THE JOB APPLICATION PROCESS

This section documents and guidelines specific to one’s area of workplace

communication: the job application process. First the two main professional
documents are discussed in detail. Then guidelines and tips for taking part in a job
interview are outline. Finally, preparations required for the mock interview are
provided.

Cover Letter and Resume

The first two workplace documents any person has to accomplish upon or
even before the graduation are the cover letter (letter of application) and the
resume. This section gathers guidelines and examples from Arinto’s “English for
Professions”, Wallace’s “Adam’s Resume Almanac” and “Write for College: A
Student Handbook” written and compiled by Patrick Sebranek, Verne Meyer and
Dave Kemper. These references contain explanations from the form, function and
features of these two documents, as well as the evaluation and writing exercises.

A cover letter is a “letter you write to a prospective employer to persuade

to him/her to give you a job”. It literally covers or goes on top of the applicant’s
resume. It is typically one page-long with a message conveyed in about three to
five paragraphs. Different companies may specify different formatting
requirements for this, but most will be printed on short 8.5 x 11-inch long bond
paper, ivory or white in color and about 70 to 80 grams.

The cover letter is formatted like a business letter, but it has its own specific
challenges. It is very important that the cover letter does not contain mistakes
when it comes to information about the company and prospective employer. The
applicant should find out the full name, position, and preferred title of the
addressee – sometimes the employer, the Head of the Human Resource
department. The message should provide adequate information about the
position being applied for, the top qualifications of the applicant (highlights of the
resume), how the applicant stands out from other applicants and contact
information of the applicant. In the Adam’s Cover Letter Almanac, he provides a
summary of the kind of information that should be included in each section of a
cover letter.

First the date and inside address should be provided, the latter including
the contact person’s name and position, as well as the company name and its
address. Like in other business letters, the salutation should begin with the word
“Dear” followed by the appropriate courtesy title (for example Mr., Ms., Dr., Prof.,
Atty., Engr., Hon., etcetera) and a colon. In the first paragraph, the applicant
should immediately state an interest in the specified position as well as give
reasons, for example background as to his/her suitability as a candidate. The first
paragraph should be kept short – no longer than a page or half a page.

In the second paragraph, qualifications should be supported with concrete

and specific details, such as highlights from the applicant’s resume. The
applicant’s interest in the company should be emphasized further with details
that call attention to the fact that he/she knows the firm, field and industry well.
In the closing paragraph, there should be a request for an interview or some form
of follow-up action. It helps to provide contact information or mention the option
of calling or sending an e-mail to arrange an interview at a convenient time for
both parties. The complimentary close should be formal (eg. “Sincerely”,
“Respectfully”, or “Very Truly Yours).

Next Locker and Kaczmarek define the resume as a document attached to a

cover letter to serve as “a persuasive summary at your qualifications for
employment”. Ideally, unless one is applying for a top-level position, one page is
adequate, especially for fresh graduates. Less important content should be
trimmed or omitted in order to fit the more important achievements into a single
page. When there is more than one page, each page should have the applicant’s
name and a page number for easy reference. The type of paper used is the same
as the cover letter.

There are many ways of writing a resume depending on the requirements

of the job, but only three main types will be covered here. The chronological
resume is the traditional and the most accepted resume format. Items are listed
in reverse chronological order with the most recent work or schooling first.
Names, dates and places of employment are listed, and the education and work
experience are grouped separately. This is used when there are no large gaps in
the applicant’s work history and if his/her work education and previous work
experience relate to the current job objective.

The second type, the functional resume focuses on the skills and talents
developed by the applicant and does not emphasize job titles, employer names
and dates. This is used when there are gaps in the writer’s work or study history,
when such experiences are not that relevant to the position for which he/she is
applying, and when the writer wishes to combine experiences from paid jobs,
activities, volunteer work, and courses to show the extent of his/her experience in
a particular area.

Finally, the chrono-functional resume, as the name suggests, a combination

of the two types. It chronologically lists job history and education but also allows
the applicant to highlight certain marketable qualifications. This is issued by fresh
graduates who have some job experiences and by those who are returning to
work or are changing careers.

For recent college graduates, education should appear first and be outlined
in detail. For example, degrees, honors, special awards, relevant courses or
projects should be listed. Experience should only be listed first when the applicant
has had at least two years of full-time career experience. For chronological
resumes, the dates of employment and education are on the left of the page,
while the companies worked for and schools attended are a few spaces to the
right of the dates. Job experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order
with the most recent job emphasized the most. An applicant may also slant past
accomplishments towards the type of position he/she hopes to obtain.

Some companies like to see personal data of the applicants, such as their
interest, hobbies, and sports. A concise reference to commonly practiced
activities such as sports can prove to be an interesting conversation during an
interview. The key word is “concise”, such data should be kept very brief, two
lines at the most. Details like the applicant’s weight, height or marital status are
irrelevant and should not be included.
 When including references, there should be at least three listed. These are
people who can speak well of your abilities – usually former teachers or
employers. Ask for permission to cite them as references and list complete and
accurate information about the job titles and contact details.

Lastly, an effective resume should also look good with effective use of white
space, and other typeface features (eg. Font size, Bold). Information should be
neatly divided into clearly labeled sections, for education, experiences and other
major categories of professional qualifications. There should be no typographic or
mechanical errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation and grammar.

End