QUICK
JOB SEARCH

Seven Steps to Getting a Good Job in Less Time

The Complete Text of a Results-Oriented Book by Michael Farr

Millions of job seekers have found better jobs faster using the techniques in the Quick Job Search. So can you! The Quick Job Search covers the essential steps proven to cut job search time in half and is used widely by job search programs throughout North America. Topics include how to identify your key skills, define your ideal job, write a great resume quickly, use the most effective job search methods, get more interviews, and much more.

If you completed “Using the Job-Match Grid to Choose a Career” earlier in this book, the activities in this section will complement those efforts by helping you to define other skills you possess, focus your resume, and get a job quickly.

While it is a section in this book, the Quick Job Search is available from JIST Publishing as a separate booklet.

Quick Job Search Is Short, But It May Be All You Need

While Quick Job Search is short, it covers the basics on how to explore career options and conduct an effective job search. While these topics can seem complex, I have found some simple truths about looking for a job:

• If you are going to work, you might as well look for what you really want to do and are good at.
• If you are looking for a job, you might as well use techniques that will reduce the time it takes to find one—and that help you get a better job than you might otherwise.

That’s what I emphasize in Quick Job Search.

Trust Me—Do the Worksheets. I know you will resist completing the worksheets. But trust me. They are worth your time. Doing them will give you a better sense of what you are good at, what you want to do, and how to go about getting it. You will also most likely get more interviews and present yourself better. Is this worth giving up a night of TV? Yes, I think so.

Once you finish this book and its activities, you will have spent more time planning your career than most people do. And you will know more than the average job seeker about finding a job.

Why Such a Short Book? I’ve taught job seeking skills for many years, and I’ve written longer and more-detailed books than this one. Yet I have often been asked to tell someone, in a few minutes or hours, the most important things they should do in their career planning or job search. Instructors and counselors also ask the same question, because they have only a short time to spend with folks they’re trying to help. I’ve given this a lot of thought, and the seven topics in this book are the ones I think are most important to know.

This book is short enough to scan in a morning and conduct a more effective job search that afternoon. Granted, doing all the activities would take more time, but they will prepare you far better than scanning the book. Of course, you can learn more about all the topics it covers, but this book, Quick Job Search, may be all you need.

I wish you well.

You can’t just read about getting a job. The best way to get a job is to go out and get interviews! And the best way to get interviews is to make a job out of getting a job.

After many years of experience, I have identified just seven basic things you need to do that make a big difference in your job search. Each will be covered and expanded on in this book.

1. Identify your key skills and develop a “skills language” to describe yourself.
2. Define your ideal job.
3. Use the most effective methods to find a job in less time.
4. Write a sample resume now and a better one later.
5. Organize your time to get two interviews a day.
6. Dramatically improve your interviewing skills.
7. Follow up on all leads.

So, without further delay, let’s get started!

One survey of employers found that about 90 percent of the people they interviewed might have the required job skills, but they could not describe those skills and thereby prove that they could do the job they sought. They could not answer the basic question “Why should I hire you?”

Knowing and describing your skills is essential to doing well in interviews. This same knowledge is important to help you decide what type of job you will enjoy and do well. For these reasons, I consider identifying your skills a necessary part of a successful career plan or job search.

The Three Types of Skills

Most people think of their skills as job-related skills, such as using a computer. But we all have other types of skills that are important for success on a job—and that are important to employers. The following triangle arranges skills in three groups, and I think that this is a very useful way to consider skills as you use this book, Quick Job Search.

Let’s look at these three types of skills—self-management, transferable, and job-related—and identify those that are most important to you.

Self-Management Skills

Self-management skills (also known as adaptive skills or personality traits) are the things that make you a good worker. They describe your basic personality and your ability to adapt to new environments, as well as provide the foundation for other skills. They are some of the most important skills to emphasize in interviews, yet most job seekers don’t realize their importance—and don’t mention them.

Review the Self-Management Skills Checklist that follows and put a check mark beside any skills you have. The key self-management skills listed first cover abilities that employers find particularly important. If one or more of the key self-management skills apply to you, mentioning them in interviews can help you greatly.

After you finish checking the list, circle the five skills you feel are most important for the job you want and write them in the box that follows.

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Note

When thinking about their skills, some people find it helpful to complete the Essential Job Search Data Worksheet that starts on page 347. It organizes skills and accomplishments from previous jobs and other life experiences. Take a look at it and decide whether to complete it now or later.

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Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are skills that can be used on more than one job. Often these skills are things that you naturally do well or that are an essential part of your personality, and are the foundations for other skills. We all have skills that can transfer from one job or career to another. For example, the ability to organize events could be used in a variety of jobs and may be essential for success in certain occupations.

Your mission is to find a job that requires the skills you have and enjoy using. But first, you need to identify your top transferable skills.

When you are finished, circle the five transferable skills you feel are most important for you to use in your next job and list them below.

Job-Related Skills

Job-content or job-related skills are those you need to do a particular occupation. A carpenter, for example, needs to know how to use various tools. Before you select job-related skills to emphasize, you must first have a clear idea of the jobs you want. So let’s put off developing your job-related skills list until you have defined the job you want—the topic that is covered next.

Too many people look for a job without clearly knowing what they are looking for. Before you go out seeking a job, I suggest that you first define exactly what you want—not just a job but the job.

Most people think that a job objective is the same as a job title, but it isn’t. You need to consider other elements of what makes a job satisfying for you. Then, later, you can decide what that job is called and what industry it might be in. You can compromise on what you consider your ideal job later if you need to.

Is It Possible to Find Your Ideal Job?

Can you find a job that meets all the criteria you just defined? Perhaps. Some people do. The harder you look, the more likely you are to find it. But you will likely need to compromise, so it is useful to know what is most important to include in your next job. Go back over your responses to the eight factors and mark a few of those that you would most like to have in your ideal job.

How Can You Explore Specific Job Titles and Industries?

You might find your ideal job in an occupation you haven’t considered yet. And, even if you are sure of the occupation you want, it may be in an industry that is unfamiliar to you. This combination of occupation and industry forms the basis for your job search, and you should consider a variety of options.

There are thousands of job titles, and many jobs are highly specialized, employing just a few people. Although one of these more specialized jobs might be just what you want, most work falls within more general job titles that employ large numbers of people.

