One day (if it hasn't already come), you will need a job. To get that job, you will have to provide your potential employer with documents that demonstrate your work history, work ethic, and availability (both legally and practically) to work. Traditionally, this was all summed up in a simple resume. Yet our world is changed. Employers (or college recruiters) want more from working professionals. Some want statements of professional goals and aspirations. Some want testaments to your work ethic from others. Many have moved resume processes online, and almost all have started to require an interview. We live in a world of resume plus, and this section will walk you through how to prepare different kinds of functional texts needed to apply for professional work or higher education.
The traditional resume
A resume is a brief document that summarizes your skills, employment history, and experiences for a potential employer, The goal of a resume is to look appealing enough to an employer so that they will give you an interview. Though certain industries may desire additional information on your resume, below is the basic resume format:
Remember that resumes are brief: YOUR RESUME SHOULD NEVER BE MORE THAN A SINGLE PAGE. Some jobs have slight variations of this model: Actors, for example, list roles and producers instead of jobs and a full-page headshot on the back of their resume. Graphic design resumes are typically in a colorful dynamic layout to show off their graphic design skills.
- Start with your full legal name centered at the top, along with your contact information. Include your full address, phone number, email address, personal website if you have one, and date of birth if under 21.
- If this is a resume for a job in your career field, write a couple of sentences stating your career objective, i.e., what your long-term career goals are. If you are applying for a job outside your career field, skip this section.
- List your education starting with the most recent. Include the name of the school, the time you attended, the diploma you attained, and location of the school. Also, list any licenses or certifications you have. Note that while in high school, you list high school. If you go to college, leave high school off and just include college.
- List your skills. These should be skills relating to work, including what software and machinery you know how to use.
- List your work experience. Include the name of your last job, the location, the time you were there, what you did at your job, and why you left. Typically, you include all jobs in the same field for the past five years.
- Finally, include a list of references. Include the reference’s name, job, relationship to you, and their phone or email address so the interviewer can contact them. Most jobs require three professional references. Great references are former bosses, teachers, and coworkers--DO NOT USE FAMILY MEMBERS OF FRIENDS, as they will be biased toward you and are thus ignored by most employers.
Remember that resumes are brief: YOUR RESUME SHOULD NEVER BE MORE THAN A SINGLE PAGE. Some jobs have slight variations of this model: Actors, for example, list roles and producers instead of jobs and a full-page headshot on the back of their resume. Graphic design resumes are typically in a colorful dynamic layout to show off their graphic design skills.
Letters of Recommendation
Some jobs and educational institutions want more than just a reference to call; instead, they want you to provide a letter of recommendation, which is a letter by a character reference recommending you for a position. Just like resume references, letters of recommendation should be written by former bosses, teachers, and coworkers and NOT by friends and family.
To get a letter of recommendation from most professionals, you have to write a formal request, either through an email or a written letter. Just going up to a former boss or teacher and saying, "Hey, write me a letter" doesn't cut it: many will refuse you for your unprofessional request, while others who accept your request may forget your request without some sort of reminder. Here is how to write a formal request for a letter of recommendation:
You should make each request individual, but don't write a new request every time: Paragraphs one, two, and four can remain fairly unchanged from recommender to recommender, so don't be afraid to copy your request several times to several different people while just altering the specific relationship details. And how many people should you ask? Twice the number you need. This way, you can choose to send the best letters out and you aren't out of luck if all your letters don't get written by your due date. Remember that a letter of recommendation may not be 100% complimentary: recommenders often point out some of your flaws or problems you encountered in order to demonstrate how you have overcome those flaws or problems. Once you receive the letter, make sure you send a thank you note.
To get a letter of recommendation from most professionals, you have to write a formal request, either through an email or a written letter. Just going up to a former boss or teacher and saying, "Hey, write me a letter" doesn't cut it: many will refuse you for your unprofessional request, while others who accept your request may forget your request without some sort of reminder. Here is how to write a formal request for a letter of recommendation:
- PARAGRAPH ONE: Reintroduce yourself and your relationship with the person (especially if it's been a couple of years). Describe what job position or educational program you are applying for and why (e.g., if applying for a college, discuss your potential major or program). At the end of the paragraph, state your purpose: you're asking for a letter of recommendation.
- PARAGRAPH TWO: Describe in detail what your goals are with this new job or educational opportunity. What are you going to do with it? How will it achieve your personal and professional goals? This will help your recommender develop a clear idea of how the content of the letter should be directed. For example, if you are applying for a college so you can get an English degree and write children's books in the future, your recommender will write more about your writing and your experiences with children. If you are pursuing a business degree so you can start your own auto repair shop, however, your recommender would discuss your financial acumen more than your writing ability.
- PARAGRAPH THREE: Rehash your relationship with the recommender. If an employer, when did you work for them, what did you accomplish, and what success or awards did you win? If a teacher, what class did you have them for in what year, what awards did you gain in school, and what other successes did you have? Bosses and teachers have lots of former employees and students, so this helps them remember your accomplishments better and allows them to talk about you with more precision. Don't limit it to what you did directly under the person either: if you took your recommender's science class the same year you one first at a debate tournament, mention that too. Give your recommender lots of material to recommend.
- PARAGRAPH FOUR: Be specific about how the letter is to be delivered: should it be addressed to or mailed to a certain person, emailed as a PDF or regular text, or will be picked up by you in person? If you need a physical copy, make sure to clarify how many copies you need. Give a specific date you need the letter by so they can meet your deadline: MAKE SURE YOU ASK FOR A LETTER AT LEAST THREE WEEKS BEFORE YOU NEED IT. Your recommender won't drop everything to write you a letter, so give them ample time to get it done. Finally, ask them to contact you if they have questions or cannot write your letter, and thank them for their time.
