Career Assessment Inventory

Career Assessment Inventory

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Career Assessment Inventory Creating a high impact resume. resume. Finding the bestjob and


Instructions for Completing Your Career Assessment Careful and thorough completion of your Career Assessment lays in the groundwork for success in continuing your career or making a transition to another. 

Effective performance in interviews. Some people in search have formal interviews with a dozen or more organizations before receiving receiving an offer. Others receive an offer on their first first interview. Because there can be many reasons for rapid success in interviews – including good luck – preparation is a critical factor. factor. The time to recall, organize organize and practice discussion information information on your background is now, not when you are a re sitting in your first hard-won interview.

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Developing a high impact resume. Outstanding resumes are a brief distillation of a great deal of information, written to support a particular professional objective and speak to a particular target market. Because they are generally limited limited to two pages, what to include and what to leave out are important questions. Your want to include all of the most compelling compelling facts about yourself.

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Finding the best job and career c areer options. Some people want to find new work much like their past work. Others want very very different or new kind of work. Before making a final final choice, you need to to be aware of the range of options.

The first step is in attaining attaining all of these benefits is gathering information. information. You are the only person who has the necessary information. At this moment, you may not remember remember it all, simply because you do not normally have reason to think about it. However, complete and wellwellorganized information is essential to success in your search project.

Career Assessment Inventory Before you begin . . . please take a minute to consider two questions basic to your search project.

1.

How quickly do you need to find new employment?

Given your current financial situation (including any severance benefits and unemployment benefits) and your current spending plans, how many months could you be unemployed:

2.

And still be financially comfortable?

__________ # months

Before you “felt the pinch”?

__________ # months

Before Before your your financi financial al situati situation on became became a serious serious problem problem? ?

__________ __________ # months months

Would you relocate for new employment?

[ ] Yes, I want to relocate to _______________ [ ] Yes, but not more than 50 miles from my my current address


Ten Accomplishments This is a classic career development exercise. exercise. Numerous variations of it have been used successfully by thousands of career experts with millions of clients over the past 50 years. An analysis of selected accomplishments is a useful tool in clarifying skills, interests and values. Past achievements often indicate talents, abilities and potential and can point the way to future achievements. Completing this exercise, exercise, therefore, can contribute to helping you make appropriate career choices. What do we mean by accomplishments? What we are looking for are the normal achievements achievements within the scope of your normal activities, activities, both in and out of work. These could be called achievements or successes. For this exercise, we define achievements as things you did particularly well and are proud of regardless of the opinion of others. These will also be instances where your motivation was high and where you enjoyed what you were doing. Using that definition of achievement, what are your 10 achievements that best fit this description? If possible, include some from your early early life (even childhood) as well as from your your adult life. You may use achievements at work or away from work. work. You may find it more useful to create a longer list and then narrow narrow it down to 10. Record your achievements on the following page. page. Do not attempt a detailed description description of them. Simply title each and mention mention the main thing you did and give the overall results.

Examples:

Career Assessment Inventory Made money in real estate: Over the past 12 years, made nearly $100,000 in my real estate “hobby.” Started new charities: As President of my synagogue, got about 50 new people involved in three new charitable activities.

List Your Ten Accomplishments

1. _________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________

4. _________________________________________________________________


Your Professional Objective What kind of work are you interested in finding at this point? Please describe your ideal job, the type of organization and the type of culture or environment you want to be in. Be as specific as you can, using descriptions of work tasks, type of work, what an organization does. Use job titles if possible. My Ideal Job would be:

Describe the type of organization:

Career Assessment Inventory Homework Assignment 1 : Search the internet for job descriptions that are of interest to you. List them below:

1. ________________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________________________

Homework Assignment 2 : Go to www.salary.com, type in your zip code and the job titles that are of interest to educate yourself on realistic wages/compensation. For each job


Your Long-Term Objective Where do you want to go? Where do you want to be in 5, 10 or 15 years? Imagine yourself looking back. What is it that you want to see? Please list as clearly as you can at this point in your life your long-term objectives: 15 years:

10 years:

5 years:


Employment History The following pages are a complete employment overview. Questions on these topics are always asked in employment interviews and applications. The listing will help in planning what to include and what to leave out of your resume, as well as what to cover in an interview, and how best to cover it.

Please treat military service as a job or series of jobs. Extensive or prolonged volunteer work should be described as work experience, especially if you were not gainfully employed at the time. Part-time and summer jobs should be included. All of this will not end up on a resume, but it is important to an assessment.


Employment History : Position # 1 ( most recent )

Organization:

_____________________________________________________

Dates with organization:

from _________________________ to ______________________

Job Title:

_____________________________________________________

Dates in this title:

from _________________________ to ______________________

Title of person you reported to (not the name): ______________________________________

Compensation: $ _______________________ (label base salary, bonus and commissions)

Your Responsibilities Describe your responsibilities in this job, starting with the general functional area (i.e. legal,


Your Performance List all concrete evidence of satisfactory (or better) performance. Include salary increases, promotions, bonuses, performance ratings, goals exceeded, etc.

Career Assessment Inventory Your Likes and Dislikes

Likes What did you like most about this job? Please list at least three, even if you liked nothing very much.

1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

Career Assessment Inventory Your Achievements (part 1) Organizational View: Please list below at least six of your most important achievements in this job from the organization’s point of view, not yours. List them in order of importance, starting with the most important. If you have more than six to choose from, select a variety, representing abilities in different areas. Most Important

1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________________

5. _______________________________________________________________________

Career Assessment Inventory Your Achievements (part 2) Your Point of View: Please list below your six most important achievements in this job from your point of view. List them in order of importance, starting with the most important. List your achievements even if you were not entirely satisfied with what you achieved. Small routine achievements are often just as important as large dramatic ones. If you have more than six to choose from, select a variety, representing abilities in different areas. Most Important

1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________________

5. _______________________________________________________________________

Career Assessment Inventory Your Reasons for Leaving this Job Why did you leave? If you were involuntarily terminated, say so and be frank about what you believe were the real reasons. Do not simply reply the “official” story. What did you learn or accomplish because you left?