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Note

You can find thorough descriptions for the job titles in the preceding list in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor. Its descriptions include information on earnings training and education needed to hold specific jobs, working conditions, advancement opportunities, projected growth, and sources for additional information. Most libraries have this book.

You also can find descriptions of these jobs on the Internet. Go to www.bls.gov/oco/.

The New Guide for Occupational Exploration also provides more information on the interest areas and jobs used in this list. This book is published by JIST Publishing and describes more than 900 major jobs, arranged within groupings of related jobs.

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Is Self-Employment or Starting a Business an Option?

More than one in 10 workers are self-employed or own their own businesses. If these options interest you, consider them as well. Talk to people in similar roles to gather information, and look for books and Web sites that provide information on options that are similar to those that interest you. Examples of jobs with high percentages of self-employed workers include

Farmers and ranchers

Multimedia artists and animators

Copywriters

Poets, lyricists, and creative writers

Massage therapists

Real estate brokers

The Small Business Administration’s Web site at www.sba.gov is a good source of basic information on starting your own business.

Identify Your Job-Related Skills for Your Ideal Job

Back on page 307, I suggested that you should first define the job you want and then identify key job-related skills you have that support your ability to do that job. These are the job-related skills to emphasize in interviews.

So, now that you have determined your ideal job (the one you put a star next to on page 314), you can pinpoint the job-related skills it requires. If you haven’t done so, complete the Essential Job Search Data Worksheet on pages 347–352. Completing it will give you specific skills and accomplishments to highlight. Look up your ideal job at http://online.onetcenter.org/. See which skills are required for this job. Then see how many of those overlap with the skills you have.

Yes, completing that worksheet requires time, but doing so will help you clearly define key skills to emphasize in interviews—when what you say matters so much. People who complete that worksheet will do better in their interviews than those who don’t. After you complete the Essential Job Search Data Worksheet, you are ready to list your top five job-related skills.

Employer surveys have found that most employers don’t advertise their job openings. They most often hire people they already know, people who find out about the jobs through word of mouth, or people who happen to be in the right place at the right time. Although luck plays a part in finding job openings, you can use the tips in this step to increase your luck.

Most job seekers don’t know how ineffective some traditional job hunting techniques tend to be. For example, the chart below shows that fewer than 15 percent of all job seekers get jobs from the newspaper want ads, most of which also appear online. Other traditional techniques include using public and private employment agencies, filling out paper and electronic applications, and mailing or e-mailing unsolicited resumes.

How people find jobs.

Informal, nontraditional job seeking methods have a much larger success rate. These methods are active rather than passive and include making direct contact with employers and networking.

The truth is that every job search method works for someone. But experience and research show that some methods are more effective than others are. Your task in the job search is to spend more of your time using more effective methods—and increase the effectiveness of all the methods you use. Let’s start by looking at the most effective job search methods.

Use the Two Job Search Methods That Work Best

The fact is that most jobs are not advertised, so how do you find them? The same way that about two-thirds of all job seekers do: networking with people you know (which I call making warm contacts) and directly contacting employers (which I call making cold contacts). Both of these methods are based on the job search rule you should know above all:

Employers fill most jobs with people they meet before a job is formally open. The trick is to meet people who can hire you before a job is formally available. Instead of asking whether the employer has any jobs open, I suggest that you say, “I realize you may not have any openings now, but I would still like to talk to you about the possibility of future openings.”

Most Effective Job Search Method 1: Develop a Network of Contacts in Five Easy Stages

Studies find that 40 percent of all people located their jobs through a lead provided by a friend, a relative, or an acquaintance. That makes the people you know your number one source of job leads—more effective than all the traditional methods combined! Developing and using your contacts is called networking, and here’s how it works:

1. Make lists of people you know. Make a thorough list of anyone you are friendly with. Then make a separate list of all your relatives. These two lists alone often add up to 25 to 100 people or more. Next, think of other groups of people that you have something in common with, such as former coworkers or classmates, members of your social or sports groups, members of your professional association, former employers, neighbors, and other groups. You might not know many of these people personally or well, but most will help you if you ask them. An easy way to find networking contacts is to join an online networking site such as LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com).

2. Contact each person in your list in a systematic way. Obviously, some people will be more helpful than others, but any one of them might help you find a job lead.

3. Present yourself well. Begin with your friends and relatives. Call and tell them you are looking for a job and need their help. Be as clear as possible about the type of employment you want and the skills and qualifications you have. Look at the sample JIST Card and phone script later in this step for good presentation ideas.

4. Ask your contacts for leads. It is possible that your contacts will know of a job opening that interests you. If so, get the details and get right on it! More likely, however, they will not, so you should ask each person the Three Magic Networking Questions.

5. Contact these referrals and ask them the same questions. From each person you contact, try to get two names of other people you might contact. Doing this consistently can extend your network of acquaintances by hundreds of people. Eventually, one of these people will hire you or refer you to someone who will!

If you are persistent in following these five steps, networking might be the only job search method you need. It works.

Most Effective Job Search Method 2: Contact Employers Directly

It takes more courage, but making direct contact with employers is a very effective job search technique. I call these “cold contacts” because people you don’t know in advance will need to warm up to your inquiries. Two basic techniques for making cold contacts follow.

Use the yellow pages to find potential employers. Begin by looking at the index in the front of your phone book’s yellow pages. For each entry, ask yourself, “Would an organization of this kind need a person with my skills?” If you answer “Yes,” then that organization or business type is a possible target. You can also rate “Yes” entries based on your interest, writing a “1” next to those that seem very interesting, a “2” next to those that you are not sure of, and a “3” next to those that aren’t interesting at all.

Next, select a type of organization that got a “Yes” response and turn to that section of the yellow pages. Call each organization listed there and ask to speak to the person who is most likely to hire or supervise you—typically the manager of the business or a department head—not the personnel or human resources manager. A sample telephone script is included later in this section to give you ideas about what to say.

You can easily adapt this approach for use on the Internet by using sites such as www.yellowpages.com to get contacts anywhere in the world, or you can find phone and e-mail contacts on an employer’s own Web site.

