Effective Job Search Strategies and Tools for Business Professionals
Prepare impressive job search documents like resumes and cover letters tailored to specific employers to enhance your chances of securing the desired position. Utilize e-recruitment technologies, network effectively, and leverage alumni career networks for valuable job leads and insights on the hiring process.
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ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS LIFE Lecture 3 Cover letter
Prepare Effective Job Search Documents A RESUME that highlights education, experience and skills relevant to the job and a COVER LETTER that is individually prepared and geared for that specific employer. It should clearly indicate the type of position you seek. In your letter point out particularly relevant aspects of your background that equip you to perform the work you're seeking. This approach is most productive when you know that the organization has openings consistent with your education, professional objectives, skills and experience. The letters and resumes that present candidates most effectively and set the stage comfortably for interviews are those prepared by candidates themselves. Use CDC's scheduled programs, Optimal Resume and CDC's resume/cover letter review service to assist you in preparing effective documents.
eRecruiting E-recruitment, also known as online recruitment, is the practice of using technology and in particular Web-based resources for tasks involved with finding, attracting, assessing, interviewing and hiring new personnel. Recruitment: The process of finding and hiring the best-qualified candidate (from within or outside of an organization for a job opening, in a timely and cost effective manner. The recruitment process includes analyzing the requirements of a job, attracting employees to that job, screening and selecting applicants, hiring, and integrating the new employee to the organization. Employee: An individual who works part-time or full-time under a contract of employment, whether oral or written, express or implied, and has recognized rights and duties. Also called worker.
Networking This is the number one way that people identify openings and get jobs. It is the most proactive job search strategy. Networking taps into the hidden job market through the development and cultivation of contacts and relationships. Rather than passively relying on chance, the smart job seeker CREATES opportunities for meeting people who work or who may know someone who works in the field of interest. Start by letting everyone you know (relatives, friends, faculty, supervisors, and neighbors) that you're looking for a job. You never know who may know someone who can provide valuable information or a valuable contact. The Alumni Career Network, sponsored by The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations and the Career Development Center, makes it possible for Binghamton students to identify Binghamton graduates working in particular fields or for particular employers who are willing to talk about their work. Alumni want to help so take advantage of this resource. Remember - this is not a job placement service. While it is appropriate to ask for tips on how to look for openings in the field, it is not appropriate to ask them to hire you or to get you a job!
Through people you meet you'll gain an understanding of how people are hired, gain up-to-date information about who may be hiring, and learn what employers expect from candidates. One person leads to another, because a good word or just being able to mention someone's name can help you get your foot in the door. Ask each contact, "Who else do you think would be an interesting person for me to speak with?" and "May I mention your name?". Even such a casual referral can lead to information about openings not yet advertised, early information about anticipated openings, or information about openings not advertised in publications you see. Read the Quick Reference Guide on Networking and Informational Interviewing. Keep a notebook for recording the names and contact information of people working within the field that interests you. As you begin your job search you'll want to identify specific names as often as possible. A master list of contacts can help. So approach reading the newspaper, participating in internships, or talking with friends and faculty with this in mind. For further reading about networking you may want to take a look at these books that are available in The National Business Employment It's Who You Know: the Magic of Networking in Person and on the Internet CDC's Career Weekly Resource - Area: Networking
Special Events Many employers connect with Binghamton candidates through CDC Job Fairs and other Special Events. Alumni are welcome to participate in these events. Events Bring your resume; dress in a manner that will make a good first impression. The Job & Internship Fair, hosts employers in both the fall and spring semesters. Representatives are available opportunities and internships. to discuss professional Check out CDC's Events Calendar for dates and times. Employer Information Sessions Many employers conduct presentations to meet interested students and provide information. Employer information sessions are listed on the calendar feature of eRecruiting. It is important to attend sessions held by employers with whom you will be interviewing.
Ads in Newspapers or Newsletters The newspaper is where people commonly focus a job search. Certainly check the want ads of the daily paper for the city where you hope to work, but don't rely on them exclusively. It may not be necessary to check every day. Sunday editions have the biggest classified sections. Classified from the newspapers of major cities as well as many smaller daily papers are available on the web. In addition to reviewing classified ads in daily newspapers, specialized newspapers for particular, professions often list job vacancies. For example, the "Chronicle of Higher Education" (available in CDC and on the Internet) is a weekly publication that includes administrative and faculty openings. Professional associations, interest groups and commercial vendors produce specialized publications that include job vacancy information. CDC subscribes to Environmental Opportunities, Opportunities in Public Affairs, and International Employment Opportunities.
