Question

Response for those questions please,  "Resumes and Other Employment Materials" in Strategies for Technical Communication . ( please don't copy from any website, your own word)

1. Despite the many online job search tools available, why does our textbook say that "The human connection is always the best way to start looking for a job" (133)? Who are some people you could talk to on campus for job search help? Are there people you know outside of campus that could be resources for you?
2. Referring to page 154-156, please list the six main parts of a resume. Referring to the following pages in the chapter, what are the different ways to organize your resume, and how might you decide which way to use?
3. What are some things you can do to create the best possible resume, especially when you don't have a lot of work experience yet? (For example, you can list specific courses under the Education section.)
4. What does it mean to tailor your resume and cover letter to each job? Why is this important?
5. What is the purpose of an application (cover) letter; how does it complement the resume?
6. List a few important tips for writing a strong job application letter.
7. Think about your own job search. Is there a job you would like to get now that would help you advance in your chosen field? Is there an internship you would love to get to help with your educational goals? For this prompt, list the name of a company or organization you would like to work for, and using the ideas from the textbook, describe what steps you need to take to research this company or organization to further your job/internship search process.

Answer 1

Importance of network – Both On campus & Off Campus:

A strong network not only helps in finding a job, but also helps in finding the appropriate job as per the skills and knowledge. It is very important to have links with people already in the industry, to remain updated with market changes, sought skills and eligibility requirements in a particular field of work.

On campus the placement cell should be the first point of contact to know the list of companies that are going to conduct their recruitment drive in the campus. The counsellors must be approached to identify the skills and its suitability in a specific industry. Experienced professors can also help in identifying the right method to get short listed in a selection process, and they can also help to suggest certain weak areas which will require improvement to stand out from rest of the applicants.

People outside of the campus that can be resources are the alumni, mentors, connections on professional social media platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, etc.

These connections can help to refer for an open position in a company where they are working or in a different company where they used to work. They can also give idea and knowledge about the living style and areas of a particular country or city if someone is deciding to pursue a career in a different country.

6 main parts of a resume:

In the first part the contact information and identity must be mentioned like the name, email id, contact number, nationality, LinkedIn profile (if present) and picture.

Then comes the headline of the resume, which gives a brief about the educational qualification, experiences and the desired job designation. It is the very part that decides whether the hiring manager will be interested to read further or not. This part must be concise but at the same time it must be appealing and to the point.

This is followed by the objective, which forms the base of the resume. It will outline the goals and helps the applicant to express her/his aspiration, aim and dream.

In the fourth part the educational qualification must be mentioned along with the year of course completion and marks obtained.

The fifth part is crucial for experienced as well as fresher, because this part requires one to mention about the experiences and the name of the company, job role and responsibilities that the applicant already served. For fresher it will be the part where they can highlight their specialized skills to stand unique from other applicants.

The sixth part can be customized as per the candidate’s preference where she/he can list the names of references or choose to mention their achievements, awards and hobbies.

Resume writing for fresher with less or no experience:

For fresher with no prior experience the last three parts of the resume (4^th, 5^th & 6^th) will be important and must be outlined perfectly, they can list additional certificate courses taken, skills acquired through internships, they can mention the topics of dissertations and/or thesis submitted, special mention of the topics of presentations made can also be an added advantage. A fresher must mention her/his academic achievements, awards or hobbies to make the recruiter feel that they are going to hire a productive individual.

Writing a Cover Letter:

Every job is not the same, one must remember that a set of jobs with similar designation might belong to the same industry but the job roles and responsibilities can differ from one another. It is important to frame the resume and the cover letter as per the job requirements highlighting the key attributes required for the job. It is very much possible that one job requires to have good communication skills but on the other hand a job similar in nature might be demanding to have good negotiation skills.

A cover letter is a summary of the skills, experiences, interests and achievements of an applicant. It helps to connect of them with the job role highlighting the eligibility of the applicant in a comprehensive way. It is generally addressed to the hiring manager and helps to identify the level of interest of the candidate and how much she/he is eligible for the position in concern. Sometimes few people keep the cover letter very short to express their dexterity, confidence ad to stand out of the crowd.

Ø Cover letter must be short and to the point.

Ø It must show that the applicant is confident but one must never exaggerate her/his skills.

Ø It must have a respectful, dignified and requesting style of presentation, which will capture the manager’s immediate attention.

Ø The cover letter is written as an introduction and it should not become lengthy with details of all skills, qualification and competence. One must leave things for the interview process as well.

Ø It is important to mention availability for interview and by which date an applicant can start working.

Job Search:

I always wanted to work for one of the Global 500 companies, (Walmart, Royal Dutch Shell, Toyota Motor etc.) [Select one of your choice]

Designation can be the one in parallel with your academia (Business Development, HR, Operations, Procurement, Engineering, etc.)

I will create alerts on Google for the company of my choice to get immediate notification once there is an opening. I will be following the social media accounts of the company to remain updated with the events, advancements and business growth of the same.

I will also try to add people in my network who are already working in the same company and interact with them to gain some knowledge about the shortlisting and interview process. I can also ask them for internships opportunities in the relevant field while studying.

Research about the employee reviews, work culture, salary structure and growth opportunities through online portals and ask questions on open forum for further clarification.