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Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 1
• Plan the job search.
• Decide how to look for a position.
• Learn as much as you can about the organizations to which you will apply.
• Draft the résumé and application letter.
• Revise, edit, and proofread the résumé and letter.
• Prepare for job interviews.
• Write appropriate follow-up letters.
The process for preparing job-application materials includes seven steps:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 2
In planning a job search,carry out these four tasks:
• Do a self-inventory.• Learn about the employers.• Prepare a résumé and job-application letter.• Prepare a portfolio.
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 3
• through a college or university placement office
• through a professional placement bureau
• through a published job ad
• through an organization's Web site
• through a job board on the Internet
• through your connections on social media
• through personal connections
• through an unsolicited letter to an organization
You can look for a job eight ways:
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• Who has access to your résumé?
• How will you know if an employer requests your résumé?
• Can your current employer see your résumé?
• Can you update your résumé at no cost?
Ask these four questionsbefore posting to a job board:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 5
• Periodically check Internet content about yourself.
• Use accounts on social-media sites to make a good first impression.
• Create a profile tailored to the type of job you seek.
• Project a professional persona.• Follow through with what you say you will do.• Help others make career connections.
Assume that employers will search the Internet while screening job applicants:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 6
• You know yourself better than anyone else does.
• Employment officers know the style of the local agencies.
• If you write your own résumé, you will be more likely to adapt it to different situations.
There are three reasonsto write your own résumé:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 7
• generous margins
• clear type
• balanced appearance
• clear organization
An attractive résuméhas four characteristics:
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• It must provide clear, specific information, without generalizations or self-congratulation.
• It must be free of errors.
• It must be honest.
The résumé must meet three standards:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 9
A chronological résumé has six elements:
• identifying information
• objectives or summary of qualifications
• education
• employment history
• interests and activities
• references
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• State only the goals or duties explicitly mentioned, or clearly implied, in the job advertisement.
• Focus on the reader’s needs, not on your goals.
• Be specific.
Follow these three suggestionswhen drafting a statement of objectives:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 11
Include these five elementsin the education section:
• the degree
• the institution
• the location of the institution
• the date of graduation
• information about other schools you attended
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 12
Follow these four guidelineswhen elaborating on your education:
• List your grade-point average.
• Compile a list of courses.
• Describe a special accomplishment.
• List honors and awards you received.
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 13
Present these detailsabout your employment history:
• skills
• equipment
• money
• documents
• personnel
• clients
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• participation in community-service organizations
• hobbies related to your career
• sports, especially those that might be socially useful in your professional career
• university-sanctioned activities
Include information aboutyour interests and activities:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 15
• Decide whether and how you want to present the references.
• Choose your references carefully.
• Give the potential reference an opportunity to decline gracefully.
Follow these three suggestionswhen providing references:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 16
Some résuméscontain additional information:
• computer skills• military experience• language ability• willingness to relocate
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A skills résumé includes seven sections:
• identifying information
• objective or summary of qualifications
• skills
• education
• employment history
• interests and activities
• references
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 18
• a formatted résumé attached to an e-mail message
• a text résumé
• a scannable résumé—one that will be scanned into an organization's database
• a Web-based résumé
Electronic résumés can take four forms:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 19
• Use ASCII text only.
• Left-align the information.
• Send yourself a test version of the résumé.
Follow these three guidelineswhen preparing a text résumé:
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• Use a good-quality laser printer.
• Use white paper.
• Do not fold the résumé.
• Use a simple sans-serif typeface.
• Use a single-column format.
• Use wide margins.
• Use the space bar instead of the tab key.
Follow these seven guidelineswhen preparing a scannable résumé:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 21
Follow two principles whendrafting a job-application letter:
• Selectivity. Select two or three points of greatest interest to the potential employer.
• Development. Develop those points into paragraphs emphasizing results.
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• It identifies your source of information.
• It identifies the position you are interested in.
• It states that you wish to be considered for the position.
• It forecasts the rest of the letter.
The introductory paragraphhas four functions:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 23
• a reference to your résumé
• a polite but confident request for an interview
• your phone number and e-mail address
The concluding paragraphincludes three elements:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 24
• Study job interviews.
• Study the organization to which you applied.
• Think about what you can offer the organization.
• Study lists of common interview questions.
• Compile a list of questions you wish to ask.
• Rehearse the interview.
Follow these six guidelineswhen preparing for a job interview:
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 25
Consider these sevenquestions before a job interview:
• When should you arrive for the interview?• What should you wear?• How do interviewers interpret your body language?• What questions are you likely to be asked?• How long should your answers be?• How do you know when the interviewer wishes to end
the interview?• How can you get the interviewer’s contact information
to write a follow-up letter?
Chapter 15. Writing Job-Application Materials © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 26
• letter of appreciation after an interview
• letter accepting a job offer
• letter rejecting a job offer
• letter acknowledging a rejection
Write one of these four follow-upletters or e-mails after the interview: