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RESUME
Avoid Sending Out General Resumes
Adjust each resume to focus on the job you are applying for. Don't bore them with details that do not pertain to the job you're applying for. Focus on your experience that is applicable to the duties and requirements of the job you are applying for.
Stand Out
Instead of just listing duties, touch on accomplishments and how you achieved those. What set you apart from others in your performance? What were some efforts you made and how did those activities benefit the organization you were working for?
Keep Descriptions Brief & To The Point
Many employers will only skim your resume looking for keywords that are similar to the job description, so keep your descriptions brief. You do not have to use full sentences. Often a bullet style is preferred for a quick read, but make sure it still makes sense and is grammatically correct. Try to keep your resume to one or two pages.
Key Words
With many organizations loading resumes into databases for keyword searches or searching third party resume boards, it is important to have strategically placed keywords throughout your resume. This can be difficult and take a lot of effort. You do not want draw suspicion as a result of overloading keywords, but you also do not want to be passed over because you lacked the keywords the employer was searching for. Look over the job description and requirements very closely of the job you are applying for and then utilize similar words or phrases as listed in the job posting that match up with your experience. This should help demonstrate similarities in your experience to the duties of the job you are applying for. Also, use key terms that will stand out, demonstrating both leadership and teamwork.
Lack Work Experience
If you lack work experience include experience you have gained from activities such as volunteering, clubs or organizations you belonged to, classes you have taken, organized sports, etc.
Organizing The Resume
There are various organization styles of resumes you can use. We encourage you to research those to determine what is a best fit for you. The most traditional organizational style of resumes is as follows:
1) Objective = Write your objective. What job are you seeking and what are your intentions?
2) Experience = List your experience. This is your job history, which often includes the titles/positions you held, the organizations you worked for, dates of employment, city & state of employment, and the duties or experiences related to the duties and requirements of the job you are applying for.
3) Education = Next you would list your education. List the colleges you have attended and degrees obtained. Start with the highest degree earned and work your way down from there (i.e. Doctoral, Masters, Bachelors, Associates). Dates are not necessary.
If you are currently pursuing a degree and have not graduated yet, list the expected graduation date.
If you have not obtained a higher-education degree but took some courses, you may want to include those classes and then list your high school degree.
If you have not been involved with any further studies outside of high school, then simply list the high school you attended.
4) Other Skills and Relevant Information = Finally, list any computer skills, honors or awards you have received, organizations you have been a part of, and other secondary languages you may know. In some cases you may want to list these at the top of the resume as a Profile section if the job you are applying for requires particular technical skills.
Formatting The Resume
Various fonts and styles can help catch the eye of employers, but keep in mind that some employers scan resumes into databases that search the resumes for key words. You should use a text-based version of your resume when you know the employer will scan the resume into an electronic database, when posting via electronically, or even when sending via email, as certain formats may not always appear the same on one computer from another.
Include A Cover Letter
After you have completed your resume and are ready to send it out, don't forget to send along a cover letter with the resume. The cover letter should briefly highlight some of your experiences and accomplishments that closely relate to the requirements of the job you are applying for, as well as your intentions.
Before Sending the Resume, Call The Organization
Before sending your resume and cover letter, call the organization you are applying with to get the hiring managers name, as well as title so you have someone to address the mail, fax, or email to. If they'll give you the opportunity, after getting a name and title, find out if you can speak with the hiring manager. If they let you through, let the hiring manager know of your interest in the job, that you feel you are qualified with a one or two sentence reason why (be brief), that you will be sending over your cover letter and resume, and that you will follow-up on a specified date to make sure they received your information. (Make sure you always follow through with what you indicate to them.)
Follow-Up
If you have indicated a certain day that you will follow-up, then make sure you call them on that day. If you had not indicated you will follow-up, it is good to give the employer a follow-up call a couple of weeks after you have sent the resume to make sure they received the resume and to express your interest. When you make that follow-up call, do not be afraid to ask for the interview. Give them a couple of dates that you are available and ask them if any of those dates would be good for them to hold an interview with you. If they say no, then reply by asking them what date and time they have available and that you will adjust your schedule for the interview.
