Jobs For You

Finding a Job: The First Step

Identify your own needs, wants, goals, and ambitions. A part time job during school or a summer job can be different from your first job after you have received the education or training you need. Knowing your criteria makes it easier to know which job is right.

Research the job market and the companies and employers that interest you. Look broadly and explore options.

Use resources on line, as well as printed materials and information you gather by talking with people who are employed in an area in which you are interested. This takes time and pays off as you save time by pursuing jobs that actually exist and closely fit your needs and plans.

Shadow someone already working in a job that interests you, if possible. Conduct informational interviews to hear first-hand stories about the work.

Explore what education or training you need for career and economic success. Try to match your job with your educational plans and obligations.

Once you find a job possibility for which you qualify, begin the application process.

Create an effective cover letter. It "dresses" your resume and lets you mention qualities and attributes not highlighted in the resume. Make it concise and action-oriented.

Package your resume, application, and references to reflect your professionalism. There can be no errors of any kind: grammar, spelling, typing. Use good quality paper and be sure the materials are very, very neat.

Organize Your Resume

When writing your resume, decide whether your education or experience is more impressive and put that at the top. Recent college graduates might not have much experience and should highlight their degree and relevant coursework. Professionals will want to highlight their years of accomplishments in the working world.

Resume Design

The format of your resume is important. It must be easy to read with a simple font and no graphics. Make sure the margins are aligned and the “Experience,” “Education” and “Skills” categories are easy to find.

Triple Check

While weeding through hundreds of resumes, employers will immediately discard any with spelling and grammatical errors. Double check your resume for mistakes and have a trusted friend proofread it, too.

Cover Letter Headers

Your address and phone number should appear at the top of the cover letter. Next, write the employer’s name and company address. If you don’t know who to address the letter to, call the company and find out.

Cover Letter Closer

The last paragraph of your cover letter is the easiest to write. Thank the employer for considering your application and write that you will call to check on your status in a week. Calling them shows that you have initiative and it keeps busy employers aware of you.

Show Some Style

The cover letter is your chance to stand out among the crowd. Write a creative letter if the job requires ingenuity. Applicants in high-tech fields should write a logical, concise letter explaining their skills. The letter gives the company a better sense of who you are. But be careful; employers might find gimmicky letters annoying.

Interviewing Questions

Below is a listing of sample interview questions to use as a guideline when developing questions you might ask a potential employee. The trend in developing these interview questions has been to make them behavioral based, allowing the interviewer to get the maximum benefit from the interview.

General

Tell me about your recent work experience(s).

Why did you leave your previous place of employment?

Why are there gaps in your employment history?

What strengths and weaknesses would you bring to this position?

What is your understanding of this position and what skills do you bring to the position?

What types of job responsibilities do you find to be most rewarding? Why?

What types of job responsibilities do you find to be most frustrating? Why?

Tell me about your computer skills and what type of software you are experienced with.

What type of management style do you prefer (hands-on, frequent supervision, minimal supervision, etc.) and why?

Behavior Questions

If you were given a handwritten list of 50 names and addresses, along with a letter that needed to be sent to each, how would you complete

the task? Explain, in detail, using a mail merge function in word processing software.

Describe a situation when you had to take directions from several people at the same time.

Describe a time when you had to sacrifice quality for a deadline, or visa versa. How did you react to this?

Describe a tough problem that you have dealt with, tell me how you approached it and the outcome.

Tell me about a specific occasion when you conformed to a policy even though you did not agree with it.

Tell me about a time when your manager was unavailable and you had to solve an immediate problem. What did you do and what was the outcome?

Tell me about a project you have been responsible for and how you organized the necessary paperwork, tasks, goals, etc.

Have you ever intervened on behalf of an employee who was not being treated fairly? Tell me about it.

Describe for me two improvements you have made in your job in the past six months.

When you delegate assignments to others, how do you keep track of their progress?

Tell me about a decision you made that your supervisor disagreed with. How did you handle it?

What do you feel would be the most common errors made in a position such as this?

Tell me about a time when you were late or absent to work. How did you communicate that to your supervisor?

