ASSESS and IMPROVE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS

The “job search competencies” exercise below will help you determine how effective you are in attracting potential employers.
Instructions: Respond to each statement by choosing the number that best represents your situation. Scale: 1=Strongly Agree 2=Agree 3=Maybe, not Certain 4=Disagree 5=Strongly Disagree

1. I know what motivates me to excel at work.
2. I can identify my strongest skills.
3. I have seven major achievements that clarify a pattern of interests that are relevant to my job and career.
4. I know what I both like and dislike at work.
5. I know what I want to do during the next 10 years.
6. I have a well defined career objective that focuses my job research on particular employers.
7. I know what skills I can offer employers in different occupations.
8. I know what skills employers most seek in candidates.
9. I can clearly explain to employers what I do well and enjoy doing.
10. I can specify why employers should hire me.
11. I can gain the support of my family for making a career change.
12. I can find 10 to 20 hours a week to conduct a part-time job search.
13. I have the financial ability to sustain a three-month job search.
14. I can conduct library and Internet research on different occupations and employers.
15. I can write different types of effective resumes and job search/thank you letters.
16. I can produce and distribute resumes and letters to the right people.
17. I can list my major accomplishments in action terms.
18. I can identify and target employers I want to interview.
19. I know how to use the Internet to conduct employment research and network.
20. I know which websites are best for posting my resumes and browsing job postings.
21. I know how much time I should spend conducting an online job search.
22. I can develop a job referral network.
23. I can persuade others to join in informing a job search support group.
24. I can prospect for job leads.
25. I can use the telephone to develop prospects and get referrals and interviews.
26. I can plan and implement an effective direct-mail job search campaign.
27. I can persuade employers to interview me.
28. I have a list of at least 10 employer-centered questions I need to ask during interviews.
29. I know the best time to talk about salary with a prospective employer.
30. I know what I want to do with my life over the next 10 years.
31. I have a clear pattern of accomplishments which I can explain to employers with examples.
32. I have little difficulty in making cold calls and striking up conversations with strangers.
33. I usually take responsibility for my own actions rather than blame other people for my situation.
34. I can generate at least one job interview for every 10 job search contacts I make.
35. I can follow up on job interviews.
36. I can negotiate a salary 10-20% above what an employer initially offers.
37. I can persuade an employer to renegotiate my salary after six months on the job.
38. I can create a position for myself in the organization.

TOTAL:

Calculate your overall potential job search effectives by adding the numbers you chose. If your total is more than 90 points, you need to work on developing your job search skills. If your score is below 60 points, you are well on your way toward job search success.

RESUME SAMPLES - I

CURRICULUM VITAE (CV) VS. RESUME

The CV is frequently used internationally in place of a resume. The most noticeable difference between the CV and resume is the length. Resumes are usually limited to a page; however, CVs can be two or more pages. In addition, CVs are used for Academic positions reflecting the abilities as a teacher, researcher and publishing scholar. One of the key characteristics of a proper resume is conciseness.

RESUME ACTION WORDS

-A-
Accelerated – Accomplished – Achieved – Adapted – Administered – Advised – Analyzed – Arranged –Assembled - Assumed responsibility

-B-
Balanced – Billed – Built

-C-
Channeled – Collected – Communicated – Compiled – Completed – Conceived – Conducted – Controlled – Contracted – Coordinated – Counseled – Created – Cut

-D-
Delegated – Demonstrated – Designed – Determined – Developed – Directed – Dispatched – Distributed – Documented

-E-
Earned – Edited – Effected – Eliminated – Enabled – Established – Evaluated – Expanded – Expedited

-F-
Facilitated – Found – Functioned as

-G-
Gained – Gathered – Generated – Graded – Graduated

-H-
Handled – Hired

-I-
Increased – Influenced – Implemented – Improved – Initiated – Innovated – Inspected – Installed Instituted – Instructed – Interpreted – Interviewed – Introduced – Invented – Issued

-L-
Launched – Lectured – Led

-M-
Maintained – Managed – Motivated

-N-
Negotiated

-O-
Operated – Optimized – Originated – Orchestrated – Ordered – Organized – Oversaw

-P-
Participated – Performed – Pinpointed – Planned – Prepared – Presented – Produced – Programmed –Proved – Provided – Published – Purchased

-R-
Recommended – Recorded – Recruited – Reduced – Referred – Reinforced – Represented – Researched – Reviewed – Revised – Revitalized

-S-
Saved –Scheduled – Screened – Served - Set up – Simplified – Sold – Solved – Standardized – Steered – Structured – Suggested – Supervised – Supported – Surpassed

-T-
Taught – Tested – Trained – Translated –Tripled

-U-
Underwrote – Updated – Used

-W-
Won – Wrote

Click here for more action words.

RESUME FORMATS

1. REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME
This format is simple and it can easily track candidate's career progression in a given field. Experience and accomplishments are listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent job positioned first. Since this format makes it difficult to hide employment gaps, the reverse chronological resume is the most preferred format of employers and recruiters.

2. FUNCTIONAL RESUME
Functional Resume format is skills-based and achievement oriented. Experience and accomplishments are listed in sections with specific headings that extract and show only what is directly applicable to the targeted position. Since it sometimes omits dates, it is the least preferred resume format of employers and recruiters.

3. COMBINATION RESUME
This format is a combination of chronological and functional formats. In this format, work experience and accomplishments are listed in sections with specific headings directly applicable to the targeted position. However, the employment information is listed under a separate category (title, company, location, and dates). As it makes easy for the reader to see how a candidate is qualified for a position while providing an employment history, it has become a favorite resume format amongst recruiters.