Appendix

Job Search Tracking Record

Day 1
Resources:	□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □	Daily Total
Contacts:	□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □	Daily Total
Meetings:	□ □	Daily Total
Notes:

Day 2
Resources:	□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □	Daily Total
Contacts:	□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □	Daily Total
Meetings:	□ □	Daily Total
Notes:

Day 3
Resources:	□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □	Daily Total
Contacts:	□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □	Daily Total
Meetings:	□ □	Daily Total
Notes:

Day 4
Resources:	□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □	Daily Total
Contacts:	□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □	Daily Total
Meetings:	□ □	Daily Total
Notes:

Day 5
Resources:	□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □	Daily Total
Contacts:	□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □	Daily Total
Meetings:	□ □	Daily Total
Notes:

Contact Follow-Up Form

Contact

Person or organization:

Telephone:

Address:

Email:

I was referred by:

I contacted this person

• Yes

• No

Date:

Items Discussed

1.

2.

3.

Follow-Up Activities

1.

2.

3.

New Referrals

1. Name:

Telephone:

Fax:

Email:

Address:

2. Name:

Telephone:

Fax:

Email:

Address:

Interview and Meeting Evaluation

Date

Make copies of this form before you fill it out. Use this form to evaluate your interviews and meetings and to track your progress. Add new referrals to your network list.

Person or organization:

I was prepared.

• Yes

• No

• Comments:

I achieved my objectives.

• Yes

• No

• Comments:

I presented myself well.

• Yes

• No

• Comments:

Items discussed:

1.

2.

3.

What Went Well

What I Need to Improve

Follow-up activities:

1.

2.

3.

New referrals:

1. Name:

Telephone:

Fax:

Email:

Address:

2. Name:

Telephone:

Fax:

Email:

Address:

Advanced Networking

Identify Decision Makers

Read:Beyond talking with who you know, you should also contact businesses. When you contact businesses, your efforts will be much more effective if you talk to the people who make the hiring decisions. Use the internet and professional social media sites to identify who you should talk to.

For example, Josh wants to work in computer support. He might look up a company and try to identify people who manage the Information Technology Department. He could check the company directory or do a search for people by company on a social media site. He can then call the company and ask for these people by name. When you use names, it is surprising how often you will be connected directly with the people.

Each business and person you identify is a resource. Each employment interaction you have with a business or person at a business is a contact. The more personal contacts you make with businesses and people at those businesses, the quicker you will find a job.

Use Scripts

Read:Writing scripts can be a great way to prepare yourself for effective interactions. This will help you sound more confident and have more success. To help you with this, here are some sample scripts for three basic scenarios for contacting people or businesses.

Contacting Someone You Know

Say, “Hello, (name of contact), this is (your name). Could you talk with me for three or four minutes?”

Briefly explain why you are calling (don’t take longer than 15 seconds).

Use your Me in 30 Seconds statement.

Use a closing question to ask for help (remember to include contacts, referrals, and leads).

Thank the person for his or her time.

Contacting Someone You Were Referred To

Say, “Hello, (name of contact), my name is (your name), and (name of person who referred you) suggested I call you. Could you talk with me for three or four minutes?”

Briefly explain why you are calling (don’t take more than 15 seconds).

Use your Me in 30 Seconds statement.

Use a closing question to ask for help (remember to include contacts, referrals, and leads).

If the person you are talking with mentions an internal job opening, ask for an interview. (Be sure to offer two choices for a meeting time.)

Thank the person for his or her time.

Contacting Someone You Don’t Know (A Business)

Ask for the name of the owner, manager, or supervisor.

Say, “Thank you. May I speak to (name of the supervisor), please?”

When the supervisor answers, say, “Hello, (name of supervisor), my name is (your name). Could you talk with me for three or four minutes?”

Briefly explain why you are calling (don’t take more than 15 seconds).

Use your Me in 30 Seconds statement.

Use a closing question to ask for help (including contacts, leads, informational interview, and so on).

If the person you are talking with mentions an internal job opening, ask for an interview. (Be sure to offer two choices for a meeting time.)

Thank the person for his or her time.

Informational Interviews

Read:Informational interviews are another powerful networking tool. In informational interviews, you meet with people to get advice on your job, to learn more about them or their job, and to make a great connection. They are a lot like a job interview, but there is less pressure for both sides because there isn’t necessarily a job on the line. However, if you do well, it is like you just had a great screening interview, and you might get referred to more people and opportunities. These interviews are a great way to build networking relationships.

