Chautauqua Works Summer Youth Employment Program

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Chautauqua Works Summer Youth Employment Program

• Work Readiness Work Shop

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Contents

• Portfolio
• Application
• Cover letter
• Resume
• References
• Follow-up and thank you letters

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Portfolio

• What is a portfolio?
• A portfolio demonstrates a level of preparedness
  beyond the simple resume.
• A portfolio is an opportunity to show off skills,
  strengths and talents.
• A portfolio should be taken with you on job
  interviews.
• The portfolio should be reviewed every few months
  or as you gain new skills, strengths and talents.
• By the end of the Summer Youth Employment Program
  each youth will have developed a portfolio.

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Portfolio

• A portfolio should include
• A personal profile the 60-second infomercial
  about you
• Resume/fact sheet
• Five-year plan
• Work essential documents
• Academic documents
• Samples of work
• Awards and recognition
• References
• Community resources

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Application
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Application

• Take your time filling out the application,
  employers want to see your handwriting, correct
  spelling and accurate information.
• Make sure you go prepared to fill out the
  application on site
• Bring 2 pens with you, never ask for a pen
  because this gives the appearance of being
  unprepared
• Have a copy of your cover letter, resume and
  references

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Cover Letter
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Cover Letter

• If an employer asks for a cover letter be sure to
  include one, as some employers use that as a
  screening tool, meaning if you did not include
  one you may be screened out.
• Even if an employer does not request one, it is
  always good business etiquette to include one.
• Dont merely copy your resume, but instead sell
  yourself to the employer, use this as an
  opportunity to demonstrate why the employer
  should choose you.
• Spend some extra time customizing your cover
  letter to mention the desired skills you possess
  that the employer requested in their posting.
  (e.g. multitasking)
• Direct the letter to the individual that is in
  charge of hiring for that position, if you do not
  know the persons name, find out.

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Cover Letter

• Provide your contact information at the top of
  the letter
• Direct the letter to the person in charge of
  hiring
• Include a reference code where you reference
  where you learned about the opening and which
  opening you are applying for, as the company may
  be hiring for various positions
• The body of your letter should be a sales pitch,
  sell yourself to the company by highlighting your
  skills and credentials that the company
  referenced
• Keep your letter positive and upbeat
• In the final paragraph express your strong
  interest in an interview and state that you will
  follow up to ensure that your resume was received
• End the letter with a professional close, such as
  Best regards, Sincerely, or Respectfully
  yours

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• Your Name
• Your Street Address
• City, State Zip
• Your Email Address
• Your Telephone Number
• Date
• Hiring Managers Name
• Title
• Company
• Street Address
• City, State Zip
• Dear Name
• Introduction
• Body of Letter

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Resume
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Resume

• What is a resume?
• Review of your work-related experiences
• Essential information only
• Skills, strengths and talents focused
• Unique what makes you distinctive
• Marketing yourself to an employer
• Effective gets you an interview

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Resume

• Information that is relevant on a resume
• Contact Information
• Objective
• Education
• Relevant Coursework
• Extracurricular Activities
• Experience
• Part-time Jobs
• Volunteer Work
• Awards
• References

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Resume

• Activity
• Retail Sales Position or Restaurant Wait Service
• Which courses would be applicable to the chosen
  position and which are not?
• Which extracurricular activities would be
  applicable to the chosen position and which ones
  are not?

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Resume

• Activity (continued)
• Coursework in mathematics may be relevant to the
  sales position because the job requires working
  with money and numbers
• Coursework in keyboarding may not be as relevant,
  but would be for an administrative support
  position

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Resume

• Activity (continued)
• Extracurricular Activities and After School
  Programs may be relevant if they contain
  leadership and teamwork activities
• In which case, these would be added to
  demonstrate the applicants ability to take on
  extra responsibility or to work well with others
  in a group setting
• Involvement in drama club may be relevant for
  someone applying for a position working with
  children, but may not be useful for someone
  working in an office setting

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Resume

• Resume Essentials
• Before you write, take time to do a
  self-assessment on paper. Outline your skills and
  abilities as well as your work experience and
  extracurricular activities. This will make it
  easier to prepare a thorough resume.

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Resume

• Contact Information
• Name, Address, Telephone Number and Email Address
  should go at the top of your resume
• Avoid nicknames.
• Use a permanent address.
• Use a permanent telephone number and be sure to
  include the area code. If you have an answering
  machine, be sure to record a neutral greeting.
• When using an email address, choose one that
  sounds professional.

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Resume

• Objective
• An objective tells potential employers the sort
  of work youre hoping to do.
• Be specific about the job you want. For example
  To obtain an entry-level position within a
  financial institution requiring strong analytical
  and organizational skills.
• Tailor your objective to each employer you
  target/every job you seek.

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Resume

• Education
• Students and new graduates without a lot of work
  experience should list their educational
  information first.
• Your most recent educational information is
  listed first.
• If graduated, include your degree (A.S., B.S.,
  B.A., etc.), major, institution attended or
  attending, and minor or concentration.
• Add your grade point average (GPA) if it is
  higher than 3.0.
• Mention academic honors.