Mailings to Employers Selectively mail your resume to organizations in your career field and geographic area of interest. Using directories or the internet, identify organizations and obtain contact names and addresses. Some directories include descriptions of organizations, providing greater insight about the nature of their activities. Directories can be geographically based or occupationally based. The Career Resource Area in CDC has several employer directories including: Peterson's Top 2,500 Employers Peterson's Job Opportunities in Health and Science Job Choices. Each year the National Association of Colleges and Employers produces directories that include occupational needs anticipated by employers that recruit college graduates. Four volumes are available for loan in CDC: Planning, Diversity Edition, Business, and Engineering/Technology.
Professional Associations or Societies These exist for every profession and typically help employers and job seekers connect through formal advertising of openings or through networking. Some professional associations publish newsletters, hold conventions or offer other job search services. Identify associations for your field of interest through other professionals or through an Internet search engine, such as Google. Simply type in a topic and "association" (i.e. "anthropology association"). The Internet The Internet provides international access to professional networks, homepages, and career services.
Researching employers: why and how / How to start your job search Why research To effectively sell yourself as a job candidate, you need to be able to persuade the employer that you are a fit for that employer's needs. Even when the job market is great for job seekers, employers aren't going to interview and hire candidates who are not a match for their needs. You can't present yourself in cover letters or interviews as a match for the employer's needs if you don't know enough about the employer to do so. By doing research, you get information to decide which employers to contact. Rather than sending (and incurring the associated costs of sending) fifty letters and resumes to employers you know little to nothing about, send ten letters and resumes to employers you know something about and have a greater chance of securing an interview. Targeted letters, individualized to the recipient are more effective than "form" letters you know a form letter when you receive one; employers do too. In information about the organization. really interested in the job. question of why you would like to work for that employer and not sound like you would take any job. interviews, employers expect you If you don't, you look like you're not You have to be able to answer the critical to arrive knowing background Research helps you formulate intelligent and appropriate questions to ask in your interview.
How to research specific employers Talk to people: organization. family members, neighbors, parents of friends, students who graduated ahead of you, alumni contacts VT CareerLink is Career Services' alumni networking database you can search it for alumni contacts working for particular organizations. Find people who work for or know about the This could be people you meet at a career fair, The employer's web site: If you know the URL for an employer's web site, go there. If you don't know the URL, do an internet search on the organization name correctly). Obviously some employers' web sites will be more helpful / informative / useful to you than others. If the web site posts jobs and/or the organization invites email from job seekers and/or accepts resumes online, this can save time in your job search. (don't forget to spell it
Do some Internet research. CEO Express is a very comprehensive meta-site. Explore the links it provides. The University Libraries have resources for research. One example is the Dow Jones News Retrieval Service online service provides access to a variety of business databases consisting of stock quotes, market averages and company and industry news from such periodicals as the Wall Street Journal, Barron's, and the Washington Post; ask a library staff member for assistance if you are not familiar with research tools. Call or write the organization and ask for information. This is perfectly appropriate to do, especially if the organization is small and/or you simply cannot find information about the organization through other sources. If you have an interview scheduled with an employer, the employer should have already provided information (web site, brochures, etc.); if not, by all means, ask for this.
