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Jordan_0538444762_Ch14, 3/8/7, 14:34, page: 235

Applying for a Job14

• Complete a PersonalFact Sheet.

•Write an effectiveresume.

• Select references.

•Write a cover letter.

• Complete a jobapplication.

• Describe various pre-employment tests.

Personal Fact Sheet

keywords

chronological resume

functional resume

combination resume

traditional resume

electronic resume

preemployment tests

I sabella Gomez needs to find anew job. She has been working

in her family’s restaurant as ahostess after school and onweekends. Her parents pay herthe minimum wage and cannotafford to pay her more. Unfortu-nately, she cannot be a serverand earn more money by makingtips. Her parents need reliablefull-time servers and count onthe tips the servers earn to keeptheir pay competitive. Also,Isabella’s younger brother wantsto begin working at the restau-rant. Isabella believes she needsexperience working away fromher family. So she needs a jobthat gives her steady work, letsher work full-time in the summer,adapts to her school hours in thefall, and pays more in the future.

Isabella realizes that she willhave limited chances to find thekind of job she wants. She knowsshe will need a resume, but sheis not sure how togo about writingone. Herparents did

not even require her to fill out anapplication. She is nervous. Sheis not sure she has enough infor-mation to include in a resume.

Isabella begins by reviewingher research about the type ofjob that interests her. She wantsto understand clearly whatemployers are looking for inemployees. To get an interview,she knows her resume mustshow her to be a good job match.Next, Isabella lists her educa-tion, skills, work experience, andrelated activities. As she writes,she realizes that she has morework experience than manystudents her age. Encouraged,Isabella decides that preparingan effective resume may not beso hard after all.

What do you know?Which of your activities and experi-ences might help you do a job well?Why?

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Copyright 2008 Thomson Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.

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Completing a PersonalFact SheetYour Personal Fact Sheet is a summaryof basic information about you and youreducation, experience, and qualifications.Colleges and other career education pro-viders require personal information as partof the application process. Employers mayrequest this information at various stagesof your job application and interviewprocesses. You will use the informationon your Personal Fact Sheet when you:

• Write resumes and cover letters.

• Complete applications.

• Prepare for interviews.

• Fill out forms after you get a job.

Spell out the complete names of yourschools or employers and the street and citynames of all addresses. Make sure you useupdated telephone numbers of schools andemployers. Record both your standardand weighted (if applicable) grade pointaverage (GPA). Career education providersand employers often verify qualificationclaims and past employment.

Keep a current copy of your PersonalFact Sheet in your career portfolio. Thatway the information will be available whenyou are filling out a job application oremployment forms at the office of a com-pany. Illustration 14-1 on pages 237–238shows the Personal Fact Sheet for IsabellaGomez.

In Activity 14-1, ‘‘Personal Fact Sheet,’’

you calculate your GPA and complete

your own Personal Fact Sheet.

Writing Effective ResumesA resume is a summary of your qualifica-tions and experience for a particular job.From your point of view, your resume willhave one purpose: to persuade a potentialemployer to offer you a job interview. Thekinds of questions employers will want your

resume to answer include these: How canthis person help the company succeed?Why should I hire this person? If yourresume answers those questions well, youmay be asked to come in for an interview.In an interview, you will be able to speakfor yourself. Before an interview, you willhave to rely on your resume to do thetalking for you.

Career FactSeveral studies by human resources firms

have found that more than one-third of

job candidates commit ‘‘resume fraud’’ by

lying on their resumes.7

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An honest resume is critical to yoursuccess. Companies that did not do apreemployment background check may belegally responsible if an employee breaksthe law while on the job. As a result, mostemployers thoroughly check the statementsand references provided by job candidates.

If a company discovers that an applicanthas lied on his or her resume, the applica-tion will be rejected. For employers, evenone hiring mistake is expensive. When acompany discovers lies on the employmentdocuments of an existing employee, thatemployee is usually fired immediately.Protect yourself by being honest.

To develop an effective resume, learnwhat employers expect in a resume. Thelanguage, appearance, and format of yourresume are as important as the content.

Access www.thomsonedu.com/school/iyc

and click the link for Chapter 14. Read thearticle. Then list the five sources of ethicalstandards discussed. Will the authors’framework for ethical decision making workfor you? Why or why not? If not, how would youchange the framework?

236 Part 5 Creating Tools for the Future


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PERSONAL FACT SHEET

Personal Information

Full Name Isabella Gomez

Address 225 South Ash Street Street Apt. No. Pittsburgh PA 15207-3848 City ZIP Code

Telephone Numbers (Home) ( 412 ) 555-0156 (Business) ( )

E-mail Address [email protected] Social Security Number 555-55-5555

Educational Background Name and Address of School

Central Middle School

101 Campus Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15207-1127

Telephone Number ( 412 ) 555-0113

Expected Date of Graduation Dates of Attendance GPA or Class Rank

NA From 9/2008 To present 3.15 standard

Major Subject Areas/Specific Course Titles

Math, English, Spanish, Social Studies, American History, Reading, Music, Intro to Office Technology,

Earth Science

Internships

NA

Certifications/Diplomas/Degrees

First Aid, American Red Cross

Bilingual Skills

English, Spanish

Computer Skills

Microsoft Windows XP and Vista, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel, Internet Explorer, keyboarding at

50 wpm

Office Equipment Skills

Copy machines, faxes, printers, scanners

State

Illustration 14-1: Isabella Gomez’s Personal Fact Sheet, page 1 of 2

Chapter 14 Applying for a Job 237


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Special Skills and Knowledge

Able to work well with all age groups

Honors and Awards

Diversity Mentor Award, Eagle Camp, Allegheny National Forest, 8/2009

Club Memberships and/or Professional Organizations

Spanish Club

Employment Background

Information about your current or most recent employment

Name of Employer Café Mexicana

Address of Employer 2525 Eatery Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15207-2202

Telephone Number (412) 555-0192 Dates of Employment 10/2009-present

Job Title Hostess; began as an assistant server

Name and Title of Supervisor Pedro and Maria Gomez, Owners

Wages or Salary Minimum wage

Responsibilities and Accomplishments Greet customers, answer telephone, work cash register, sell

desserts (raised sales an average of $4 per ticket on 30% of take-out orders)

Information about your previous employment

Name of Employer Eagle Camp

Address of Employer Allegheny National Forest, P.O. Box 555, Warren, PA 16365

Telephone Number (814) 555-0160 Dates of Employment Summer 2009

Job Title Counselor-in-training (CIT)

Name and Title of Supervisor Peter Stanislaus, CIT Coordinator

Wages or Salary $300 plus room and board

Responsibilities and Accomplishments With Sr. Counselor, called five campers before each camp

session. Helped counselors teach rules to Spanish-speaking campers. Walked sick campers to nurse.

Helped campers solve disagreements. Earned Diversity Mentor Award.

Information about your previous employment

Name of Employer Jeremy and Margo Jones

Address of Employer 5623 Manchester Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15207-4521

Telephone Number (412) 555-0108 Dates of Employment 9/2008-6/2009

Job Title Babysitter

Name and Title of Supervisor Jeremy and Margo Jones

Wages or Salary $4.50 per hour

Responsibilities and Accomplishments Cared for 6- and 8-year-old after school for 2 hours, 5 days a week.

Walked children home. Prepared snacks. Helped children set dinner table and do homework/crafts.

Coached spelling–scores went up a full grade; second grader won class spelling bee at end of school year.

Illustration 14-1: Isabella Gomez’s Personal Fact Sheet, page 2 of 2



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Master ‘‘Resume-ese’’Before you can write a resume that con-vinces employers to offer you interviews,you need to learn ‘‘resume-ese,’’ the lan-guage of resume writing. Employers wantresumes to show information clearly andbriefly. By learning ‘‘resume-ese,’’ you candevelop a winning resume.

