Hello mentees! David, Jonathan, and Jason here. We will be discussing the résumé and cover letter package.
Résumés are a standard and accepted tool—but should they be the only tool? Of course, we should have at least a template that we customize and tailor to each specific position that’s being sought — in tandem with constant revision, refining, and perfecting as our circumstances change — this according to conventional wisdom. After sending them out do we just sit back and wait for responses and offers? In this economy, that is a strategy for failure. We are in an unconventional economy and the latest employment figures are stark. One thing you should know is that the official unemployment rate doesn’t tell the whole picture.
In May that figure was 9.1 percent of the workforce which is 153,693,000 people—or 13,914,000 people out of work. That is the U-3 number, (p.26) which doesn’t include the “marginally attached,” those who have sought work within the last twelve months, or those working part-time that want full-time or those working sporadically. That figure, the U-6, is at 15.8 percent or 24,283,000 people: 24 million people that we are competing with for a “job.” I say job because a career is an uncertainty at this time. In April, McDonald’s had a hiring fair to recruit 60,000 people and over 1 million applied—PhDs, Masters, Bachelors, HS diploma credentialed. Can it be reasonably expected that our résumé will penetrate in a pool of 24 million? Would something a little more aggressive be proscribed? This article has some commentary of interest and the comments below it are EYE opening.
More than likely, these 24 million people all have “a winning résumé” showcasing their unique talents and qualifications. Really? That’s stiff competition for sure. Make sure you check out all the relevant sources you can find for how to craft top-notch résumés and cover letters and how to better position yourself as candidate to be hired.
Some fascinating reads for you: CNN (via Career Builder) offers insight on becoming more appealing in the job market. Résumé-writing expert Rob Sullivan discusses strategy on how to beef up your existing résumé. Small business analyst Bill Knell ponders aloud whether or not résumés are obsolete.
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Jonathan: “My input regarding resumes comes from a 35-year work span, three careers, and eight principal jobs. The positions ranged from large corporate groups, to small companies, to mom and pops. I was fairly compensated and treated very well at all of them—and ultimately consider myself successful. My IDS degree is preparing me for two new directions I’d like to take in the future. Initiative, planning, and reconfiguration within the career-scape is a life long endeavor. For more details may I refer you to my link."
David: “This past winter, I attended the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston. Among the guest speakers there were Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey, San Diego Padres owner Jeff Moorad, New England Patriots owner Jonathan Kraft, and the owner of the newly-crowned Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban. The folks that put on the deal at MIT did something really cool: they asked that the attendees submit their résumés to be put in a book, given to each of the speakers. To my surprise, the speakers—all highly-regarded dignitaries in the sports world—were excited to comb over the book in search of potential hires.”
Jason: “It is not easy to land any position these days with the economic economy in the current state that it is in. That is out of your hands. But separating yourself from the rest to show that you are worth the hire you are capable of. There any many people around the world that are unemployed, which is why it makes it more important to stand out from the rest when churning through the hiring process.
“I am also currently in the process of revamping my resume. Use the experience that you have, it is important to show that you have the real world experience that it takes to perform most of the tasks on the job. Experience is what really counts. Also show the schooling and networking that you have in place to show you have knowledge on products used. I will be keeping updates as I most along with the resume building process that I am also currently going through.”
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One key ingredient for you in the résumé package presentation process: your interdisciplinarity. How would you use it? If the job of your choice is outside of what you’re concentrating on in the IDS program, in what way would you weave in what you’ve learned into why you’re the best man or woman for the job?
Also, begin visualizing what your résumé might look like. What questions do you have? What areas do you think you need to improve upon?
Ask those questions in the comment section and respond to at least one other Cornerstone student’s comments with either a note about their cover letter or a possible solution to their problem.
Good luck and remember to sign your name to your response!
Résumés are a standard and accepted tool—but should they be the only tool? Of course, we should have at least a template that we customize and tailor to each specific position that’s being sought — in tandem with constant revision, refining, and perfecting as our circumstances change — this according to conventional wisdom. After sending them out do we just sit back and wait for responses and offers? In this economy, that is a strategy for failure. We are in an unconventional economy and the latest employment figures are stark. One thing you should know is that the official unemployment rate doesn’t tell the whole picture.