Employment History : Position # 2

Organization:

_____________________________________________________


from _________________________ to ______________________

Job Title:

_____________________________________________________


from _________________________ to ______________________



Your Responsibilities Describe your responsibilities in this job, starting with the general functional area (i.e. legal, marketing, finance, operations). Exactly what did you do? List the duties of the job in order of importance – not as they appeared in the job description, but as they actually were. What results





1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

Dislikes


1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________________

5. _______________________________________________________________________


1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________________

5. _______________________________________________________________________



Employment History : Position # 3

Organization:

_____________________________________________________


from _________________________ to ______________________

Job Title:

_____________________________________________________


from _________________________ to ______________________



Your Responsibilities Describe your responsibilities in this job, starting with the general functional area (i.e. legal, marketing, finance, operations). Exactly what did you do? List the duties of the job in order of importance – not as they appeared in the job description, but as they actually were. What results





1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

Dislikes


1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________________

5. _______________________________________________________________________


1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________________

5. _______________________________________________________________________


Career Assessment Inventory Your Employers Employer # 1: Information on employers – especially recent ones – is sometimes asked at interviews. Even when not asked, it can be a useful addition. addition. This page and the following following two pages are designed to collect basic employer information. Organization:

_____________________________________________________


from _________________________ to ______________________

1.

Industry or sector:

2. Main Main comp compet etit itor ors: s:

Career Assessment Inventory 5. Size Size and miss mission ion of of your your depart departmen mentt or unit: unit:

6. If the organiza organization tion as a whole whole did well during during your employm employment, ent, list list any indicatio indications ns of how well (e.g. % profit increase, growth, comments by expert outsiders):

7. If the organiza organization tion is part part of a larger one (e.g. (e.g. a parent parent company company or larger agency) agency),, provide provide the name of the larger organization and any additional information (industry, competitors, organization’s products/services, size).

Career Assessment Inventory Your Employers Employer # 2: Information on employers – especially recent ones – is sometimes asked at interviews. Even when not asked, it can be a useful addition. addition. This page and the following following two pages are designed to collect basic employer information. Organization:

_____________________________________________________


from _________________________ to ______________________

1. Indu Indust stry ry or sect sector or::

2. Main Main comp compet etit itor ors: s:

Career Assessment Inventory 5. Size Size and miss mission ion of of your your depart departmen mentt or unit: unit:

6. If the organiza organization tion as a whole whole did well during during your employm employment, ent, list list any indicatio indications ns of how well (e.g. % profit increase, growth, comments by expert outsiders):

7. If the organiza organization tion is part part of a larger one (e.g. (e.g. a parent parent company company or larger agency) agency),, provide provide the name of the larger organization and any additional information (industry, competitors, organization’s products/services, size).

Career Assessment Inventory Your Employers Employer # 3: Information on employers – especially recent ones – is sometimes asked at interviews. Even when not asked, it can be a useful addition. This page and the following two pages are designed to collect basic employer information. Organization:

_____________________________________________________


from _________________________ to ______________________

1. Industry or sector:

2. Main competitors:

Career Assessment Inventory 5. Size and mission of your department or unit:

6. If the organization as a whole did well during your employment, list any indications of how well (e.g. % profit increase, growth, comments by expert outsiders):

7. If the organization is part of a larger one (e.g. a parent company or larger agency), provide the name of the larger organization and any additional information (industry, competitors, organization’s products/services, size).

Career Assessment Inventory Education Please start with your most recent formal education and work back to the secondary level.

Institution

Attendance Dates

Major or Concentration

GPA or Rank

Career Assessment Inventory Additional Training Please list training programs of any kind you have completed, other than the formal education listed previously.

Course Name

Instructor

Principle Course Content

Dates

Career Assessment Inventory Business and Professional Activities Please list memberships in business or professional associations. Mention any offices you held or committees you served on. Include here (or attach) a list of publications, patents or copyrights.

Career Assessment Inventory Non-work Activities List all religious, community, political and organized social activities. Include the names of any organizations you are (or were) a member of, and any offices you hold (or held) in any of them. Note whether they are past or present affiliations. Organization

Office Held

Affiliations

[ ] Present

[ ] Past

[ ] Present

[ ] Past

[ ] Present

[ ] Past

[ ] Present

[ ] Past

[ ] Present

[ ] Past

[ ] Present

[ ] Past

[ ] Present

[ ] Past

Career Assessment Inventory Languages Please list any languages (other than English) that you speak, read, or write. Include your level of proficiency for each.

Language

Level [ ] Read

[ ] Expert

Proficiency [ ] Intermediate

[ ] Novice

[ ] Write

[ ] Expert

[ ] Intermediate

[ ] Novice

[ ] Speak

[ ] Expert

[ ] Intermediate

[ ] Novice

[ ] Read

[ ] Expert

[ ] Intermediate

[ ] Novice

[ ] Write

[ ] Expert

[ ] Intermediate

[ ] Novice

[ ] Speak

[ ] Expert

[ ] Intermediate

[ ] Novice

[ ] Read

[ ] Expert

[ ] Intermediate

[ ] Novice

[ ] Write

[ ] Expert

[ ] Intermediate

[ ] Novice

[ ] Speak

[ ] Expert

[ ] Intermediate

[ ] Novice

Your Professional or Managerial Assets and Liabilities

Career Assessment Inventory Based on what you know about yourself or what others have said of y ou, what are some of your assets and liabilities as a manager or non-management professional? Please discuss them in the space provided below.

Career Progress Analysis Are you satisfied with your career progress? If not, why not? Career satisfaction can be more than an achieved level. Dissatisfaction can be of many kinds. If you are not satisfied with your career progress to date, explain in what way you are dissatisfied. Please relate your dissatisfaction to the particular circumstances of its occurrence and give an account of its causes. If you are satisfied, are there areas you feel you n eed improvement or steps you need to take to get to the next level?

Career Assessment Inventory Possible References List references you might consider contacting as part of the employment process.

