Eight-to-five work in early years isn't likely to lead to rapid advance or to prepare you for un­predicated opportunities. If you are really in­terested you ought to be doing more. If you are a clock-watcher you aren't likely to develop in­terest . If you aren' t interested in your job you ought to consider a change.

Few technical curricula deal heavily in human relations. The technically trained man has become accustomed to dealing with perfectly reproducible resul ts and expects the same reaction every t ime under identical conditions and usually to working in systems with a relatively small number of vari­ables. This is as easy as shooting fish in a bowl compared with getting near perfect performance out of a system composed of human beings. Keep in mind tha t you are part of a system made up of human beings and your dealings with the others in t h a t system a n going to have a very definite influence on what happens to you personally. Keep in mind the fact tha t it is not only you but each of your colleagues who is hoping to come out with a little more than an average share of the good th ings of the world and to see everything that he or she is concerned with run as he or she would like i t . Remember that you don't prefer to work among· people who are unpleasant to you or who are totally unconcerned with the interests of their colleagues. Technical progress has not yet made the Golden Rule obsolete.

Don't Underestimate

Advice to the novice can't be specific on s tar t ing a career. But one warning can't go wrong: Don't underestimate the value of the first five years. I t ' s a time for feeling about and driving hard to gain experience and perspective before responsi­bilities are taken on to the point where flexibility may be reduced. Willingness to t ry new things is important. Many a man has been amazed to find what he could do by undertaking a project where he had no proof that he could succeed. Such ventures do wonders for self-confidence and this is basically important as he makes his way in the world against increasing competition.

Apparent failure early in life is not a very spe­cific thing, but a lot en be learned from it. So the young man shouldn't move in fear of undertaking something that might be difficult. The results of coming off well are a much greater positive in­fluence on the rest of his life than would be a lack of success and there is always much to be learned for future use from the latter.

Habits and att i tudes will be formed during the first five years and if they are based on serious study, acute observation, and lessons from experi­ence they can develop the personal characteristics tha t make for success. And it probably is not overdoing it to say that able people are produced through such development and that truly able people can do a good job almost anywhere. Work at th i s and at learning what you really get satis­faction from doing and the chances of failure are nearly eliminated.

Presenting Yourself in Writing CLARENCE H. WEISSENSTEIN

Director, Technical Personnel Recruitment, Atlantic Research Corp.

S o you're looking for a job? You've got some sell­ing to do ! Before you start out, make absolutely sure it 's the thing: you want to do, then go after it in earnest. Job shopping soon becomes appar­ent and seldom builds a substantial career.

The technical recruiter scans a staggering num­ber of letters, resumes, and formal applications. What does he look for most ; what is it that catches his eye and imagination; stimulates his interest?

These questions aren't answered in one simple sentence, but among the many variables leading to the hiring of any technical man, his written pres­entation plays a major role.

The first inquiry letter is used by the prospec­tive employer to screen out those applicants with training and ability meeting the job requirements. It is the only evidence he has of your qualifica­tions, and it is vital that your letter be concise, businesslike, to the point, and yet contain most of the pertinent facts. I t is an all-important intro­duction Î

This introduction is more effective when kept simple, and, like a baked potato, will lose its savor if overdone. Flowery or wordy phraseology is out of place, and the technical personnel recruiter takes a jaundiced view of a bulky, verbose master­piece.

Preintervîew Correspondence

Several people in the organization will need to evaluate your talents and seldom would these peo­ple all know you personally. The initial corre­spondence usually constitutes your first contact with your prospective employer.

The impact that this initial and subsequent let­ter has on the recruiter may largely determine whether the meeting will culminate in "courtship and marr iage." In this first letter, a brief state­ment of how you came to learn of the company and where you feel you might contribute is always in order. A request for additional company liter­ature is also pertinent. You can include a short statement on your reason if you are seeking to make a career change.