In May that figure was 9.1 percent of the workforce which is 153,693,000 people—or 13,914,000 people out of work. That is the U-3 number, (p.26) which doesn’t include the “marginally attached,” those who have sought work within the last twelve months, or those working part-time that want full-time or those working sporadically. That figure, the U-6, is at 15.8 percent or 24,283,000 people: 24 million people that we are competing with for a “job.” I say job because a career is an uncertainty at this time. In April, McDonald’s had a hiring fair to recruit 60,000 people and over 1 million applied—PhDs, Masters, Bachelors, HS diploma credentialed. Can it be reasonably expected that our résumé will penetrate in a pool of 24 million? Would something a little more aggressive be proscribed? This article has some commentary of interest and the comments below it are EYE opening.
More than likely, these 24 million people all have “a winning résumé” showcasing their unique talents and qualifications. Really? That’s stiff competition for sure. Make sure you check out all the relevant sources you can find for how to craft top-notch résumés and cover letters and how to better position yourself as candidate to be hired.
Some fascinating reads for you: CNN (via Career Builder) offers insight on becoming more appealing in the job market. Résumé-writing expert Rob Sullivan discusses strategy on how to beef up your existing résumé. Small business analyst Bill Knell ponders aloud whether or not résumés are obsolete.
---
Jonathan: “My input regarding resumes comes from a 35-year work span, three careers, and eight principal jobs. The positions ranged from large corporate groups, to small companies, to mom and pops. I was fairly compensated and treated very well at all of them—and ultimately consider myself successful. My IDS degree is preparing me for two new directions I’d like to take in the future. Initiative, planning, and reconfiguration within the career-scape is a life long endeavor. For more details may I refer you to my link."
David: “This past winter, I attended the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston. Among the guest speakers there were Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey, San Diego Padres owner Jeff Moorad, New England Patriots owner Jonathan Kraft, and the owner of the newly-crowned Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban. The folks that put on the deal at MIT did something really cool: they asked that the attendees submit their résumés to be put in a book, given to each of the speakers. To my surprise, the speakers—all highly-regarded dignitaries in the sports world—were excited to comb over the book in search of potential hires.”
Jason: “It is not easy to land any position these days with the economic economy in the current state that it is in. That is out of your hands. But separating yourself from the rest to show that you are worth the hire you are capable of. There any many people around the world that are unemployed, which is why it makes it more important to stand out from the rest when churning through the hiring process.
“I am also currently in the process of revamping my resume. Use the experience that you have, it is important to show that you have the real world experience that it takes to perform most of the tasks on the job. Experience is what really counts. Also show the schooling and networking that you have in place to show you have knowledge on products used. I will be keeping updates as I most along with the resume building process that I am also currently going through.”
---
One key ingredient for you in the résumé package presentation process: your interdisciplinarity. How would you use it? If the job of your choice is outside of what you’re concentrating on in the IDS program, in what way would you weave in what you’ve learned into why you’re the best man or woman for the job?
Also, begin visualizing what your résumé might look like. What questions do you have? What areas do you think you need to improve upon?
Ask those questions in the comment section and respond to at least one other Cornerstone student’s comments with either a note about their cover letter or a possible solution to their problem.
Good luck and remember to sign your name to your response!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThe cover letter is a tool to effectively convey your thoughts and employment desires in a written statement. A cover letter needs to be specific to the job you are applying for; I don’t want to know about your career as a Golf Pro, if you’re applying for a position teaching Chemistry. A cover letter expresses in a condensed form what you’re about and how you can make a difference for the perspective employer. So keep in brief and to the point. I always wanted to see commitment in a cover letter, a positive reinforcement of the resume. Remember you are trying to get your foot in the door so you can wow them with the 3 dimensional you. A 30/60/90 day summary is a much more detailed way to convey what you plan to do if hired, that would be something to hand to the hiring manager during a face to face interview. Maybe in the next blog we can talk about that.