Cover letters and other letters for the job search -Guidelines for correspondence in your job search -Researching employers-why and how -Cover letter types and samples -Thank you / follow up letters
E-mail use in your job search -G idelines and business e-mail etiquette in your job search -E-mailing resumes Telephone use in your job search -Making calls:reasons, etiquette & effectiveness -When employers don t return your calls -Receiving calls from employers -Telephone interviews -Cell phone use in your job search
n Mektup Nasl Yazlr? Genelde her t rl yaz da oldu u gibi n mektuplarda da giri , geli me ve sonu b l mlerinin olmas nerilmektedir. Her bir b l me ne kadar nem verilece i, ne kadar bilgi aktar laca size, ba vurdu unuz irkete ve ilgilendi iniz pozisyonlara g re de i iklik g sterebilir. Giri Bu b l m, i verene kim oldu unuzu, e er ilan ba vurusu ise bu ilan nerede g rd n z a klad n z yerdir. Kendinizi, ba vurdu unuz pozisyon ile ili kilendirmenizi sa layacak ekilde k sa c mlelerle tan tabilirsiniz. Neden zge mi inizi g ndererek bu irkete ba vurdu unuzu, i ilan na ba vuruyorsan z ilan nerede ve nas l g rd n z belirterek, ilan ba vurusu de il genel bir ba vuru ise kariyer beklentilerinize k saca de inerek a klayabilirsiniz. Geli me Bu b l mde k sa c mlelerle ve a k bir ekilde ba vurdu unuz irket ve pozisyon ile neden ilgilendi inize, hangi zelliklerinizin size bu pozisyonda avantaj sa layabilece ine ve ge mi i tecr belerinizdeki ba ar lar n za de inerek sizin neden de erlendirmeye al nman z gerekti i konusunda okuyucuda ilgi uyand r n. Bu b l mde sahip oldu unuz niteliklere genel olarak de inerek ba lay p, ard ndan gerekirse detaya inerek rneklerle bu zelliklerinizi destekleyebilirsiniz. Daha sonra irket ve ba vurdu unuz g revle ilgili ne t r bilgilere sahip oldu unuza ve neden bu g reve uygun olabilece inize okuyucunun dikkatini ekebilirsiniz.
Sonu Bu b l mde, ba vuru amac n zdan, irket hakk nda bildiklerinizden ve ula mak istedi iniz sonu lardan bahsedebilirsiniz. n mektubun ama k sm n , paragraf halinde ya da bir liste halinde yazabilirsiniz. irket hakk ndaki bildiklerinizi, neden onlar se ti inizi ve onlarla al mak istedi inizi a klarken kullanabilirsiniz. Kullanabilece iniz bilgiler ba vuraca n z pozisyon ile de i mekle birlikte genel olarak irketin piyasadaki referanslar , sat rakamlar veya cirosu, irket b y kl (hem T rkiye'de hem de yurtd nda), irket k lt r ve y netim felsefesi gibi asl nda o irketteki t m al anlar ve al mak isteyenleri ilgilendiren konularda bilgi sahibi oldu unuzu g sterin. B ylece ba vurdu unuz irketler sizin zellikle onlar se ti inizi d nebilirler ve mektubunuz amac na daha kolay ula abilir. Kapan c mleniz ise sadece okuyucuya zaman n ay rd ve sizi olumlu bir aday olarak de erlendirdi i i in te ekk r etti iniz yer olmamal . Buras ayn zamanda bundan sonra sizin ileti imi nas l s rd rece inizi (telefon veya e-mail ile), onlar g r me randevusu belirleyebilmek i in ne zaman arayaca n z belirtti iniz yerdir. n mektubunuzu g ndermeden nce, anlam, gramer ve noktalama i aretlerinde olabilecek hatalar d zeltmek amac yla son bir kez daha okuyun. T m ad mlar tamamlad ysan z imzan z atarak (veya G nder'e t klayarak) mektubu bitirebilir ve ba vurunuzu yapabilirsiniz.
COVER LETTER (N YAZI) NASIL YAZILIR? Cover letter ( n Yaz ) g nderdi iniz resume ye e lik eder ve belki de i verenin resumenizi g rmezden gelme ya da size m lakat vermesi aras ndaki fark yaratacak unsurdur. Bu nedenle cover letter yazmak i in gerekli zaman adamak ve eforu g stermek fark yaratacakt r. Cover letter bir tamamlay c d r, resumenizin kopyas de ildir. Amac , veri merkezli, faktual resumenizi sizin ki isel dokunu unuzla terc me etmektir. Cover letter genellikle potansiyel i vereniniz ile kuraca n z ilk temast r ve kritik bir ilk izlenim yaratacakt r. Cover letter yazarken akl n zda tutman z gereken en nemli ey, i verenin sadece bir tek ey ile ilgilendi idir; nitelik. Unutmay n bu bir otobiyografi de il, bu nedenle k sa ve z olmal d r. Cover letter n amac sizin gerekli niteliklere sahip oldu unuzu ya da a t n z sergilemesi, sunulan pozisyon ile ilgilendi inizi ve teklif edilirse de kabul edece inizi belirtmesidir. Ba vuru mektubu; varolan bir pozisyona ba vurmak i indir ( rne ine bak n z) Prospeksiyon mektubu; muhtemelolabilecek bir pozisyon i indir ( rne ine bak n z) Network mektubu; i araman z s ras nda yard m almak ve bilgi edinmek i indir ( rne ine bak n z)
Cover letternz yukarda belirtildii gibi mutlaka amacna uygun ve her pozisyon i in ayr haz rlanmal d r. Tek tip bir form gibi mektup haz rlayarak bunu t m potansiyel i verenlere g ndermeyin! Siz de gereksiz e-maillere (junk) ne yapt n z biliyorsunuz. Etkili cover letter neden sizin o spesifik organizasyon ile ilgilendi inizin nedenlerini belirtir ve o pozisyon ile ilgili en alakal becerilerinizi ve tecr belerinize dikkat eker (unutmay n, ilgili becerilerinizin ne oldu u i verenin belirledi i noktalardan yola k larak g sterilir ). Cover letter, pozisyona kar b y k bir ilgi, istek ve bilgi sergiler. Cover letter neler i ermeli, cover letter nas l bir formatta yaz lmal ve muhtemel i verenler nas l takip edilmeli? Etkili olmas i in cover letter en temel i mektubu format nda olmal ve a a daki genel konulara de inmelidir: lk Paragraf Neden yaz yorsunuz? Geli me Paragraf Neler sunabilirsiniz? Sonu Paragraf Nas l takip edeceksiniz?
