As any resume writing expert will advise, resumes are not “one-size-fits-all” documents; the best resumes are targeted to the job for which you are applying. It is possible to have multiple versions of a resume depending on the job. This exercise will prepare you to write a targeted resume and cover letter for the job correspondence assignment (and of course, for future use). A targeted resume also helps you get through the first employer “weeding out” process, which is often done via key word software programs.
Deadline: THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 11:59 pm EST. The submission area will open April 14.
NOTE: YOU MUST FIND A JOB THAT YOU QUALIFY FOR RIGHT NOW. Download this file.
Part 1: Find a Job or Internship: Look for job or internship that you would be able to apply for now.
Do not choose your own job or a job in your current place of employment.
Choose one job advertisement that best fits your current qualifications.
Find an ad that specifically mentions the name of the employer; don’t choose a ‘blind’ ad. You can make up any missing details such as address and recipient name when you write the cover letter.
Find an ad that includes all of the items in Part 3 – education, experience, skills, personal qualities, &miscellaneous.
You aren’t really applying for the job, so don’t worry if it isn’t your “dream” job or is a different location (you can pretend that you are willing to relocate); the most important element is that you actually qualify for it right now.
You will be using the same ad for this exercise and the “Job Correspondence” assignment.
Here are some suggested places to look for jobs or internships:
• Internet job boards and job search engines such as monster.com, career builder.com, careerrookie.com, internshipfinder.com, jobs-to-careers.com, indeed.com
• Specialty Internet job boards such as hcareers.com (hospitality jobs), theladders.com (management jobs), or criminaljusticejobshelp.com. Conduct a general internet search with your field + “jobs” or “careers.” Be careful though, some of these sites may require membership, but keep looking since there are plenty of free sites that you can search or may require free registration.
• Newspaper & online classifieds (look in cities than only where you live). As long as you don’t need a state license or certification, you can find a job in another city or state.
• Trade & professional organizations’ web sites
• Company websites (many web sites post jobs only on their sites; this is called the “hidden job market”)
Part 2: COPY & PASTE THE FULL JOB AD BELOW: Take out the graphics & any extraneous information; remove the spaces; condense the text; fit the ad in the below space. Don’t worry about font size; I can always enlarge it.
Part 3: Match your Qualifications to the Job Ad: Now look at the ad above and match the requirements from the ad to your own qualification to see if you are suited for this job. Fill in the “What the job ad wants” with one item per line (you can add more if you need to) then write whether you match the requirement or not. If not, simply write “don’t have.” You probably won’t have everything in the “What I have” column, but that’s okay. It’s also okay to add something to the “What I have” column that isn’t mentioned in the ad; for instance, you many have more years of experience than the ad asked for. List the items in order of most to least importance.
BE SPECIFIC and QUANTIFY your responses. I have given an example response for each category.
JOB TITLE
Example: Marketing Internship @ Nike
Category: What the employer wants What I have
Education:
High School, College, Certifications,
Training,
Licenses,
College courses taken, desired GPA, etc. Example: Undergraduate student, marketing major preferred; min. 3.0 GPA Example: Sophomore marketing major @ NSU; 3.4 GPA
Category: What the employer wants What I have
Experience:
Jobs, Internships, volunteering, years on job, level of experience, etc. Example: 1 year sales experience preferred
Example: worked 2 years at Victoria’s Secret
Category: What the employer wants What I have
Skills:
Computer hardware / software,
sales, cashier,
leadership,
writing,
communication,
language, etc… Example: social networking experience
Example: 5 years direct experience with sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc…
Category: What the employer wants What I have (give a specific example of the quality; don’t just say you have it.)
Personal Qualities:
hard working, independent, self-starter, quick-learner,
good communicator, Example: reliability
Example: never missed class in 2 years; never absent from work in 2 years
Category:
What the employer wants What I have (or am willing to do)
Miscellaneous such as:
Ability to relocate or travel, willingness to take a drug test or background check, US Citizenship, passport, travel experience, etc. Example: a passion for exercise
Example: work out 3 times a week; have a membership to a local health club