Ciao,
Stan Krajewski
Hello Fellow Bloggers,
ReplyDeleteThis should be before the cover letter post!
As someone who has hired many employees I have a unique perspective on the resume process. Let’s start with this; a resume is only 2 dimensional, a snapshot of your work history, accomplishments and educational background. It is a tool to get you in front of the hiring manager to present the 3 dimensional you. A resume needs to be one page; specific to the job you are applying for, and concise in the accomplishments in the relevant field. An example of accomplishments would be; I increased revenue 14% and market share 15% in my sales district in 2010. The information needs to be correct, and true, do not tell fibs on a resume! When I looked at a resume I wanted to know; can this candidate help me, and what has he done to support that. If that query is satisfied, then the next steps in the interview process can take place.
Cheers,
Stan Krajewski
I absolutely do not know how I am going to weave my areas of study into a career. I'm really thinking about going into Civil Engineering and going back to school. In the mean time, I don't know what I will do after graduation. Until I figure this out, I don't think I can prove to anyone why I am the best person for a particular job. Maybe it will hit me :)
ReplyDelete-Latevia Gainey
I was unemployed for a year. I've applied and I've been on SO MANY interviews. Until I had my resume and cover letter revamped, I missed out on many opportunities. I had to learn to cater my cover letter and resumes to the position I was applying for. Just like Stan mention, I had to shorten my resume to one page. After I made these changes, along with other changes, I began to get calls to come in for interviews.
ReplyDelete-Latevia Gainey
Stan, you sound like you do have a lot of experience with hiring employees. My problem is I don't feel confident when appyling for a position I'm not too familiar with. I feel as if I will let the hiring manager down and not meet their expectations. I have a tendency of telling them what I don't know how to do, which my friends say is hurting me and sometimes I don't bother to apply for the position. What would you or anyone else suggest?
ReplyDeleteHey Stan! Your experience sounds like it would be quite integral to the conversation. Tell me, what are some common mistakes that you see/saw on resumes?
ReplyDeleteLatevia, it's OK if you don't think you have the proper work experience for your areas of study now. Start thinking about internships or work-study programs that you can participate in to help beef that resume of yours up. Remember: you aren't going for the high-paying job right out of the gate, just an entry-level spot. Think "get on base" before you start thinking "home run."
ReplyDeleteAnd don't get discouraged if you don't have experience in the profession in which you're applying. Sometimes, companies like hiring those that are clean slates or provide fresh approaches. You just never know what makes someone buy what you're selling.
-- David Smith
Hello IDS fellows,
ReplyDeleteI will try to answer few questions.
1. Many jobs that you don’t have experience in are worth a shot, even if your work skills and experience don’t match. I always looked for “traits” in perspective employees, in other words things I can’t teach. Are they confident, honest, well spoken, do they seem to have a work ethic that cannot be taught? Are they going to fit in to my team, can they work under pressure. It’s a lot but those traits can be picked up in the interview process. I always wanted good people; I would take growth potential for the right person over experience and the wrong person everyday.
2. What not to do in an interview; this is an easy one. Not being you is the wrong thing to do. I can spot phony from a mile away. I don’t have time for that, hiring someone is an investment and I don’t like my time wasted. Be on time, not early, dress appropriately (not under or over). Answer the questions honestly and confidently, being timid and unsure of your self is not something HR wants to see. This is important; always ask for the position at the end of the interview. This opportunity seems like a perfect match for me, when do I start? I feel that I can become an integral member of the team, and I would love to take the next step! YADA YADA YADA. Be creative, the interview process is about knowing you and your capabilities, remember companies can teach processes, but they can teach the traits that your born with.
3. Lying on a resume is a rampant problem, Jobs are short and people feel they need to embellish their education, abilities and accomplishments. Don’t do it, at some point you will be discovered, and terminated.