Drop in without an appointment. Another effective cold contact method is to just walk into a business or organization that interests you and ask to speak to the person in charge. Although dropping in is particularly effective in small businesses, it also works surprisingly well in larger ones. Remember to ask for an interview even if there are no openings now. If your timing is inconvenient, ask for a better time to come back for an interview.

Create a Powerful Job Search Tool: The JIST Card^®

Look at the sample cards that follow. They are JIST Cards, and they get results. They can be computer printed or even neatly written on a 3-by-5–inch card. JIST Cards include the essential information employers want to know.

A JIST Card Is a Mini Resume

JIST Cards have been used by thousands of job search programs and millions of people. Employers like their direct and timesaving format, and they have been proven as an effective tool to get job leads. Attach one to your resume. Give them to friends, relatives, and other contacts and ask them to pass them along to others who might know of an opening. Enclose them in thank-you notes after interviews. Leave one with employers as a business card. However you get them in circulation, you may be surprised at how well they work.

You can easily create JIST Cards on a computer and print them on card stock you can buy at any office-supply store. Or you can have a few hundred printed cheaply by a local quick-print shop. Although they are often done as 3-by-5 cards, they can be printed in any size or format, including standard business card size.

A JIST Card Can Lead to an Effective Phone Script

The phone is an essential job search tool that can get you more interviews per hour than any other method. But the technique won’t work unless you use it actively throughout your search. After you have created your JIST Card, you can use it as the basis for a phone script to make warm or cold calls. Revise your JIST Card content so that it sounds natural when spoken, and then edit it until you can read it out loud in about 30 seconds. The sample phone script that follows is based on the content of a JIST Card. Use it to help you modify your own JIST Card into a phone script.

“Hello. My name is Pam Nykanen. I am interested in a position in hotel management. I have four years of experience in sales, catering, and accounting with a 300-room hotel. I also have an associate degree in hotel management, plus one year of experience with the Brady Culinary Institute. During my employment, I helped double revenues from meetings and conferences and increased bar revenues by 46 percent. I have good problem-solving skills and am good with people. I am also well-organized, hardworking, and detail-oriented. When may I come in to talk with you about opportunities in your organization?”

With your script in hand, make some practice calls to warm or cold contacts. If making cold calls, contact the person most likely to supervise you. Then present your script just as you practiced it—without stopping.

Although the sample script assumes that you are calling someone you don’t know, you can change it to address warm contacts and referrals. Making cold calls takes courage but works very well for many who are willing to do it.

Use the Internet in Your Job Search

The Internet has limitations as a job search tool. While many have used it to get job leads, it has not worked well for far more. Too many assume they can simply add their resume to resume databases and employers will line up to hire them. Just like the older approach of sending out lots of resumes, good things sometimes happen, but not often.

I recommend two points that apply to all job search methods, including using the Internet:

• It is unwise to rely on just one or two methods in conducting your job search.
• It is essential that you use an active rather than a passive approach in your job search.

Use More Than One Job Search Method

I encourage you to use the Internet in your job search, but I suggest that you use it along with other techniques. Use the same sorts of job search techniques online as you do offline, including contacting employers directly and building up a network of personal contacts that can help you with your search.

Check Out Career-Specific Sites First

Thousands of Internet sites provide lists of job openings and information on careers or education. The best-known general job boards are CareerBuilder (www.careerbuilder.com), Monster (www.monster.com), and Yahoo! Hotjobs (http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/). Perhaps even more helpful are job aggregator sites, which pull jobs from all over the Web into one place. Two of the best-known aggregators are Indeed (www.indeed.com) and Simply Hired (www.simplyhired.com).

Get the Most Out of Less Effective Job Search Methods

Now let’s look at some traditional job search methods and how you can increase their effectiveness. Only about one-third of all job seekers get their jobs using one of these methods, but you should still consider using them to some extent in your search.

Newspaper and Internet Help-Wanted Ads

Most jobs are never advertised, and fewer than 15 percent of all people get their jobs through the want ads. Everyone who reads the paper knows about these openings, so competition is fierce for the few advertised jobs.

The Internet also lists many job openings. But, as happens with newspaper ads, enormous numbers of people view these postings. Many job seekers make direct contact with employers via a company’s Web site. Some people do get jobs through the bigger sites, so go ahead and apply. Just be sure to spend most of your time using more effective methods.

Filling Out Applications

Most employers require job seekers to complete a paper application form, a kiosk application on a computer at the front of the store, or an online application on the company’s Web site. Applications are designed to collect negative information, and employers use applications to screen people out. If, for example, your training or work history is not the best, you will often never get an interview, even if you can do the job.

Completing applications is a more effective approach for young and entry-level job seekers. The reason is that there is usually greater need for workers for the relatively low-paying jobs typically sought by less-experienced job seekers. As a result, when employers try to fill those positions, they are more willing to accept a lack of experience or fewer job skills. Even so, you will get better results by filling out the application, if asked to do so, and then requesting an interview with the person in charge.

When you complete an application, make it neat and error free, and do not include anything that could get you screened out. If necessary, leave a problem section blank. You can always explain situations in an interview.

Public and Private Employment Agencies and Services

There are three types of employment agencies. One is operated by the government and is free. The others, private employment agencies and temp agencies, are run as for-profit businesses and charge a fee to either you or an employer. Following are the advantages and disadvantages to using each.

The government employment service and One-Stop centers. Each state and province has a network of local offices to pay unemployment compensation, provide job leads, and offer other services—at no charge to you or to employers. The service’s name varies by region. It may be called Job Service, Department of Labor, Unemployment Office, Workforce Development, WorkOne, or another name. All of these offices are now online. You can find your local office at www.careeronestop.org.

The Employment and Training Administration Web site at www.doleta.gov gives you information on the programs provided by the government employment service, plus links to other useful sites.

Visit your local office early in your job search. Find out whether you qualify for unemployment compensation and learn more about its services. Look into it—the price is right.

Private employment agencies. Private employment agencies are businesses that charge a fee either to you or to the employer that hires you. Fees can be from less than one month’s pay to 15 percent or more of your annual salary. You will often see these agencies’ ads in the help-wanted section of the newspaper. Most have Web sites. Be careful about using fee-based employment agencies. Recent research indicates that more people use and benefit from fee-based agencies than in the past. However, relatively few people who register with private agencies get a job through them.