Please complete the entire list of 12 even though you may not need all of them. You will decide later which ones you actually want to use, and you may use different references in different situations. Extra references often turn out to be useful in other ways. Include both work and personal references, and list their relationship to you (e.g. former boss, coworker, personal friend, former teacher). List current organizations and title for every reference, even for personal friends. Name

Organization/Title

Relationship

Career Assessment Inventory Self Assessment Summary Summarize the results of the information you have documented so far. This information will help define the kind of environment that suits you best, and will also help you brainstorm some possible job targets. Finally, it can be used as a checklist against job possibilities. When you are about to receive a job offer, use this list to help you analyze it objectively. 1.

What I need in my relationship with bosses:

2. Job satisfiers/dissatifiers Satisfiers:

Career Assessment Inventory 4.

Special Interests:

5. The threads running through the Ten Stories analysis: Main Accomplishments

Key motivators

Career Assessment Inventory The environment:

The subject matter:

6.

Using the Skills Summary in Appendix A, list the top ten specialized skills:

1. __________________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________________


7. From the Long Term Career Objectives: Where I see myself in the long run:

What I need to get there:

Career Assessment Inventory Skills Summary The numbers across the top represent each of your 10 accomplishment stories. Start with story #1 and check off all of your specialized skills that appear in this story. When you’ve checked off the skills for all ten-accomplishment stories, total them. Accomplishment # Administration Advising/Consulting Analytical Skills Artistic Ability Budgetary Skills Client Relations Communication Community Rel. Contract Neg. Control Coordination Creativity Decisiveness Design Development Financial Skills Foresight Frugality Fund Raising Human Relations

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

0

SUM

Accomplishment # Operation Mgmt. Org. Design/Devel. Ownership Perceptiveness Perseverance Persuasiveness Planning Policy-Making Practicality Presentation Skills Problem-Solving Procedures Design Production Program Concept Program Design Project Mgmt. Promotion Public Relations Public Speaking Quality Assessment

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

0

SUM

Career Assessment Inventory The Resume – 3 ways to sum yourself up "Give me a moment of your busy day! Listen to me, I've got something to say!” That's what your resume must scream-in a suitably professional manner, of course. Not in the manner of the would-be retail-clothing executive who had his resume "hand-delivered" attached to the hand and arm of a store window mannequin. As it happened, that was only the first surprise in store for the personnel director who received the delivery: The envelope was hand-decorated in gothic script; the cover letter inside was equally decorative (and illegible); the resume writer had glued the four-page resume to fabric, and stitched the whole mess together like a child's book. The crowning glory, however, was yet to come: All the punctuation marks-commas, colons, periods, and the like - were small rhinestone settings. Yes, it got noticed, but its success had to depend entirely on the recipient's sense of humor-which in this case was most noticeable for its absence. Here's the point: trying to do something out of the ordinary with any a spect of your resume is risky business indeed. For every interview door it opens, at least two more may be slammed shut. The best (and most businesslike) bet is to present a logically displayed, eye-appealing resume that will get read That means grabbing the reader right away on that first page. And that's one big reason for short, power-packed resumes. We all have different backgrounds. Some of us have worked for one company only, some of us have worked for eleven companies in as many years. Some of us have changed careers once or twice, some of us have maintained a predictable career path. For some, diversity broadens our potential, and for some concentration deepens it. We each require different vehicles to put our work h istory in the most exciting fight. The goals, though, are constant:

Career Assessment Inventory The Chronological Resume This is the most common and readily accepted form of presentation. It's what most of us think of when we think of resumes - a chronological listing of job tides and responsibilities. It starts with the current or most recent employment, then works backward to your first job (or ten years into the past-whichever comes first). This format is good for demonstrating your growth in a single profession. It is suitable for anyone with practical work experience who hasn't suffered too many job changes or prolonged periods of unemployment. It is not suitable if you are just out of school or if you are changing careers. The format would then draw attention to your weaknesses (i.e., your lack of specific experience in a field) rather than your strengths.

♦

The exact content of every resume naturally varies depending on individual circumstances. A chronological resume usually incorporates six basic components. Contact Information A job Objective ♦ ♦ A Career Objective ♦ A Career Summary ♦ Education ♦ A Description of Work History This last item is the distinguishing characteristic of the chronological resume, because it ties your job responsibilities and achievements to specific employers, job tides, and dates. There are also some optional categories determined by the space available to you and the unique aspect of your background.

Career Assessment Inventory The Functional Resume This format focuses on the professional skills you have developed over the years, rather than on when, where, or how you acquired them. It de-emphasizes dates, sometimes to the point of exclusion. By the same token, job titles and employers play a minor part with this type of resume. The attention is always focused on the skill rather than the context or time of its acquisition. It is a case not so much of what you say, but of how you say it. This functional format is suited to a number of different personal circumstances, specifically those of: Mature professionals with a storehouse of expertise and jobs Entry-level types whose track records do not justify a chronological resume ♦ Career changers who want to focus on skins rather than credentials People whose careers have been stagnant or in ebb, who want to give focus to the skills ♦ that can get a career under way again, rather than on the history in which it was becalmed in the first place ♦ Military personnel embarking on a civilian career ♦ Those returning to the workplace after a long absence ♦ People closer to retirement than to the onset of their careers ♦ ♦

The functional resume does present a major challenge for the writer. Because it focuses so strongly on skills and ability to contribute in a particular direction, you must have an employment objective clearly in mind. When this is achieved, such a resume can be very effective. Without this focus, however, or if you are looking for "a job, any job, " this format loses its direction and tends to drift without purpose. Though a functional resume is a bit more free form than a chronological one, there are certain essentials that make it work. In addition to contact information and a job and/or career objective,

Career Assessment Inventory The Combination Chrono-Functional Resume For the upwardly mobile professional with a track record, this is becoming the resume of choice. It has all the flexibility and strength that come from combining both the chronological and functional formats. If you have a performance record, and are on a career track and want to pursue it, then this is the strongest resume tool available. This format, in addition to contact information and a job objective, incorporates a number of identifying factors, outlined below. A Career Summary. The combination resume, more often than not, has some kind of career summary. Here you spotlight a professional with a clear sense of self, a past of solid contributions, and a clear focus on future career growth. The career summary, as you might expect, will include a power-packed description of skills, achievements, and personal traits that fairly scream "Success!" ♦

♦

A Description of Functional Skills. This is where the combination of styles comes into play.