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Resume

• Work Experience
• Briefly give the employer an overview of work
  that has taught you skills. Use action words to
  describe your job duties. Include your work
  experience in reverse chronological order that
  is, put your last job first and work backward to
  your first relevant job.
• Include
• Title of position
• Name of organization
• Location of work (town, state)
• Dates of employment
• Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis
  on specific skills and achievements

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Resume Action Words

• A accomplish, adapt, administer, advise,
  advocate, analyze, arrange, assess, assist
• B balance, bargain, brainstorm, built
• C calculate, change, check, clarify, coach,
  collaborate, communicate, compile, compose,
  conduct, contribute, construct, coordinate,
  create
• D decide, deliver, demonstrate, design,
  develop, discover, distribute, drive
• E edit, encourage, engage, enforce, establish,
  evaluate, examine, exceed, execute, explore
• F facilitate, file, follow, formulate, founded
• G generate, give, guide

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Resume Action Words

• I identify, implement, improve, influence,
  increase, initiate, inspect, inspired, instruct,
  install, integrate, interpret, invent,
  investigate
• L lead, learn, led, listen, lobbied
• M make, manage, mediate, mentor, modify,
  monitor, motivate
• N negotiate
• O observe, operate, organize
• P paint, perform, persuade, photograph, pilot,
  plan, prepare, present, preside, print, produce,
  program, promote, provide, publicize, purchase
• R recommend, reconcile, recruit, reduce,
  relate, renegotiate, reorganize, repair, report,
  represent, research, reshape, resolve, restore,
  review
• S save, schedule, sell, shape, share, simplify,
  solve, speak, strategize, study, succeed,
  supervise
• T taught, teach, train, translate, tutor, type

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Resume

• Other Information
• A retention specialist can advise you on other
  information that you may add to your resume, such
  as
• Key or special skills or competencies
• Leadership experience in volunteer organizations
• Participation in sports

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Resume

• References
• Ask people if they are willing to serve as
  references before you give their names to a
  potential employer.
• Do not include your reference information on your
  resume. You may note at the bottom of your
  resume, References furnished upon request.

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Resume

• Dont forget
• Run a spell check on your resume before you hand
  out your resume.
• Get a friend (an English major), an English
  teacher or a professor to do a grammar review.
• Ask another friend to proofread. The more people
  who see your resume, the more likely that
  misspelled words and awkward phrases will be seen
  and corrected.

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Resume

• Design
• These tips will make your resume easier to read
  and/or scan into an employers database.
• Use white or off-white paper.
• Use 8-1/2 x 11-inch paper
• Print on one side of the paper.
• Use a font size of 10 to 14 points.
• Use non-decorative typefaces.
• Choose one typeface and stick with it.
• Avoid italics, script, and underlined words.
• Do not use horizontal or vertical lines, graphics
  or shading.
• Do not fold or staple your resume.
• If you must mail your resume, put it in a large
  envelope.

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References
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References

• References should include
• Work References
• Supervisor
• Coworker
• Customer
• Personal References
• Community leaders
• Mentors
• Educational References
• Instructor
• Professor
• Advisor

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References

• Carefully select references
• Choose references that know the value of your
  work and will speak positively about you
• Dont include references that have impressive
  titles but dont know much about you
• Your references should have good communication
  skills so they can convince hiring managers you
  would be a valued employee
• Speak with each of your references to ensure that
  they fully understand your skills and
  accomplishments, this will help them effectively
  sell you to the hiring managers

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Follow-up and Thank You Letters

• After a job interview there are several ways you
  can keep the potential employer's attention on
  YOU as the likely person to hire, through thank
  you and follow-up letters.
• Thank you letters are critical to your job search
  success.
• Thank you letters should be typed.
• Job-seekers should send a thank-you letter right
  after you've been on a job interview. At the very
  latest, send thank-you or follow-up letters by
  mail within 24 hours of an interview.

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Follow-up and Thank you Letters

• Thank you letters
• In the first paragraph, thank the interviewer (or
  express your appreciation) for the chance to meet
  with them to discuss the job and see the premises
  (use the term "meeting" rather than "interview"
  if it seems appropriate). Make some reference to
  your positive impressions of the company.
• In the second paragraph, offer some new
  information or additional reason for the employer
  to be interested in you for that job-perhaps a
  "goodie" that you didn't mention in the
  interview. (You might even link this new
  information to a problem or opportunity the
  company is experiencing.) Repeat the job title
  you are applying for, and show continued interest
  in it.
• In the last paragraph, let the employer know
  (graciously) that you expect to hear from them
  again and "plant" the idea in her mind of a phone
  call to you. Make it clear you're willing to come
  in and discuss the job further, if necessary.

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Follow-up and Thank You Letters

• Sample Interview Follow-up Letter
• 7 Apple Court
• Eugene, OR 97401
• 503-555-0303
• Mr. Archie Weatherby
• California Investments, Inc.
• 25 Sacramento Street
• San Francisco, CA 94102
• Dear Mr. Weatherby,
• Thank you for taking the time to discuss the
  insurance broker position at California
  Investments, Inc., with me. After meeting with
  you and observing the company's operations, I am
  further convinced that my background and skills
  coincide well with your needs.
• I really appreciate that you took so much time to
  acquaint me with the company. It is no wonder
  that California Investments retains its employees
  for so long. I feel I could learn a great deal
  from you and would certainly enjoy working with
  you.
• In addition to my qualifications and experience,
  I will bring excellent work habits and judgment
  to this position. With the countless demands on
  your time, I am sure that you require people who
  can be trusted to carry out their
  responsibilities with minimal supervision.
• I look forward, Mr. Weatherby, to hearing from
  you concerning your hiring decision. Again, thank
  you for your time and consideration.
• Sincerely,
• John Oakley