group presentation

My group decided on talking about the topic of writing to get a job. During this presentation we talked about how to write a resume and a cover letter. These two things are some of the most important parts in the job search process. The first thing we discussed was the resume. It is a big part because it is the one thing that your future employer will look at that tells them all about your skills and what you have to offer. You pretty much tell them all about yourself. Then the next step is the cover letter. This is also important because you write all the other things about yourself that you did not cover in the resume. The method we approached was just basically explaining how to write each one of these and what you should put in them. Some of the pitfalls my group had were not knowing exactly what to put in resumes and cover letters because in the end it is all going to come down to what your employer is asking from you. My other group members were Joseph Albers and Chancelvie Louzolo-Nkindou.

Resumes and Cover Letters

Amber McAllister      Chancelvie Louzolo-Nkindou     Joseph Albers

Our topic is "Write to get a job" We chose this topic because after graduation, we all are looking for jobs. In this case, is it very important to know the right way of writing when they will be looking for a job. Therefore,we will be talking about how to write the resume and cover letters.

A resume is written document used to highlight your background and your skill set. You want your resume to grab the employers’ attention, in order to secure a future interview. In order to do this, your resume should be appealing to the eye and informative. Some ways to make your resume appealing to the eye, it should have an effective format. Invest time into the format and make it clear, concise, and to the point. Another way to make your resume appealing to the eye is using a readable typeface. This includes the size and font of the resumes. The three main resume styles are chronological, functional and hybrid. The resume should also be informative, by using your identification, career, education, honors, and your references. In addition to a resume, you also need a cover letter.

Cover letters are a very important piece to writing a resume. They cover many things. The main reason for a cover letter is to explain why you are sending the resume. With your cover letter you need to be very specific. Make it clear to the employer what you are looking to get out of the opportunity they are offering. Let them know that you have also done your research on the company. You do not want to go in for an interview with no knowledge what so ever. Also let them know how you found out about the opportunity. The cover letter will be read first, so make it count. Give them some knowledge about your background; show them you are qualified for what they are looking for. Show them your attitude, personality, motivation, enthusiasm, and communication skills. Make sure that you cover everything that was on the application that was not included in your resume. Cover letters should be roughly three paragraphs long. In the first one indicate why you are applying, and tell them about yourself. In the second one explain to them why you are interested and why they should consider you. And in the final paragraph make it known that you would like an interview or to speak to someone about the position. Also you need to make sure that you have your signature on the hard copy. Cover letters usually fall into two categories, applying for a specific job or to see if there are any openings. If you receive a follow up, make sure you send them a letter back saying thank and explaining why you would be a god candidate for the open position.

In conclusion, it is very important for students to know how to write a resume and cover letters. Because after graduation we will all be seeking for jobs. Put in your mind that an employer receives many applications but when your resume and cover letters are well done, you will have a chance to get a job interview. Hopefully, this information will be beneficial for you all when applying for a job.

 

Sources

 

http://www.career.vt.edu/JobSearchGuide/CoverLetterSamples.html (9/17/12)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9sum%C3%A9 (09/17/12)

http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/resumes/index.html (09/17/12)

 

Leo Writing to get a job.

I chose to research Writing to get a job. I feel like this is something we are all going to need to know how to do very well. This will help me to be able to know how to use larger words to show my developed skills.Also I would like to know the correct way to write cover letters and resumes.

Story

It’s a cool Christmas evening in Austin, Texas.  We have just arrived home from a long journey to Canada. Our family had gone up there on a fishing trip that turned bad. Once we arrived all they had were canoes, no boats left. I knew this was going to be an awfully long vacation. As I sit on the lake with my pole in the water I get a tug on my rod. My brother gets the ruler ready as I reel it in. Once it makes it was to the surface I notice that it is not a fish at all but a weird head, not human of course. To me I took this as some sort of bad luck. Once we made our way back to the villa we were staying at, I tied up our rental donkey and made my way inside. I was going to write to my grandmother about how my trip was going so far, but I had no stamps to send it to her. I started to cozy up in a very small blanket on the floor next to the fire since it was getting late. I finally realized that I was alone. I was also starving. Since I had given my brother my wallet to hold onto, I had no money to search for some place to eat. All that I could find was a bowl on chestnuts. I ate on these for nearly three days while I was left alone. Many things had happened to me. One morning I found a jar of dried fruit sitting on my doorstep. The next day was an old statue. I had no clue what these items had to do with anything. Finally on the last day of our trip my family had returned. They told me all of their stories about how they were captured by an old Chilean drummer. For some reason I could not help to think this all happened because of what I pulled out of the water on our first day. Now that we are safely back in Texas, I made it a vow to never return to that little villa.