Following the summary, the combination resume starts out like functional resume and highlights achievements in different categories relevant to the job/career goals, without any reference to employers. ♦

A Chronological History. Then it switches to the chronological approach and names

companies, dates, titles, duties, and responsibilities. This section can also include further evidence of achievements or special contributions. Education. Then come the optional categories determined by the space available to you and the unique aspects of your background. ♦

Career Assessment Inventory Scannable Resume Leading businesses and organizations are using electronic applicant tracking. Resumes are scanned into the computer as an image. Then artificial intelligence "reads" the text and extracts important information about you such as your name, address, phone number, work history, years of experience, education and skills. Internal applicant tracking systems have become an integral part of the way employers do business. Many employers will state in the job ad to send a scannable resume. Many mid-sized to large employers are using this system; and smaller employers are buying time on systems operated by commercial firms. Be alert for this information in the ad and don't hesitate to inquire if a scannable resume is needed. Recruiters and managers access a resume database in many ways, searching for your resume specifically or searching for applicants with specific experience. When searching for specific experience, they'll search for key words, usually nouns such as "writer", "BA", "marketing", "C++", "Society of Technical Communications", "Spanish" (language fluency), "San Diego", etc. So make sure you describe your experience with concrete words rather than vague descriptions.

NOTE: The computer system will extract words and information from your statements; you can write your resume as usual.

To read more about this topic, please access http://career.utk.edu/alumni/skills/resscan.asp.

Career Assessment Inventory Chronological

Jane Swift 9 Central Avenue Quincy, MA 02169 (617) 555-1212 SUMMARY:

Ten years of increasing responsibilities in the employment services industry. Concentration in the high technology markets.

EXPERIENCE; Howard Systems International, Inc. Management Consulting Firm Personnel Manager

1995-Present

Responsible for recruiting and managing consulting staff of five. Set up office and organized the recruitment, selection, and hiring of consultants. Recruited all levels of MIS staff from financial to manufacturing markets. Additional responsibilities.  Coordinated with outside advertising agencies.  Developed P.R. with industry periodicals - placement with over 20 magazines and newsletters.  Developed effective referral programs -- referrals increased 32%. EXPERIENCE:

Technical Aid Corporation National Consulting Firm. MICROITEMPS Division Division Manager Area Manager Branch Manager

1988-1995 1993-1995 1990-1993 1988-1990


Functional

Jane Swift 9 Central Avenue Quincy, MA 02169 (617) 555-1212 OBJECTIVE:

A position in Employment Services where my management, sales, and recruiting talents can be effectively utilized to improve operations and contribute to company profits.

SUMMARY:

Over ten years of Human Resources ex i experience. Extensive responsibility for multiple branch offices and an internal staff of 40+ employees and 250 consultants.

SALES:

Sold high-technology consulting services with consistently profitable margins throughout the United States. Grew sales from $0 to over $20 million a year. Created training programs and trained salespeople in six metropolitan markets.

RECRUITING:

Developed recruiting sourcing methods for multiple branch offices. Recruited over 25,000 internal and external consultants in the high-technology professions.

MANAGEMENT :

Managed up to 40 people in sales, customer service, recruiting, and administration. Turnover maintained below 14% in a "turnover business."

FINANCIAL:

Prepared quarterly and yearly forecasts. Presented, reviewed, and defended these


Combination

Jane Swift 9 Central Avenue Quincy, MA 92169 (617) 555-1212 OBJECTIVE :

Employment Services Management

SUMMARY:

Ten years of increasing responsibilities in the employment services marketplace. Concentration in the high-technology markets.

SALES:

Sold high technology consulting services with consistently profitable margins throughout the United States. Grew sales from $0 to over $20 million a year.

PRODUCTION:

Responsible for opening multiple offices and accountable for growth and profitability 100% success and maintained 30% growth over seven-year period in 10 offices.

MANAGEMENT:

Managed up to 40 people in sales, customers service, recruiting. and administration. Turnover maintained below 14% in a "turnover business." Hired branch managers and sales and recruiting staff throughout the United States.

Career Assessment Inventory Jane Swift

p. 2 of 2

Technical Aid Corporation National Consulting Firm. MICRO/TEMPS Division Division Manager Area Manager Branch Manager

1988-1995 1993-1995 1990-1993 1988-1990

As Division Manager, opened additional West Coast offices. Staffed and trained all offices with appropriate personnel. Created and implemented all divisional operational policies. Responsibilities for P & L Sales increased to S20 million dollars, from $0 to 1984.  

Achieved and maintained 30% annual growth over seven-year period. Maintained sales staff turnover at 14%.

As Area Manager, opened additional offices. hiring staff. setting up office policies, and training sales and recruiting personnel. Additional responsibilities:   

Supervised offices in two states. Developed business relationships with accounts - 75% of clients were regular customers. Client base increased 28% per year.


James R. Smith 123 Any Street Drive Some Town, State USA-ZIP Phone/FAX/E-mail

Objective Create a strong brief opening objective using tools in Resume Checklist and Action Word List.

Career Summary Create a brief summary of experience throughout your career.

Professional Summary

Since 1996 Title, Department

Company Name, Corporate Location

Any town, USA

Create a brief summary of responsibilities and highlight specifics with bullet information below. • Use bullets to concisely convey measurable achievement, or defined activity • Avoid using terms such as “responsibilities included” or “responsible for” and select words from the Action Word List. • Generate a positive image of your activities, responsibilities and achievements.