Neden Yazyorsunuz? Baz durumlarda belki de bir tan d k ya da ortak bir arkada taraf ndan tavsiye edilmi olabilirsiniz. Mutlaka bu ortak tan d n z ki iden bahsetti inize emin olun, ismiyle, en ba ta ki b ylece okuyucunun ilgisini ba ta ekebilirsiniz ve o da cover letter n z okumaya devam eder. E er ilan verilen bir i e ba vuru i in yaz yorsan z ( rne ine bak n z), nereden bu pozisyonu duydu unuzu ve pozisyonun ad n yaz n z. Daha da nemlisi, ilginizi g sterin ve kualifikasyonunuzun i in gereklerin ile rt t n belirtin. E er bir Prospeksiyon mektubu yaz yorsan z ( rne ine bak n z), yani muhtemel bir posizyon olup olmad n renmek istiyorsan z, arad n z pozisyonu belirtin. Bu mektup, kar taraftan istenen bir mektup olmad ndan, okuyan n ilgisini ekmek daha da nemlidir. E er bir Network mektubu yaz yorsan z ( rne ine bak n z), bilgi istedi iniz ki iden bekledi inizi net ve anla l r bir ekilde belirtin.
Neler Sunabilirsiniz? Bir reklam ilan na yan t verirken, zellikle o ilanda belirtilen kualifikasyonlara sahip oldu unuzu g sterin ve buna ili kin tecr belerinizin ili kisini de belirtin. verenin size neler sunabilece inin de il de i verenin ihtiya lar na sizin nas l yan t verebildi inizin zerinde durun. Bunu o organizasyon hakk nda yapt n z derin ara t rmay ispatlayan kan tlar ile ve organizasyonun i inde gereken becerilere sahip olman z ile yap n. Ba ar lar n z ve problem z m zerine olan becerilerinizi vurgulay n. E itimizin ve i becerilerinizin bu pozisyona nas l transfer edilebilece ini vurgulay n.
