The Job Application Process

Introduction

This chapter take you through the steps necessary to prepare you for doing a good self and company assessment in landing a job.

Here we focus on self and market assessment and recommend vital inclusions in a well formed resume and cover letter.

Self assessment

1. Know your skills
2. Know your accomplishments
3. Know your interests
4. Know your personal values

Know your skills

1. Analyzing
2. Administrating
3. Consulting
4. Planning
5. Evaluating
6. Coordinating
7. Negotiating
8. Mediating
9. Creating
10. Speaking

Know your accomplishments

1. Winning--- An award
2. Reducing--- Labor hour in production
3. Obtaining--- Quality oriented result
4. Joining--- Member of blood donor society
5. Traveling--- Visited European countries
6. Starting--- Business units at risky area
7. Speaking--- Multilingual

Know your interests

1. Which jobs have I enjoyed the most?
2. Do I prefer to work with figures, machines, people, or ideas?
3. What do I like to do with my free time?
4. Which things have brought me high satisfaction?
5. Which hobbies do I enjoy the most?
6. And many other self analysis questions...

Know your personal values

1. A desire to help people.
2. A position of major responsibility.
3. A wish to face risk.
4. An ideal place in which to work.
5. A wish to control events and people.
6. A wanderlust.
7. A dislike for a desk.
8. A dollar sign floats before your eyes.

Market assessment

1. Written sources of career and job information.
2. Helpful persons regarding employers and job.

Written sources of career and job information

Trade publications, Libraries, Placement offices are principal places to locate information on possible functional job areas. Also…

1. Self assessment and career planning
2. Resume and cover letter preparation
3. Interviewing strategies
4. Internship
5. International careers.

Helpful persons regarding employers and job

Remaining in contact with followings lets you know of potential job positions:

1. Alumni
2. Business friends
3. Counselors
4. Employment agencies
5. Former employers and coworkers
6. Friends, relatives, acquaintances
7. Labor unions.

Resume (Vita, qualifications brief)

1. Opening section
2. Education
3. Work experience
4. Achievements, awards, service activities
5. Personal data (optional)
6. References

Opening section

1. Your name,

address,

telephone numbers,

facsimiles,

mobile number,

email address.

2. Your job career objective.

Education

1. Schooling beyond high school: names and location, dates, degrees and certificates.
2. Major, significant pertinent courses, academic honors, grade, GPA, divisions.

Work experience

1. Employer names, dates, location, job titles and positions held.
2. Specific accomplishments.
3. Volunteer work

Achievements, awards, service activities

1. School and community achievements, honors, offices, publications.
2. Training workshops.
3. Travel, languages, other facts.

Personal data (optional)

1. Date of availability.
2. Health,
3. Hobbies etc.

References

1. Limit up to 3 individuals with complete information like contact address etc.
2. Avoid including relatives as references.
3. Choose individuals such as former work supervisor, professor, teachers, colleagues, or business friends.
4. Be sure your have the permission of the individual whose name you are using.

Cover letter to resume

1. Opening
2. Middle paragraph
3. Last paragraph

Opening

Obtain a favorable attention:

1. Summary: outstanding qualifications
2. Name: choose a source or publication
3. Question: state one that you are familiar with the company.

Middle paragraph

Give effort to data, details in the middle:

1. Education
2. Work experience
3. Personal attitude

Last paragraph

Focus on easy action in the last:

1. State availability
2. Ask if a local representative is in the area whom you could contact.
3. Courteous ending