Harty p. 275-305

Resumes and Other Written Materials for a Job Search:
The written materials that are part of an application for a job face one of the most difficult audiences imaginable: experienced recruiting managers.

• Talking point: how can you write your resume with the audience in mind if you are unsure of who makes up your audience specifically?

There is no one wary to write a resume or cover letter. Let common sense be be your guide when you write what are essentially advertisements for yourself.

Managers look at resumes and cover letters to determine as quickly as possible what preparation and experience candidates had in the following skills and areas:

• written and oral communication skills
• computer skills
• interpersonal skills
• self-reliance and initiative
• 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 skills in a variety of related areas.
• a sense of business and personal ethics
• the ability to manage time, set priorities, and work under stress.

Writing Resumes and Letters in the Language of Employers:

The purpose of a resume is to convey a messsage. Don't confuse customers (employers) by flaunting things that don't speak to their needs.

While the language of employment for you is "I want" and for employers it is "I need," you can create resumes and letters in your language that will be read by employers in theirs.

It is important to determine the best way to get a message across. There are times when there is no substitute for a resume.

• Talking point: what jobs really require a resume rather than a letter of application?

Good letters have these things in common:

• they look like business letters. Their paragraphing. their neatness, and their crisp white 8 1/2" X 11" stationery attracted attention like good-looking clothing and good grooming.
• Talking point: when you think about it, your letter is your first impression. Is this fair?
• they were succinct.
• there were no misspellings or grammatical errors.

The first paragraph states who the writer is and what he/she wants.

The following paragraphs indicate why the writer wrote to the emplyer and mention areas of mutual interest, special talents that might be of interest to employers, or other factors relating to qualifications that could be better described in a letter than in a resume.

The final paragraph suggests a course of action.

Hard work and attention to detail make for a good letter: you don't have to create a literary masterpiece; just don't knock off a letter hastily with thoughts that wander all over the page.

Don't delegate the job of letter writing: more important than style, however, is the thought process used in preparing letters and resumes. Don't shortchange yourself by delegating your thinking to someone else. Make sure it is your letter. To organize your ideas, create an outline. In other words, prepare a resume even if you decide not to use it. The value of a resume is frequently more in its preparation than in its use.

Resume Preparation: when you do give an employer your resume, make it a testimony to your ability to organize your thoughts.

• the first bait to throw out is credentials; they testify to your ability to do the work. After that, what may sink the hook is how the employer sees you as a person.
• Double spacing should be cut down so as to not overemphasize the less important items, yet a string of other things not terribly important in themselves can be inserted to support the impression of an active, interesting person. Some times you want to leave an impression, at other times you want to emphasize a qualification.

The Proper Use of Headlines:

• Prose can destroy the effect of an outline. The solution lies in imitating newspaper editors, who use headlines and subheadlines to attract readers. Like a newspaper, a resume should lend itself to skimming so the reader can quickly pick up a good overview of what is important.
• Beware of misleading headlines-use words that fit the job in question, and play down those that can lead an employer to think of you in terms that don't relate to the job.

The Functional Resume: you can get your message across by creating a resume based on functions.

• allows you to develop a different message for each job or type of job you wish to apply for. Different functions can be highlighted, depending on what the job requires, and your specific experiences rearranged under different headings. It gives you the flexibility you need if your experience has been diverse.

Preparing a resume for a specific job: each specification suggests a headline for a resume.

The Curriculum Vitae: literally, "course of life" in Latin. Sometimes called a C.V. or vita, it is a resume for academic positions and as such does not need a statement of goals or interest.

• a faculty tends to select colleagues not just to teach but for the prestige they will bring to the department, especially in the long run.

The Job Objective: with rare exceptions, a resume should open with an objective-it's the way that it is stated that can be changed.

• author prefers the headline CAREER INTEREST, because it leads to a simple and direct way of stating the purpose of the resume.
• people don't want to state a goal because they don't know what they want to do.

One page or two?: if a resume can be kept to one page, so much the better. A resume is an outline. It needs a white space and headings that stand out. Don't sacrifice them for some arbitrary notion about a one-page maximum.

Additional advice:

• no matter how you develop your message, test it before you send it to employers.
• one way to get a resume criticized is to hold it up a few feet from the reader and ask for comments on its appearance. Does it look neat? Is the layout pleasing? Does it look easy to read? Is the print good-looking?
• Next, give the critics the resume to read. You may pick up valuable ideas for improving its style and layout, but be careful you don't get caught up in the inconsequentials.
• Have your critics look at the resume as if they didn't know you. Ask your critics the most important question about your resume: What message do you get about me?