Tips on How to get a job

There are three common components to getting a position:  a lead, a letter of application, and a resume.  Students frequently come to me for help so I decided to summarize some of the ideas I usually share.

Leads:

Everyone knows that looking in the classified section of the newspaper or professional newsletters with employment listings can lead to connections to a future job, but when you are looking at the newspaper or other listing of jobs, don't restrict yourself to the job titles that come to mind readily.  Not everyone uses "your" terms to describe "your" perfect job.  Look through all the listings quickly.  See if other job titles seem relevant.  If you browse a classified section of the paper for "environmental" jobs you might find potential jobs for Environmental Science and Studies graduates under "Environment," "Ecology," "Engineering," "Education," "Laboratory," and who knows where else.  No two classified are the same, so the first time you decide to start to use a specific classified you want to browse the entire paper to see where they put "your" type of job.  

Consider all people you know potential leads; tell everyone about the type of position you are most interested in-- it can never hurt.  

You might want to consider sending application materials for a position in an organization that has not posted an opening or which has an opening for a position for which you are not qualified.  You need to have a reason that you are sending the letter to them, but that should not be too difficult.  For example, 1) you are moving to the area and wanted to contact them about future opportunities, or 2) you know about their activities and they are the type of organization with which you want to be associated.  If your well written letter and impressive resume fall into the hands of a generous person they might just send it on to someone who is hiring (or figure out a way to use someone with your skills).  If not, you have wasted postage and a bit of time; these are a very small investment to gamble considering the potential large return.  

I subscribe to several organizations that send out newsletters with national job listings.  You are welcome to look at them.  They can help you find organizations that have jobs similar to the type you want to obtain or give you leads on job titles that might be helpful in your search.  

COVER LETTER:  

You make your first impression with your cover letter.  I would include one even if it isn't requested in a job posting.  The recipients can always choose not to read it, but if they do read it and if you say something that catches their eye....,you get the idea.  I maintain that a cover letter needs to tell the reader a) why you are writing to them, b) why they should be interested in you and c) why you are a better candidate for their job than someone else.  With the exception of the first item I strongly recommend you try not to say any of these things directly.  I would be unimpressed by someone who told me "I am the best person for this position."  I would consider them to be highly arrogant.  I find that "showing them who you are" rather than "telling them who you are" is a better strategy for writing a letter.  Therefore, if you were applying for a research assistant position, for example, you might express your enthusiasm for research based on the experiences you have had in laboratories or with a research experience -- you don't just say "I love research" although you could include that too.  Similarly, if team work were a component of the position you might talk about the positive experiences you have had in group projects and how the group interactions contributed to the final product rather than saying "I work well in a group" (although again, you could include such a thought).  You want to be (and sound) sincere, serious, thoughtful, engaging but always be honest (don't claim you can do something you cannot do).  Don't lay it on too thick but remember, if you don't tell them who you are and what skills and talents you could bring to them, there is no way they will ever learn about them.  

Finding the right balance in the letter can be difficult.  The best way to develop a good letter is as follows:   work on drafting your letter and then when you have done all the revisions you can do, show it to a good friend or professor who thinks highly of you.  You ask them what they think of the letter and whether you might have left out things that they consider your strengths.  Ask them to describe to you the type of person they "see" in the letter.  If it is a good description of you, you have done a good job.  If it doesn't describe you, keep working on it.  

Each job you apply for will require a slightly different letter but once you get the major parts developed, you just have to revise a little bit.  Don't ever delete or discard all your copies of any letter you send.  Some  phrases or paragraphs from past letters might come in handy for a new application.

TIPS FOR RESUMES :  

Some of the information presented below came from the National Environmental Employment Report (Volume VII, Number 3) and was written by Ann Hackett and some comes from me.  Remember there is no such thing as a "perfect" resume.  The career center at Towson has many resumes on file.  This will give you a sense of how they can look.  Personally, I notice clarity, neatness, and ease of  reading.  Fancy doesn't appeal to me but everyone is different (and you aren't sending your resume to me!).

The thought of writing a resume intimidates almost anyone.  It’s difficult to know where to start or what to include.   What follows are some tips to get you started.  It is worthwhile to show your resume to many different people and listen to their responses.  But remember, it is your resume so it is up to you whether you want to make the changes they suggest.  

Material that I think you need to include in a resume (this doesn't mean you cannot include more but think about the impression the material you include sends).  

An optional item that could help you is an "objectives" statement.  This is a brief statement of what your employment goals are at the present.  If you include it, it goes right after the personal information.  The idea is to tell them what you are looking for in words that make you sound as if you can get what you are looking for from them (and that you bring them something they need).  Spend a great deal of time crafting this if you chose to include it.  Each resume you submit for a job can have a different objective.  