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PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
Be Prepared
Once you have been invited to an interview, you do not want to go in and just wing-it. You need to be prepared. If you haven't already researched the company and the job, you need to start.
Gather Information
Gather information from the Internet, their website, the chamber of commerce, or where ever you can find information on their company. Better yet, go over and talk to some of their employees about the company and the job. This will give you a better understanding of the job, as well as how the company operates, so you can describe how your abilities will fit in with and benefit their organization. It is also beneficial to research their competition and describe some of the strengths that you might be able to bring to the table that will help their organization excel above their competitors.
Dress Appropriately
Make sure your clothes are clean and wrinkle free. Talk to the organization about dress. Sometimes it is ok to show up in business casual to an interview. In most cases your best bet is to show up to an interview in a suit. It is normally more acceptable to show up overdressed than underdressed.
Know Where To Go & How Long It Takes To Get There
Map out where you are going and leave early. Your best option is to drive the route out the day before around the same time your interview is to take place, so you know exactly where you are going and what type of traffic to expect.
Rehearse/Practice Interviewing
Rehearse answering questions you feel might be asked and working key points into your interview that you feel they should know about your talents. Practice selling yourself.
Create some well thought-out questions to ask in the interview.
Pack The Night Before
Make sure you have copies of resumes, references, awards, portfolios, and what ever else you feel may be beneficial in the interview ready and packed the day before. Set these items out where you will not miss them on your way out so you do not forget them.
Plan To Leave Early
With traffic, expect the unexpected. Plan for an unexpected traffic jam by leaving early. It is better to show up an hour early and give yourself some mental preparation time, than to show up to an interview a couple of minutes late because you did not plan for traffic.
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INTERVIEWING
Arrive 15 Minutes Early
Arrive 15 minutes early with your resume, referrals, and any other pertinent information. Take a second, before going in to check your appearance and then go inform them of your arrival. Since you should have prepared before you came to the interview, instead of staring at the wall or at your resume, if you have the opportunity, mingle with some of the employees near by, talking to them about the company. This shows an interest in the company and an ability to fit in with the employees. If you are unable to do this, review some of the key points you would like to mention in the interview. Another good reason for arriving early is that they may also have paper work for you to fill out before hand.
Good Interview Etiquette
Once you have been invited in, it is good etiquette to stand until you have been invited to sit in a particular chair, or wait until the interviewer has sat first. Once seated, it is best to sit forward, closer to the edge of the seat, as this suggests interest. Try to remember not to lie back in your seat or cross your arms while in the interview. Avoid talking negatively about others in your interview. Remember to smile but do not over do it with a cheesy or obvious fake grin, keep good eye contact, give firm handshakes, and use their name. Request a business card before you leave.
Use Examples
When answering questions, use examples of similar situations from your previous experience and how it relates to the question or job. In your example, try to include actual names and/or performance numbers.
Ask The Interviewer Questions
Ask good questions during your interview, especially if they should ask you if you have any questions. This suggests interest in the job and the company. Remember, employers are much more impressed with one who asks a thought-out question verse an obvious run-of-the-mill question that many simply throw out just for the sake of appearing to be interested.
At The End Of The Interview
Try to avoid talking about salary on the first interview, unless they bring it up.
Make certain you thank them for their time, express your excitement concerning the position, and let them know you look forward to speaking with them again soon.
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AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Review & Prepare
Before you are even invited to a second interview, start preparing as though you were invited back as soon as you leave the first. Write down what was discussed about the job, those things you failed to mention that you would have wanted them to know, what you would like to reemphasize, and any more questions you may have for the organization you are interviewing with. This will keep the details of the first interview fresh on your mind and help in your preparation for the next interview, if you should be invited back.
Follow-Up Thank You Note
Immediately after the interview, write a Thank You note to the interviewer for the time they provided you and again reiterate your interest in the position. Keep the note short, but you can also include a brief statement of how your skills can have a positive impact on their organization. Then let them know you will follow-up on a particular date.
