Cover Letter and Resume Writing Workshop

MARGARET BELLO-DIGAMON, MEED-ICTResource Speaker

RATIONALE

Hiring qualified people remains the biggest issue faced by different government and private industries today.

Job mismatch – what does this really mean? The students lack the required competencies needed for them to get hired.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Job applicationWhen you apply for a job, you’ll generally be

asked to send in your CV/résumé, together with a letter or email of application.

A CV (short for curriculum vitae) or résumé is a brief account of your previous employment, education, and qualifications.

 Employers often receive hundreds of applications for a job, so it’s very important to make sure that your CV/résumé and job application letter create the right impression and present your personal information in a focused, well-structured, and attractive way.

How important is an application?

… employers use application information to select who will get an interview.

… do not under estimate the importance of the application.

The NO file

Where will your application end up?

The NO file

The MAYBE file

Where will your application end up?

The NO file

The MAYBE file

The YES file

Where will your application end up?

Remember…

your application is a type of interview…

… make a good impression!

Effective Applications

Finding out about jobsApplication FormsCover LettersPreparing CVsOnline ApplicationsUseful sources of information

Finding out about Jobs

Company Notice of Vacancy DOLE: Jobs sectionNoticeboardsJobs/Careers FairNewspapers and periodicalsBusiness reportsOwn contacts

Before Applying

Research the Company◦ Company literature, websites, directories◦ Analyze job descriptions

Research Yourself◦ Review experience and career interests◦ What is relevant to this particular job◦ What evidence will I provide

Research Careers◦ Check out similar or related jobs◦ Prospects Planner/website

Employer’s Perspective

Find out about the candidateWhat contribution can she make?Why is she interested in this

job/company?Does she understand what the

job entails?Does she have the relevant

qualifications?Does she have the right mix of

skills?Is it worth my time interviewing

her?

Questions to ask yourselfWhat sort of person is the

organization looking for?What knowledge, experience,

skills are required to fill this role?What past experience do I have

that demonstrate these competencies?

Provide evidence to match the key competencies

You only get one chance to make a first impression…

…always be confident and prepared.

Since employers are looking for the best person to fill the job…

…making a good first impression to potential employers is essential to securing employment.

The Cover Letter

Cover Letter

◦Purpose of Cover Letter Augments resume. Do not repeat/restate items from resume.

Give the big picture, summary of your talents and skills.

“If you don’t toot your own horn, nobody will.”

Maintain a sense of pride

Cover Letter

Vital Ingredients of Cover Letter

• Gratitude for the opportunity.• A significant accomplishment.

• Your interest in becoming a

part of the organization

Cover LettersOne page - business letter formatSend to a named personLetter supports CVTailor it to company and jobHighlight skills and experienceStructure it well

◦ Introduce yourself, specify vacancy◦ Why are you interested in the company/job?◦ Why should they consider you? (relevant

skills)◦ What next? – availability for interview

Cover Letter Writing Activity

The Resume/CV

The Resume Decision TreeThe Resume Decision Tree

The Resume

Purpose of Resume◦Your Ambassador to the Professional

WorldWho Looks at Resumes?

◦Human Resources◦IT Manager◦Department Manager◦Owner of company

The Resume

Resume Basics◦ Length: Brevity is Key – 1 page◦ Bulleted lists – no paragraphs

1.Skills2.Experience3.Education and Awards

Do not put initials for certifications after your name.

The Resume

Resume Guidelines◦ No special groups or unrelated

awards◦ Be honest!◦ Job Objective (optional)◦ Neat, looks professional◦ Error free◦ Experience – can omit unrelated jobs◦ See sample resumes on.

Tips for preparing CVRestrict it to 2 pages, no fancy coverCustomize CV to reflect job requirementsStart with the most recent/relevant

informationAllocate space in accordance with the

importance of the informationEmphasize the most relevant detailsUse action wordsUse headings and bullet pointsHighlight skills and responsibilitiesMake it look good – plain fontCheck spelling and grammarSend it with a decent cover letter

Reasons for Rejection of CVToo much/too little informationIrrelevant InformationPoor presentationSpelling mistakesNot targeted to positionNo personality or enthusiasm

Standard Contents Personal Details

◦ Name, Address, Tel No, Email addressEducation

◦ Start with most recent◦ Dates, Name of college, Course Title,Thesis title, Core

subjects, results (if impressive)◦ Provide details of research projects

Work Experience◦ Start with most recent or relevant◦ Separate relevant and other experience◦ Provide job title and name of organization◦ Highlight responsibilities and achievements◦ Include unpaid work

Standard CVs (cont)Competencies

◦ Identify key competencies required for position◦ Provide relevant evidence from previous experience

Skills Profile◦ Computing – be specific, name packages◦ Languages – what level ◦ Driving Licence

Interests◦ Provide evidence of balanced individual◦ Focus on achievements

Referees◦ Normally 2 referees required: one academic, one

work◦ Seek permission in advance and provide information

Helpful hintsUse action verbs: achieved, created,

managed, produced, demonstrated, supervised, trained, investigated, co-ordinated, monitored, reported, etc

Adjectives- to describe yourself: adaptable, analytical, determined, logical, resourceful, precise, supportive, etc

The Resume Styles

Chronological – presents information in chronological (oldest first to most recent) or reverse chronological order (most recent listed first and then going backwards in time) your job-related volunteer and work experience.

Functional – groups your skills and experiences together based on job-related functional areas regardless of when they occurred.

Accomplishment – emphasizes your accomplishment and what you have done well that relates to the needs of the employer

Accomplishment Style Resume

When writing an accomplishment style resume it is often challenging to figure out what to write about.

This exercise will help you identify what you have done in the past that you may want to share with employers (while obtaining a degree or in the period following).

The key is to identify tangible evidence in your history that allows you are a qualified, effective worker who is able to utilize particular skills to produce results.

 

Accomplishment style (cont.)

Complete as many of the following sentence fragments as you can. Quantify your examples using time, percentages, of increase or decrease, as much as possible. From these examples you will be able to create stories to tell employers.

One relevant project I completed while obtaining my degree was:

One time that I went beyond what was asked of me was: One time I solved a problem was when:One good thing my previous instructor said about me in

performance review was: One time I received a compliment or award for:

Sentence Completion

Activity

Online Applications◦Increasingly popular with large employers

◦Fast and efficient – scan for key words

◦Preselection - can incorporate aptitude & personality tests

◦Self-assessment - match to different jobs

Tips for Emailing CVs for Online ApplicationCheck with company first in case of

virusesUse common software, Microsoft Word.To retain format of CV, send as

attached fileAlso include CV in body of emailIf cutting and pasting, check font size Check impact by sending copy to

yourselfTo be doubly sure, also forward hard

copy

Resume Writing Activity

Conclusion

You have opportunities.Careers always exist because they are

long term.You must understand the role of

technology, understand and speak in business terms, and provide solutions that are focused on that understanding.

“Confidence is terrific, overconfidence is terrible”.

References:

The IT Career Builder’s Toolkit by Matthew Moran

Five Star Staffing & Accounting Recruiters