The Resume

What constitutes an adequate initial contact? If you are not sure the organization is seeking

persons with your qualifications, a simple inquiry letter may suffice. However, you stand the risk of losing valuable t ime in supplying the additional information they will need for s tart ing a thorough examination. If you know you are seriously in­terested in the organization, self-interest dictates the inclusion of a resume as well. If you know

J A N . 2 6. i 9 5 9 C & Ε Ν 3

the organization is seeking persons with your qualifications, courtesy dictates it.

Your resume should be prepared with care, not too long or too short, neat, orderly in arrangement, and on good quality paper. There are no "stand­ard" forms, for each person's resume will con­tain information pertinent only to him. While in­dividualism is generally good, the resume is not the proper stage for exotic presentations such as "Have Talent, Will Negotiate," or "Are You Look­ing for Vice Presidential Ability a t an Office Boy's Salary?" Likewise, copyrighted resumes are not as effective as the composer might think. Photo­graphs are not necessary or desirable at this point.

The information in a resume will be most ap­preciated when it is presented in a definite se­quence that gives a simple and chronological pic­ture of your life, school, and work. A typical presentation which may be used as a guide is de­scribed on page 5.

The Follow-up Most companies make every effort to reply to

applicants' inquiries as soon as possible, but de­lays may result. If the initial correspondence is not acknowledged in a reasonable length of t ime (one to two weeks), a follow-up letter is certainly justified and you will usually find it most effective. Your follow-up letter should likewise be business­like, short, and courteous and include a copy of the original letter as an enclosure. If this doesn't draw a reply, then the company selected is really "snowed" with applications, or your choice of com­panies may not have been a wise one in the first place. In any case, patience is golden and will earn the recruiter 's appreciation.

The Employer's Reaction The response to your first letter is usually di­

rectly proportional to your training and experi­ence and also to your ability to present your case effectively. Some of the factors that influence the recruiter 's reactions are : addressing by name, neatness, tone, conciseness, spelling, grammar, sincerity, and honesty. The effect of each of these is sometimes subconscious; however, each does

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^ Γ «mill I ""^^B C L A R E N C E H . WEISSEN-£ÊÊSÊ8fâÊÈÈÊ ' ^ ί STEIN, director of technical per-4Kgpps ' \ . Y, sonnel recruitment for Atlantic

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ B ^ * that organization since 1952.

"^^^^ΗβίΡ^ΐΙ ~% chemical engineering from Car-

Ι ^ Β Β Η ρ ^ ^«ΓΝΒΒΜΒ^Β * n a ddi t ion. he has done some BflHHS9£9BMH9B3H graduate study in industrial and B ^ ^ ^ S ^ S ^ B 3 ^ ^ B | personnel management. He then

spent two vears with Hazel-Atlas Glass Co. as a color chemist in coatings and lacquers, fol-T.—.T -rsri Ky Hvr> vcars n th^ Arm ν (""Ό η-» s of Ε! — fir f****? rTf* then worked as a manufacturing engineer with West ing-house Electric Co., in plastics molding, and finishing unti l τ o=co J. CS'S^a.

have an effect on the reviewer, whether good or bad.

Addressee. It is better to write the letter to a definite per­son, if at all possible. The Director of Technical Personnel is usually the logical person to whom such a letter of application is addressed .

Neatness. One of the big factors in making a letter of appli­cation more appealing is neatness. A typed letter is usually well worth the extra effort. Individually typed letters are more at­tractive to the person doing the screening, if they have been prepared on the standard typewriter with black type. Brilliant 'Wors attract attention but distract from the content of the letter which is all important. The personnel man likes to feel that his company has been singled out by the applicant. Even though the candidate may be sending this information to several com­panies, each copy should give the appearance of individual pi epaJtttiuii .