1994 - 1996

Company Name, Corporate Location

Any town, USA

Career Assessment Inventory Professional & Community Affiliations Name of Affiliation, Title held within the group Name of Affiliation, Title held within the group Name Address Phone

QUALIFICATIONS Extensive experience providing high quality customer service, including: • Applying strong communications skills and analytical abilities to identify and resolve customer problems, and providing efficient troubleshooting support over the phone. • Training new employees and customers in the use of complex systems. • Consistently demonstrating thoroughness, efficiency, accuracy and attention to detail. Ability to learn new systems and procedures with a genuine desire to learn new skills. • • Utilizing IBM mainframes and PC’s as well as Macintosh computers and applications. • Working well independently and as a team member; skilled at establishing rapport with individuals at all organizational levels with diverse backgrounds.

EXPERIENCE

WATANABEE CORPORATION, Salisbury, SD

1975 – Present

Customer Service Representative Assist more than 300 agents in processing their business on the corporate mainframe system.


EDUCATION AND TRAINING High School Diploma Stress Management Basic DOS Classes Career & Life Planning Microsoft Windows Class Service Excellence Class

Writing an Objective An Objective is generally used when a Job seeker has limited experience or is changing careers. The point of an Objective is to create a specific psychological response in the mind of the reader. The objective has two purposes: 1. The Objective tells an employer what position you are seeking. The objective refers just to the very next immediate step you hope will be on your career path. 2. It indicates whether or not you are clear about what opportunities are available with a particular employer. If you are unclear about what position you are seeking, and/or what positions an employer has available, it may be preferable to omit the objective. Career changers or entry-level job seekers will want the employer to immediately focus on where they are going, rather than where they have been. If you are looking for another job in your present field, it is more important to stress your qualities, achievements and abilities first. For example, the objective "To utilize my skills in a challenging position that will afford advancement and professional growth" tells the employer nothing unique about the candidate. Is there anyone for whom this objective would not be appropriate? Rather than include an objective, which is empty "fluff", make the effort to write an objective that conveys useful information about you, and demonstrates that you know what they are looking for. If you choose to include an objective, here are some guidelines, which can help you. An objective can contain up to four parts. An objective does not have to contain all four parts; just include as many parts as you know. It is best to have completed an Assessment first, which will provide the skills, qualities, abilities and achievements, needed to complete the Objective Statement. First is the "level" of the position. Examples of position levels would be "internship", "co-op", "part-time", "fulltime", "entry level", "experienced", "supervisory" and "executive". If you know what level of position you are seeking, select one of the above terms, or create one of your own. For some folks, position level is not an important piece of an objective, and can be left off.

this part of the objective. Integrating all four parts into a cohesive whole is easy. The following objective contains all four parts. See if you can identify them. "A full-time engineering position in the computer industry, utilizing my ability to work as a team member and contribute to marketing, support, design and testing of products and services." Final Note: Employers expect that an applicant will customize his/her o bjective to each employer and each position for which a resume is submitted. The text of your resume may also need to be modified, in both structure and content, to support the various objectives.

Resume Summary The "summary" or "summary of qualifications" consists of several concise statements that focus the reader's attention on the most important qualities, achievements and abilities you have to offer. Those qualities should be the most compelling demonstrations of why they should hire you instead of the other candidates. It gives you a brief opportunity to telegraph a few of your most sterling qualities. It is your one and only chance to attract and hold their attention, to get across what is most important, and to entice the employer to keep reading. This is the spiciest part of the resume. This may be the only section fully read by the employer, so it should be very strong and convincing. The summary is the one place to include professional characteristics (extremely energetic, a gift for solving complex problems in a fast-paced environment, a natural salesman, exceptional interpersonal skills, committed to excellence, etc.), which may be helpful in winning the interview. Gear every word in the summary to your targeted goal. It can be expressed in one short paragraph or in bullet format. Experts recommend you limit this to approximately six sentences or bullet statements. The Summary statement is especially useful when making a career change and you want to immediately call an employer's attention to all the skills you have, not just those obvious in a job description. The process of thinking through your summary statement starts with your Assessment, which leads to the summary of Skills. This is where you must think about your abilities, skills, likes/dislikes, achievements, character and vision. This process forces you to clarify the sales pitch you are presenting to the employer through the resume and ultimately in the interview. The bottom line is that you want the employer to see you in the position that is open and possibly in other positions that may be available in the future. No matter what, the steps are the same:

Steps to Write a Summary 1. Determine what skills and qualities your prospective employer wants. What would make the ideal candidate? 2. Search your background to see where you have demonstrated skills and qualities that would apply. 3.

Write a summary at the top of your resume to po sition yourself.

4.

Use the same summary to sell yourself in an interview

How to Write a Summary Go back to your Summary of the Assessment and the lists that answer the question, what would make someone the ideal candidate? Look for the qualities the employer will care about most. Then look at what you wrote about why you are the perfect person to fill their need. Pick the stuff that best demonstrates why they should hire you. The most common ingredients of a well-written summary are as follows. Of course, you would not use all these ingredients in one "Summary." Use the ones that highlight you best: A short phrase describing your profession Followed by a statement of broad or specialized expertise Followed by two or three additional statements related to any of the following: Breadth or depth of skills • Unique mix of skills • Range of environments in which you have experience • 3. A special or well-documented accomplishment 4. A history of awards, promotions, or superior performance commendations 5. One or more professional or appropriate personal characteristics 6. A sentence describing professional objective or interest . 1. 2.

Notice that the examples below show how to include your objective in the "summary" section.

Highly motivated, creative and versatile real estate executive with se ven years of experience in property acquisition, development and construction, as well as the management of large apartment complexes. Especially skilled at building effective, productive working relationships with clients and staff. Excellent management, negotiation and public relations skills. Seeking a challenging management position in the real estate field that offers extensive contact with the public.

Sample Summary Statements SUMMARY:

Significant hands-on experience as a leveraged capital executive. Successfully analyze business operations, risks and financial performance; and competitive strategy in financing structure. Highly successful in deal origination in the $25-100MM middle market and portfolio management including strategic positioning of refinancing and workouts.

SUMMARY:

Administrative Assistant with more than twenty years experience in the

pharmaceutical and banking industries. A self-starter with exceptional computer skills in • Desktop Publishing • Data Management Systems • Graphics Commended on performance review for consistent work excellence. SUMMARY:

Two and a half years of diversified administrative experience in the Health Care industry. Demonstrated effectiveness handling complex projects, developing strong internal and external customer relations, and responding to department needs on short notice.

