What is a professional job search package?

A resume is a carefully crafted representation of your professional capabilities. It offers as complete a picture of your achievements and experiences in a crisp, accessible format. The purpose of the resume is to help the reader decide whether/how your skills, achievements, etc. are a match for the position you apply for. The resume must be organized carefully so that the reader can find what s/he needs. Conventional topics covered in a resume are career objectives, education, honors, work experience, interests, and/or special qualifications.

The letter of application (or cover letter) for your resume should be addressed to a specific reader, tailored to fit the requirements of the position sought, and written in impeccable business format. Your overall purpose is to persuade the reader to call you for an interview. Provide details that make your experience relevant to the reader and that bring your experiences to life. Don't just repeat information from your resume. Remember to ask for an interview and offer specific contact information. Many job hunters list their phone numbers in the last paragraph and then wait to be contacted, but in some cases you may want to be "proactive" and promise to call ahead to set up an interview.

Directions:

Locate a job advertisement that interests you from a magazine or newspaper. Craft a one-page resume and accompanying letter of application to fit the job advertisement that you find; the letter should be addressed to a prospective employer. Attach the job advertisement when you hand in your resume and cover letter.

Tips for Proceeding:

• Use the positive verbs/action words lists as aids for generating resume phrases to describe your background and skills.
• Think about what the reader needs to know about you, and arrange page elements and topics so that the reader can find this information quickly and easily.
• In the cover letter, point out relevant skills: remember to demonstrate knowledge of and concern for the prospective employer's needs, not just your own.
• Project a professional tone reflecting an honest attempt to present yourself as a good fit, or match, between the job requirements and your qualifications.

Objectives:

• Effective page design.
• Parallel construction.
• Converting personal skills and abilities to benefits.
• Analyzing audience and using persuasion.
• Conveying tone and attitude.

**NOTE**

This assignment offers you an opportunity to begin to practice conceptual tasks related to developing professional job search tools. Though you may produce excellent working drafts, expect Richard Fein (SOM Career Center) to suggest more refinements and additional formats once you start your actual job search in the future.

At the end of the semester, some of the documents you have developed in your portfolio may be added to your job search package. In the future you may also want to add to your portfolio a video-tape of your public speaking ability.