CAREER SERVICES

Meagan Bryson

Director of Career Development & Student Support

Counseling & Career Center (CSB 106)

360-752-8396 or 360-752-8450 (scheduling)

mbryson@btc.ctc.edu

Instrumentation 205 (Job Prep I)

Workshop Goals

Skill identification Resumes Cover Letter References Job Searching Job Applications Web presence

Getting Started

A large part of the success of the job hunt will come from a person’s own attitude.

Key skills for a successful job search:Follow throughDetermination

Staying positiveCritical thinking

OpennessSelf Awareness

Most of the hiring decision by employers is based on “fit”…So, how do we show an employer we fit?

EmployerQualificatio

ns

Your Skills

What is the definition of a skill?1. The ability coming from one's

knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc.,2. To do something well3. Competent excellence in performance4. Expertness5. A craft, trade, or job requiring manual

dexterity or special training in which a person has competence and experience

Definitions from dictionary.com

Transferable, Non-Technical, Soft Skills, etc.

The concept of transferable skills is a vital job-search technique that all job-seekers should master, though the concept is especially important for career changers and college students.

And where do they come from?

So, what are transferable

skills?

Qualification Brainstorm

1. Get into groups of 4-5 and one blank piece of paper.

2. One person starts and list one qualification you know is required for your field.

3. Pass to the second person, who will list a different skill and go around the group.

4. You can help one another when you start to run out of ideas.

Matching YOUR skills

Now that you have brainstormed the qualifications for

the job, brainstorm some of your skills!

Spend a couple minutes listing as many skills that you have that are on the list your group just brainstormed.

What does this mean?

How to these lists compare? What skills do I already have? What gaps do I need to fill in to be a

qualified applicant?

EmployerQualificatio

nsYour Skills

So where do I come up with these skills?

EXPERIENCES give us the “prove it” for our skills and they don’t just have to be work experiences.

1. Paid or unpaid2. Specific objective or task3. External accountability

Experiences can come from:•Internships•Community Volunteering•Internship/Clinical/Extramural•Service in student organizations or clubs•Class projects, lab experiences, or other major assignments.

What is a resume? And what does it do?

Written document that lists your work experience, skills, and educational background.

Targeted, ever-changing and dynamic document.

Shows you “fit” based on their qualifications Visually enticing – formatting techniques A marketing tool

Resume Content Heading (Name, Address, Phone, Email)

Career Objective (optional)

Skills section: “Summary of Qualifications” “Related Skills” or “Relevant Skills” “Highlights of Qualifications”

Education

Employment “Work History” “Professional Experience” “Employment History”

Others (included when information is relevant to job) Internships Awards/Scholarships Honors (Dean’s List, Phi Theta Kappa, etc.) Volunteer/Community Service/College Activities / Leadership Training Licenses Certifications Hobbies/Interests

*Order of sections depends

upon relevance

to field

First steps…

1. Determine the purpose of writing your resume

2. Identify your qualifications

3. Decide on a style/format

Types of Resumes

COMBINATI

ON

CHRONOLOGICAL Ideal for someone

changing jobs within the same field

Have work experience in the field, which is main content of resume

FUNCTIONAL• Ideal for career

changers and college students who don’t have work experience in the new field

• Skills based focus to resume

General Resume Tips

Use relevant professional information Use strong action verbs Name your skills when you can

(teamwork, communication, safety awareness, critical thinking, etc.

Layout consistency Visual feel – margins, text size, etc. No errors (spelling/grammar) Use phone & email that you check Watch your tenses

More General Resume Tips

Length varies based on related experience and education. Shorter is typically better.

Caution using standard templates. What will make yours stand out?

Paper quality Staples and folding Use key industry / position words Formats for saving Concise and to the point Strengths highlighted and weaknesses de-

emphasized Leave off any red flags, controversial or

negative things

What NOT to put on your resume The word “Resume” at the top Fluffy rambling objective statements Use of “I” – that is for the cover letter Salary information Full addresses, phone numbers and

supervisors for past jobs References (“References Upon Request”

is okay but kind of outdated)

Questions successful job seekers would ask themselves: What key qualifications will the employer be looking

for? Of those, what are the most important to them that you

possess? Which of these are your greatest strengths?

What highlights do you want to emphasize/de-emphasize?

What makes you stand out? 3-4 things you feel have been your greatest

accomplishments? And their results? What are the “buzz words” that people in your field

expect you to use/know? What transferable skills do you have from each job

or other experience (volunteer, internship, etc.)? How does your education make you a more

qualified candidate?

What’s wrong & right with this resume?

