How to get a job

Thanh Tran
Jonathon Gerry
Donald Akroman

                The topic that our group will be presenting to the class is how to enhance your chances in getting a job. The reason why we chose this topic is because we saw it as one of the most essential tools we need in order to succeed in life after college. Getting a job is a significant goal in a person’s life because it is the base foundation that will support somebody from struggling in this economic world. The four topics we will be discussing about are the stepping stones to get into your job. The four stepping stones are the following: understanding yourself and researching the company, cover letters, the resume, and a thank you letter. Each of these four processes is crucial in help setting you apart from the rest of your competition and coming out on top as the victorious new employee.
                Before typing up papers and getting ready for an interview the first step in getting a job is the understanding yourself and researching the company you are applying for. By understanding yourself you know your own strengths and weaknesses and how you can apply them into the position you are competing for in the company.  Researching the company you are able to find out what the company is looking for in a person and how you are qualified for the job.  When researching a company you are able to discover everything there is about it, “what their foundation is built on, what the goal of their company is, who are the higher ranked people, etc” (Literacy Education Online, August 17, 2012). This is important because it gives you an upper edge on your competition when you go into the interview. When a person has a great understanding of the corporation it shows something most people like, dedication. These two steps work hand in hand on what you are looking for because when you look for or research a job, you are able to find an environment that best suites you.   

A resume is probably going to be one the most important pieces of document you are going to have to compose of in your lifetime so having a poorly written resume may lead to harsh consequences and cost you of a great opportunity. Even though you are an educated being, having a resume riddled with little grammar and spelling mistakes may leave a bad impression with the employer and they may judge you based on a piece of paper. Poorly written resumes could speak more about you than any employment history. When an employer has already developed a bad impression on you based on your resume, it is going to be extremely difficult to talk yourself up to land that job position. First impressions can make the difference between obtaining an interview and having your application discarded. Having a long and wordy resume can also hurt a person’s chances just as much as poor spelling and grammar can. After reviewing dozens of resumes all day, an employer would not want to read paragraphs that aren’t carefully organized into bullet points.

First impressions mean a lot when it comes to the job seeking world and one of the first things employers look at is your resume. Well written resumes can help push you further along into the hiring process. Even though you may not be as qualified as the other applicants, having a well written resume may help you obtain an interview with the employer and create new opportunities in the future. On average, an employer would only spend 10 – 15 seconds reviewing your resume so bullet points and summaries work best! Condensing all the information to one organized page also makes it easier for the employer to go over your application. If you want the best results for your resume, have a peer critic the resume before sending it in. This would be the most useful thing you can do because your eyes may have missed something that was grammatically incorrect.

Cover letters are also an important piece to landing a job. They help explain to the employer why you should be hired and it elaborates on your skills. The job seeker should be able to compose a cover letter talks about how they are qualified for the specific position that they applied for and all of this information should be able to flow together smoothly with an overall professional tone. Since you do not want to overwhelm the employer with a cover letter, one page is more than enough.

A thank you letter is supposed to be sent to give good and positive impression about the person who is applying and showing his determination. This letter shows the determination and the motivation of the applicant. A thank-you note is seen as good taste and polite, and sometimes it can make an influence to the hiring decision. It can be also relevant when the choice of the applicant is difficult and tough between two candidacies.

           Being successful in getting hired for a position in a tough economy these days are not is not as difficult as people think. If these steps are considered during the hiring process, it would give you a bigger advantage in the hiring world.