDUCATION
Winter Park High School Winter Park, FLAug 2005–present
•Graduating May 2009
•GPA 3.0
•Relevant Courses: Business Systems Technology; Marketing
•Received an award for being a best student
EDUCATION Colonial High School Orlando, FL High school student
•Graduate 2009
•Composite Act score of 15
•GPA of 3.1
•Relevant Courses: Biology, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Calculus
5. Experience •Remember – Experience can be:
•Paid part-time/full-time positions
• Internships
•Volunteer work/ Community Service
•Club/campus group involvement
•Summer Jobs
40
Sample Experience Section
WORK EXPERIENCE
2005-present Pizza Paradiso Orlando, FL
Waitress
• Provided excellent guest service
• Dealt with complaints
• Took orders and served guests in timely manner
• Handled cash
VALLEY STATE BANK, Huntington, IN
Bank Teller, Summers 2005 & 2006• Provided friendly, professional customer service• Issued money orders, travelers checks, loan
payments and deposits/withdrawals
WORK EXPERIENCE
6. Specialized Skills• Include skills that make you
unique, such as computer skills, foreign language skills, or military service.
• Be specific in describing your special skills; name computer programs you know, how long you studied a foreign language, or your dates of military service.
Sample Skills Section
COMPUTER SKILLS Experienced with Macintosh, IBM PC, Windows XP, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Publisher
LANGUAGESBilingual Spanish and English
7. Honors/Awards or
• Academic honor societies (If the honor society may be unfamiliar to your audience be sure you specify its nature to avoid confusion with social clubs.)
• Scholarship
• Sample: Phi Beta KappaDean's List (every semester)Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society (1995-1996)University Scholar (University of Texas) (1993-1996)J.W. Jones Construction Company Scholarship (1993)
8. Membership
• Membership and offices held in professional societies
• Sample: • International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma
• Patient and Family Advisors Membership
CHRIS SMITH83 Prospect Road Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 555-8975 [email protected]___________________________________________________________
OBJECTIVEPart time position as a clerk in a dental office
PERSONAL SKILLS AND ASSETS
I am a hard working young lady who is willing to learn more. I am responsible, motivated, educated and
punctual. I am friendly person who enjoys helping others.
EDUCATIONWinter Park High School Winter Park, FL
Aug 2005–present •Graduating May 2009
•GPA 3.0
•Relevant Courses: Business Systems Technology,
Marketing, Biology
•Received an award for being a best student
WORK EXPERIENCE
Valley State Bank, Huntington, IN
Bank Teller, Summers 2005 & 2006
• Provided friendly, professional customer service
• Issued money orders, travelers checks, loan payments and deposits/withdrawals
COMPUTER SKILLS Experienced with Macintosh, IBM PC, Windows XP, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Publisher
LANGUAGESBilingual Spanish and EnglishKristin Wilkin, English Teacher, Winter Park High School, 407-623-2476
Gather your Information• In a new document, enter your personal information (ask for
help at home if needed)
• List all your schooling credentials (past and present)
• List all your experience
• Brainstorm a list of skills and abilities that you have – ask family,
friends and classmates for support
• List all the groups your are or have been apart of
Now you’re ready to create your own!
Go to Microsoft Word to begin
Your assignment:
•Create your resume
