LECTURE III: APPLYING FOR A JOB

TOPICAL WORDS and PHRASES

 

job employer job search resume curriculum vitae (CV) chronological resume functional resume combination experience abilities reverse responsibilities accomplishments cover letter job advertisements to apply for a job required and preferred qualifications

работа работодатель поиск работы резюме автобиография хронологическое резюме профессиональное резюме комбинированное резюме опыт (работы) способности, возможности обратный обязанности достижения сопроводительное письмо объявление о приеме на работу обращаться для приема на работу обязательные и желательные требования к квали­фикации

PLAN

The kind of job you want

Job advertisements

Employment Applications

The Resume

The Cover Letter

The Job Interview

The kind of job you want

The first step in a successful search for a job is to decide on the kind of job you want and the kind you are qualified for. This means that first you should answer the questions " What can I do well? " and " What do I re­ally want to do? "

Begin by thinking about the work you can do. Include work you have been trained to do, work you have actually done, and work you enjoy doing. Therefore, you have to answer some questions.

ü Do you like to work with your hands?

ü Do you like to work outdoors?

ü Do you like to work with others?

Next, talk to as many people as possible about your job interests and concerns. Talk to your friends, neighbors, and your family or relatives. These contacts may help you to get more information about different jobs; to form a ‘network’ of people interested in helping you; to find people who work (or who know people who work) in the area of your interest; each discussion will give you additional practice in expressing yourself.

Now when you know the kind of job you want, the next question to answer is ‘Where can I find that job? ’

People use many methods of finding a job. They answer job advertisements (want ads) or apply directly to employ­ers. Of course, some methods are better than others are.

 

Job advertisements

 

‘Want ads’ are job advertisements you can find in the classified advertising section of newspapers, profes­sional or trade journals.

You should read the want ads at least for two reasons:

- to learn more general information about jobs avail­able;

- to learn specific information about a particular job that is of interest to you.

The ad may tell you about the education and work experience required for the job, the location of the job, the working hours, and the pay. It also tells you how to apply for that particular job.

Some want ads say that certain qualifications are re­quired, while other qualifications are preferred or hoped for. The employer will try to find someone who has all of the required and preferred qualifications. However, if no one has all the qualifications that the employer requires and prefers, he may hire someone who has only some of those qualifications. It is usually best to apply only for jobs for which you have at least all the required qualifications. However, this is not always true.

Not all want ads are easy to read. The longer a want ad is, the more money it costs to print. In order to save money, employers leave unnecessary words out of the advertisement. They also use abbreviations.

There are many good reasons for using the want ads in your job search. The following suggestions will help you use want ads effectively:

ü Remember that want ads are only one of the methods you may use. Save time to use other methods.

ü Reading all the want ads you will learn useful general information.

ü Avoid ads that make unrealistic offers.

ü Analyze ads, which are of interest to you.

ü Determine your qualifications for that job.

ü Act quickly, effectively and stay cheerful.

 

Employment Applications

Everyone who applies for a job (an applicant) must submit an application. An employment application is useful in collecting factual information on a candi­date’s education, work experience, and personal history. The data obtained from applications are usually used for two purposes: to identify candidates who are worthy of further scrutiny and to fa­miliarize interviewers with applicants’ backgrounds. A typical employment, application represents a special form to be filled in.

Resumes. Many job candidates submit resumes to employ­ers, and some firms require them. A resume is a short summary of the candidate’s background and qualifications. It includes a de­scription of the type of job the applicant is seeking. A resume may be submitted along with an employment application. In Britain a resume is often referred to as a curriculum vitae (CV).

Interviews. The employment interview is the most widely used selection technique. Job candidates are usually interviewed by at least one member of the HRM staff and by the person for whom they will be working. Interviews provide an opportunity for the firm and the applicant learn more about each other. Interview­ers can ask different questions to learn something about the candi­date’s attitude to the job and motivation.

Very often interviewers ask different questions of different applicants, so that it becomes impossible to compare candidates’ qualifications. Some of these problems can be solved through the use of structural interviews. A structural interview is an interview in which an interviewer asks a prepared set of questions.