Letter of application, hard copy version 1000 Terrace View Apts. Blacksburg, VA 24060 (540) 555-4523 stevemason@vt.edu March 25, 2005 Mr. John Wilson Personnel Director Anderson Construction Company 3507 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20895 Dear Mr. Wilson: I read in the March 24th Washington Post classified section of your need for a Civil Engineer or Building Construction graduate for one of your Washington, DC, area sites. I will be returning to the Washington area after graduation in May and believe that I have the necessary credentials for the project. I have worked at various levels in the construction industry every summer since the 8th grade. As you can see from my resume, I worked several summers as a general laborer, gradually moved up to a carpenter, and last summer I worked as assistant construction manager on a 100 million dollar job. In addition to this practical experience, I will complete requirements for my Building Construction degree in May. As you may know, Virginia Tech is one of the few universities in the country that offers such a specialized degree for the construction industry. I am confident that my Building Construction degree, along with my years of construction industry experience, make me an excellent candidate for your job. The Anderson Construction Company projects are familiar to me, and my aspiration is to work for a company that has your excellent reputation. I would welcome the opportunity to interview with you. I will be in the Washington area during the week of April 12th and would be available to speak with you at that time. In the next week to ten days I will contact you to answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, (handwritten signature) Steve Mason Enclosure
Cover Letter Format Guidelines: Your Street Address City, State Zip Code Telephone Number Email Address Month, Day, Year Mr./Ms./Dr. FirstName LastName Title Name of Organization Street or P. O. Box Address City, State Zip Code Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. LastName: Opening paragraph: State why you are writing; how you learned of the organization or position, and basic information about yourself. 2nd paragraph: Tell why you are interested in the employer or type of work the employer does (Simply stating that you are interested does not tell why, and can sound like a form letter). Demonstrate that you know enough about the employer or position to relate your background to the employer or position. Mention specific qualifications which make you a good fit for the employer s needs. This is an opportunity to explain in more detail relevant items in your resume. Refer to the fact that your resume is enclosed. Mention other enclosures if such are required to apply for a position. 3rd paragraph: Indicate that you would like the opportunity to interview for a position or to talk with the employer to learn more about their opportunities or hiring plans. State what you will do to follow up, such as telephone the employer within two weeks. If you will be in the employer s location and could offer to schedule a visit, indicate when. State that you would be glad to provide the employer with any additional information needed. Thank the employer for her/his consideration. Sincerely, (Your handwritten signature) (Note: the contents of your letter might best be arranged into four paragraphs. Consider what you need to say and use good writing style. See the following examples for variations in organization and layout.) Your name typed
Sample cover letters: Cover letter for advertised position, e-mail version Date: Thurs, 26 June 2008 14:55:53 -01000 (EDT) From: XX (e.mail) Subject: Geological Engineer position advertised on Sand.com To: XXXemail Content-Type: text/plain Attachments: XX CV Dear Ms. Smith I m particularly interested in this position, which relates strongly to my four years of experience in Sand Exploration and Mining at management level. I m currently Sand Resources Manager of Littlecorp Inc., and I believe I meet all the essential criteria of the position. My work at Littlecorp has been rewarding and productive. However, I wish to expand my career further, into the consultancy role. I see the Sand Resources Consultant role as an integral part of my intended future career path, building on my previous achievements. The position also has a definite correlation with my practical knowledge and experience. You ll see from my CV that I have been deeply involved in management and development of Littlecorp s Sand Resources career strategies, including in particular our highly successful Career Path Management and Career Counseling services for staff and management. These strategies, policies and services are very closely linked to the fundamental consultancy element of the position. I feel that I am well qualified to make an effective and useful contribution to Hugecorporate s consultancy operations. I have researched Hugecorporate s excellent record in innovative HR management and policy advisory services, and I m enthusiastic about the chance to participate in a meaningful role with an industry leader in the field. Please find attached my Curriculum Vitae for the position of Sand Resources Consultant. Thank you for your consideration of my application. Please contact me should you require any further information, Yours sincerely Name, surname
Cover Letter for advertised position, hard copy Your Street Address City, State Zip Code Telephone Number Email Address Month, Day, Year Mr./Ms./Dr. FirstName LastName Title Name of Organization Street or P. O. Box Address City, State Zip Code Dear Ms. XX I refer to the position of Mineral Engineering Manager advertised in The Sun Newspaper on June 25, 2008. Please find attached my Curriculum Vitae, application form, and the required information specified in your advertisement. I have 4 years experience in mineral exploration and production in Turkey and the Turkmenistan. I am currently the Mineral Analysis Laboratory Director of Minex Inc, in Ankara. I m responsible for research and development of the firm s industrial products. This position has a definite appeal for me, both on a personal and career basis. I m considering my career options at this point, after three years with Minex. I feel it s time to move upward, and back into general management, rather than one dealing with a single product line exclusively. Softrock s very diverse lines of retail products are impressive. The standards of mineral determinations and concentrations are truly excellent, which has encouraged me to apply for this position. It s obvious that Softrock has created a very strong, competent, in-house research team. I have also recently done some independent analytical work outside the Minex portfolio. Copies of this material are enclosed, and I hope they demonstrate my talents in the retail mineral engineering sector. I did the sampling, mineral separation, and reporting. These results were quite successful when published, earlier this year. Minex reported a 15% increase in production. I believe I can add value to the Mineral Engineering Manager position through my years of experience and genuine enthusiasm for Softrock s excellent work. Please contact me should you require any further information, Yours sincerely Your name and surname