How do you deal with difficult or demanding managers/co-workers/customers? Describe a situation.

Tell me about a time when a supervisor asked you to complete a task that you thought was not necessary, or could have been done another way. What steps did you take to achieve the task?

Tell me about a time when you felt you had to break a company rule in order to get something done.

Customer Service

How would your supervisor describe your relationship with your peers?

Describe a customer compliant that you have resolved.

Describe a day when you were faced with multiple interruptions and had to assist in covering an additional position. Tell me how you managed your day to accomplish your work.

Tell me about a time when you were given high priority tasks from multiple supervisors. How did you decide which to complete first?

How would the people you supervise describe your management style?

End of Interview

What aspect of your past employments did you enjoy the most?

Why should I hire you?

Do you have any questions for me?

Occupational Outlook

Aerospace

 Aerospace Engineers

 Aircraft Pilot/Flight Engineer

 Air Traffic Controller

 Atmospheric Scientist

 Aircraft Mechanic

Arts

 Actors, Producers & Directors

 Dancers & Choreographers

 Designers

 Musicians & Singers

 Photographers & Video

 Visual Artists

 Writers & Editors

Business

 Actuaries

 General Managers

 Human Resources

 Insurance Adjustors

 Insurance Sales Agents

 Insurance Underwriters

 Marketing & Sales Managers

 Marketing Research Analysts

 Purchasing Managers

 Real Estate Agents

 Real Estate Managers

Communications

 Advertising & Promotion Managers

 Announcers

 Public Relations Specialists

 Reporters

 Writers & Editors

Computers/IT

 Computer Programmers  Computer Systems Analysts

Education

 Adult Education Teachers

 College and University Faculty

 Education Administrators

 K-12 Teachers

 Librarians

 Library Assistants

 Library Technicians

 Preschool Teachers

 Special Education Teachers

 Teacher Assistants

Engineering

 Engineers

 Aerospace

 Chemical

 Civil

 Electrical

 Industrial

 Materials

 Mechanical

 Mining & Geologists

 Nuclear

 Petroleum

 Engineering Technicians

Finance

 Accountant

 Budget Analyst

 Financial Clerks

 Financial Manager

 General Manager/Top Executive

 Loan Counselor

 Bank Teller

Government

 Armed Forces

 Correctional Officers

 Fire Fighting

 Police & Detectives

 Postal Clerks & Mail Carriers

Health Care

Health Diagnosticians

 Chiropractors

 Dentists

 Optometrists

 Physicians

 Podiatrists

Health Assessment and Treatment

 Audiologists

 Dietitians/Nutritionists

 Occupational Therapists

 Pharmacists

 Physical Therapists

 Physician Assistants

 Recreational Therapists

 Registered Nurses

 Respiratory Therapists

 Speech Language Pathologists

Health Technologists and Technicians

 Cardiovascular Technologists

 Clinical Laboratory Technologists

 Dental Hygienists

 Emergency Medical Technicians/Paramedics

 Health Information Technicians

 Licensed Practical Nurses

 Nuclear Medicine Technologists

 Opticians

 Pharmacy Technicians

 Radiologic Technologists

 Surgical Technologists

Law

 Lawyers and Judicial Workers

 Paralegals

Math/Science

 Actuary

 Mathematician

 Statistician

 Agricultural Scientist

 Biological Scientist

 Chemist

 Geologist

 Physicists & Astronomers

 Conservation Scientists & Foresters

Service

 Bank Tellers

 Barbers & Cosmetologists

 Cashiers

 Chefs

 Food & Beverage Service

 Hotel Clerks

 Laborers & Helpers

 Receptionists

 Retail Sales Managers

 Retail Salespersons

 Secretaries

Social Services

 Adult Education Teachers

 Counselors

 Home Health Aides

 Human Service Workers

 Social Workers

Utilities/Telecom

 Communications Equipment Operators

 Electricians

 Engineers

 Line Installers and Repairers

 Nuclear Engineers

 Power Plant Operators

 Telecommunications Equipment Installers

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