References. A job candidate is generally asked to indicate the names of references – people who can verify background in­formation and provide personal evaluation of the candidate.

Per­sonal evaluations obtained from references may not be of much value because applicants list only the references who say good things about them. However, references are often contacted to verify such information as previous job responsibilities and the reason an applicant decided to leave a former job.

Orientation. All the information collected during the selec­tion process is then used to select the most appropriate candidates for the job. Newly hired employees should go through a firm’s ori­entation program. Orientation is the process of acquainting new employees with the organization.

Feedback. Feedback is talking of a manager to subordi­nates to let them know how well they are doing and how they can work better in the future. In other words, it is performance ap­praisal. These appraisals may be positive or negative. Feedback must help eliminate job-related weaknesses. For good job em­ployees get rewards such as pay raises and promotions.

The Resume

A Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) is an objective written summary of your personal, educational, and ex­perience qualifications. It packages your assets in the form of a convincing advertisement, which sells -you for a specific job. A resume is a kind of written sales presentation. An effective resume creates a favorable impression of you while presenting your abilities and experience.

The basic requirements for a good resume are:

ü brevity: one page is preferable, but not more than
two pages;

ü top quality paper;

ü perfect spelling and grammar;

ü no typographical errors;

ü attractive layout.

Your personal data sheet contains most of the infor­mation you need to prepare a resume. Now you have to select and arrange that information in the way that best relates your background to the work you seek. Every resume is an individualized presentation of your quali­fications for a particular job. It means that you may prepare a few different resumes, depending on the types of jobs you are applying for. You can choose from among four types of resumes:

• Chronological resume lists work experience or education in reverse chronological order. It describes responsibilities and accomplishments associated with each job or educational experiences.

• Functional resume lists functional skills and experi­ence separately from employment history.

• Combination (functional/chronological) resume draws on the best features of the chronological and functional resumes. It highlights an applicant’s capabilities and includes a complete job history.

• Targeted resume emphasizes capabilities and accomplishments relating to the specific job applied for.

• Work experience is briefly listed in a separate section.

Resumes provided for graduate school admission highlight your skills, professional experience, accom­plishments, and academic history in much the same way as ‘job’ resumes. The most popular with the recruiters nowadays is the combination resume, which includes:

 

1. Main heading
Applicant’s first name, last name	JASON DANIELSON
2. Personal Data 2.
Date of birth Age: Place of birth: Marital status; Chil­dren, and their ages* Address: Phone: Home phone: Fax, E-mail:	235 White Road San-Francisco, California 029992 + 01 (245) 987-6543
3, Objective
Detailed information, in response to the compa­ny’s requirements. Use a specific job title here, or write a brief, simple phrase describ­ing the type of work you are seeking.	To obtain an administrative assistant po­sition, this would utilize my clerical and administrative skills and offer opportunity for growth.
4. Education
Includes degrees and certificates. Also listed in the reverse chronological order.	September 1988 — May 1991 Technical Col­lege of San-Francisco
5. Experience (Employment)
Work history, in the reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent posi­tion. Include name of the Company, and your position. Using action words to maximize the impact, describe your current or most recent responsibilities. Be concise; remove all unnecessary words and phrases. Include du­ties, accomplishments, and promotions as well as the specific results of your actions or de­cisions to demonstrate your contribution.	June 1994 to present The Institute of Medical Care; San-Fran­cisco Unit Secretary, Child and Adolescent Unit Responsible for maintaining patient charts, entering patient data on database, transcrib­ing medication orders, tracking and paging medical personnel- Relaying patient records to other treatment facilities and fielding in­coming phone calls. October 1991 to May 1994 University of National Law; San-Francisco Administrator, Registrar’s Office Answered telephones, filed documents, pro­duced letters for certification and deferment, proctored exams. Registered students for courses, proofread grade sheets, registra­tion materials, exams and course schedules, computed grade point average. Interacted with students, faculty and staff.