Use only essential informationEmployers recognize resumes by their for-mats, so you do not need to use the titleResume. Also, employers assume that youwill provide a list of references. Do not state‘‘References available on request.’’ Save thespace for essential information.

Omit I, me, and myYour resume is obviously about you; so I,me, and my are unnecessary. Your phrasessound more active without them.

Weak: I cared for two grade schoolchildren after school.

Strong: Cared for two children, ages sixand eight, after school.

Use phrases instead of sentencesReplace long, descriptive sentences withbrief phrases. Use simple, direct languageto get your information across.

Weak: I watched two grade schoolchildren after school. I made surethey did their homework. I alsoplanned activities, such as crafts.

Strong: Cared for two children, ages sixand eight, after school. Sched-uled homework time andplanned and directed funcraft projects.

Begin each statement witha strong verbMake your actions the focus of the state-ment. Employers are interested in what youhave accomplished.

Weak: My duties included walking homewith the children; preparing,serving, and cleaning up aftersnacks; and helping the childrenset the table for dinner.

Strong: Walked the children home fromschool; prepared, served, andcleaned up after snacks; andhelped the children set the tablefor dinner.

Use specific examples andnumbers to show measurableaccomplishmentsDo not just say that you accomplishedsomething. Say what you did, how long youworked on it, how much money it broughtin or saved, or what goal you reached.

Weak: I helped the children learn theirweekly spelling words and raisetheir grades.

Strong: Helped both children raise theirweekly spelling scores one fullgrade. The eight-year-old wonthe class spelling bee at the endof the year.

Echo vocabulary used in your fieldKnow and use the vocabulary of yourcareer cluster. Learn the keywords , termsthat name job skills important in your field.Talk to knowledgeable people, read ads andjob descriptions for jobs that interest you,and study career publications. Jot downkeywords and their meanings.

Why do you think the language you use in yourresume is important?

Use correct grammar, spelling,and punctuationCheck, recheck, check again. Then asksomeone else to check your resume.Employers usually throw out resumescontaining errors. Impress potentialemployers with your attention to detail.

In Activity 14-2, ‘‘Master ‘Resume-ese,’ ’’

you rewrite resume statements using

‘‘resume-ese.’’



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Build Your ResumeOn the average, employers take just tenseconds to glance over a resume and decidewhether the applicant meets their hiringrequirements. Employers are not interestedin how a job will benefit you. They areinterested in how hiring you will benefitthem. They want to know how you willmake them more successful. Writing tomeet the needs of your audience is calledwriting with the you attitude. Successfulresumes definitely reflect the you attitude.

Use the basic elements of your resumeto show what makes you an employer’s bestchoice. Draw attention to the resume con-tent that fits the requirements of the spe-cific job you seek. Tailor your resume to aspecific job to show how you would con-tribute to the company.

The most effective way to adapt yourresume for a particular job is to highlightyour qualifications that match the jobrequirements. If the job requires skills,education, or work experience that youpossess, emphasize them in your resume.Focus on any related job, extracurricular,or volunteer experience. List any classesyou have taken that directly relate to theposition. In the job description, look forkeywords. Use the keywords from the jobdescription to show that you have thequalifications needed. Finally, choose theorganizational style that best emphasizesyour strongest qualifications for the job.

Why don’t employers read the whole resumeand then decide how the applicant would fitinto the company?

Pick Resume ElementsEach resume will be different depending onwhere you are in your career and the typeof job you apply for. Still, certain basicelements make up most resumes. You cancombine, break up, add to, or even omit anyof the following elements to fit the resumestrategy you think will be most effective.

Personal Information. Your legal name,full address, telephone number(s), ande-mail address belong at the top of yourresume.

Exception: If you post your resume on aweb site, use only your e-mail address.

Career Success TipYour job objective is the opening line of

your ten-second story—the average time

an employer glances at a resume.7

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Job Objective. The job objective identifiesthe job you want. You may see adviceto eliminate the job objective from yourresume. The reason given is that resumessent over the Internet already are linked to aparticular job. However, not all businessesthat recruit using the Internet have specialjob-application software. Companies oftenprint resumes submitted electronically todistribute to hiring managers. Make themost of that precious ten seconds. Tellthe hiring manager the job you want.

Place the job objective right after yourpersonal information. Write a clear objec-tive that names a specific job. State theposition title mentioned in the job descrip-tion. You can emphasize your desire towork for a particular company by usingthe name of the company in your objective.Another good approach is to mirror theemployer’s concerns in your objective. Yourstrategy: Use the you attitude to convincethe employer you are the right candidate.

Weak: A job where I can use my skillsto further my career.

Strong: Auto Body Technician withQuality Collision Repair, Inc.

Strong: Pharmacy Technician positionrequiring a positive attitude andexcellent customer service skills

Education, Internships, and RelatedCourse Work. If your education relatesdirectly to the job, place your educationsection just under your job objective. If



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your work experience is more importantto your job qualifications, place your edu-cation section near the end of the resume.Information about schools you haveattended, degrees or diplomas you haveearned, and fields you have studied belongin this section.

If you have little or no work experiencedirectly related to the job you want, usethe education section to focus on relevantinternships you have held or classes youhave taken. This approach is useful whenyou do not have a certification or degreein your field of interest.

Career Success TipFrom ninth grade on, your semester

grades stay on your permanent transcript,

available for career education providers

and employers to verify.7

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Related Experience. List informationabout your work or related experience.State each job title. Describe your respon-sibilities and accomplishments. Usually usethe present tense to write about a currentjob; use the past tense when writing abouta previous job. Also include other relatedexperience you have. For example, youcould include appropriate extracurricularactivities, volunteer work, and internships.

Workplace Skills. Highlight such thingsas computer knowledge; foreign languageproficiency; skills with special tools orequipment; and notable time management,organization, and communication skills.Be specific and honest—an interviewermight ask you to demonstrate the skillsyou listed.

Languages. Use this optional section ifyou have skills in two or more languages.

Honors and Activities. Use this section tolist honors and awards that demonstratequalities useful to an employer, such asproductivity, responsibility, and persever-ance. Show extracurricular activities thatrelate to your qualifications as an applicant.Write about your hobby only if you have

held a leadership position in a relatedassociation or if your hobby relates directlyto the job for which you are applying.

‘‘‘‘Always do right! This will gratify some

people and astonish the rest.’’

—Mark Twain, Author,,Choose an Organizational StyleEmployers expect to see resumes organizedin one of three ways: chronological, func-tional, or combination. Each of the orga-nizational styles calls attention to differentaspects of your qualifications. Choose astyle based on the information in yourresume that you want to highlight.

Chronological. A chronological resumestyle presents your information by date inreverse time, or chronological order. Showthe most current information first. Avoidthis style if you have gaps in your job recordor if you lack experience directly related toyour desired job.

Isabella Gomez found an opening for apart-time courtesy clerk at a grocerystore. She is trying to decide how toorganize her resume.

She asked her older brother for advice.He had just graduated from a career andtechnical school and had gotten his firstjob. He showed her his chronological-style resume. Isabella liked how profes-sional the resume looked. She tried thatresume style to show her qualifications.Illustration 14-2 on page 242 showsIsabella’s chronological resume.

Keep the following points in mind whenusing a chronological resume:

• The chronological style is effective whenyou want to show a record of steadilyimproving education, skills, and workexperience.

• Some experts recommend using thechronological style when you are apply-ing for a job in a conservative industry,such as banking or government.