If you use a private employment agency, ask for interviews with the employers who agree to pay the agency’s fee. Do not sign an exclusive agreement or be pressured into accepting a job. Also, continue to actively look for your own leads. You can find these agencies in the phone book’s yellow pages, and many state- or province-government Web sites offer lists of the private employment agencies in their states.

Temporary agencies. Temporary agencies offer jobs that last from several days to many months. They charge the employer an hourly fee, and then pay you a bit less and keep the difference. You pay no direct fee to the agency. Many private employment agencies now provide temporary jobs as well.

Temp agencies have grown rapidly for good reason. They provide employers with short-term help, and employers often use them to find people they might want to hire later. If the employers are dissatisfied, they can just ask the agency for different temp workers.

Temp agencies can help you survive between jobs and get experience in different work settings. Temp jobs provide a very good option while you look for long-term work, and you might get a job offer while working in a temp job. Holding a temporary job might even lead to a regular job with the same or a similar employer.

School and Other Employment Services

Only a small percentage of job seekers use school and other special employment services, probably because few job seekers have the service available to them. If you are a student or graduate, find out about any employment services at your school. Some schools provide free career counseling, resume writing help, referrals to job openings, career interest tests, reference materials, Web sites listing job openings, and other services. Special career programs work with veterans, people with disabilities, welfare recipients, union members, professional groups, and many others. So check out these services and consider using them.

Mailing Out Lots of Resumes Blindly

Many job search experts used to suggest that sending out lots of resumes was a great technique. That advice probably helped sell their resume books, but mailing resumes to people you do not know was never an effective approach. It very rarely works. A recent survey of 1,500 successful job seekers showed that only 2 percent found their positions through sending an unsolicited resume. The same is true for the Internet.

Although mailing your resume to strangers doesn’t make much sense, posting it on the Internet might because

• It doesn’t take much time.
• Many employers have the potential to find your resume.
• You can post your resume on niche sites that attract only employers in your field.
• Your Internet resume is easily updated, allowing you to post your current accomplishments.
• You can easily link your resume to projects and Web sites that highlight your accomplishments.

Job searching on the Internet has its limitations, just like other methods. I’ll cover resumes in more detail later and provide tips on using the Internet throughout this book.

Sending out resumes and waiting for responses is not an effective job seeking technique. But many employers will ask you for a resume, and it can be a useful tool in your job search. I suggest that you begin with a simple resume you can complete quickly. I’ve seen too many people spend weeks working on a resume when they could have been out getting interviews instead. If you want a better resume, you can work on it on weekends and evenings. So let’s begin with the basics.

The following tips make sense for any resume format:

• Write it yourself. It’s okay to look at other resumes for ideas, but write yours yourself. Doing so will force you to organize your thoughts and background.
• Make it error free. One spelling or grammar error will create a negative impression. Get someone else to review your final draft for any errors. Then review it again because these rascals have a way of slipping in.
• Make it look good. Poor copy quality, cheap paper, bad type quality, or anything else that creates a poor appearance will turn off employers to even the best resume content. Get professional help with design and printing if necessary. Many professional resume writers and even print shops offer writing and desktop design services if you need help.
• Be brief, be relevant. Many good resumes fit on one page, and few justify more than two. Include only the most important points. Use short sentences and action words. If it doesn’t relate to and support the job objective, cut it!
• Be honest. Don’t overstate your qualifications. If you end up getting a job you can’t handle, who does it help? And a lie can result in your being fired later.
• Be positive. Emphasize your accomplishments and results. A resume is no place to be too humble or to display your faults.
• Be specific. Instead of saying, “I am good with people,” say, “I supervised four people in the warehouse and increased productivity by 30 percent.” Use numbers whenever possible, such as the number of people served, percentage of sales increase, or amount of dollars saved.

Never delay or slow down your job search because your resume is not good enough. The best approach is to create a simple and acceptable resume as quickly as possible and then use it. As time permits, create a better one if you feel you must.

Writing Chronological Resumes

Most resumes use a chronological format where the most recent experience is listed first, followed by each preceding job. Most employers prefer this format. It works fine for someone with work experience in several similar jobs, but not as well for those with limited experience or for career changers.

Look at the two resumes for Judith Jones that follow. Both use the chronological approach.

The first resume would work fine for most job search needs. It could be completed in about an hour. Notice that the second one includes some improvements. The first resume is good, but most employers would like the additional positive information in the improved resume.

Basic Chronological Resume Example

Everything in this resume supports the candidate’s job objective. The emphasis on all related education is important because it helps overcome her lack of extensive work experience.

Improved Chronological Resume Example

This improved version of the basic resume adds lots of details and specific numbers throughout to reinforce skills.

Tips for Writing a Simple Chronological Resume

Follow these tips as you write a basic chronological resume:

• Name: Use your formal name (not a nickname).
• Address and contact information: Avoid abbreviations in your address and include your ZIP code. If you might move, use a friend’s address or include a forwarding address. Most employers will not write to you, so provide reliable phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and other contact options. Always include your area code in your phone number because you never know where your resume might travel. Make sure that you have an answering machine or voice mail, and record a professional-sounding message.
• Job objective/professional summary statement: You should almost always have one, even if it is general. Notice how Judith Jones keeps her options open with her broad job objective in her basic resume on page 326. Writing “secretary” or “clerical” might limit her from being considered for other jobs. Professional applicants might consider using an impressive summary statement instead, with a heading that states the desired job target.
• Education and training: Include any training or education you’ve had that supports your job objective. If you did not finish a formal degree or program, list what you did complete and emphasize accomplishments. If your experience is not strong, add details here such as related courses and extracurricular activities. In the two examples, Judith Jones puts her business schooling in both the education and experience sections. Doing this fills a job gap and allows her to present her training as equal to work experience.
• Previous experience: Include the basics such as employer name, job title, dates employed, and responsibilities—but emphasize specific skills, results, accomplishments, superior performance, and so on.
• Personal data: Do not include irrelevant details such as height, weight, and marital status or a photo. Current laws do not allow an employer to base hiring decisions on these points. Providing this information can cause some employers to toss your resume. You can include information about hobbies or leisure activities that directly support your job objective in a special section. The first sample includes a Personal section in which Judith lists some of her strengths, which are often not included in a resume.
• References: Make sure that each reference will make nice comments about you and ask each to write a letter of recommendation that you can give to employers. You do not need to list your references on your resume. List them on a separate page and give it to employers who ask.