6. Special skills
List languages, include mother language, and describe your level of knowledge. List software applica­tions, operating sys­tems, and pertinent hardware information. (Include years of expe­rience, or describe your level of knowledge.)	Languages: English — mother tongue, Ger­man — beginning Computer literate: word-processing (Word Perfect & Word for Windows), Spreadsheet (Lotus 1-2-3). Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
7. Licenses and Certificates
List licenses or certifi­cates you hold that are pertinent to the job you are seeking. Include the year you obtained each license or certificate.
8. Interests
Particular sports, arts, reading.	Alpine skiing, climbing, computers.
9. Activities
Community activities that you regularly par­ticipate in.	Member, High Honor Student Society, Francisco	San

 

Knowing what to exclude from your resume is as important as knowing what to include. Here is a list of details to exclude from your resume:

• height, weight, hair or eye color;

• comments about your family, spouse, or children;

• your photograph (unless you are applying for modeling or acting job);

• travel restrictions;

• preferences for work schedule, days off, or overtime;

• salary demands or expectations.

The trend in resumes today is to omit personal data, such as birth date, marital status, religion, nationality.

Very few people have good resumes. If English is not your native language or if you come from another country, it can be even more difficult to know the right things to do. Some special suggestions will help you write a perfect resume:

ü Adapt your resume to the information you have gathered about the employer and the job you want.

ü Use action verbs, they will bring your resume to life.

ü Avoid the pronoun ‘I’. Describe your skills and capabilities by using as many specific words as possible.

ü Highlight your accomplishments and achievements.

ü Keep it simple and clear: two pages at most.

ü Be truthful. Don’t exaggerate or misrepresent your­self. Remember that employers check the information.

ü Don’t mention salary.

ü Avoid long sentences. Use the minimum number of words and phrases but avoid abbreviations.

ü Looks are important. The resume should be typed with plenty of white space and wide margins. Place head­ings at the left side of the page, and the details relating to them on the right side.

ü Make sure there are no errors in spelling, punc­tuation, or typing.

ü Don’t sign or date the resume.

ü Always send an original of your resume. Don’t send a photocopy.

ü Keep copies of resumes on file for future ref­erence. Once you have a job, update your resume on a regular basis.

The Cover Letter

Unlike а resume, а cover letter does not involve as much tedious work and strict adherence to structure. But this is not to say that the cover letter is any less important than the е and, depending on the employer, it mауeven bе more important. However, there are still some principal rules to follow when drafting а cover letter.

Firstly, you should have your contact information in the top right-hand corner of the letter: full name, permanent address, and phone number.

Secondly, you want to address the individual bу his or her name. You should address them as Mr оr Miss (never Mrs) and their last name. Remember to double check, if not triple check, that you spelled the name correctly! If the job description you found does not list somebody specifically then it is best to address this ‘person’ bу writing ‘То Whom It Мау Соncern.’ Don’t write ‘Dear Nobody’!

Begin the letter bу mentioning how you found out about the opportunity, whether it was from аn advert in the newspaper, website оr through а personal contact.

If you have а relative, friend or some other kind of connection with
the company then yоu shou1d mention it. This should bе included just before your opinion оn the company.

For example: ‘Through mу personal research and contacts such as Тое Smith, а sales manager in Company Х, and John Paul, а student intern last summer, I have found that Company Х is а very dynamic and resourceful company’.

It is also good to give an example highlighting оnе of the соmраny’s recent accomplishments. This shows that you have background knowledge from researching into the company and аrе serious about working with them.

You should then add something оn how the dynamics of the job interest you. For example, if you are applying for а programming position then you should write something like: ‘Implementing’ computer programs and developing software is something 1 аm highly interested in pursuing.’

The next part of the letter should highlight the most relevant parts of your resume. This is а good opportunity to explain in greater detail the responsibilities and accomplishments yоu had at previous positions. For example, if yоu аrе applying for аn accountant position then it is best to bring up past experiеnсе in handling money, accounts and other such relevant information.