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Isabella Gomez 225 South Ash Street (412) 555-0156Pittsburgh, PA 15207-3848 [email protected]

OBJECTIVE Courtesy Clerk at MegaMart

EXPERIENCE

Café Mexicana, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaHostess, part-time October 2009 to Present

Greeted regular customers of Café Mexicana by name and welcomed others courteously.Led customers to their tables. Answered telephone; explained hours, menu selection, andtake-out services. Helped customers at the cash register. Provided Spanish-Englishtranslations as needed. Wrote up, packaged, and handled payment of take-out orders forCafé Mexicana. Increased sales an average of $4 per ticket on 30 percent of take-outorders by describing the dessert offerings. Previously cleared tables and served water tocustomers.

Eagle Camp, Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania Counselor-in-training Summer 2009

Working with the senior counselor, called five future campers of Eagle Camp andanswered questions from parents and second-grade campers about what to bring to camp, camp rules and activities, and the camp bus schedule. Helped cabin counselor teachsafety and hygiene rules to five campers whose first language was Spanish. Took a sickcamper to the nurse's station, packed the camper's belongings, and sat with her until herparents arrived. Helped three Eagle campers, ages eight and nine, work out a majordisagreement and heal hurt feelings. Coordinated the making and campwide signing of a12" x 24" get-well card for a sick camper who had to leave camp. Presented with theDiversity Mentor Award at the end of the last camp by the camp staff.

The Jones Family, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania September 2008 to June 2009

Cared for two children, ages six and eight, after school for two hours on weekdays.Walked the children home from school. Scheduled homework time and planned and directed fun craft projects. Prepared, served, and cleaned up after snacks. Helped thechildren set the table for dinner. Coached both children for spelling tests. They raisedtheir weekly spelling scores one full grade. The eight-year-old won the class spelling bee at the end of the school year.

EDUCATION

Central Middle School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania September 2008 to present

Illustration 14-2: Chronological Resume of Isabella Gomez



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Functional. The functional resume stylematches your capabilities to the job tasks.Thus, this style of resume emphasizes yourabilities rather than your career history.

Isabella showed her school counselor,Mrs. Tannenbaum, her chronologicalresume. Isabella explained her plan touse the resume when she applied forthe courtesy clerk job opening at thelocal grocery store. She likes how pro-fessional her resume looks, but she isconcerned that her previous jobs do notappear to apply to the duties of a cour-tesy clerk.

After talking with Mrs. Tannenbaum,Isabella realizes that her other jobs hadthree things in common with the dutiesof a courtesy clerk: She (1) provided aservice, (2) interacted with children andadults, and (3) handled responsibilitywell. In addition, although Isabella is stillin middle school, she can speak twolanguages fluently. She has been speak-ing English and Spanish all of her life.She also has taken classes in bothlanguages in school. Isabella knows thather customer service experience and herlanguage skills will help her be an effec-tive courtesy clerk.

Mrs. Tannenbaum suggests thatIsabella use a functional resume format.This format will allow Isabella to em-phasize how her abilities and experiencematch the requirements of the courtesyclerk position. Illustration 14-3 onpage 244 shows Isabella’s new functionalresume.

When choosing a resume style, keep inmind the following points about the func-tional resume format:

• Consider the functional style when youare making a career change. This stylealso downplays any gaps in your educa-tion or work experience.

• Note that employers often are cautiousof functional resumes. Show measurableaccomplishments to prove your ability ineach skill.

‘‘‘‘Spectacular achievement is always pre-

ceded by spectacular preparation.’’

—Robert Schuller, Minister and Writer,,Combination. A combination resumestyle uses features of both functional andchronological formats. Immediately afteryour job objective, briefly show your skillsthat directly match the job requirements, asin a functional resume. Then show workexperience in reverse chronological order,as in a chronological resume.

For three summers, Jack Harley hasworked with a small landscaping com-pany as a general laborer. He wants tomake landscape design his career.Through his network, he has a lead on ajob with a larger landscape company.The new job would let him work full-timein the summer and part-time for the restof the year. Year-long jobs for part-timeemployees are rare in this field, and Jackis eager to get the job.

Jack believes that the first thing hisresume must show is the match betweenhis qualifications and the job require-ments. Jack does have some experiencein the field. He also took several relatedclasses, including drafting. To make themost of his limited experience and edu-cation, he decides to use the combina-tion resume format. Now he is thinkingabout how to lay out the resume format.

Keep the following points in mind whenusing a combination resume:

• Use a combination style resume to em-phasize immediately the match betweenyour skills and the position requirements.

• Select the combination style when youhave good skills but limited on-the-jobexperience.

In the Case Challenges, you decide which

information can be ethically included on a

resume.



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Isabella Gomez

225 South Ash Street (412) 555-0156 Pittsburgh, PA 15207-3848 [email protected]

OBJECTIVE Courtesy Clerk at MegaMart

LANGUAGE Speak fluent English and Spanish

JOB-RELATED SKILLS

Customer Service

î Greeted regular customers of Café Mexicana by name and welcomed otherscourteously. Led customers to their tables. Answered telephone; explainedhours, menu selection, and take-out services. Helped customers at the cashregister. Provided Spanish translations.

î Called five future campers of Eagle Camp and answered questions fromparents and second-grade campers about what to bring to camp, camp rulesand activities, and the camp bus schedule. Helped cabin counselor teach safety and hygiene rules to five campers whose first language was Spanish.Took a sick camper to the nurse's station, packed the camper's belongings,and sat with her until her parents arrived.

î Coordinated schedules with long-term, regular babysitting client andarranged back-up sitter when necessary.

Sales î Wrote tickets, packaged meals, and processed payment of take-out ordersfor Café Mexicana. Increased sales an average of $4 per ticket on 30percent of take-out orders by describing the desserts menu.

Human Relations

î Got along well with adults of all ages at Café Mexicana.

î Helped three Eagle campers, ages eight and nine, work out a majordisagreement and heal hurt feelings. Coordinated the making andcampwide signing of a 12" x 24" get-well card for a sick camper who had toleave camp. Earned Diversity Mentor Award.

î Cared for a six- and eight-year-old for 40 hours per month for one school year. Walked the children home, prepared snacks, and made sure childrendid homework. Helped children raised their weekly spelling scores one fullgrade. The eight-year-old won the class spelling bee at the end of the year.

EXPERIENCE

Café Mexicana, Pittsburgh, PA October 2009 to Present Eagle Camp, Allegheny National Forest, PA Summer 2009The Jones Family, Pittsburgh, PA September 2008 to June 2009

EDUCATION

Central Middle School, Pittsburgh, PA September 2008 to Present

Illustration 14-3: Functional Resume of Isabella Gomez



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Use Suitable FormatTraditionally, employers expected all jobapplicants to submit a beautifully designedresume printed on high-quality paper. Atraditional resume is the printed resumeyou mail with a cover letter and bring to aninterview. Companies may ask for tradi-tional resumes, but many companies nowuse the Internet for the employment appli-cation process. Those companies oftenrequest applicants to submit an electronicrather than a traditional resume. Anelectronic resume is created, transmit-ted, stored, and accessed on a computer.

Traditional ResumesTraditional resumes are normally printedand mailed with a cover letter. Applicantsalso bring a copy of the traditional resumeto job interviews.

Jack Harley wants his resume to makethe best impression possible. He hadheard of several ways to make a resumestand out: (1) Use an unusual design onbright paper. (2) Use old-fashioned typeon parchment paper. (3) Use colored ink.(4) Place your picture next to your name.The list seemed endless. ‘‘Hmm,’’ Jackthought. ‘‘I can understand how thoseapproaches would make an impression,but would it be the right impression?’’

After researching resume writing.Jack attended a job fair. He asked vari-ous company representatives what theylooked for in a resume. Their answerswere surprisingly consistent.

Then Jack went home to write hisresume. He used ‘‘resume-ese’’ to writea one-page resume in the combinationstyle. He included a clear job objective.He chose 12-point Times Roman font.He used boldface, bullets, and whitespace in his layout. He used a laserprinter and black ink to print hisresume on high-quality white paper.