SUMMARY:

Unique Telecommunications and MIS background. Demonstrated excellence using technical skills to build internal and external customer satisfaction. Record of "no-downtime" over a three-year period while solely supporting 1,100 employees.

SUMMARY:

Extensive Transportation Management experience responsible for $50 million in rail costs. Demonstrated effectiveness in: • negotiating rail transportation contract rates that ensured competitive advantage in U.S. flour markets. • streamlining transportation operations and payment systems to reduce costs. • building internal and external customer loyalty through personal integrity and extensive knowledge of transportation operations.

Examples

Expertise: An administrator with 15 years in sales and marketing. Extensive background in business operations including developing computer systems for new markets. How much do you know? Heavy experience in all phases of marketing and sales of electronic Equipment.

Expertise An experienced sales and marketing executive with success in generating profitable business projections and plans for the Computer software industry. How does the world see him/her? Recommended by industry consultants as a ' go getter' In getting things done.

Strengths Recommended for meeting schedules and complying with standards Such as: • HVAC systems • Fire sprinkler systems • Drainage systems How does the world see you? An efficient manager trained in all facets of construction and Supervision of all types of building structures including physical Plant maintenance.

Full Summary Extensive management experience in human relations dealing with fast paced, rapidly expanding companies. Expertise includes employment law, recruiting, employee and labor relations and Affirmative action. Analytical decision-maker with excellent problem-solving skills. Recognized For ability to develop employee’s professional growth and increase their productivity

Accomplishments If you stated in your objective or summary that you have a track record of success, then you should be able to prove it. In other words, its your time to step up to the plate and deliver. The managers are looking for potential winners and this is your opportunity to prove to them that you can deliver. Examples of weak and strong accomplishments Weak

Initiated process that reduced production costs at manufacturing plant saving company money.

Strong

Initiated process that produced production costs at manufacturing plant saving $8500 annually.

(2)

REASONS FOR CHANGES IN YOUR EMPLOYMENT--- Be prepared to answer especially during the interview.

(3)

DATES --- Do not list dates as to your education. Its quite obvious why because the employer or manager can determine how old you are.

(4)

JOB OBJECTIVE --- It maybe optional on your resume. However, if you submit a cover letter that may suffice. Remember that the cover letter must be very brief and to the point.

(5)

PERSONAL INFORMATION --- Omit any personal data such as height, weight, hobbies, age, religion and etc. No "Is" "

(6)

REFERENCES --- Do not include "references available on request" on your resume. It is not necessary.

(7)

EDUCATION --- Never lie about your education especially about your degrees earned.

(8)

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS ---- It must be included on your resume.

(9)

FORMAT --- Very important for your resume presentation. No long flowing sentences --- Make it brief ... for example "Managed $14million budget" or "Taught four individual computer courses".

(10) JOB HOPPING --- Include only jobs that last one year or better ---- 3 months or even 6 months may hurt you. (11) OVERQUALIFIED --- This is a sensitive situation. However, you should target your resume to meet the actual needs of the job. Be prepared to take less salary if you wish to remain in the same area. Another fact is that 85% of all positions are never advertised. The odds are extremely high when using the internet or the classified. (12) COVER LETTER --- Most employers would like to see evidence of your writing ability. So be careful in your composition and ask some one to review it. Remember your writing and style could make an impression. No long cover letters .... the shorter the better.

(14)

PERFECT RESUME FORMULA: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

STRONG ACTIONS=RESULTS ONE PAGE (if it is possible) PROFESSIONAL LAYOUT EASY TO READ QUANTITY SKILLS AND ACTIONS

Resume Component Check List Resume Lead-in (objective or profile) 

Does it use business language that is action oriented?

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You need to have a specific job title that you are seeking (resumes must be tailored to each recipient, particularly if you are sending a resume for a specific position).

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Show your most prominent strengths.

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Indicate the type of responsibility that you can hold.

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Show how your contributions will specifically benefit the e mployer. Professional Qualifications



Does this section highlight each of your major strengths?



Are all the qualifications/achievements related to the career objective?



Is there appropriate usage of key action words that connote your sen se of urgency?



Have you described each in such a way that the reader clearly understands the benefits of your achievements?

Professional Organizations and Community Activities 

List only those items that have specific relevance to your career objective.



Does it list any organizations that don’t present a professional image?



Does it highlight organizations that will give your prospective employer an advantage with your contacts and business relationships?



Does it refrain from personal information?

Overall 

Does the resume look great? Have you highlighted or boldfaced titles, subtitles and other important information?



Is there enough white space – does the text flow for ‘easy reading’?



Has the resume been checked by you and at least two others for spelling, punctuation, syntax and grammar? Have you checked it at least 10 times?



Does the body of the resume complement the career objective?



Does the resume focus on what the employer wants to see?



Does the resume use the word “I” – it shouldn’t.



Don’t include references on the resume.



Would you consider this resume to be an excellent sales tool for your performance and past

Tips and Techniques •

It’s All She Wrote: A resume should never be longer than two pages. It’s your job to get noticed not the interviewers to find out what matters on your resume.

•

Industrial Strength: If you have worked for Blue Ribbon companies use a resume format that highlights employers. If you had interesting assignments, then highlight experience with resume format.