Tone. As for the actual covering letter itself, the general tone is important. The applicant is the one who is seeking the job and should govern his wording accordingly. Tone means the· difference between a favorable or an unfavorable impression on the part of the recruiter. The candidate must put himself in the position of the man to whom he is writing by approaching the prospective employer from his point of view. While it is advisable and necessary to pttt the ΙΛ-SÎ foot forwa*v« by empha­sizing the "plus" values, the letter of application is not the place to become egotistical- It is best to avoid such expressions as "Outstanding success" ( use instead, "I was successful in synthe­sizing, etc. . . . " ) , "Extremely popular" (use "I enfoyed my professional associates and got along well with them" ). which appeared in a formidable resume crossing the writer's desk recently. Our past accomplishments are usually done with someone else . . . didn't anyone else play a part in those past achievements? Above all, be sincere in your presentation of the facts. Remember, at this point, this letter is the personnel man's only means of judging you as a person, so be yourself. Of course, you should not lose sight of the fact that grammar and phraseology are keys to effective presentation.

ΦΓ€=5=3·=55*Ιεβ| Usess, Cri?ïï:«ar. speïîmg3 and sentence struc­ture are nearly as important as the content itself. Gone are the days when it was taken for granted that "everyone knows engi­neers and scientists are notoriously poor writers." Presentation of your past in die form of a written resume is a specific illustra­tion of your organizing and writing ability. The student in college who recognizee any weakness in this area may still have time to perfect good writing habits by brushing up—now. Time invested here will pay dividends when your first resume hits the desk of the recruiter.

Your Second Letter

Upon receiving a request for additional infor­mation, don't get the idea that your first letter brought results, so now you can relax. On the con­t rary , the second letter is picked apart even more when it reaches the personnel recruiter. Cer­tainly timing is important here. Promptness in replying may make the difference between getting the job or not. Perhaps the timing is as impor­tan t to the employer as it is to you. Most employ­ers will require some three to five weeks after the initial contact before an offer is made, in order to complete all checks and reviews. Your letter may reduce this time.

This letter convinces others that, barr ing un­foreseen developments, you are the man to come in for the personal interview and—possibly—get the job. Here, as before, be concise and to the point. Complete any application blanks as sug­gested, for here the employer can determine your ability to follow instructions. Answer all ques­tions clearly and simply, whether on the applica­tion form or as a supplement to your original re-

( Continued on Odge Θ)

4 C & Ε Ν J A N . 2 6, ! 9 5 9

New Text

Home and Addres s . This information is obvious, of course», but it is needed on the resume1 even though it should he on the application letter, also. T h e home tele­phone number will be appreciated and will speed up the collection of added in-fornmation and necessary arrangements for the interview visit.

Pé r imen t Personal S t a t i s t i c s . Include your marital status, b i r thdate , birthplace, aj»i\ height, weight, draft status ( some people prefer to put this into a separate category "military service") , and citizen­ship».

Educat ion. Most companies prefer that y mi go back through your high school training. Include courses taken, and class sturfcdiitg in high school as well as college.

Q>uality point factor is also helpful, but rcm«ember to explain the particular factor system, e.g., A = 4 , B=r3. etc.

AJ1 dates of schooling and degrees con­ferred or partial degree credits should be noted. There is sometimes a tendency to omit: the actual degree conferred, e.g., ""U.S., Purdue, 1958." "B.S. Chemistry, Purdue, 1958," is better .

Experience. Since your experience» is the part of your resume that is unique, this is really what you have to sell. Even vvhem you are s taking your first job, you usually have pert inent experience not de­scribed bv vnnr school work. !):>ïi't ^et too wordy here, but try to include briefly all trhe pert inent work you have performed vvhich may catch the eye of the reviewer. Summarize the duties at each plat ο of em­ployment in reverse order, with present employment listed first. A short descrip-îiuïk Win SUiiiCê. O û i î t lOFgct to inciuin.· actual dates. It might be noted here that one of t he first things that catches the eye of t h e veteran resume reviewer is a pat-terra of short periods of employment, i.e., less than two years. " job-hopping" can become a habi t . Extenuat ing circum­stances may b e the cause in one, two, or evem three instances, bu t a consistent rec­ord of this sort causes the recruiter to won­der how long you will stay wi th him.