You should make each request individual, but don't write a new request every time: Paragraphs one, two, and four can remain fairly unchanged from recommender to recommender, so don't be afraid to copy your request several times to several different people while just altering the specific relationship details. And how many people should you ask? Twice the number you need. This way, you can choose to send the best letters out and you aren't out of luck if all your letters don't get written by your due date. Remember that a letter of recommendation may not be 100% complimentary: recommenders often point out some of your flaws or problems you encountered in order to demonstrate how you have overcome those flaws or problems. Once you receive the letter, make sure you send a thank you note.
Cover Letters
A cover letter is a letter to a potential employer describing who you are and your experiences in detail. Just like a resume, THESE SHOULD NEVER BE LONGER THAN A PAGE! Sometimes, employers will even request you print your cover letter on the back of your resume. Here is what belongs on a cover page:
- PARAGRAPH ONE: Introduce yourself in the first paragraph along with your essential information: where you live, the position you want, and your general career objectives (Where do you want to be in five years?)
- PARAGRAPH TWO: Describe your experiences doing similar work. Include where you've worked, how long you worked there, and major accomplishments at that place. If you have not worked in the field before, describe school coursework and volunteer experiences that are similar in nature to the job you are applying for.
- PARAGRAPH THREE: Describe what skills or experiences make you perfect for the position. Do you have the latest certification or training? Have you managed a team like the one you want to manage? What will you bring to the company that will make them better than they currently are?
- PARAGRAPH FOUR: Restate your contact information and thank the potential employer for the opportunity to apply. Under this, sign the bottom of the letter, and under the signature, your name typed out.
Proposals
Let's say you already have the job or educational position, yet there is an opportunity within your organization like a grant or special project that takes an application. To win the position or grant, one often must write a formal proposal to win the opportunity. Here are the parts of a formal proposal:
- PARAGRAPH ONE: Introduce yourself for those on the decision-making team that don't know you: how long you've been at the company, your division, your position, etc. Describe, in general, what you are proposing, e.g. "I should become the next VP of Sales" or "I want to use this grant to research native bat populations in Honduras."
- PARAGRAPH TWO: Describe your proposal in detail. What is the purpose of what you propose to do? What are the exact stages or steps of the project? What is the proposed time frame? What will be the costs, both financial and in manpower? How will results be measured? As there are a lot of factors to consider here, don't be afraid to expand this beyond a single paragraph. The more detailed and well researcher your proposal, the higher the likelihood it will be accepted.
- PARAGRAPH THREE: Describe what makes you the best person for this job or why your proposal is the most needed. Why is this project needed above all others? What about your experience makes you best to lead this project? How have other companies or institutions done something similar and found success (or NOT done something and found failure)? If paragraph two is an expository list of steps and factors, paragraph three is the rhetorical argument to persuade the reader.
- PARAGRAPH FOUR: State your contact information and thank the reviewers for the opportunity to be considered. Under this, sign the bottom of the letter, and under the signature, your name typed out. If applying as part of a team, have the name of all team members.
Interviews
No matter if it is for a job, a scholarship, a raise or career advancement, a loan, or a business partnership, you will have a time in your life where you will go through a formal interview. Formal interviews are conversations between you and a person or panel looking to give you something (a job, a loan, an account). You will be asked questions and expected to answer them eloquently and professionally.
Interviews have a standard way of decorum, starting with dress. When applying for a job, you always dress one level up from how you would dress at work. For example, if applying to be a mechanic or barista, where you can wear pretty much anything to work, you should wear a nice clean collared shirt (like a polo) and khaki pants to the interview. If your job requires a collared shirt and nice pants, like a banker or teacher, you should dress in a dress shirt and tie (men) or collared blouse with either nice pants or a longer skirt (women). If interviewing for a job where formal business attire (suits) are requires, you must interview in a suit. In all cases, avoid anything made of denim (NO JEANS), hats or sunglasses, and large garish jewelry. If you are unsure how to dress, dress as nicely as possible. Also keep in mind that certain jobs (dancer, acrobat, etc) may have a physical audition or interview and you may need to dress appropriately for that.
Interviewers also may ask a variety of questions depending on the position, yet many interviewers ask the same sorts of questions. Here are the most common questions used in interviews that you should prepare for:
Interviews have a standard way of decorum, starting with dress. When applying for a job, you always dress one level up from how you would dress at work. For example, if applying to be a mechanic or barista, where you can wear pretty much anything to work, you should wear a nice clean collared shirt (like a polo) and khaki pants to the interview. If your job requires a collared shirt and nice pants, like a banker or teacher, you should dress in a dress shirt and tie (men) or collared blouse with either nice pants or a longer skirt (women). If interviewing for a job where formal business attire (suits) are requires, you must interview in a suit. In all cases, avoid anything made of denim (NO JEANS), hats or sunglasses, and large garish jewelry. If you are unsure how to dress, dress as nicely as possible. Also keep in mind that certain jobs (dancer, acrobat, etc) may have a physical audition or interview and you may need to dress appropriately for that.
Interviewers also may ask a variety of questions depending on the position, yet many interviewers ask the same sorts of questions. Here are the most common questions used in interviews that you should prepare for:
- Tell me about yourself.
- How would a colleague/boss/underling describe you?
- Why do you want this job?
- What are you strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Tell me about a conflict you've faced and how you dealt with it.
- Where do you see yourself in five years?