Hope this helps,
Ciao
Stan Krajewski
Hi Stan,
ReplyDeleteI’m impressed! You gave a tremendous amount of great information. I have a question for you though that I haven’t seen anyone address in our postings yet; do you see any catch phrases on resumes that you would suggest people avoid using. I’ve been looking at this topic and I seem to be seeing a number of people talking about over-used phrases finding their way into resumes and turning off potential employers. And, while I agree with you on your resume targeting the specific position you’re applying for, do you think maybe it would be better to make your cover letter rather than your resume more specific to the position. Let me know what you think. Thanks for posting all the great information!
Pat Anderson
Hi Latevia,
ReplyDeleteI had no idea what I was going to do with my degree when I started out either. I have to agree with David on this though, check into internships or volunteer work. You would be amazed at the number of organizations that need volunteers and the huge variety of volunteer positions available. Check out http://www.volunteermatch.org/. Just enter your zip code and you will be able to see everything that is available in your area. This is a wonderful way to gain experience or even to “try out” different career areas. Also, UCF has a very helpful virtual career center available. Go to http://www.career.ucf.edu/categories/Students/91_13.aspx and check out their information. Good luck!
Pat Anderson
I have done fairly well at interviews even though I thought I was under-qualified and not very confident at first. A job posting is like a wish list, that's their ideal skill set of the most perfect person ever. Realistically, they probably won't find that exact person and that is when your resume and interview let you shine. Where you may lack in certain knowledge you can make up for in personality and capability.
ReplyDeleteLatevia, even though you may not know exactly how to do everything that position may entail, as long as you know it's something you can do, you can reassure them that you haven't had the opportunity to take on that responsibility but would love the chance. Instead of focusing on what you don't know, keep on trucking through the interview on how you would love to know and can't wait to bring new perspective and willingness to learn to your environment.
Elizabeth Sanford
Stan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the cover letter info. I was wondering though, how long is a normal cover letter? I don't want to go over every point that is on my resume. I haven't presented a cover letter before although I made a practice one in the past. It seemed too short and didn't really flow well.
Elizabeth Sanford
My interdisciplinarity consists of concentrations in Humanities and Computational Sciences (statistics) with a minor in Economics. There are several few paths I can see my career/life taking. I am receiving my TESL certification as part of my IDS degree, which qualifies me to teach English overseas. I would absolutely love to do this in Spain. I currently work in the wine industry and I could continue on doing that by either working a harvest or eventually opening my own bar. While economics is a business related degree, I believe my knowledge and experience in the industry would outshine my degree if I chose to do this. Next month I start an internship with a political pollster who does demographic research. Background knowledge in statistics and humanities is very helpful in this area. I would love to go to grad school for something related to this type of research. A master’s would allow me to be employed by a company I admire or open the door to becoming a professor.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty happy with my resume and cover letter at the moment. A friend I worked with helped me revamp it as he used to do it for a living and it helped me get my position at the wine bar I have been a manager at for three years. It is easy to read, to the point, and presents my work ethic and personality well. However, to get where I’d like to go in my career, it definitely needs to be tailored to highlight my attributes depending on which path I pursue. I wouldn’t necessarily need to include my first job at a video store or bartending experience if I were applying to do statistical analysis for a corporation.
^^ Sara Matthews
ReplyDeleteLatevia,
ReplyDeleteI think you should relax and let expectations fall by the wayside to allow your personality and work experience shine during interviews. Maybe it won’t always work in your favor—sometimes you just aren’t the person for a certain job and that’s okay! If you stumble upon a position that you really want and aren’t qualified for, apply anyways. And if it falls through, improve and try again.
Best of luck!
-S
Hey Beth,
ReplyDeleteI loved your comment on a job posting being like a wish list. I think you’re right. Even if you think you’ll need additional training I think you should apply for the job if it is what you’re looking for. We all have different skills and talents that might end up being a better fit for the job in the long run. Great comments!
Patricia Anderson
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have a lot of interesting paths opening up for you. You mentioned you would like to teach English as a second language in Spain. Do you speak Spanish?
As Stan was talking about earlier, it’s good for your resume and cover letter to be tailored to your goals. I think you’re definitely going in the right direction.
Good Luck!
Patricia Anderson
Thanks Guys!
ReplyDelete