References . This first resume might also) contain professional references, al­though such information is not essential at this stage of the negotiations. References should always be given when employment negotiations advance to a later stage.

P a t e n t s a n d Technical Publicat ions. By all means include this information in yoiEr resume, since a record of professional accomplishment will certainly enhance your chances.

Technical Soc ie ty Affiliations. If you are or have been an active member of any technical or scientific society, mention it in your resume. Employers are especially interested in any administrative or house­keeping functions in which you may have participated.

SîîtrGCîirrïCiîIcr Act iv i t ies . Your otlier interests· and skills, such as hobbies, scouts, sdiool and civic work, extracurricular ac­tivities, etc., should be listed briefly at this point. Extracurricular functions are very important to the resume, especially of the young applicant . They tell much of his oKiJi v tn r **" f?]oi"»rr lendershi?"* 'Plenties, outside interests, and their applicability to his job performance». Hobbies mentioned briefly are likewise revealing.

RESUME—George H. Bronson -J?n. i, 1959 NAME AND ADDRESS:

George H. Bronson 984 Riverside Drive Flagstaff, Ariz. ATwater 6-3360

' ; Weight— Citizenshit

PERSONAL STATISTICS: Date of Birth—Aug. 14, 1930; Height—6'2' 200 lb.; Marital Status—Married, one son; Native U. S.

EDUCATION: Diploma, Gibsonia High School, Gibsonia, Pa., 1948

(Class Salutatorian) B.S., Ch.E., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1953

(Graduated in upper 1/4 of class) M.S., Ch.E., Carnegie Institute of Technology, 1954

EXPERIENCE : October 1956/Present Western Plastics, Inc., Flagstaff, Ariz. Manufacturing engineer: Compounding, molding, and finishing of thermosetting and thermoplastic materials in the manufacture of electrical circuit breakers, oases, transformer housings, x-ray cones, and other electrical equipment. Included formulation of new compounds, preparation of specifica­tions for production, improvements for piece cost re­ductions, trouble shooting, design of plastics molds, jigs, fixtures, and other hardware. Also developed new material for high temperature electrical insulation.

June 1954/September 1956

Eastern Associated Chemicals Corp., Washington, D. C. Process development engineer: Worked on improvement of process for making new type solid propellants. Involves modifications of equipment, studies in heat transfer, thermodynamic calculations, and material as well as heat balances,

REFERENCES :

Dr. Oscar P. Blum (former immediate supervisor), Mgr. of Development, Eastern Associated Chemicals Corp.

Dr. Howard B. Green (thesis adviser), Prof., Ch.E., Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pa.

PATENTS AND TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS:

Master's Thesis: "High Pressure Fluid Flow of Gases Through Nozzles," Carnegie Institute of Technology.

U. S. Patent #4938934: "High Temperature Gaseous Reactions."

TECHNICAL SOCIETIES:

A.I.Ch.E. (local chapter près., '54-'55), ACS (local r·^ 't>* "·*** ~***-.—- ... > /

MILITARY STATUS:

Veteran: Served in U. S. Army Corps of Engineers as demolition man, July 1948—July 1949, Active in USAR.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES :

Près., Green Acres Civic Assn., 1954; Boy Scouts; Civitan. Hobbies: reading, fishing.

J V\ IN. 959 ^ α CIN

sume. Tone is equally as important. This pres­entation could mean your being put into the 5 to 10rr of the original group of applicants who eventually come in for interview, or result in fur­ther delays until the job is eventually filled by someone else.

References

References will usually be requested in the em­ployer's response letter. Make sure you have con­tacted the references you propose to use and have their permission. This contact may also provide the opportunity to bring your references up to date on your own progress since you saw them last. Employers place much emphasis on the comments of your references.

References who were former employers, super­visors, or professors are usually preferred. If you are a young graduate, you might include a for­mer supervisor from your summer work, whether it happened to be technical or not, in addition to one or more of your professors. These references will give the recruiter an idea of your perform­ance on the job. Your relationship with the refer­ences should be pointed out—as, former supervi­sor—and freedom to contact references should be indicated.