Michael shared the following experience of how informational interviews led him to incredible success in his job search and career.

“When I was looking for work, I learned that most positions are filled without being advertised. I knew there had to be an opportunity out there for me. If I could make the right contacts, I was confident I could make a good impression. Some of my own contacts referred me to people they knew working in the industry I was interested in. I reached out to them by phone, email, or in person. I explained my interest in the industry or company and asked if I could get 15 minutes of their time. They almost all accepted!

“I learned quickly that I needed to be prepared for these conversations and have some questions ready. I also learned that these conversations were a screening process, a lot like a first interview. The people were sizing me up, seeing if I might be a good fit for their company. If they liked me, we would visit again or they would refer me to additional contacts. I began to realize that informational interviews gave me the power to create screening opportunities without waiting for a formal job interview. My informational interviews began to turn into actual job interviews, all of which were for jobs that weren’t being advertised. This culminated into a week in which I received four job offers! Since that time, every promotion I have received or job I have gotten has been through networking and informational interviews.”

Activity

Write down the names of three people or companies you want to contact to set up an informational interview.

Informational Interviews: Suggestions for Success

Read:Remember, when you initiate an informational interview, the person you are meeting with is doing you a favor. Here are some suggestions to help you best use the person’s time and have a great experience. Take turns, each reading one suggestion out loud as you go around the group.

• Use a script (see pages 198–200) to ask for an informational interview.

• Find out about the industry or the person’s company in advance.

• Prepare appropriate questions in advance.

• If needed, make multiple contacts per request to get an interview.

• Do not ask for more than 15 to 30 minutes of a person’s time.

• Do not go beyond the agreed upon time.

• Be prepared to answer the following questions:

  • Can you tell us a little about yourself?
    (Use your Me in 30 Seconds.)

  • Why are you interested in this?

• As the conversation develops, it may be appropriate to ask for other contacts or leads.

• Follow up promptly with a thank you.

• Follow through on any commitments you made.

Written Materials

Examples of Résumé Accomplishments

• Raised over $10,000 yearly for five years through event planning, communication, and recruiting volunteers. (Mother)

• Achieved a 3.5 GPA through high school while working and playing multiple sports by planning and prioritizing activities and duties. (Student)

• Saved over $200,000 in first year with active budget management and improved cost controls. (Business Manager)

• Achieved a 99 percent quality rating on thousands of complex welds with exotic metals, compared with company quality average of 92 percent. (Welder)

Résumé Tips

1. Write to the employer’s needs. Most employers spend less than 10 seconds skimming over your résumé, so you need to make it easy for them to see how you are a match.

2. Top- and left-load your résumé. When employers skim your résumé, they look primarily at the top and left sides, so place your most important information there.

3. Use bullets, not paragraphs. Make it easy for employers to find your information.

4. Use easy-to-follow formatting. Organize your résumé in a stair-step fashion, with the same types of information aligned so that employers can naturally find and understand your content.

5. Don’t use résumé templates. The computer programs employers use to scan résumés, called applicant tracking systems (ATS), can’t read templates, and templates typically don’t look as good as made-from-scratch résumés.

6. Don’t use objectives. They are a thing of the past, and you might get screened out for failing to be current.

7. Include a summary targeted to the employer’s needs. Use the top one-fourth to one-third of the page to write a simple summary that includes a headline, a summary, and key words.

8. Use key words from the job description. Key words catch the employer’s interest, and the ATS is programmed to search for them.

9. Describe your accomplishments using the résumé version of power statements. These power statements should include details with numbers, percentages, dollar amounts, and so on.

10. Give context. By giving a comparison or a little background of a situation, you set yourself apart from your peers.

11. Include all education experience, even if it is still in progress. Make sure to note that it is in progress or that there is an expected graduation date.

12. Keep your résumé neat. Use consistent section headings, consistent formatting, and good white space.

13. Make sure there are no spelling or grammar errors. These errors will screen you out quickly.

14. Use traditional fonts. Stick to traditional serif or sans serif fonts.

15. Do not go below 11-point font size. You want your résumé to be as easy as possible for employers to read.

16. Keep your résumé to one page. Stick to one page until you have at least seven years of related professional experience.

17. Use the same heading for all of your career documents. A heading is the part of your résumé that typically contains your name and contact information.

18. Do not include references on your résumé. Employers assume you have references, and if they want them, they will ask for them.

