goodwill careers 101 presentation
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Careers 101
Goodwill Career
Development Center
Banking and Customer Service
Rules of Engagement
• Ask questions
• Take ownership of the learning process
• Take notes
Steps in your job search
• Preparing your professional resume
• Writing cover letters – hard copy and emails
• Getting prepared for the interview
• Following up - letters/phone calls/thank you
notes etc
RESUMES
What is a resume?
Resumes are what people use to get jobs, right?
WRONG!
A resume is a one-page summary of your education, skills, accomplishments and experience. The
purpose of the resume is to get your foot in the door. A resume does its job successfully if it does not
exclude you from consideration.–
Resumes cont….
To prepare a successful resume, you need to know how to review, summarize and present your experience and achievements on ONE
PAGE.
Preparing an effective resume:• Self-assessment
• Contact information
• Educational information
• Academic honors
• Work experience
• Use action verbs to promote your experience
• Spell check and proof read
ELECTRONIC RESUMES
• Use plain, white 8 ½” by 11” paper and black ink.
• Emphasize key words and nouns, use ACTION verbs
• Do not fold or staple. Use large envelopes when mailing your resume
• Do not use borders, graphics or landscape printing
• Do select an unembellished typeface: Arial and Helvetica. Do not use Times or Times New Roman
• Avoid Italics, underlining and use bold sparingly and preferably not on Key Words
• Place name alone on first line, and put it on each page of your resume
• Left justify the entire document
COMMON COMPLAINTS ABOUT RESUMES
•Too Long – useless information
•Disorganized – information scattered
•Hard to read - unprofessional
•Poor grammar – spelling, visible “typos”
•Overwritten – long paragraphs, poor sentence structure
•Not results-oriented – duties, but no accomplishments
•Irrelevant information – height, weight, DOB, health, marital status
Chronological
Resume
Example
Functional
Resume
Example
Your resume is a
“working document”
• Make sure your resume “works” for you.
• You may need to make small changes to your
resume depending on the job you are applying for.
• If you are applying for various types of positions,
you may want more than one type of resume.
• If nothing else, make sure to change your
objective for each position, if necessary.
Let’s talk about some examples…
Successful Cover Letter
• Address the letter to a specific person when
the information is made available to you.
• Open the letter with Dear……….
• Have a minimum of two paragraphs.
• Include your “current” contact information
(ex. Phone number, email address, home
address.)
• Close the letter with Sincerely.
What to write in the cover letter
• State why you are writing, what you have to
offer and what you are requesting.
– I am applying for position…
– State what qualifications you have and why you
would fit the position.
– I am interested learning more about the position
and find out how “I” you can help your
business the best.
– I would like an opportunity for a phone or
personal interview
– Thank them for their time
E-mail Etiquette
• E-mail communications should be well
thought out and appropriately constructed
• Carefully construct cover letters, even in
email form.
– Write a new cover letter for each position, make it
represent each position you are applying for
Common mistakes are:
being too informal
misspellings and poor grammar
no capitalization
spelling words the way they sound
E-mail etiquette continuedRules of the Road:
•Treat your e-mail as if you were writing a professional cover or thank-you letter on paper, but be brief.
•In the subject line make it obvious why you are writing: “Application for XYZ position.”
•If you are responding to an e-mail, include the original message in the reply so the receiver can put your e-mail in the correct context.
•Always spell words correctly! DON’T rely on spell check It will not catch words that are spelled correctly but are misused within the context of the sentence. (ex: where/wear, dinner/diner)
•Think about the message your email address sends. Keep your address simple and professional.
(open a new gmail or yahoo account for your job search)
•Proofread your e-mails.•If you are including attachments, make sure they are in a format that the receiver prefers.
So you got the interview
Now what??
Preparing for the interview
• Internet research- know the company
– Size/locations
– How long have they been in business
– Who would be direct supervisor and who is
hiring manager
– More info on job tasks expected to perform
– Growth rate/ room for advancement
– Know the salary range for the position
• Talk to current employees
Top Interview Mistakes Made by Job
Candidates
• Unprepared
• Lack of interest/enthusiasm
• Inappropriate attire
• Poor body language
• Lack of resume knowledge
• Lack of punctuality
• Unprofessional
• Rambling answers
• Cell phones
Reading the interviewer’s body language
Negative Body Language
Silently saying “No”
Hands are closed or fisted
Avoids Eye Contact
Puts head in hands
Squints eyes and furrows brow
Lips are tightly set
Sits rigidly with feet flat
Drums fingers on desk
Handshake is quick, weak or tentative
Positive Body Language
Silently saying “Yes”
Maintains Eye Contact
Looks directly at you
Sits up and leans toward you
Firm, strong handshake
Legs crossed loosely
Smiles and laughs easily
Moves desk items to maintain line of sight
Shows you any personal memorabilia, such as
photos
What your body language says about you
Negative Body Language
Silently saying “No”
Hands are closed or fisted
Arms crossed
Avoid Eye Contact
Put head in hands
Squint or furrow brow
Lips are tightly set
Sit rigidly with feet flat
Fidget with hands, drum on desk or play with
pen/pencil
Handshake is quick, weak or tentative
Positive Body Language
Silently saying “Yes”
Maintain Eye Contact
Look directly at interviewer
Sit up and lean toward
Firm, strong handshake
Legs crossed loosely
Smile sincerely
laugh easily and comfortably
Dress for success for an interview
• Dress Attire / Grooming
MEN
Slacks and button down shirt and tie or Suit
Clean shaven or trimmed beards/mustaches etc
WOMEN
Suit
Slacks or skirt (knee length or below) with
business top or button down shirt and blazer
BOTHno excessive cologne, jewelry or accessories
Job Interviewing Strategies
• Know Yourself
• Know Your Strength and Weaknesses
• Be able to communicate your skills
• Be able to speak to your key character traits– What are your key character traits?? Review
the list and be prepared
Be prepared with pen and take notes
Keep the Conversation Flowing
• Ask Questions – relevant to position
• Appear Engaged
– give positive body language
– “Mirroring” your interviewer
• If they are sitting back, be more relaxed as they
are
• If they are involved with you and leaning in, do
the same
• People relate to “silent” similarities
Be A Good Listener
• Work on developing your listening skills
immediately
• Don’t be preoccupied
• Control your biases
– Don’t let past experiences prevent you from
succeeding in a new environment
• Focus on their needs, not yours
– How can you help them in this business over and
above another candidate.
– “if you help more people get what they want in life,
you will ultimately get what you want in return”
• Before leaving the interview: establish a
timetable– Will there be another round of interviews
– When do they expect they will make a decision
Follow Up and Follow Through
• Send a thank you note– Make sure the interviewer knows you appreciate
their time
• Follow up on specific requests– If they asked you for something in particular,
make sure you send it or give a return call or email
with the info.
Phone/Voice Mail Etiquette
If you know in advance that you will be speaking to a company
representative:
–Schedule the call at a time where you will have some peace and
quiet.
–No kids yelling, dogs barking, traffic noise etc
–Try NOT to use your cell phone, but make sure you have a good
signal if you do.
When you leave a message:
–Always speak clearly and distinctly
–Give your name and the reason for your call – BE CONCISE
–Spell your name if necessary
–Give a return phone number and repeat the digits.
Your voicemail message: what someone hears when they call you.
–Be professional
–Leave your name and an appropriate greeting.
»No music playing, no funny sayings etc.