Since your second letter is being sent primarily to provide more detailed informat'* on about your­self, you can amplify on such experience as sum­mer jobs you may have held while attending col­lege. They tell the recruiter something about your education and how you financed it. Your ex­tracurricular activities can also be expanded upon at this stage of the game.

Your present salary might also be mentioned in this letter if it has been requested, otherwise it isn't necessary to bring it up at this point. Above all, don't say, "Although my present salary is $7200, I believe my background and training jus­tify a salary of $8500 to 9000." Your prospec­tive employer knows you probably don't intend to start at a lower salary than what you are now making, and if it is a reputable company, except in rare instances, doesn't intend to buy you at a fantastically higher one. You must prove your­self in the job.

The Interview

When you are called in for a personal interview, you can feel that your correspondence has paid off —but you do not yet have the job. Here again, as in your correspondence, don't t ry to impress people with your importance and past achieve­ments—just be yourself. You'll stand a better chance of getting the offer.

Postinterview and Offer-Acceptance Correspondence

So now you have visited the employer, met your pen-and-phone friend in the personnel depart­ment, and seen the laboratories and people you will be working with if you are offered and accept employment. Your knowledge of the organization lias advanced from the pen-and-ink stage to flesh-and-blood reality.

What happens thereafter is affected by many factors. When it is "love at first sight," you may actually receive an offer before you leave the office, or will know from your conversation that one will arrive within a few days after you return to your home. Frequently, however, other candidates are still to be interviewed, or you have arranged other interview visits, and additional correspondence will occur before your correspondence with this employer is concluded.

The Courtesy Letter. After you have visited the company and had an opportunity to see the fa­cilities and meet the people you may be working with, common courtesy says that you should write a thank-you letter. Make it brief, sincere, and to the point.

Comments indicating which positions discussed interest you most strongly (if more than one was explored) will be helpful to the employer. He is as anxious as you to place you in the group for which you are best fitted . . . and your interest is certainly important. You should be careful, how­ever, to express your preference tactfully. No or­ganization likes to have staff members who can­not accept assignment changes willingly.

Perhaps on your return home you find some of your interview discussions have stimulated addi­tional questions about some aspect of the organi­zation. Don't hesitate to ask for the information. Your questions will show your deepening interest in the organization and will make a good impres­sion if they are sensible ones. The employer rec­ognizes that the re-employment step is a very im-portant crossroad in your professional career and will respect and approve the evidence that you take it seriously.

Unless you and the organization are both free of other commitments related to the position, the time immediately following the interview calls for considerable delicacy and finesse by both parties. Perhaps you have already received one or two other offers that seriously interest you. You know you should answer them within a reasonable time, or incur, at the least, resentment because you have stalled unduly in accepting or declining the offer. Or the shoe is on the other foot : You have agreed to several other interview visits and feel you should defer your decision to your first pro­spective employer until you have completed the visit commitments.

Almost without exception, the best counsel is frankness in these circumstances. Explain your situation and ask if your answer to an offer can be held off for the time necessary, or ask the organi­zation if it can expedite its decision on an employ­ment offer. In either instance, you should specify the time you require and be prompt thereafter in your own action. Be careful to ask for a time pe­riod that the employer will recognize is reasonable under the circumstances.

ii you nave received an oner, do your best to limit the postponement of your answer to not more than four weeks. If you are anxious for a decision on an offer to you* request no less than a week as a time limit for the employer's decision. Organi-

O C & E N J A N . 2 6, 1 9 5 9

zations often make postinterview reference checks and do not like to feel that you are forcing them to rush their decision. But they usually are quite willing to give priority, or to wait longer than usual for your answer when they understand your needs.

When special problems of this type arise, it is always best, if possible, to discuss them while you are on your interview visit. But if this cannot be done, consider whether a letter or a phone call is more appropriate. If what you are asking is somewhat unusual, you can tell a great deal from a tone of voice over the telephone that can help you decide what is a reasonable compromise for both you and the organization.