J ohn Smith 3028 Lindbergh Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225

crazystudent@email.btc.edu Objective Seeking a position that will utilize my skills and knowledge with a

growing company that can provide plenty of advancement opportunities. Education BTC

Instrumentation Program AAS Degre, Currently Enrolled 2.9 GPA Mount Vernon High School

High school diploma, 2001 Related Knowledge and Skills

Troubleshooting electronic circuitry and Instrument loops Installing fully working Instrument loops Pressure, level, temperature, and flow measurement analysis,

including calibrations for various circumstances Pneumatic and electronic PID control tuning Disassembly and reassembly of DVC 6000 valve positioners as well

as Fisher globe valves Variable speed drives and AC motors Safety knowledge and experience Programmable Logic Controllers, Distributed control systems AC/DC theory Highly motivated and dedicated to timelines and effeciencies Computer skills including Microsoft Office, AutoCAD and Labview

Experience Work Study Lab Assistant

2009-Present, Bellingham Technical College, Bellingham, WA Helped in the lab. Maintenance 2004-2008, ABC Marine, Bellingham, WA Utility maintenance and cleaning. Worked in a teamwork environment. Safety focused work with regular training and monitoring. Construction Worker 2002-2004, XYZ Construction., Bellingham, WA Framed houses and assisted with whatever needed to get done.

Resume MistakesJ ohn Smith

3028 Lindbergh Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225 crazystudent@email.btc.edu

no phone number Objective Seeking a position that will utilize my skills and knowledge with a

growing company that can provide plenty of advancement opportunities. Education BTC

Instrumentation Program AAS Degre, Currently Enrolled 2.9 GPA Mount Vernon High School

High school diploma, 2001 Related Knowledge and Skills

Troubleshooting electronic circuitry and Instrument loops Installing fully working Instrument loops Pressure, level, temperature, and flow measurement analysis,

including calibrations for various circumstances Pneumatic and electronic PID control tuning Disassembly and reassembly of DVC 6000 valve positioners as well

as Fisher globe valves Variable speed drives and AC motors Safety knowledge and experience Programmable Logic Controllers, Distributed control systems AC/DC theory Highly motivated and dedicated to timelines and effeciencies Computer skills including Microsoft Office, AutoCAD and Labview

Experience Work Study Lab Assistant

2009-Present, Bellingham Technical College, Bellingham, WA Helped in the lab. Maintenance 2004-2008, ABC Marine, Bellingham, WA Utility maintenance and cleaning. Worked in a teamwork environment. Safety focused work with regular training and monitoring. Construction Worker 2002-2004, XYZ Construction., Bellingham, WA Framed houses and assisted with whatever needed to get done.

Cover Letters

2 kinds of cover letters…

1. Job application• Actual job you are applying for.

2. General inquiry• Cold contact to employer

whether they have an opening or not.

Benefits of a Cover Letter

Introduces you in a more formal way. Provides the employer more insight

about you by writing it in the first person, different from the resume.

Majority of people don’t write cover letters when they aren’t required.

Cover Letter Format

Format of a cover letter:Paragraph ONE Introduces you and clarifies why you are writing themParagraph TWO Highlights your qualifications for the position. How you fit. *Sometimes the middle portion expands to a couple

paragraphsParagraph THREE Creates a follow up

Other important information: Formal business letter format Try and locate the employer name (if not given) and a

point of contact – NO “To whom it may concern” Be focused and to the point Spark an interest fro them It is common for people to start all or most sentences

with “I”. Try to avoid this.

References

Ask for references and keep previous references updated

Typically documented on a separate sheet after resume

References can be from: Instructors Previous employers Supervisors Co-workers Professional contacts Any others? Be selective with personal references

Letters of recommendation?

“References Available Upon Request” is okay on the resume, however has become implied for many employers

 

Job Applications

All facts and no guessing or approximating Employers Dates Job titles Salaries

No blanks! Use N/A Criminal background Online applications

Margin for error Technical issues Uploading documents

Job Searching Facts

 95 % of job seekers and 95 percent of human resource professionals use networking and personal contact to find and fill positions. -SHRM and Wall Street Journal.

Most screeners (people doing initial application and resumes reviews) have little knowledge of the details of the job. – Yahoo Careers

Most of the hiring decision is “fit”. –Yahoo Careers 80% of jobs are gained through networking. – Harvard Business School A large percentage of jobs aren’t even posted or advertised for. – AJC Jobs “In my many years of working for this company, we have never actually

posted a job” – BTC Advisory Committee Member About 70% of all jobs are found through networking – UW Career Services Anyone you want to meet is only 4-5 people away from you. Most people

one meets have at least 250 contacts – UW Career Services A referral generates 80% more results than a cold call – UW Career

Services

Job Searching Tactics

Set goals – know what you are looking for Stay organized – find a system that works for you Where to find job openings

Online search engines Company websites Cold contacts (www.workforceexplorer.com) Informational interviewing

Use all of your resources Research, research, research Professional networking – establish and maintain contacts Informational interviews – be a sponge RSS Feeds

Using RSS Feeds in your Job SearchA RSS job feed can compliment your other job hunting

methods

by regularly bringing you targeted employment listings.

Benefits of using RSS job feeds: The feeds pick up new job listings that meet your

criteria. The feeds work in a variety of feed readers. You can read the feed when it suits you. You don’t have to give anyone your email address. You can unsubscribe. They’re free!

What do you look like on the web?

Pros and Cons to an online presence

Facebook/MySpace/Twitter Google search

Questions/clarification?

THANK YOU!

Meagan BrysonDirector of Career Development & Student SupportCounseling & Career Center (CSB 106)360-752-8396 (direct)360-752-8450 (scheduling)mbryson@btc.ctc.edu