Cover Letters, Résumés, & Job Interviewing

The Road to the Workforce

By: Duron L. Jones

Who is Duron?• Business & Career Consultant• Director of Business Institute at Seattle University• West Central Regional Manager at Washington FBLA

• Background:– Business Management with Entrepreneurship & Innovation– 10+ years in college planning & career development

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/duronjones

Cover Letter Résumé

Cover Letter

Not always required

Subjective

Meeting employer need

Letter format

Conveys interest

Similarities

Proof of your skillset

Advertising Tool

Demonstrate ability

Résumé

Always required

Fact Based

Employment history

Host certifications

Lists education

Accomplishment based

Job Listing• Take 5-minutes to complete task• Discuss with a neighbor if needed• Use Google if needed• Read the job posting handout• Look over the example résumé handout

– Identify what is wrong with the résumé– Make recommended changes for Natalia

Résumé Tips• Choose a basic yet professional font

(i.e. Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11)• Include contact information

(i.e. phone number, mailing address, professional email)• Include LinkedIn account link• Have a professional ring-back tone and voicemail• Include tailored objective• Include job posting keywords• Prioritize your résumé content• 1 page for every 5 year’s worth of experience• No more than 3 bullets per work experience• Utilize action words to describe work• Differentiate your résumé’s name

Resume (lastname, firstname).pdf

Résumé Completion• Review grammar and spelling• Google search yourself with name in quotations• Check social media visibility to the public

Things to Avoid• Lying• Lack of substance• Forcing keywords• Listing tasks/duties without showing results• Personal details

(i.e. marital status, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender)• Non-relevant hobbies

(News-bombing versus Writer)

Interviewing• What do employers look for?

Interviewing• Behavior• Ability to answer questions• Asking the right questions• Using SAR (situation, action, result) stories• Appearance

Informational Interview Networking

Job Shadow (Externship) Behavioral (Standard)

Case Study Presentation

Panel Telephone

Virtual (Skype)

Types of Interviews

The Golden Handshake• Not too strong, but not too weak• No sweaty palms• Don’t jerk their arm off• Avoid double handed handshake

• Stand and practice with someone in the room– Introduce yourself to them– Shake their hand– Tell them one unique thing about you.– See how many you can meet before time is called

Informational Interview• Meeting between industry rep & job seeker• Gather information on the field• Gather information on specific companies• ≠ Job interview; not about hiring• Less stressful• Ask about day-to-day activities• Research individual/industry/company before interview• Time is usually 15-minutes• Ask them to review your résumé (if you hit it off)• Show up 5-minutes before, be professional• Business casual; not overdressed but not underdressed• Take notes during the meeting but ask first• Send a thank you note/card/letter afterwards

Questions to Ask• What are other common titles used for your

position?• What are the duties performed during a typical

day/week/month/year?• What educational program is recommended as

preparation?• What kind of work/internship experience would

employers look for in a job applicant?• What are the demands and frustrations that typically

accompany this type of work?

Job Shadowing• Popular on the job learning, career development,

and leadership development intervention.• Accompanying a professional for several hours to

learn about their daily activities• Helps both parties to learn and exchange ideas• It helps in networking and exploring opportunities• Research individual/industry/company beforehand• Show up 5-minutes before, be professional• Ask what appropriate attire for their job site is• Be prepared to share about yourself: work values, interests,

skills, work style and why the career choice is of interest.• Send a thank you note/card/letter afterwards

What do employers look for?Ask them if you can take notes• Confidence – eye contact, handshake, attire• Emotional maturity• Personality – smile, small talk, stay calm• Enthusiasm – speak up, get excited, ask questions• Work ethic – be early• Dedication – follow up• Team player – be nice• Judgment – be mindful of your social media sites• Communication – e-mail, phone, self introduction• Positive demeanor – nice to be around• Diversity – set yourself apart from other applicants

NOTE: The interview starts when you arrive in the parking lot

Showcasing your DiversityJob Specific Competencies• Assertiveness• Communication effectiveness• Coping• Creativity & imagination• Dealing with ambiguity• Flexibility• Goal setting/achieivng• Management effectiveness• Policy & procedures• Strategic/critical thinking

Perfect Practice• Think of a time you had to deal with an unhappy

person at work or school• Find a peer to talk with, assign A and B to each• Use SAR (Situation, Action, Result) to tell your story• Take 3-minutes to share your story

– After the buzzer take 2-minutes for feedback, what they liked and what you can improve on for your story.

– Switch to person B after the buzzer• Things to think about

– What was the situation or task, and what lead to it?– What was your role?– What was the action you took, and what result came from it?– Be specific and engaging

Closing the Interview• Ask good functional questions based on research• Ask what the next step for the process is• Tell them why the position is right for you based on what

was discussed in the interview• Ask them if it would be possible to take a tour or meet

some of the key people of the team• Thank them with a handshake

Making the Cut• Send a thank you card immediately• Do not send an e-mail from your phone• Be accessible with a professional voicemail• Next interviews are just as important as the first• Make sure your social network sites are professional• Remember the interview starts when you arrive in the

parking lot of the organization

ContactDuron

CEO of Youth Empowerment Society – Consulting, LLC

duron@yesconsulting.org@duron_jones

linkedin.com/in/duronjonesyesconsulting.org/duron-jones