When you have a simple, errorless, and eye-pleasing resume, get on with your job search. There is no reason to delay! If you want to create a better resume, you can work on improving it in your spare time (evenings or weekends).

Tips for an Improved Chronological Resume

Use these tips to improve your simple resume:

• Job objective: A poorly written job objective or summary statement can limit the jobs an employer might consider you for. Think of the skills you have and the types of jobs you want to do; describe them in general terms. Instead of using a narrow job title such as “restaurant manager,” you might write “manage a small to mid-sized business.”

• Education and training: New graduates should emphasize their recent training and education more than those with a few years of related work experience would. A more detailed education and training section might include specific courses you took, and activities or accomplishments that support your job objective or reinforce your key skills. Include other details that reflect how hard you work, such as working your way through school.

• Skills and accomplishments: Include those that support your ability to do well in the job you seek now. Even small details count. Maybe your attendance was perfect, you met a tight deadline, or you did the work of others during vacations. Be specific and include numbers—even if you have to estimate them. Judith’s improved chronological resume example features a Special Skills and Abilities section and more accomplishments and skills. Notice the impact of the numbers to reinforce results.

• Job titles: Past job titles might not accurately reflect what you did. For example, your job title may have been “cashier,” but you also opened the store, trained new staff, and covered for the boss on vacations. Perhaps “head cashier and assistant manager” would be more accurate. Check with your previous employer if you are not sure.

• Promotions: If you were promoted or got good evaluations, say so—“cashier, promoted to assistant manager,” for example. You can list a promotion to a more responsible job as a separate job if doing so results in a stronger resume.

• Gaps in employment and other problem areas: Employee turnover is expensive, so few employers want to hire people who won’t stay or who won’t work out. Gaps in employment, jobs held for short periods, or a lack of direction in the jobs you’ve held are all concerns for employers. So consider your situation and try to give an explanation of a problem area. Here are a few examples:

2009—Continued my education at...

2010—Traveled extensively throughout...

2008 to present—Self-employed as barn painter and...

2008—Took year off to have first child

Use entire years to avoid displaying employment gaps you can’t explain easily. If you had a few months of unemployment at the beginning of 2008 and then began a job in mid-2008, for example, you can list the job as “2008 to present.”

Writing Skills and Combination Resumes

The skills resume emphasizes your most important skills, supported by specific examples of how you have used them. This type of resume allows you to use any part of your life history to support your ability to do the job you want.

While skills resumes can be very effective, creating them requires more work. And some employers don’t like them because they can hide a job seeker’s faults (such as job gaps, lack of formal education, or little related work experience) better than a chronological resume can. Still, a skills resume may make sense for you.

Look over the sample resumes that follow for ideas. Notice that one resume includes elements of a skills and a chronological resume. This so-called combination resume makes sense if your previous job history or education and training are positive.

More Resume Examples

Find resume layout and presentation ideas in the four examples that follow.

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Note

Use the information from your completed Essential Job Search Data Worksheet to write your resume. You can find an online version of this worksheet at www.jist.com/pdf/EJSDW.pdf.

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The Chronological Resume to Emphasize Results

This resume focuses on accomplishments through the use of numbers. While Jon’s resume does not say so, it is obvious that he works hard and that he gets results.

The Skills Resume for Those with Limited Work Experience

This resume is for a recent high school graduate whose only work experience was at a school office.

The Combination Resume for Those Changing Careers

This resume emphasizes Grant’s relevant education and transferable skills because he has little work experience in the field.

The Electronic Resume

This resume is appropriate for scanning or e-mail submission. It has a plain format that is easily read by scanners. It also has lots of keywords that increase its chances of being selected when an employer searches a database.

Quick Tips for Writing a Cover Letter in 15 Minutes

Whether you’re mailing, faxing, or e-mailing your resume, it is important to provide a letter along with your resume that explains why you are sending it—a cover letter (or cover message, in the case of e-mailing). Even when you post your resume in an online database (also known as a resume bank), the Web site where you’re posting often has a place where you can upload or paste a cover letter. A cover letter highlights your key qualifications, explains your situation, and asks the recipient for some specific action, consideration, or response.

No matter to whom you are writing, virtually every good cover letter should follow these guidelines.

1. Write to Someone in Particular

Avoid sending a cover letter “To whom it may concern” or using some other impersonal opening. We all get enough junk mail, and if you don’t send your letter to someone by name, it will be treated like junk mail.

2. Make Absolutely No Errors

One way to offend people right away is to misspell their names or use incorrect titles. If you are not 100 percent certain, call and verify the correct spelling of the name and other details before you send the letter. Also, review your letters carefully to be sure that they contain no typographical, grammatical, or other errors.

3. Personalize Your Content

No one is impressed by form letters, and you should not use them. Those computer-generated letters that automatically insert a name (known as merge mailings) never fool anyone, and cover letters done in this way are offensive. Small, targeted mailings to a carefully selected group of prospective employers can be effective if you tailor your cover letter to each recipient, but large mass mailings are a waste of time. If you can’t customize your letter in some way, don’t send it.

4. Present a Good Appearance

Your contacts with prospective employers should always be professional, so buy good-quality stationery and matching envelopes for times when you’ll be mailing or hand-delivering a letter and resume. Use papers and envelopes that match or complement your resume paper. The standard 8 1/2 × 11 paper size is typically used, but you can also use the smaller Monarch-size paper with matching envelopes. For colors, use white, ivory, or light beige—whatever matches your resume paper. Employers expect cover letters to be word processed and produced with excellent print quality.

Use a standard letter format that complements your resume type and format. You might find it easier to use your word-processing software’s template functions than to create a format from scratch. Your letters don’t have to be fancy; they do have to look professional. And don’t forget the envelope! It should be typed and printed carefully, without errors.

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Note

You will send many of your cover letters as e-mail messages. All the rules for traditional cover letters apply equally to e-mail cover letters. Just because e-mail is a less formal means of communicating doesn’t mean you can be careless with writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation, or presentation. But e-mail letters should be shorter and crisper than traditional paper letters.