Illustration 14-4 on page 246 showsJack Harley’s completed combinationresume.

Use the guidelines in the following para-graphs for an attractive, easy-to-read tradi-tional resume.

Keep your resume to one page. Employ-ers normally expect a one-page resume.After you have more than five years ofexperience and apply for a complex job,you may submit a two-page resume.

Print on light-colored, high-qualitypaper. Invest in special paper for yourresume. Choose white or cream. Avoidspeckles and designs. Unless you areapplying for a position in an artistic field,employers are most interested in yourresume content. Also, if the employerscans your resume into a computer, theplain, light-colored paper helps preventscanning errors.

Use a standard business font. Use a clearfont, such as 11- or 12-point Times Romanor Arial. Employers are used to readingthose fonts. You want the employer toconcentrate on your qualifications, notbe distracted by an unusual font.

Use simple design elements. Boldfaceand plain bullets can help draw attention.However, any technique loses power whenit is overused. Avoid italics because itali-cized words are hard to read. Never putyour picture on your resume. You will beprotecting your personal safety and makingsure the employer remains objective.

Use white space generously. White space,the areas of the page without text, makesyour resume visually pleasing. Informationis hard to find in crowded resumes, soemployers are less likely to read them.Make your resume inviting by using 1 inchtop, bottom, and side margins and gener-ous spacing between sections.

In Activity 14-3, ‘‘Write a Traditional

Resume,’’ you write a traditional one-

page resume in the chronological, func-

tional, or combination style that you think

works best for your job goal.



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Jack Harley

438 Sunset Point Lane

OBJECTIVE Landscaping Assistant with Landscaping Concepts, Inc.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Draft and read landscaping blueprints • Operate and maintain hand and power tools used in landscaping • Analyze and treat soil conditions in the Santa Rosa area • Plant a variety of perennials, shrubs, and trees correctly without supervision• Follow directions, ask appropriate questions, provide reliable and courteous service

WORK EXPERIENCE

Golden State Landscaping Company, Santa Rosa, California Landscape Assistant in Training Summer 2009Under the direction of the landscape designer, planned the layout of ten 12- by 2-foot planter boxes for the main parking lot at Super Build-it. Assisted with bid preparations by estimatinginstallation time for bedding plants on three large commercial jobs and eight residential contracts. Following the designer's sketches, drafted blueprints for five bid submissions. Used and maintained standard landscaping hand and power tools.

Laborer Summers 2007 and 2008Worked on five-member landscaping crew, installing residential and commercial projects.Assisted in soil analysis and applied soil treatments. Laid sod; planted perennials, shrubs, and trees. Laid walkways with wood, stone, brick, or cement pavers. Helped install ponds and fountains. Recommended for preferred rehire each summer.

Mission Nursery, Santa Rosa, CaliforniaPart-Time Gardening Assistant September 2006-June 2007Helped customers, tended plants, and maintained displays. Named Employee of the Month twice.

EDUCATION

Washington High School, Santa Rosa, California

Current Student GPA: 3.2

Completed Related Classes

AlgebraBiologyGeologyHorticulture

Chemistry GeometryIntro to Drafting Technology

ACTIVITIES

Volunteer Boys and Girls Clubs of America, September 2007 to Present Varsity Football Fall 2007 and Fall 2008

[email protected](707) 555-0144Santa Rosa, CA 95405

Illustration 14-4: Combination Resume of Jack Harley



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Electronic ResumesThe trend is for companies to upgrade theirhiring systems to be Internet compatible.True Internet compatibility allows compa-nies to use special resume search softwareto process resumes and select applicants.The software stores the resumes in a data-base. Then the software searches the data-base for qualified applicants. The searchprogram does that by looking in eachresume for keywords. The hiring managerschange the keywords targeted by theresume search program to match those ofthe available job. Once the software identi-fies which resumes contain the keywords,the software prepares a report. The hiringmanagers use the report to decide whichapplicants to interview.

Traditional resumes use attractive for-mats that are easy for people to read.Companies using selection software toevaluate applicants’ information need adifferent kind of resume. Those companiesneed resumes that are easy for computersto read. That is why many companies nowrequest electronic rather than traditionalresumes. Companies differ in the way theywant to receive electronic resumes. Makesure you check the employer’s instructionsbefore sending your electronic resume.

True electronic resumes are created,transmitted, and stored by computers.The hiring companies may not print theresumes, relying instead on the results ofthe search program. The search programsvary in their ability to decode specialformatting on resumes. Make sure thesearch programs can understand yourresume clearly. Remove special formatting,such as underlining, italics, tables, andcolumns.

All word processing programs insertspecial formatting codes into the docu-ments they produce. The easiest way tostrip your resume of all of those codes is touse the text-editing program on your com-puter. To find a text-editing program, clickthe Start button on the bottom tool bar.Some operating systems list text-editingprograms under the Accessories link.

The following instructions will guideyou in removing word processing codesfrom your traditional resume:

1. Open the word processing file contain-ing your traditional resume.

2. Resave the file under a new name,such as E-resume. Note: This is a veryimportant step!

3. Eliminate multiple columns and spe-cial characters. Change the font toCourier 12 point. The employer’s e-mailprogram will change the Courier to apreset font, but using Courier will helpyou make sure that your line lengthsare correct.

4. Resave the file under the new nameas a plain text file or an ASCII.txt file.

5. Close the file and exit the wordprocessing program.

6. Go to the text-editing program andopen your e-resume.

7. Make sure only your name is on thefirst line. (The resume search programmay treat all information on the firstline as part of your name. Imagine thatJack Harley had put his name, e-mailaddress, and telephone number on thefirst line of his resume. To search forJack’s resume, the employer wouldhave to put Jack’s name, e-mailaddress, and telephone number intothe name field. Otherwise, the systemwould not find Jack’s resume.)

8. Start each main line at the left margin.Use only the space bar, not the tab key,to input spaces.

9. Limit the length of your lines to 6 inchesbecause each e-mail program uses itsown line-length guidelines. Use a hardreturn at the end of each 6-inch line.If you do not follow those guidelines,the employer’s e-mail program maywrap the lines of your resume in away that makes the resume difficultto read.

10. Resave your electronic resume as a .txtfile or equivalent.



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Do not worry if your electronic resumefills more than one ‘‘page.’’ Computersprocess information so quickly that thelength of an electronic resume is not ascritical as that of a traditional one.

In addition to making your resume easyto decode, make the content of your resumeattractive to the search program. Use thekeywords common to your career cluster.Use in particular the keywords that theemployer used in the job description. Insome career clusters, such as InformationTechnology, the industry practice is tostring many keywords together in a specialsection at the top or bottom of the resume.Realize that search programs todayare very sophisticated and may be pro-grammed to select only those resumesthat contain two or more uses of anyparticular keyword.

Even if you submit an electronicresume, prepare a traditional resume aswell. When you go for an interview, theinterviewer will appreciate receiving aneasy-to-read traditional resume.

The four most common types of elec-tronic resumes are (1) resumes formattedfor scanners, (2) resumes as an e-mail,(3) resumes as part of an online applica-tion form, and (4) resumes as an e-mailattachment.

Resumes Formatted for Scanners. Somecompanies request scannable resumes.Scannable resumes start out as hardcopy. But the hiring company immediatelychanges them into electronic resumes. Thecompany uses an optical scanner to translatethe printed information into computer code.The computer reads the code and saves eachnew electronic resume in a database. Thenthe search program processes the resumeslike any other electronic resume.