Do your homework before applying for a job.  Find out what you can about the organization from the library, the internet, or from friends.  The more you know about them, the more effectively you can "pitch" your application and resume towards them.  I know this might sound a bit "crass" but it is a matter of sales.  The role of your application letter and your resume is to "sell" yourself to this potential employer.  Some additional bits of advice follow.

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Determine your job search objective prior to writing/revising the resume.

Once you have determined your objective, you can structure the content of your resume around that objective.  Think of your objective as the bull’s-eye to focus your resume on hitting.  If you write your resume without having a clear objective in mind, it will likely come across as unfocused to those who read it. Take the time before you start your resume to form a clear objective.  If you already have written one think about how you might reorganize the information so that the information of greatest interest to THIS employer is up front.

Think of your resume as a marketing tool. 

Think of yourself as a product, potential employers as your customers, and your resume as a brochure about you.  Sell yourself through your resume.  How do you "appear" in your resume?    Remember, your resume is the only information available about you to your potential employer.  

Use your resume to obtain an interview, not a job.

You don’t need to go into detail about every accomplishment.  Strive to be clear and concise.  The purpose of your resume is to generate enough interest in you to have an employer contact you for an interview.  Use the interview to provide a more detailed explanation of your accomplishments and to land a job offer.

Use bulleted sentences, but with discretion.

In the body of your resume, you might want to use bullets with short sentences rather than detailed sentences.  This makes it easier for someone to quickly scan your resume and still absorb it.  At the same time, you must employ bullets using some common sense.  Having thirty bulleted items under a list of professional skills doesn't make anything in particular stand out.  If there is so much to list (and there might be) you might be better listing the items in a paragraph form (or dividing the skills into different sub-categories (e.g., computer skills, laboratory techniques), each with a bullet and the skills presented under the categories with brief phrases).

Use action words to describe activities and responsibilities.

Action words bring your resume to life.  To add life to your resume, use bulleted sentences that begin with action words like prepared, developed, monitored, and presented.  Each of your Professional Experience listings could be followed by several well crafted phrases.

Use #’s, $’s and %’s.

Numbers, dollars, and percentages stand out in the body of a resume.  Use them if it helps to make you look good (omit them if it doesn't). 

Here are two examples of numbers well used: 

Here is an example of what you don't want to include (the information might be accurate but it doesn't make you look impressive):

Lead with your strengths.

Since resumes are typically reviewed quickly, take the time to determine which bullets or types of information most strongly match the needs of the potential employer.  Put those strong points first where they are more apt to be read.  Remember your goal is to get the interview, not tell them everything at once.

Play Match Games.

Review wants ads for positions that interest you.  Use the key words listed in these ads to match them to bullets or items in your resume and your objective statement (if you are using one).  If you have missed any key words, add them to your resume (but be honest).

Accent the positive.

Leave off negative and irrelevant points.   If you have had some experiences that don't directly support your job search objective (waiting tables, mowing lawns, being crowned the "Frisbee King or Queen at the State Fair), leave them off your resume or put them at the bottom under Other Experiences.  It is best to focus on the duties and experiences that support your objective and make you sound "professional."  At the same time, these other experiences can indicate your work ethic, early financial independence, etc. Leave off irrelevant personal information like your height and weight.

Show what you know.

Rather than going into depth in one area, use your resume to highlight your breadth of knowledge and experience.  Use an interview to provide more detail.

Design your resume so it is easy to read.

Leave white space.  Use a font size no smaller than 10 point (but realize that some 10 point fonts are smaller and harder to read than others).  Make sure there are NO errors and it is NEAT and CLEAN (what does a messy resume with errors say about your work?).  Limit the length of  your resume to l – 2 pages.  Remember, resumes are reviewed quickly.  Help the  reader to scan your resume efficiently and effectively.  

Have others review your resume.  

Since you are so close to your situation (and your personal strengths), it can be difficult for you to hit all your high points and clearly convey all your accomplishments.  Have someone review your  resume and talk to you about your approach to finding a job.  Encourage them to ask you questions.  Their questions can help you to discover items you inadvertently left off your resume.   Their questions can also point to items on your resume that might be confusing to the reader.  Clarify your resume based on this input (but the final choice is always yours) .

Submit your resume to potential employers.  

Have the courage to submit your resume.  Think of it as a game where your odds of winning increase with every resume you submit.  You really do increase your odds with every resume you submit.  Use a three-tiered approach.  Apply for some jobs that appear to be beneath you.  Perhaps they will turn out to be not for you once you interview for them (but it will also have given you interview experience which is valuable).  Or perhaps once you have your foot in the door of this organization you can learn of other opportunities.  Apply for jobs that seem to be just at your level.  You will get interviews for some of those jobs.  See how each job stacks up.  Try for some jobs that seem like a stretch.  That’s how you grow – by taking risks.  Don't underestimate what you bring to potential employers.

Good Luck