Harty: Pages 275-307

Part 5: Resumes and Other Written Materials for a Job Search

What preparation and experience candidates had in the following skills and areas:
-written and oral communication skills
-computer skills
-interpersonal skills, as demonstrated by the ability to work as a member of a team
-self-reliance and initiative, as demonstrated by the ability to work alone
-a sense of what the world of work demands in terms of professionalism and deadlines
-specific skills in at least one business or technical area supplemented by secondary skill sin a variety of related areas
-a sense of business and personal ethics
-the ability to manage time, set priorities, and work under stress

Why use a resume?
-Purpose is to convey a message, a purpose easily forgotten in the ritual of preparing it
-"Don't confuse customers by flaunting things that don't speak to their needs"

Giving your message
-start with the written word even if you are going to meet the potential employer in person
-the importance of knowing what the job is all about is key

Letters of Application
-looked like business letters
-they were succinct
-no misspellings or grammatical errors
-all followed a similar pattern
1) first paragraph stated who the writer was and what he wanted
2) body paragraphs indicated why the writer wrote to the employer and mentioned areas of mutual interest, special talents, or other qualifications that are better suited in a letter than a resume
3) a final paragraph suggesting a course of action
-hard work and attention to detail make for a good letter
-don't delegate the job of letter writing

Resume Preparation
-make it a testimony to your ability to organize your thoughts
-must look sufficiently attractive to get an employer to read it
-use headlines properly

The Functional Resume
-solution is to feature the functions of the job he wanted and then describe things he had done that pertained to each area
-under each function he developed the equivalent of a mini-resume

Preparing a Resume for a Specific Job
-functional resume allows you to develop a different message for each job or type of job you wish to apply for
-diff. functions can be highlighted, depending on what the job requires, and your specific experiences rearranged under diff. headings

A Resume Reflecting an Active Mind and Body

The Curriculum Vitae- "course of life"
-resume for academic positions and as such does not need a statement of goals or interest

The Job Objective
-need to keep this in mind while writing a resume, effects the structure of the entire resume

Additional Advice
-what qualifications does this person?
-what do you see this person doing with these qualifications?
-what kind of an employer would want to hire this person
-does the resume project an image of a certain kind of person? What kind? Aggressive? Thoughtful? Energetic? What?