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5. Begin with a Friendly Opening

Start your letter by sharing the reason you are writing and, if appropriate, a reminder of any prior contacts or the name of the person who referred you. See the examples on pages 337 and 338 for ideas for beginning your letters.

6. Target Your Skills and Experiences

To effectively target your skills and experiences, you must know something about the organization, the job opportunity, or the person with whom you are dealing. Present any relevant background that may be of particular interest to the person to whom you are writing.

7. Close with an Action Statement

Don’t close your letter without clearly identifying what you will do next. Don’t leave it up to the employer to contact you, because that doesn’t guarantee a response. Close on a positive note and let the employer know how and when you will be following up.

Sample Printed Cover Letter

Written by Louise Kursmark

Sample E-mail Cover Letter

Written by Louise Kursmark

The average job seeker gets about five interviews a month—fewer than two a week. Yet many job seekers use the methods in this Quick Job Search to get two interviews a day. Getting two interviews a day equals 10 a week and 40 a month. That’s 800 percent more interviews than the average job seeker gets. Who do you think will get a job offer quicker?

You might think that getting two interviews a day sounds impossible. However, getting two interviews a day is quite possible if you redefine what counts as an interview and use the networking techniques from step 3.

If you use this new definition, it becomes much easier to get interviews. You can now interview with all sorts of potential employers, not just those who have job openings now. While most other job seekers look for advertised or actual openings, you can get interviews before a job opens up or before it is advertised and widely known. You will be considered for jobs that may soon be created but that others will not know about. And, of course, you can also interview for existing openings just as everyone else does.

Spending as much time as possible on your job search and setting a job search schedule are important parts of this step. Researchers at the University of Missouri found in a 2009 study that developing and following a job search plan from the start, as well as having a positive attitude about your search, had a significant impact on job search success (U.S. News & World Report, September 24, 2009).

Make Your Search a Full-Time Job

Job seekers average fewer than 15 hours a week looking for work. On average, unemployment lasts three or more months, with some people out of work far longer (for example, older workers and higher earners). My many years of experience researching job seeking indicate that the more time you spend on your job search each week, the less time you will likely remain unemployed.

Of course, using the more effective job search methods presented in this book also helps. Many job search programs that teach job seekers my basic approach of using more effective methods and spending more time looking have proven that these seekers often find a job in half the average time. More importantly, many job seekers also find better jobs using these methods.

So, if you are unemployed and looking for a full-time job, you should plan to look on a full-time basis. It just makes sense to do so, although many do not, or they start out well but quickly get discouraged. Most job seekers simply don’t have a structured plan—they have no idea what they are going to do next Thursday. The plan that follows will show you how to structure your job search like a job.

Decide How Much Time You Will Spend Looking for Work Each Week and Day

First and most importantly, decide how many hours you are willing to spend each week on your job search. You should spend a minimum of 25 hours a week on hardcore job search activities with no goofing around. The following worksheet walks you through a simple but effective process to set a job search schedule for each week.

Create a Specific Daily Job Search Schedule

Having a specific daily schedule is essential because most job seekers find it hard to stay productive each day. The sample daily schedule that follows is the result of years of research into what schedule gets the best results. I tested many schedules in job search programs I ran, and this particular schedule worked best.

Consider using a schedule like this sample daily schedule. Why? Because it works.

If you are not accustomed to using a daily schedule book or electronic planner, promise yourself to get a good one today. Choose one that allows for each day’s plan on an hourly basis, plus daily to-do lists. Record your daily schedule in advance, and then add interviews as they come. Get used to carrying your planner with you and use it!

You can find a variety of computer programs and smartphone apps to help organize your job search. An example of a Web site that offers a free job search planning system online is JibberJobber (www.jibberjobber.com).

Interviews are where the job search action is. You have to get them; then you have to do well in them. According to surveys of employers, most job seekers do not effectively present the skills they have to do the job. Even worse, most job seekers can’t answer one or more problem questions.

This lack of performance in interviews is one reason why employers will often hire a job seeker who does well in the interview over someone with better credentials. The good news is that you can do simple things to dramatically improve your interviewing skills. This section emphasizes interviewing tips and techniques that make the most difference.

Your First Impression May Be the Only One You Make

Some research suggests that if the interviewer forms a negative impression in the first five minutes of an interview, your chances of getting a job offer approach zero. I know from experience that many job seekers can create a lasting negative impression within seconds.

Follow the Three-Step Process for Answering Interview Questions

I’ve developed a three-step process for answering interview questions. I know this might seem too simple, but the three-step process is easy to remember and can help you create a good answer to most interview questions. The technique has worked for thousands of people, so consider trying it.

1. Understand what is really being asked. Most questions are designed to find out about your self-management skills and personality, but interviewers are rarely this blunt. The employer’s real question is often one or more of the following:

• Can I depend on you?

• Are you easy to get along with?

• Are you a good worker?

• Do you have the experience and training to do the job if we hire you?

• Are you likely to stay on the job for a reasonable period of time and be productive?

Ultimately, if you don’t convince the employer that you will stay and be a good worker, it won’t matter if you have the best credentials—he or she won’t hire you.

2. Answer the question briefly in a nondamaging way. Present the facts of your particular work experience as advantages, not disadvantages. Many interview questions encourage you to provide negative information. One classic question in the list of Top 10 Problem Interview Questions is “What are your major weaknesses?” This is obviously a trick question, and many people are just not prepared for it.

A good response is to mention something that is not very damaging, such as “I have been told that I am a perfectionist, sometimes not delegating as effectively as I might.” But your answer is not complete until you continue with the next step.

3. Answer the real question by presenting your related skills. Base your answer on the key skills you have that support the job, and give examples to support these skills. For example, an employer might say to a recent graduate, “We were looking for someone with more experience in this field. Why should we consider you?” Here is one possible answer:

“I’m sure there are people who have more experience, but I do have more than six years of work experience, including three years of advanced training and hands-on experience using the latest methods and techniques. Because my training is recent, I am open to new ideas and am used to working hard and learning quickly.”

In the previous example (about your need to delegate), a good skills statement might be

“I’ve been working on this problem and have learned to let my staff do more, making sure that they have good training and supervision. I’ve found that their performance improves, and it frees me up to do other things.”