You can use a word processing programto prepare a scannable resume. Use simpleformats so the scanner translates the con-tents accurately. To adapt your traditionalresume, remove formatting such as under-lining, italics, columns, and tables. Scan-ners may have trouble translating the

special font elements. Scanners do notrearrange the information on your resume.The searching programs may not be ableto understand information presented incolumns or tables. The trend is for compa-nies to upgrade their hiring systems to beInternet compatible. True Internet com-patibility allows the companies to eliminatethe scanning step and request true elec-tronic resumes.

Resumes as an E-mail. Some employersask job applicants to submit their resumesas e-mail. In this case, the employers wantthe resume information keyed directly intothe body of the e-mail. When you press theSend button, your e-mail program trans-lates the message into a basic computerlanguage ASCII code and then transmits themessage over the Internet. When the ASCIIcode gets to its destination, the receivinge-mail program translates the ASCII codeback into human-friendly formats.

E-mail programs are more sophisticatedthan they were just five years ago. However,even today the translation process is notperfect. You may format a beautiful resumeand e-mail it to a possible employer. Theemployer may receive a resume full of codesthat its e-mail program cannot translate.The search program also may misinter-pret the garble and not select you as acandidate—even if you are truly qualified.

Your best strategy is to use the texteditor of your computer and follow theten steps listed on the previous page as youprepare your traditional resume for e-mail.Remember, your goal is to have yourresume easy for computers to read.

A person in Jack Harley’s job searchnetwork told him about a job. Jack isexcited because the job matches hiscurrent goals perfectly. The job ad on thecompany’s site asks applicants to submitresumes within the body of an e-mail.Jack followed the ten steps to convert acopy of his traditional resume into anelectronic resume. See Illustration 14-5,Jack Harley’s Electronic Resume.



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Illustration 14-5: Jack Harley’s Electronic Resume

Jack Harley438 Sunset Point LaneSanta Rosa, CA 95405(707) [email protected]

OBJECTIVELandscaping Assistant with Landscaping Concepts, Inc.

QUALIFICATIONS* Draft and read landscaping blueprints* Operate and maintain hand and power tools used in landscaping* Analyze and treat soil conditions in the Santa Rosa area* Plant a variety of perennials, shrubs, and trees correctlywithout supervision* Follow directions, ask appropriate questions, provide reliableand courteous service

WORK EXPERIENCEGolden State Landscaping Company, Santa Rosa, CaliforniaLandscape Assistant-in-TrainingSummer 2009Under the direction of the landscape designer, planned thelayout of ten 12-foot by 2-foot planter boxes for the mainparking lot at Super Build-it. Assisted with bid preparationsby estimating installation time for bedding plants on threelarge commercial jobs and eight residential contracts.Following the designer’s sketches, drafted blueprints forfive bid submissions. Used and maintained standard landscapinghand and power tools.LaborerSummers of 2007 and 2008Worked on five-member landscaping crew installing residentialand commercial projects. Assisted in soil analysis and appliedsoil treatments. Laid sod; planted perennials, shrubs, andtrees. Laid walkways with wood, stone, brick, or cement pavers.Helped install ponds and fountains. Recommended forpreferred rehire each summer.

Mission Nursery, Santa Rosa, CaliforniaPart-time Gardening AssistantSeptember 2006 – June 2007Helped customers, tended plants, and maintained displays. NamedEmployee of the Month twice.

EDUCATIONWashington High School, Santa Rosa, California

Current Student; GPA: 3.2Completed Related Classes

Biology; Horticulture; Chemistry; Intro to DraftingTechnology; Algebra; Geology; Geometry

ACTIVITIESSeptember 2007 to Present: Volunteer, Boys and Girls Clubs of AmericaFall 2007 and Fall 2008: Varsity Football



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Resumes as Part of an Online Applica-tion. Some companies set up online appli-cation forms that incorporate expandingboxes. The directions may tell you to cutand paste or type your resume content intothe appropriate box. Companies using thatapproach want all of the resume informa-tion to be in the same order. Make sure youbenefit from the spell check feature ofyour word processor and from all of thetime you have spent preparing your bestresume. Open the text-editor version ofyour carefully written resume. Copy, cut,and paste the appropriate information intothe appropriate boxes of the online form.

Resumes as an E-mail Attachment. Somecompanies will ask you to use a wordprocessing program to create a print-ready‘‘traditional’’ resume. They will direct youto submit your resume electronically, as ane-mail attachment. Usually, the companieswill specify which word processing pro-gram(s) you may use. These companiesmay have several reasons for taking thisapproach, including the following:

• The companies have very sophisticatedprocessing software that can translatecoded documents.

• The companies plan to use your resumeas a way to measure your word process-ing and presentation skills.

• The companies are asking a limitednumber of candidates for resumes andplan to have the hiring managers readthe original resumes.

Unless a company representative tells youto do differently, plan to attach to thee-mail the scannable copy of your resume.That way your resume will work well in twoways. First your resume will be easy forpeople to read. Second, your resume will beready to scan and will be easy for searchprograms to process.

In Activity 14-4, ‘‘Electronic Resume,’’

you reformat your traditional resume into

an electronic resume.

Working with ReferencesReferences are usually people unrelatedto you who will give you a positive recom-mendation. Employers expect you to supplya separate sheet with the names, jobtitles (if appropriate), addresses, and tele-phone numbers of your references. Illus-tration 14-6 shows a portion of IsabellaGomez’s reference sheet.

Employers rely on references to givethem an idea of the kind of employee youwould make, so you should choose yourreferences carefully. Pick people who willgive you a good reference. After you selectthe people you want as references, youmust ask them if they are willing to act asyour references. You also will need to keepthem informed about your job search. Onceyou get a job, write a thank-you note toeach reference.

Select Your ReferencesUse your Network Tracking Cards to helpyou select three references. Look for peopleunrelated to you who:

• Can vouch for the qualities that willmake you a good employee.

• Have worked with you on a job or aproject.

• Have known you well for a long time.

• Write and speak well.

• Would be willing and able to spendtime writing recommendation lettersor talking to prospective employers.

Career Success TipIf you have not talked to some of your

references recently, write them notes to

catch them up on your life, interests,

goals, and accomplishments. They will

have a written reminder to help them

give you a reference that will impress

an employer. They also will appreciate

your thoughtfulness.7

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Ask Your ReferencesBeing a reference for someone can take alot of work. Your references may need towrite letters, often by certain deadlines.People providing references must be avail-able, usually during business hours, totalk to potential employers on the phone.People acting as your reference also need toknow you well. They should know aboutyour career goals and your qualifications.Because of the effort involved, you need toask people if they are willing to be one ofyour references. Do not assume someonehas the time or feels comfortable being yourreference—always ask. If someone declinesyour request, thank them sincerely fortalking with you.

Asking someone to be your referencecan be as casual as talking in person or asformal as writing a letter. Just make sureyour references understand what they will

have to do. Give all of your references acopy of your resume so they have up-to-date information.

Follow Up with Your ReferencesPeople who agree to be your references careabout your progress. Let your referencesknow when your plans change. Informthem right away if you get an interview withone of their referrals. Put them first on yourlist to call when you find a job. After yourjob search ends, thank your references fortheir time and energy. Write a thank-youletter expressing your appreciation to eachreference. Illustration 14-7 on pages 252–253shows the thank-you letter Isabella Gomezwrote to one of her references.

In Activity 14-5, ‘‘Workwith References,’’

you plan your references.

Isabella Gomez225 South Ash Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15207-3848 412-555-0156

[email protected]

REFERENCES

Peter Stanislaus CIT Coordinator Eagle CampAllegheny National Forest P.O. Box 555 Warren, PA 16365 814-555-0160

Jeremy and Margo Jones 5623 Manchester Street Pittsburgh, PA 15207-4521412-555-0108

Illustration 14-6: Partial List of Isabella Gomez’s References



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October 5, 2009

Dear Peter,

A grocery store near my home has an opening for a part- time courtesy clerk. This job has after-school or weekend hours that would work with my schedule. Some of the courtesy clerks are my age, so I am very hopeful of getting this job. I am sending you a copy of my resume —just to keep you up to date.