Follow-Up Phone Call
After giving a few days to allow your Thank You note to get into the hands of the interviewer, call the interviewer to touch base with them. Make sure they received your Thank You note, thank them again, express your continued interest, and then ask if there would be a time they might have available to meet with you again. The interviewer may tell you they are still reviewing candidates, so politely let them know you understand and ask them when a good time for you to call back might be. Again, they may avoid giving you a time and will state that they will call you. At that time see if you can find out a close estimate of when they will be in touch with you and double check that they still have your correct contact information. If they fail to contact you around the time they said they would you should call back for an update on the progress of their selection. Do not forget to acknowledge them by name, thank them, and let them know you look forward to hearing from them at the end of your conversation.
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DEALING WITH REJECTION
Your Perception Of Rejection
The whole process of looking for a job can be difficult and stressful as it is, but adding rejection in the mix can be discouraging. It all comes down to your perspective on rejection. If you hold a pity-party after rejection your road will become more difficult as you begin to lose confidence. On the other-hand, if you do not take the rejection personally, considering it as an opportunity to improve yourself, rejection, if handled correctly, can actually help improve your efforts, molding you into a stronger candidate.
Reevaluate And Tweak
With each rejection you should reevaluate your efforts and tweak them. Look for advice, including from those whom you just interviewed with. If you do ask the organization you interviewed why they did not select you, be professional about it. Let them know you ask for the purpose of self-improvement and never act in such a way where you may burn a bridge. A few weeks down the road the employee they hired may not be working out or another similar position may open, but if you burned a bridge, you can count on the fact that they will not be calling you to see if you are still interested.
Keep Going
Keep your head up and move on. Its good to focus on several opportunities at the same time so if one falls through, you have not wasted any time moving on to another opportunity.
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ACCEPTING OR DECLINING AN OFFER
Unsure Whether to Accept
You get the job offer, now what do you do? Accept or Decline? If you're not exactly sure, it is ok to give it some time to think about. You need to inform the organization that you would like to take some time to consider the offer. You should give the organization a date when you will get back with them, usually 2 to 4 days after the offer. You will also need to give them an idea of your reasoning for the delay and what are some of the factors you will be considering to make your decision. You should plan out exactly what you will say before they even offer you the position. If you try to wing-it you may come off wrong and offend the potential new employer.
Negotiating Before Accepting
If you decide to take the position, you may want to first negotiate some of the agreements of the position, such as salary. When going into negotiations, be prepared. Gather as much information on the position and similar positions with other companies as you can. Know the average salaries, duties, work load, etc. Also determine what you feel your value is. The more you know about the field you are venturing into and your market value, the more leverage you will have on your side during negotiations. During negotiations, recognize this is a time for compromising, coming to an agreement between two parties, where both parties will benefit. Just as they may give a little, you too will need to give a little until both parties feel satisfied with the agreement. If they come out feeling like a loser in the negotiation stage, you may lose in the long-run as their perspective of you will likely be affected as a result of the negative experience.
Accepting The Offer
Once you have decided to accept the job offer, it is good etiquette to confirm your acceptance in writing. In such a letter you should confirm the date you will start and terms of your employment, then close it with appreciation for the opportunity. If you are currently employed when you receive an offer from another organization, for a smoother transition from one job to another, you should ask for at least two weeks before you start so you may wrap things up at your current job. It is also appropriate, once you have accepted a position, to notify any other organizations you have been interviewing with that you have accepted an offer so they may pull you from consideration.
Declining The Offer
In the event you decide to decline an offer, be professional and make sure you do not burn any bridges. Show appreciation for their time and explain to them why you will not be accepting the position. In your explanation you should refrain from speaking negative towards the position that was offered to you. As with accepting a position, after declining the position, it is respectful to also send them a notice in writing, as well.
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DISCLAIMER
*The information listed above is intended as suggestions for the pre-planning stage and not professional advice. We do not guarantee that these tips will be helpful to everyone, as each person's situation varies. Texas DPS Credit Union always recommends that you seek the assistance of a professional advisor.
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