19. Convert your résumé to a PDF. If you email or submit your résumé electronically, convert it to a PDF document. If you don’t, you run the risk of the employer’s software not matching yours. That could result in the formatting being altered and the employer being unable to read your résumé.

20. Get computer help. Find friends, family, community resources, or online tools to help you create great-looking documents.

Cover Letter Tips

1. Write it specifically to the business, organization, or job opportunity.

2. Use power statements to capture the reader’s interest and set you apart. In your cover letters, make your writing style simple and straightforward.

3. Keep it short. Typically the cover letter should be no more than three simple paragraphs and never more than half a page.

4. Ask for an interview.

5. Use the same heading for all of your career documents. A heading is the part of your résumé that typically contains your name and contact information.

Application Tips

1. Write it to the job.

2. Use accomplishments to describe your work experience.

3. Fill in the information completely and accurately.

4. Make sure there are no spelling or grammar errors.

5. Identify key words and use them in your application.

Chronological Résumé

A chronological résumé lists your work experience in chronological order beginning with your most recent position.

This format primarily allows you to show your complete work history, but it may not effectively show how you best fit the position for which you are applying.

Functional Résumé

A functional résumé lists your relevant skills and experiences. This format allows you to highlight how you best fit the position for which you are applying.

Combination Résumé

A combination résumé lists your skills, experiences, and work history. This format allows you to highlight how you best fit the job you are applying for while also still giving a chronological work history.

Page 2 on next page.

Sample Cover Letter 1

Sample Cover Letter 2

Sample Cover Letter 3

Turning a Negative into a Positive

Possible Negative	Employer’s Real Concern May
Overqualified	High salary expectation Will quickly move on to a better position
Gaps in employment history	May be unreliable Won’t stay on the job
No direct experience	Training could be expensive and take a long time Not able to do the job
Younger worker	Lack of maturity Lack of experience
Older worker	Outdated skill May leave position soon
Lack of work experience	Ability to learn Adjusting to a job Work ethic
Lack of degree or credentials	Not enough knowledge to do the job May need to train
Multiple jobs in a short period of time	May leave position soon Lack of commitment
Fired or laid off from previous position	Doesn’t get along with others Poor work ethic
Been out of the workforce	Outdated skills Adjusting to a job May need training
Criminal history	Not trustworthy

Continue to the next page.

Here are some sample interview questions in which you would want to turn a negative into a positive.

• Why did you leave your last position?

• What was your greatest failure at work, and what did you learn from it?

• What is your greatest weakness?

• Tell me about a time you disagreed with your boss.

• Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult customer or coworker.

Negotiate Effectively

You need to answer several questions for yourself before you enter into employment negotiations. The following list may be helpful.

• What is the minimum level of compensation you can accept?

• What does the industry generally pay for your skills?

• What benefits are important to you?

  • Health care

  • Retirement leave

  • Sick leave

  • Vacation leave

  • Bonuses

• How do you feel about the commute?

• How do you feel about the schedule?

Anticipate areas that might present problems, and then list several alternatives to resolve those issues.

Activity

In the following exercise, select the response you feel would be most appropriate in negotiation. (The answers are on the next page.)

1. Negotiating monetary expectations should occur:

   1. At the beginning of an interview for hire.

   2. After you have received a firm offer.

2. If you must discuss monetary expectations:

   1. Give an exact figure.

   2. Give a range between two figures.

3. If the organization thinks your monetary expectations are too high:

   1. Offer the expectations of others in the field to validate your claim.

   2. Indicate what you think your contribution will be to the organization.

4. In response to an offer that you don’t like:

   1. Say, “Thank you,” and accept it.

   2. Restate the offer, sit quietly, and silently count to 10.

5. When the negotiation is concluding and the final offer is not enough:

   1. Refuse the offer and leave.

   2. Offer to discuss the negotiation later.

6. If the negotiation ends with an offer for a future increase in pay after a certain period of time:

   1. Shake hands on the deal and leave.

   2. Ask for the offer to be written in a contract.

Answer Key

1. b. After you have received a firm offer.

2. b. Give a range between two figures.

3. b. Indicate what you think your contribution will be to the organization.

4. b. Restate the offer, sit quietly, and silently count to 10. (The person you are negotiating with may make a better offer to break the silence.)

5. b. Offer to discuss the negotiation later.

6. b. Ask for the offer to be written in a contract.

Notes