Peter, thank you so much for all of the help you are giving me during my job search. I will let you know how things go with this new job possibility.

Sincerely,

Isabella Gomez

P.S. Please tell Ranger Patterson that being inside all day is hard after a summer of great hikes!

Enclosure

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1. Right-justify date. Use top and side margins of inch. 2. Begin inch from left side of paper. Use -inch right margin. 3. Indent first line inch from edge of paper. Use -inch right margin. 4. Begin closing and signature at middle of paper. 5. Begin inch from left side of paper. Use -inch right margin.

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Illustration 14-7: Isabella Gomez’s Handwritten Thank-You Letter to a Reference, page 1 of 2



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Isabella Gomez225 South Ash StreetPittsburgh, PA 15207-3848

Mr. Peter Stanislaus CIT Coordinator Eagle Camp Allegheny National Forest P.O. Box 555 Warren, PA 16365

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1. Write a complete return address. Do not put a personal title before your (the sender’s) name. Begin writing inch from the top and side edges of the envelope. Make sure your writing is easy to read.

2. For a note-card-sized envelope (approximately 4 inches tall by 5 inches wide), begin the first word of the recipient’s name 1 inches from the left edge of the envelope and 1 inches from the top of the envelope. Use the correct courtesy title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss) or professional title (Dr., Dean, and so on) before the name of the recipient. Consult a reference to check correct spellings, abbreviations, and placements.

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Illustration 14-7: Isabella Gomez’s Handwritten Thank-You Letter to a Reference, page 2 of 2



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Writing Cover LettersA cover letter is an introduction to bothyour resume and you. Although it maysound like a routine document, a coverletter may be more powerful than yourresume. A good cover letter can convince anemployer to read your resume and possiblyinvite you for an interview. A bad coverletter will get your resume discarded.

Learning how to write a good coverletter is not difficult. The secrets are to:

• Write about the employer’s needs.

• Use a standard business format.

• Use correct grammar, spelling, andpunctuation.

Think of a cover letter as an application fora job and a resume as evidence that you arequalified for that job. Open your coverletter by expressing your interest in theposition. Explain why you are interested.

In the middle paragraph(s), explain tothe employer what you can bring to thecompany. Employers really would like tohire you. They want to get the job filledquickly so the company can be as produc-tive as possible. Therefore, give employersgood reasons why they should hire you.

In the lastparagraph, requestan interview.Tell the employer when you will call to set upan interview. When you do that, you have anacceptable reason to call the employer.

Keep your cover letter to one page.(See Illustration 14-8.) Use the introductoryparagraph to show you respect employerconcerns. Put measurable accomplish-ments in the body of the letter. In theconclusion, say when you will follow up.

Career Success TipShow the you attitude in your cover

letters. Challenge yourself to make your

points without using the word I more

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IntroductionUse the introductory paragraph to explainyour purpose for writing the letter—to

apply for a job. Express your interest inthe job and make sure you use the title fromthe job description. Explain why you areinterested in the position. Do you soundlike the ideal match for the job? Why? Areyou especially interested in this particularcompany? Again, why? Be specific andimpress employers with your understand-ing of how your interest fits their needs.

BodyUse the body of your cover letter to presentyour skills and accomplishments. Make anorganized argument for how you can ben-efit the company. Support this claim withstrong points from your resume. Forexample, the two years you volunteered atthe local food bank show hard work andcommitment.

Also relate your characteristics to thespecific job requirements. If the positionneeds someone who is good at motivatingothers, write about the number of peopleyou recruited to help at an event or tocomplete a job. Make true, positive state-ments about yourself in a cover letter.You are not bragging. You are showingthe employer that you are capable andself-confident. You are answering thatfamous employer question: Why shouldI hire this person?

ConclusionIn the concluding section, ask for an inter-view. Say when and how you will follow up.For example, you may state that you willcall in a week. Make sure you do as you sayyou will. Otherwise, your chance of gettingthe job will be slim. Even though mostemployers prefer to initiate appointments,they will be impressed with your follow-up.Also tell the employer how to contact you.Use a standard closing, such as Sincerelyor Sincerely yours. Add the Enclosure orAttachment notation under your signature.Send your cover letter and resume together.

In Activity 14-6, ‘‘Write a Cover Letter,’’

you practice composing a cover letter.



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Isabella Gomez225 South Ash Street Pittsburgh, PA 15207-3848 (412) 555-0156 [email protected]

October 6, 2010

Ms. Barbara Prevedello Store Manager MegaMart 239 Jefferson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15207-3849

Dear Ms. Prevedello

Do you need an energetic courtesy clerk? Do you want someone with strong customer service skills and a good work record? Please consider me, Isabella Gomez.

î Earning money. î Getting to work on time. î Working my scheduled hours. î Treating customers well. î Doing a good job.

As you can see from my resume, I like to improve results. For example, the average take-out order at Café Mexicana went up $4 a ticket after customers heard my descriptions of the tasty desserts. In addition, my two years as a part-time worker have taught me to value:

May we meet to talk about the job of courtesy clerk? I will call you Thursday afternoon to ask for an appointment. You may reach me at [email protected] or at (412) 555-0156.

Sincerely

Isabella Gomez

Isabella Gomez

Enclosure

Illustration 14-8: Isabella Gomez’s Cover Letter (Block Style with Open Punctuation)



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Filling Out Job ApplicationsSome employers will require only a jobapplication. Others will require an applica-tion in addition to a resume. Companiesusually want you to fill out an applicationfor two reasons:

1. To give them a standard measure tocompare applicants

2. To protect them from charges of irre-sponsible or illegal hiring practices

Everyone’s resume will include differentinformation. The information also will beat different places on the resume. However,employers can design job applications toinclude the same type of specific informa-tion for each applicant. By requiring jobapplications, employers can see quickly

which applicants meet all of the qualifica-tions. Employers also can compare quali-fied applicants easily to see who best meetsthe job requirements.

Companies also may use job applica-tions as a convenient way to get your legalpermission for things such as drug testsand background checks. The applicationwill clearly state that your signature givesspecial permissions to the employer.

Why do you think an employer may ask foryour legal guardian’s signature on yourapplication?

Surfboard Maker, Entrepreneur

Josh Williams and Ed Sixberry have lovedsurfing since they were kids. Now they arethe owners of The Board Factory inMelbourne, Florida. They make surfboardsfrom expanded polystyrene foam, coat theboards with fiberglass cloth and epoxyresin, decorate the boards with artwork,and sell them.

Josh enjoyed surfing so much that hewanted to make his own boards. He beganworking with other surfboard shapers andgradually mastered the process. He gainedadditional experience working for a race-boat builder. There Josh learned to man-age various materials and compositesinvolved in plastics fabrication. In fact, hedeveloped his own board design using a

fiberglass com-pos i te f romr a c i n g - b o a ttechnology.

Josh and Ed recently opened The CostaRica Surf House, the first surf camp inBoca Barranca, Costa Rica. The camp willhost all-inclusive five- to seven-day surfing clinics. It alsooffers private vacation rent-als throughout the year. ‘‘Forme, doing a job related tosurfing is ideal,’’ Joshexplains, ‘‘becausethere is always abeautiful oceannearby.’’

For more informa-tion about:

• plastics fabrication

• Josh Williams

access www.thomsonedu.com/school/iycand click the appropriate links.

Sources: InDemand 28 May 2006 <www.careervoyages.gov>; 28 May 2006 <http://press.arrivenet.com>.