•

Power Statement: Replace job objectives with a power statement that describes your area of expertise (e.g. “Organizational Design Specialist” not “Human Resources Generalist”), demonstrate what you do (e.g. “align HR systems with organization strategy “not” design and develop...”) and how you do it (e.g. “value-added consultant style”)

Resume Impact Checklist : How Good is Your Resume? 1. Positioning: If I spend just 10 seconds glancing at my resume, what are the ideas/words that pop out? (specific job titles, my degree, specific company n ames): • This is how I am “positioned” by my resume. Is this how I want to be positioned for this target area? Or is this positioning a handicap for the area I am targeting? •

2. Level: What level do I appear to be at? Is it easy for the reader to guess in 10 seconds what my level is? (For example, if I say I “install computer systems,” I could be making anywhere from •

4. Accomplishments: Within each job, did I merely list historically what I had done, or did I state my accomplishments with an eye to what would interest the reader in my target area? •

Are the accomplishments easy to read? Bulleted rather than long paragraphs. No extraneous words. Action oriented. Measurable and specific. Relevant. Would be of interest to the readers in my target area. Either the accomplishment is something they would want me to do for them, or shows the breath of my experience. •

a) b) c) d) e)

5. Overall Appearance: Is there plenty of white space? Or is the information squeezed so I can get it on one or two pages? • Is it laid out nicely so it can serve as my marketing brochure? •

6. Miscellaneous: Length: is the resume as short as it can be while still being readable? • Writing style: can the reader understand the point I am trying to make in e ach statement? • Clarity: am I just hoping the reader will draw the right conclusion from what I’ve said? Or do I take the trouble to state things so clearly that there is no doubt that the reader will come away with the right message? • Completeness: is all-important information included? Have all dates been accounted for? • Typos: is my resume error-free? •

Resume Action Word List

accelerated accepted accompanied accomplished accounted for achieved acquired acted addressed adjusted administered adopted advanced advertised advised aided allocated allotted alphabetized altered amended amplified appointed appraised approved arbitraged arbitrated argued arranged articulated

budgeted built calculated caste cataloged caste cataloged caught caused chaired changed charted checked chose clarified classified cleared cleared up closed coached collaborated collected combined commended communicated compared compensated competed compiled completed

convinced cooperated co-opted con coordinated copied copyrighted corrected corresponded counseled counted crafted created critiqued dealt debated debugged decided decreased defined delegated delivered demonstrated described designed detailed detected determined developed devised

elaborated elicited eliminated emphasized employed encouraged energized enforced engineered enhanced enjoyed enlarged enlisted ensured entered entertained established estimated evaluated examined exceeded excelled executed exercised expanded expedited experimented explained exploited explored expressed extinguished

gathered gave generated governed graded greeted grossed guided handled harmonized hastened heightened helped highlighted hiked hired hosted housed hunted identified illustrated implemented improved improvised incepted included incorporated increased indicated individualized influenced informed

jointed kept labored launched learned lectured led licensed listened litigated lobbied located looked made maintained managed mapped out marketed mastered maximized measured mediated memorized mentored met modeled modified monitored motivated moved named narrated

persuaded photographed pinpointed pioneered placed planed planned played policed portrayed practiced predicted prepared presented presided prevailed prevented processed produced programmed projected promoted pronounced proofed proofread proposed proved provided publicized published purchased put

rendered renewed renovated reorganized repaired replaced reported represented rescued researched reserved resized resolved responded re-staffed restored restructured resulted in retained returned revamped revealed reviewed revised revitalized rewarded rotated said sampled satisfied saved

specified spoke standardized stated stopped straightened streamlined strengthened stripped structured studied submitted suggested summarized supervised supplied supported surmounted surpassed surveyed systematized tabulated tackled targeted taught tested tightened took over totaled toured tracked trained

Job Interview Preparation Preparing for your interview . . . Review all of the information you have about the position. If you are working with a headhunter or recruiter, ask all the questions you want before you arrive. Learn all you can about potential employer. 

Get a copy of the company’s annual report and read it.

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Visit the company’s web-site on your PC or at your public library. This will be your most up to date view of the company.



Be prepared to discuss the company’s competitive environment; if possible get copies of the competition’s company material as well.

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Assess what the company’s major challenges are and how you can help them.

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Contact anyone that may have an “insider’s” view of the company to g lean more about the company’s personality.

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Read as much about the company’s products as possible. Identify the qualifications that the company is seeking with this job hire.



Understand the functions of the specific job.



Attempt to speak with someone who might have a similar position.



Be prepared to show how your background has prepared you for these specific requirements.

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Prepare illustrative stories to highlight your strengths.

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Tie these anecdotal stories to what is on your resume and how they apply to the job responsibility.

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Detail how you contributed to increase efficiency/profits. Use terms that show you know the field. Ask questions that reveal you studied up on the company. Demonstrate your interest by making practical suggestions.

   



      

Concentrate on the complementary skills that you have that match the job requirements.



Speak ill of no one in an interview; especially your current or former employers.



Avoid discussion of salary until you have established a solid base of your qualifications.

Don’t hesitate to ask for more than you are currently making or expect to receive.  Attempt to understand the role of other important benefits – see compensation and benefits checklist. 

Be enthusiastic during the interview; even if the job is not a match, you may be referred to another area if you leave a good impression.



Glean what the negative aspects of the job/organization might be.

Ask questions that will help you determine if this is the right job: What are the possibilities for growth/advancement? Why (and where) did the person who held the job go? How many people would have to okay decisions made by you? What is the official job classification? What is the policy on salary review? What are the fringe benefits? Who would you report to and what is this person’s position? 

Leave extra copies of your resume with interviewer.

•

Arm and Arm: Never walk behind the interviewer unless you must. Walk together as colleagues.

Commonly Asked Interview Questions Be prepared to answer even the most challenging questions you may be asked during an interview. In this section we have included strategies and techniques for providing good responses to the most commonly asked interview questions—ranging from career to sensitive issues. Each situation is different, so use what is here as an opportunity to practice. Think through how you would answer the question and then check our suggestions on responding.

Questions with Suggested Responses Your Career Tell me about yourself. Talk about skills, traits, accomplishments and interests. Focus on what you know this employer needs and select the most relevant material you have. Be sure this is concise and of reasonable length. Tell me about your last job. Discuss what you have done, stressing accomplishments, results and benefits to the organization. This is another opportunity to point out accomplishments. In selecting material, pick the items most relevant to the needs of the employer who asked the questions. Are you satisfied with your career progress? If you are not satisfied with your career progress, the person to talk to is your career consultant, not your interviewer. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss how the position at hand is an appropriate and logical next step for you. It is also an opportunity to discuss what you have learned in your career in the past which may apply to the job at hand. Where do you see yourself in your career over the next five y ears? Ten years? The interviewer is looking to see if your aspirations fit the realities of the organization. This question can also be a way of gauging your level of ambition. Some organizations would like to hear you say that you plan to be their president in 10 years. Others would immediately screen you out for

What kind of person is/was your immediate supervisor? This is an excellent opportunity to discuss some of the things you most admire about your last supervisor or that person's accomplishments. If you criticize your last supervisor at a job interview, you have just signaled your willingness to criticize your next supervisor behind his or her back as well.

