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Employers might
receive hundreds of resumes in the mail each
day, but only about 2% of job seekers are ever
invited to a job interview. Think of your
job-seeking documents as your “sales
literature”: they must be well organized,
clean, error-free and convincing. Your
appearance and ability to communicate with
people are equally important. Most managers
conduct interviews as if they were casual,
informal conversations. They often expect you to
be nervous, and they try to put you at ease.
However, it is essential that you make a good
impression during the interview, and the best
way to make a good impression is to be
thoroughly prepared. Counselor-led
workshops on the topics of resume writing,
interviewing and professionalism are offered
each month - call (864) 941-8614 to
register.
Resume
Guidelines
Use
this form to get started. Start brainstorming
and listing everything you can think of for each
of the headings in the format. Note that there
is no “one right way” to prepare a resume.
All headings do not have to be included, and the
order of the headings should be manipulated to
highlight your strengths.
Resume “Do's
and Don’ts”
This
fictitious document, of “Miss Anita Job”,
highlights many of the things that you should
NOT do in your resume and gives suggestions for
improvements.
Cover Letters
A
cover letter is written to accompany your resume
any time you mail it to a prospective employer.
It should be brief, business-like and addressed
to a specific person. Individualize your letter
to the organization or position that interests
you. Most employers can recognize a form letter
and may interpret that as a lack of real
interest. Follow this link for a form to help
you compose a cover letter.
Thank You Notes
Write
a thank you note as soon as you get home from an
interview to thank the manager for meeting with
you. This small and simple step, which is often
ignored, can set you apart from the rest of the
job seekers that the employer has seen. Follow
the link above for an example of a thank you
note.
Job
Applications
Why
should you be required to fill out a job
application when you have a resume? The
application form allows the employer to study
and quickly compare data on many applicants in
order to select the ones he or she wants to
interview. Employers also use applications to
see if you can follow directions neatly and
correctly. Follow this link for some tips on how
to complete job applications.
Interviewing
Skills
Just as the
purpose of a resume and a job application is to
secure an interview, the purpose of the
interview is to secure the job. Being
thoroughly prepared is the best way to perform
well at a job interview. Follow this link
for more information.
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