While we are on the subject of phone calls, the employer will almost always be willing to accept a collect call from a person he has interviewed, and not think him out of line. However, if you are relatively senior in your career status, a bet­ter impression is made if you pay for the call. After all, it 's your question !

The offer may come as a phone call, a telegram, or a letter. If it is a phone call, most organiza­tions will also send a confirming letter. It is quite proper for you to ask the employer to clarify any question you have concerning the intent and con­ditions of the offer, if you find this necessary. It is ordinarily a poor time, however, for you to raise new questions or attempt to negotiate fur­ther on salary. If you and the employer did a proper job during your interview visit you should iiEVc given iiim a sumcienuiy Ciear in^ica^ion Oi your salary expectation for the employer to strike the balance he considers proper. Salary bargain­ing discussions (and if there are any, they also must be conducted with considerable tact and care) should occur during the interview.

If you accept, the simplest letter, telegram, or phone call will suffice. Frequently, you are ex­pected to advise the employer when you can report for duty, since you must judge the proper notice time to give your present employer so you can leave on good professional terms. Your new em­ployer will seldom question your judgment in this matter . For most job changes, a resignation no­tice of two to four weeks appears typical.

If you decline the offer, self-interest as well as simple courtesy dictates that you show your gen­uine appreciation for the interest, time, and ex­pense that have been devoted to the employment correspondence and visit. And the rather deep acquaintance developed during the recruitment process can be valuable both to you and the organi­zation in the future.

If the employer fails to make you an offer, do not interpret this as meaning it holds a poor opin­ion of you, but rather that you do not fit into the particular openings then available. Very few pro­fessionally trained persons will be failures when located in an appropriate organization and posi­tion. If you ask for his evaluation, the personnel man will often be glad to give you his counsel re­garding the best type of position he thinks you should occupy.

Minutes for Careers The employment interview lasts only minutes—but years are at stake

R. F. McCOOLE Technical Personnel Manager, Monsanto Chemical Co.

Kefiection on employment interview processes as used by employers and candidates, $» nri particular-reflection on its impact on each party, suggests that a warning title is in order. This i s particu­larly appropriate in this supplement of (Ξ&ΕΝ, de­signed to acquaint chemists and elienilcal engi­neers—regular and student—with career oppor­tunities in the industry, since the interview is the point of origin of careers.

The preliminary personal interview is one o£ the most important parts of the job off*er-accept-ance process. This is true not primarily because it is the first face-to-face meeting of the irwo inter­ested part ies, but more importantly because i t

I J u ~ 4-u^ Ί~η.+r t u u i u utr une tu/oi/.·

As illustration, the hiring process in most com­panies probably has the following sequence : pre­liminary interview, reference checking, follow-up interview, decision to offer employment or reject the applicant, and, finally, in the instamce of an offer, the decision of the applicant. However, it's obvious tha t the sequence can come to :an abrupt halt after the first, or after the s&eoncL, or aftei: the third step—if in any one of these sta«:ges either party decides tha t there is no mutuality of in­terests.

Statistics compiled by various college place­ment officers have become widely^ known—and these clearly show the important role of the campus recruiter for a company. He, based on his conclusions from the interview, whuich some­times includes test results or even Hunches, deter­mines who will enter the second s tep o f the se­quence and who will be stopped at the end of the first step.

Generally speaking, it's unlikely that: any one company takes beyond the first stage more than 35% of the students interviewed. This percent­age can and will vary from school to school, but on experience over several years, this woimld appear to be a safe, if not conservative, est imate of the average company's ratio.

The man with professional experience usually is in quite a different situation from th_e student. He doesn't have the benefit of "home-delivery serv­ice" as offered to the student, so lie has to take the initiative and expend more effort ira reaching-prospective employers. Accordingly, although he might canvass a large number of employers, usu­ally he does so by mail, and normally hte will not have as many initial or follow-up personal inter­views as the average student. Additionally, as s. result of his professional experience, h e is better

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