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Before you begin to fill out a job appli-cation, study the questions you are beingasked. Many employers post job applicationforms on their web sites. If you plan to pickup an application at the company’s loca-tion, ask if you may take the applicationwith you to complete later. Most employerswill allow you to take the application form.However, some employers will require youto fill out the application at the office.Prepare for that situation by bringing yourPersonal Fact Sheet and copies of yourresume and references with you.

To have the best chance of getting aninterview, follow these tips:

1. If possible, get an extra copy of theapplication to use for practice. If youcannot get an extra copy, make apractice copy.

2. Read the entire application form beforeyou start filling it out.

3. Follow the instructions carefully andexactly. Many employers use an appli-cant’s ability to follow the directions onthe application as a screening tool.

4. Answer every question. If a questiondoes not apply to you, write NA (notapplicable) in the space. You want theemployer to know that you did notoverlook the question. For example,an application might ask you to supplyany names you have used in the past.That question will apply to you only ifyou have changed your name legally.

5. Be honest, accurate, and thorough.

6. Make your answers easy to read. Onpaper applications, print neatly in darkblue or black ink or type the answers.For online applications, use spaces andhard returns to separate your answers.

7. Whenever you can, answer questionsusing measurable statements. Insteadof writing that you key quickly, writethat you key 55 words per minute.

In Activity 14-7, ‘‘Complete a Job Appli-

cation,’’ you practice completing a job

application.

Understanding Typesof Preemployment TestsMore companies are requiring potentialemployees to take preemployment tests.Preemployment tests are screening toolsthat help employers determine if applicantshave the qualifications to do the job suc-cessfully. Preemployment tests determineeverything from personality type to techni-cal skills. Regardless of the kind of pre-employment test, the employer has onlyone reason for wanting you to take it—todecide whether you are right for the job.

All employment tests must meet specificlegal requirements. In general, tests mustmeasure qualities directly related to jobperformance. Also, tests must not causean undue hardship to people with disabil-ities. Finally, tests must not discriminateagainst groups specifically protected bycivil rights laws.

Isabella Gomez’s hard work paid off. Shehad a preliminary telephone interviewwith the grocery store manager lastweek. The manager said that the com-pany was interested in setting up aformal interview. Before the interview,though, Isabella would need to takea preemployment test to determinewhether her ethical standards matchedthose of the company. The store wants to

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Employers need honest employees.



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hire only people they can promote toany job in the store, including grocerychecker. Isabella understood the valueof an integrity test to a company whoseemployees handle money.

However, Isabella was nervous. Howcould she prepare for the test? Whattypes of questions would be on the test?She knew her chance of getting the jobwould depend on her test results.

Isabella gathered her courage andcalled the store manager. She asked for adescription of the test and an explana-tion of how the results would be eval-uated. What type of score would Isabellaneed to pass the test? She was relievedwhen the manager offered to sendIsabella a sheet that explained the testand included a few sample questions.Isabella knew she would feel more com-fortable if she had a chance to prepare.

Employers may give preemploymenttests at different times during the hiringprocess. For example, ability, skill, andintegrity tests may be given before jobinterviews. Those tests help eliminateunqualified applicants early in the selectionprocess. During the interview phase, morequalified applicants may take a personalitytest. That test helps employers identifycandidates whose personality is compatiblewith the job characteristics. Qualifiedapplicants also may take drug tests.

Testing may continue after an applicantaccepts a job but before the new employeestarts the job. These tests often find out whatadditional training the new employee needs.

If you are asked to take a preemploy-ment test, find out the kind of test you willtake. Knowing what the test measures willhelp you decide whether and how you canprepare. Common test categories are skill,personality, ability, integrity, and drug.

‘‘‘‘A professional is a person who can do

his best at a time when he doesn’t par-

ticularly feel like it.’’

—Alistair Cook, Broadcaster and Author,,

Skill TestsSkill tests measure how well you can per-form certain functions directly related tothe job or how much you know about thecontext of a particular job. For example,companies searching for an administrativeclerk may test for keyboarding speed andknowledge of business letter formats. Adoctor’s office in need of an insurance clerkmay test for knowledge of billing terminol-ogy and medical coding. Employers useskill tests to find out quickly if the applicantcould be effective in the job.

Access www.thomsonedu.com/school/iyc

and click the link for Chapter 14. Look for thepersonality test link. You will use the Internetto explore personality tests.

Personality TestsEmployers use personality tests to deter-mine how you respond to authority, whatmotivates you, and how well you work on ateam. Personality tests may show whetheryour personality matches the character-istics needed for the job. For example, thejob requirements of a librarian are not agood match for a person who works bestout of doors.

You cannot really study for personalitytests—just answer the questions honestlyand accurately. Keep in mind that if yourpersonality does not match a job’s charac-teristics, you are unlikely to be satisfiedwith the job. So do not try to ‘‘change’’ yourpersonality to match a specific job.

Ability TestsAbility tests can be general or specific.Employers use the results of general abilitytests to find out if you have the basic skillsnecessary for almost any job. These testsmeasure such skills as spelling, vocabulary,reading, and math. Specific ability tests



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measure your skills for a particular type ofjob. For example, if you are applying for anadministrative support job, you might berequired to take a word processing test.

You can study for both kinds of abilitytests if you know the type of test and thescore you will need to pass the test. Ifpossible, ask the employer in advance aboutany ability tests you must take. Try to findout what will be covered on the tests andwhat level of accomplishment is consideredacceptable. For example, ask the employerwhat level of math is measured in a generalability test. Also ask if you may see somesample questions.

Integrity TestsEmployers use integrity tests to try to learnhow honest you are. An integrity test can beas simple as a true-false questionnaire or ascomplicated as a lie detector test. Some-times integrity tests present tricky situa-tions. For example, you might be asked torespond to a scenario such as the following:

You and Tia play in the school band andwork at the local Drive ’n’ Eat. You knowthat Tia’s family income barely meets thefamily’s expenses. They have no extramoney. In fact, Tia gives her paycheck toher mother to help support the family.Last week the band teacher asked eachmember to contribute toward new uni-forms. Tia told you that she could not askher family for the money. Today you see

Tia taking a $20 bill from the cashregister at work. What do you do?

The test may offer you a choice of answers:

• I would tell Tia to put the money back.

• I would tell Tia to put the money backor I would report her.

• I would replace the $20 with my ownmoney and say nothing.

• I would report Tia to my supervisor.

With this example, the employer wants tofind out whether you would sympathizewith Tia or whether you would report thetheft. Expect difficult questions like this onintegrity tests.

How would you feel about reporting a fellowemployee for stealing, abusing drugs, orsleeping on the job?

Drug TestsEmployers know that illegal drug usedamages a person’s ability to do a job safelyand productively. Employers may be legallyliable if a drug-using employee injuresothers or damages property. Many employ-ers require job applicants to pass drug tests.You have the right to decide to take or notto take a drug test. The employer has theright not to hire you if you refuse to takea drug test.

Be aware that some foods, vitamins, andlegal medications can produce a positivereading. Before taking a drug test, tell thetester about any such items you have takenrecently. Also know that drug tests may notbe completely accurate. If your test resultindicates drugs in your system but youknow you have not used any illegal sub-stances, ask for a retest or for a different,more sophisticated test.

In Activity 14-8, ‘‘Learning from Others,’’

you find out about preemployment tests

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Integrity tests ask you about difficult situations.



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Chapter 14 Assessment

* Summary• I can complete a Personal Fact Sheet.

My Personal Fact Sheet contains basicinformation about me. I will use theinformation on my Personal Fact Sheetwhen I write resumes and cover letters,complete job applications, prepare forjob interviews, and fill out employmentforms.

• I can write an effective resume.An effective resume uses ‘‘resume-ese,’’ anattractive visual style, and attractive for-matting. In addition, an honest resume iscritical to success. I can adapt my resumeby highlighting my skills, education, andwork experience that match the require-ments of a specific job. I can use thevarious elements of my resume to focuson my qualifications. A resume may beorganized as a chronological, functional,or combination resume.