Furthermore, any indication of problems with your last supervisor may be taken as a sign that you are unable to get along with supervisors. Remember, you are talking to a person who does not know you and you do not have time to explain all the details. If you have ever had problems with supervisors, be sure to prepare carefully for this kind of question What responsibilities do you enjoy most in your current position? If the responsibilities are identical to those in the job at hand, you become a better candidate. If they have nothing to do with the job at hand, you might be seen as less of a candidate. If your last job and your next job are significantly different, find honest ways to bridge the gap. This response is one that needs to be thought through in advance if you are looking at jobs significantly different than your last one. What is your current compensation? Delay discussions of compensation as long as possible. You are the seller here and the interviewer is the buyer. Early discussions of price are always to the seller's disadvantage. Once the buyer has made a firm decision to buy, price negotiations are much easier for the seller.

Your initial strategy needs to be to convince the interviewer that you are the number one candidate. Once you have established yourself as the number one candidate (i.e., you have an offer), the question becomes: How much extra is this organization willing to pay to get their first choice? Your strongest argument is that your last job and the job at hand are different and salary comparisons are therefore not relevant. Furthermore, you need to have more information on the job at hand in order to get a clear understanding of what fair compensation would be. Therefore, you need to discuss the job before discussing compensation further.

What this amounts to is changing the subject, which is exactly what you want to do. If your interviewer will not let you get away with that, you really have no alternative but to answer. You may, however, be able to respond with what you want to be paid rather than what you were paid. The line is: I am looking for... Once you have given your last salary, the general assumption is that your next one will be a slight increase above it. If your last salary was higher than the job for which you are interviewing, this question presents a different dilemma. Naming a higher salary is likely to get you tagged as overqualified. The fear here is that you will accept the position at hand only as a stopgap measure and will leave as soon as you find something better. Your Background, Skills and Experience How would you describe your leadership style? This question is a way of getting you to describe your management and leadership style. It is a predictable question and people seeking management roles should be prepared to answer it.

As with most questions, a carefully thought out honest answer is the best approach. If your management or leadership style differs significantly from the o rganization's, you probably do not want to work there. Like many other questions this one can be turned around: What kind of leadership and management styles predominate in this organization? What is top management's style. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Again, the question about your strengths represents an opportunity to present your skills and achievements. Make them as relevant as possible. This question is nearly always a lead-in or set-up for the next question.

"What are your weaknesses?" is a predictable and often asked question. If you name weaknesses, which are both relevant to the job at hand and significant, you have practically guaranteed that you will be screened out. There are two classic answers to this question. The first is providing a weakness which from the

Your Educational Background What formal education or training have you had? This question is a concern for a more experienced person only if they do not have the level of formal education normally associated with the job. In that case, have an answer ready.

A recent graduate needs a well-prepared presentation on the specifics of the education, which fits with the job. What prepares you to do this job? Did you receive any awards, honors or scholarships? This is an opportunity for someone with little or no formal work experience to elaborate on whatever relevant experience they do have, and to discuss their education. If you are at the entry level, remember that most candidates do not have very much experience. Therefore, your ability to elaborate on whatever experience you do have is a significant advantage.

Your Current Search Efforts Have you searched for suitable positions within your present company, and if not, why not? For employed people, searching their own organizations before considering a move is a rule of thumb. Explain why there are no adequate possibilities. Did you prepare your own resume? Most effective people get the best advice they can get and then make their own decisions. You should have written and/or approved every word in your resume. How would you rate the position at this company with others you might be considering? A possible answer: It is certainly one of the best. Until I've had an offer from you, I can't tell whether it's the best. You should decline any invitations to discuss details of any of your other offers or discussions.

Your Prospective Employer What do you know about this company, and where did you find this information? If you have had time to do effective preparation, the best answer is that you have significant information about the company and that it comes from a number of different sources: directory entries,

One possible approach to this question is to ask the interviewer to identify the real concerns. Common sense suggests that they would want the most overqualified person they could possibly get. Who would want an underqualified person? So what is the real issue? You might ask: Are you concerned that I don't plan to stay with this company for the long term? Then you would need to provide credible reassurance. It is also possible that they have a misunderstanding of your past compensation. Has your work ever been criticized? What was said?

Everyone's work is criticized from time to time. If the criticism is not overly frequent or overly severe people usually do not remember the specifics. This could be an opportunity to talk about your proven ability to use criticism as an opportunity to improve. Do you object to taking psychological tests? This is usually a prelude to scheduling them. Any objection could be taken as a sign that you expect to fail them. The good news is that it is nearly always a sign that you are a serious candidate. Most of these tests are impossible to fake or finesse. So, if you are interested in this company, relax and go ahead.

Phone Call Organizer 1. Contact Name 2. What materials are needed? 3. Purpose of call 4. Who referred you? 5. Beginning statement 6.

Comments to create common interests; reason for your interest

7.

Questions you have about the company / position / contact

8.

Confirm what you agreed to and clearly understand any steps

9.

Thank You

Weekly Goals and Objectives For the Week of: ____________________________ Daily Activiti es

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Number of Meetings: ____ (network contacts) Number of Telephone Calls: ____ (follow-up calls, set appointments) Letters: ____ (ad responses, job leads, etc.)

Number of Job Leads Obtained: _____ (from all sources) Number of Interviews Set: _____ (appointments made this week)

Job Search Log Date Complete

Company Name

Contact Person

Contact (Letter, Phone, Interview)

Result

Follow-up / Next Steps

Career Assessment Inventory

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