Whatever your situation, learn to answer questions in ways that present you well. It’s essential to communicate your skills during an interview, and the three-step process can help you answer problem questions and dramatically improve your responses. It works!

How to Earn a Thousand Dollars a Minute

What do you do when the employer asks, “How much money would it take to get you to join our company?”

It’s a fact: People who follow up with potential employers and with others in their network get jobs more quickly than those who do not.

Thank-You Notes Make a Difference

Although thank-you notes can be e-mailed, most people appreciate and are more impressed by a mailed note. Here are some tips about mailed thank-you notes that you can easily adapt to e-mail use:

• You can handwrite or type thank-you notes on quality paper and matching envelopes.
• Keep the notes simple, neat, and error free.
• Make sure to include a few copies of your JIST Card in the envelope.

Following is an example of a simple thank-you note.

Use Job Lead Cards to Follow Up

If you use contact management software or an app on your phone, use it to schedule follow-up activities. But the simple paper system I describe here can work very well or can be adapted for setting up your contact management software.

• Use a simple 3-by-5–inch card to record essential information about each person in your network.
• Buy a 3-by-5–inch card file box and tabs for each day of the month.
• File the cards under the date you want to contact the person.
• Follow through by contacting the person on that date.

I’ve found that staying in touch with a good contact every other week can pay off big. Here’s a sample card to give you ideas about creating your own.

In Closing

This is a short book, but it may be all you need to get a better job in less time. I hope this will be true for you, and I wish you well in your search. Remember this: You won’t get a job offer because someone knocks on your door and offers one. Job seeking does involve luck, but you are more likely to have good luck if you are out getting interviews.

I’ll close this book with a few final tips:

• Approach your job search as if it were a job itself. Create and stick to a daily schedule, and spend at least 25 hours a week looking.
• Follow up on each lead you generate and ask each contact for referrals.
• Set out each day to schedule at least two interviews. Remember the new definition of an interview—an interview can just be talking to a potential employer that doesn’t have an opening now but might in the future.
• Send out lots of thank-you notes and JIST Cards.
• When you want the job, tell the employer that you want it and why you should be hired over everyone else.

Don’t get discouraged. There are lots of jobs out there, and someone needs an employee with your skills—your job is to find that someone.

I wish you luck in your job search and in your life.

Additional Resources

Thousands of books and countless Internet sites provide information on career subjects. Space limitations do not permit me to describe the many good resources available, so I list here some of the most useful ones. Because this is my list, I’ve included books I’ve written or that JIST publishes. You should be able to find these and many other resources at libraries, bookstores, and Web bookselling sites such as Amazon.com.

Resume and Cover Letter Books

My books: The Quick Resume & Cover Letter Book is one of the top-selling resume books. It is very simple to follow and has good sample resumes written by professional resume writers. For more in-depth but still quick help, check out my two books in the Help in a Hurry series: Same-Day Resume (with advice on creating a simple resume in an hour and a better one later) and 15-Minute Cover Letter, co-authored with Louise Kursmark (offering sample cover letters and tips for writing them fast and effectively).

Other books published by JIST: The following titles include many sample resumes written by professional resume writers, as well as good advice: Amazing Resumes by Jim Bright and Joanne Earl; Cover Letter Magic by Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark; the entire Expert Resumes series by Enelow and Kursmark; Federal Resume Guidebook by Kathryn Kraemer Troutman; Gallery of Best Resumes, Gallery of Best Cover Letters, and other books by David F. Noble; Résumé Magic by Susan Britton Whitcomb; 30-Minute Resume Makeover by Louise Kursmark; and Step-by-Step Resumes by Evelyn Salvador.

Job Search and Interviewing Books

My books: You may want to check out my book in the Help in a Hurry series Next-Day Job Interview (quick tips for preparing for a job interview at the last minute). The Very Quick Job Search is a thorough book with detailed advice and a “quick” section of key tips you can finish in a few hours. Getting the Job You Really Want includes many in-the-book activities and good career decision-making and job search advice.

Other books published by JIST: Job Search Magic, Interview Magic, and The Christian’s Career Journey by Susan Britton Whitcomb; Make Job Loss Work for You by Richard and Terri Deems; Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide by Janet Farley; Your Dream Job Game Plan by Molly Fletcher; Ultimate Job Search by Richard H. Beatty; The Career Coward’s Guide series by Katy Piotrowski; and The Twitter Job Search Guide by Susan Britton Whitcomb, Chandlee Bryan, and Deb Dib.

Books with Information on Jobs

JIST’s primary reference books: The Occupational Outlook Handbook is the source of job titles listed in this book. Published by the U.S. Department of Labor and updated every other year, the OOH covers about 90 percent of the workforce. The O*NET Dictionary of Occupational Titles book has descriptions for 950 jobs based on the O*NET (Occupational Information Network) database developed by the Department of Labor. The Enhanced Occupational Outlook Handbook includes the OOH descriptions plus more than 5,600 additional descriptions of related jobs from the O*NET and other sources. The New Guide for Occupational Exploration allows you to explore major jobs based on your interests.

Other books published by JIST: Here are a few good books that include job descriptions and helpful details on career options: Best Jobs for the 21^st Century, 50 Best Jobs for Your Personality, 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs, 40 Best Fields for Your Career, 200 Best Jobs for College Graduates, and 300 Best Jobs Without a Four-Year Degree. These books include selected jobs from the OOH and other information: The Top Careers series and Overnight Career Choice.

Internet Resources

There are too many Web sites to list, but here are a few places you can start. A book by Anne Wolfinger titled Best Career and Education Web Sites gives unbiased reviews of the most helpful sites and ideas on how to use them. Job Seeker’s Online Goldmine, by Janet Wall, lists the extensive free online job search tools from government and other sources. The Occupational Outlook Handbook’s job descriptions also include Internet addresses for related organizations. Be aware that some Web sites provide poor advice, so ask your librarian, instructor, or counselor for suggestions on those best for your needs.

Other Resources

Libraries: Most libraries have the books mentioned here, as well as many other resources. Many also provide Internet access so that you can research online information. Ask the librarian for help with finding what you need.

People: People who hold the jobs that interest you are among the best career information sources. Ask them what they like and don’t like about their work, how they got started, and the education or training needed. Most people are helpful and will give advice you can’t get any other way.