• I can work with references.My references should be people who arenot related to me but who know me welland who are familiar with my abilitiesand goals. I need to ask permission frommy references and make sure they haveup-to-date information about my jobsearch. I also need to write a thank-youletter to each of my references.

• I can write a cover letter.My cover letter should convince anemployer to read my resume and to offerme an interview. In my cover letter, Ishould say what job I am interested in,why I am interested in it, and why I am agood candidate for the job. I also shouldask for an interview.

• I can complete a job application.I need to make sure that I have all of thenecessary information when I fill out ajob application. I should answer ques-tions thoroughly and honestly or writeNA if a question does not apply to me.

• I can describe various preemploy-ment tests and their uses.Preemployment tests provide anemployer with information about me.Skill tests help the employer know ifI can be effective right away in the job.Personality tests help employers deter-mine whether my personality matchesthe job. Ability tests measure my skillsfor a job. Integrity tests measure myhonesty. Drug tests assure the employerthat I do not use illegal drugs.



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* Vocabulary BuilderChoose the term that best fits thedefinition.

a. chronological resume

b. combination resume

c. electronic resume

d. functional resume

e. keywords

f. Personal Fact Sheet

g. preemployment tests

h. traditional resume

1. Your summary of basic informationabout you and your education, experi-ence, and qualifications

2. The resume style that presents yourinformation by date in reverse timeorder, with the most current informa-tion shown first

3. The resume style that matches yourcapabilities to the job tasks, emphasiz-ing your abilities rather than yourcareer history

4. The resume style that uses featuresof both functional and chronologicalformats

5. A printed resume you mail with a coverletter and bring to a job interview

6. A resume created, transmitted, stored,and accessed on computers

7. Terms that name important job skills

8. Screening tools that help employersdetermine if applicants have the qual-ifications to do the job successfully

* Review What You Have Learned1. Name three times you will use the

information on your Personal FactSheet.

2. What is the most important purposeof your resume?

3. Name the seven principles of‘‘resume-ese.’’

4. List six resume elements that may havetheir own sections on your resume.

5. When would you use a traditionalresume?

6. Name and describe four types ofelectronic resumes.

7. List five characteristics to look forwhen selecting someone to be yourreference.

8. True or false: A cover letter may bemore powerful than your resume.Explain your answer.

9. What are the secrets to a good coverletter?

10. Give three reasons companies maywant you to fill out a job application.

11. List five types of preemployment testsand explain what each test does.



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* ActivitiesActivity 14-1 Personal Fact Sheet

Print the GPA worksheet and thePersonal Fact Sheet form fromthe Activity CD. Calculate your

GPA. Fill in the information requestedon the Personal Fact Sheet form.

Activity 14-2 Master‘‘Resume-ese’’

Work with a partner and use‘‘resume-ese’’ to rewrite thesegments below. Use your

imagination to provide needed informa-tion. Use your judgment to eliminateunneeded information.

1. I answered incoming calls. I arrangedflights for passengers who wanted tomake airline reservations on any of theroutes flown by the regional airline.I set up the connecting flights.

2. All initial reservation information andlater route changes were entered usingthe airline’s special computerized res-ervations program.

3. Made thousands of reservations everymonth at a very low error rate.

Activity 14-3 Write a TraditionalResume

Review the organizational stylesshown in Illustrations 14-2, 14-3,and 14-4. Write your resume in

one of those styles. Use ‘‘resume-ese’’ toanswer the employer question, How canthis person help the company succeed?

Activity 14-4 Electronic ResumeUse the ten-step process described onpage 247 to reformat your traditionalresume into an electronic resume.Describe what major problems you hadwith the reformatting process and howyou solved each problem.

Activity 14-5 Work withReferencesSelect your references from people whoare unrelated to you and who will giveyou a positive recommendation. Use theReference Selection tables on the Activ-ity CD and your network tracking cardsto choose your three references.

Activity 14-6 Write a Cover LetterUse the want ads in the news-paper or a search engine on theInternet to find a job opening in

your career cluster. Use your imagina-tion to supply any needed names. Write acover letter, applying for the job. Use theletter format shown in Illustration 14-8.

Activity 14-7 Complete a JobApplication

Print the Job Application formfrom the Activity CD. Fill in theform as though you were apply-

ing for the job you used in your jobobjective on your resume.

Activity 14-8 Learning from OthersListen carefully to the presentationof the guest speaker from a contractemployment agency. Take notes. Sum-marize how the guest speaker answeredthe questions listed below about placingpeople in temporary jobs. Do you thinkyou could benefit from working tempo-rary jobs? Why or Why not?

1. What types of preemployment testsdoes the contract employment agencygive to job applicants?

2. How does the contract employmentagency recommend that job applicantsprepare for those tests?

3. How does the contract employmentagency use the results of the tests?



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* Case ChallengesRead each of the followingcase studies. Using the frame-work for ethical decision mak-

ing, work with your team to decide whateach job applicant should do. Write downeach decision. Do you personally agreewith the team decision? Why or why not?

1. Frank is applying for an internship withthe most well-known company in hiscareer field. The company requiresapplicants to have a GPA of 3.0 in theirmajor. Frank has a friend in the humanresources department. The friend toldFrank that the company does not requirecopies of college transcripts and does notcall schools to verify GPAs.

Frank is not sure what to do. HisGPA in his major is 2.98. Right now he isfinishing another class in his major, andhe has an A so far. He is sure that by thetime the semester ends, his GPA will beover 3.0. He has to turn in the applica-tion for the internship by the end of theweek. The semester still has two weeks togo. What should Frank do?

2. Sally is writing her resume. She will useit as part of an application for an entry-level job in her career cluster. Sallydropped out of school and tried tosupport herself with part-time jobs.Employers did not want to hire her full-time unless she had a GED or a highschool diploma. So Sally used the Inter-net to complete a GED program. Twoyears ago she joined a Job Core programand earned a high school diploma whilelearning a trade. Now that she has herhigh school diploma, she is wonderingif she needs to show the GED on herresume. How would you advise Sally?

3. At a recent job fair, Raheem talked with arecruiter for a company in which Raheemis interested. The recruiter told Raheemto use his resume to show examples of hisleadership accomplishments. Raheemdoes not think he has the kind of proven

leadership skills this company prefers.But he really wants to work for this firm.

Raheem thinks about the team proj-ect he and several other classmates didon downtown traffic patterns. The finalreport lists in alphabetical order thenames of all of the team members.Raheem does not think the companywould have any way of verifying whodid what on the project. So Raheem hasdecided to claim that he was the teamleader. He plans to use examples ofleadership he saw other team membersprovide and say that the examples arehis. He figures no one will be hurtbecause none of the other team membersis interested in this company. He knowsthat he would have been a team leader ifno one else had stepped in. How wouldyou advise Raheem?

4. Talia wants to work with animals. Shehas been using the Internet to researchthe job duties of vet technicians, vetassistants, and animal care specialists.She also has looked at career prepara-tion providers that offer a variety ofveterinary-related majors or animal-careprograms. Talia has not yet applied toa program or for any jobs. She still isdeciding which jobs she is interested in.

Today Talia comes to school veryexcited. She tells you that yesterday shegot an e-mail offering her a part-time jobworking at a veterinarian’s office. Thejob pays $10 an hour. When you askwhich veterinarian’s office, she says shedoes not know. She says she has to fillout an application first. She shows youthe application she printed from thee-mail. The application asks for all ofTalia’s personal information, includingher age and Social Security number. Theapplication also asks Talia to give thepersonal information of three ‘‘friendsher age who would be interested inearning $10 an hour.’’ What shouldTalia do?



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