The next section should mention that yоu аrе readily available to answer аnу questions the employer mау have. Неrе is а good way of putting it: ‘If you have аnу questions regarding rу resume, credentials оr any other matter, please contact mеat your convenience. Yоu can reach mеat (737)456-5798 оr can email mе potentialemployee@ work.com.

When yоu list аn email account try to list the most prestigious account you have. For example, if yоu have аn email account from your university оr job, then list that before уour yahoo оr g-mail account.

А good way to end а cover letter is to make it seem like the interview is already а sure thing, and you аrе simply sending in your resume to give them background information оn who you аrе. The tricky part with this is trying to соrеacross as confident, but nоt аrrоgаnt. This сan bе done with the right kind of phrasing.

А good way to do it is like this: ‘Thank уou for yоu consideration. I look forward to meeting with yоu sооn.’ And you should end the cover letter like you would аnу formal letter - bу saying: ‘Yours sincerely, (your full name)’.

Оnе universal rule of соvеr letters is that they should bе short and to the point. You should not repeat all the qualifications that аrе оn your resume - instead, highlight the qualities and experience that the position requires.

You mау think that а соvеr letter should bе long. In fact, it should bе between 200-350 words. Good luck in your job search!

The job interview

A job interview is your opportunity to present your talents to a prospective employer. During the interview, the employer judges your qualifications, appearance, and general fitness for the job. Equally important, the inter­view gives you a chance to evaluate the job, the employer, and the company. The interview helps you decide if the job meets your career needs and interests and whether the employer is the kind you want to work for.

To present your qualifications most advantageously, you have to prepare for the interview - you should know how to act to make the interview an opportunity to ‘sell’ your skills.

Careers’ officer is giving advice: ‘What makes a good interview? Firstly, good preparation before the interview. Three simple guidelines will help you. Guideline number one is find out as much as possible about the company where you are going for an interview. For example, you can get a lot of useful information from the company’s brochures, annual reports, and catalogues. Secondly, find out if the interview is with one person or with a group of people, and what their jobs are. It’s very useful to know something about the interviewers before you meet them. And thirdly, make a checklist of the questions you want to ask at the interview. Remember an interview is a two-way process. The company finds out as much as possible about you, and you find as much as possible about the company’. So, that’s what you need to do before the interview.

Now the interview itself. There are seven more guide­lines to remember here: ‘Guideline number four – dress smartly. A suit or some­thing formal is best. Five – arrive in good time. Arriving late for the interview is the worst thing you can do. Rule number six – create a good first impression. First impressions are very important. Start the interview with a smile, a firm handshake, and a friendly manner. Guideline number seven – try to stay positive and relaxed during the interview. I know that’s difficult. As a rule, people don’t feel relaxed, but your body language gives the interviewer a lot of information about you. You want that informa­tion to be positive. Number eight – don’t give only ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answers. Talk freely about yourself, give reasons for your opinions, and explain why you’re interested in the job. Nine – ask questions. Remember the checklist of questions you prepared before the interview. Show you’re interested! Finally, guideline number ten – learn from the interview. Analyze your performance afterwards and think how you can improve the next time! ’

 

POST-LECTURE QUESTIONS:

1. Why are ‘excellent interpersonal and presentation skills’ required for this job?

2. Would you like to get this job? Why? Give your reasons.

3. What is the first step when you’ve chosen your future occupation?

4. What should оnе think about before going to the interview?

5. What should every applicant keep in mind being interviewed?

6. What skills are preferable for an applicant?

7. What kind of job can а beginner have?

8. How can а beginner bе promoted if he / she works hard?

9. When can а person bе dismissed?

 

EXERCISES and ACTIVITIES

 

Translate into Russian.

Acquisition; maintenance; monetary payment; performance;, performance appraisal; subordinate; pay raise; promotion; selec­tion process; resume; reference; curriculum vitae; employment application; feedback; employment interview; applicant; member of HRM staff; structural interview; prepared set of questions; candidate’s background and qualifications; interviewer; forecast; enhance; obtain information; apply for a job; submit an applica­tion; seek a job; provide an opportunity; verify information; hire employees; communicate the results; get rewards; recruit.

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