Career counseling: A good vocational counselor can help you explore career options. Take advantage of this service if it is available to you! Also consider a career-planning course or program, which will encourage you to be more thorough in your thinking.

Use a Career Portfolio to Support Your Resume

Your resume is impressive, but there is another way that you can show prospective employers evidence of who you are and what you can do: a career portfolio.

What Is a Career Portfolio?

Unlike a resume, a career portfolio is a collection of documents that can include a variety of items. Here are some items you may want to place in your portfolio:

• Resume.
• School transcripts.
• Summary of skills.
• Credentials, such as diplomas and certificates of recognition.
• Reference letters from school officials and instructors, former employers, or coworkers.
• List of accomplishments: Describe hobbies and interests that are not directly related to your job objective and are not included on your resume.
• Examples of your work: Depending on your situation, you can include samples of your art, photographs of a project, audio, video, images of Web pages you developed, and other media that can provide examples of your work.

Place each item on a separate page when you assemble your career portfolio.

Create a Digital Portfolio

A digital portfolio, also known as an electronic portfolio, contains all the information from your career portfolio in an electronic format. This material is then copied onto a CD-ROM or published on a Web site. With a digital portfolio, you can present your skills to a greater number of people than you can your paper career portfolio. VisualCV (www.visualcv.com) one site that helps you build a digital portfolio and post it online.

Sample Resumes for Some of the Fastest-Growing Careers

If you read the previous information, you know that I believe you should not depend on a resume alone in your job search. Even so, you will most likely need one, and you should have a good one.

Unlike some career authors, I do not preach that there is only one right way to do a resume. I encourage you to be an individual and to do what you think will work well for you. But I also know that some resumes are clearly better than others. The following pages contain some resumes that you can use as examples when preparing your own resume.

Each resume was written by a professional resume writer who is a member of one or more professional associations. These writers are highly qualified and hold various credentials. Most will provide help (for a fee) and welcome your contacting them (although this is not a personal endorsement).

The resumes appear in books published by JIST Publishing, including the following:

• Expert Resumes for Computer and Web Jobs by Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark
• Expert Resumes for Engineers by Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark
• Expert Resumes for Teachers and Educators by Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark
• Gallery of Best Resumes by David F. Noble
• Gallery of Best Resumes for People Without a Four-Year Degree by David F. Noble

Contact Information for Resume Contributors

The following professional resume writers contributed resumes to this section. Their names are listed in alphabetical order. Each entry indicates which resume(s) that person contributed.

Carol A. Altomare

World Class Resumes

P.O. Box 483

Three Bridges, NJ 08887-0483

Phone: (908) 237-1883

Fax: (908) 237-2069

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.worldclassresumes.com

Member: PARW/CC

Certification: CPRW

Resume on pages 377–378

Ann Baehr

Best Resumes of New York

East Islip, NY 11730

Phone: (631) 224-9300

Fax: (916) 314-6871

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.e-bestresumes.com

Member: CMI, NRWA, PARW/CC

Certification: CPRW

Resume on page 374

Karen Bartell

Best-in-Class Resumes

4940 Merrick Rd., Ste. 160

Massapequa Park, NY 11762

Phone: (631) 704-3220

Toll-free: (800) 234-3569

Fax: (516) 799-6300

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.bestclassresumes.com

Certification: CPRW

Resume on pages 367–368

Rosie Bixel

A Personal Scribe, Resume Writing & Design

13039 E. Burnside St.

Portland, OR 97233

Phone: (503) 254-8262

Fax: (503) 608-4065

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.apersonalscribe.com

Member: NRWA

Resume on page 369

Patricia Chapman

Naperville, IL

Phone: (630) 605-2200

Certification: CRW

Resume on page 363

Darlene M. Dassy

Dynamic Resume Solutions

14 Crestview Dr.

Sinking Spring, PA 19608

Phone: (610) 678-0147

Toll free: (866) 202-4818

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: dynamicresumesolutions.com

Certification: CRW

Resume on pages 379–380

MJ Feld

Careers by Choice, Inc.

205 E. Main St., Ste. 2-4

Huntington, NY 11743

Phone: (631) 673-5432

Fax: (631) 673-5824

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.careersbychoice.com

Member: PARW/CC

Certifications: MS, CPRW

Resume on pages 370–371

Susan Guarneri

Guarneri Associates

6670 Crystal Lake Rd.

Three Lakes, WI 54562

Phone: (715) 546-4449

Toll-free: (866) 881-4055

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.Resume-Magic.com

Member: ACA, NCDA, CDI, The Alliance, PARW/CC, WCDA, NBCC

Certifications: CPRW, MRW, CERW, NCC, NCCC, CCMC, CPBS, MBPS, COIS, CEIP, IJCTC, DCC

Resume on pages 372–373

Michele Haffner

Advanced Resume Services

Glendale, WI

Phone: (414) 247-1677

Certifications: CPRW, JCTC

Resume on page 362

Myriam-Rose Kohn

JEDA Enterprises

27201 Tourney Rd., Ste. 201

Valencia, CA 91355-1857

Phone: (661) 253-0801

Fax: (661) 253-0744

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.jedaenterprises.com

Member: The Alliance, NRWA, PARW/CC

Certifications: CPRW, CEIP, IJCTC, CCM, CCMC

Resume on pages 364–365

Don Orlando

The McLean Group

640 S. McDonough St.

Montgomery, AL 36104

Phone: (334) 264-2020

Fax: (334) 264-9227

E-mail: [email protected]

Member: CMI, PARW/CC, Phoenix

Career Group

Certifications: MBA, CPRW, JCTC, CCM, CCMC

Resume on pages 375–376

Diana Ramirez

Ramirez Career Consulting

Web site: www.ramirezcareerconsulting.com

Member: NRWA, NCDA, NAWW

Certifications: NCDA; Registered Counselor, Project Management, Human Resources Management

Resume on page 366

MeLisa Rogers

Certifications: Ed.D., CPRW, CPBA, DDI, Achieve Global, VLST

Resumes on pages 359–360, 381

Jeremy Worthington

Buckeye Resumes

2092 Atterbury Ave.

Columbus, OH 43229

Phone: (614) 861-6606

Fax: (614) 737-6166

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.buckeyeresumes.com

Member: CDI

Resume on page 361