BHILAI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DURG

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

SUBJECT TEACHER : DR. SHABANA NAZ SIDDIQUE

UNIT – III (Employment Process - I)

The employment search

 First of all decide your career what you are going to be and that is a decision you take, with help and
support from parents and peers and colleagues.
 Once you have completed your basic professional degree or certificate prepare a resume or a CV.
 Understand the interview process because that is the final stage in some companies, after your CV has
reached them.
 Prepare for the interview
 Take the interview and if you are selected
 Follow up and accept the offer that ends the employment search.

EMPLOYER RECRUITING PRACTICES

look inside the company study the company its website : (you are on the receiving end you need to take a
proactive step) go through its annual reports, look at the turnovers and read many business magazines as many as
possible to build up your information.
Networking & Personal References: try to get in touch with as many people who can help you get recruited, get
in touch with people in the corporate sector at high positions. And make them your references.
employment agency or job search firms and if you are feeling that your efforts are not bearing fruits or you
could do some more because you are not getting the job which is the job to your liking. Take the help of
employment agencies or job search firms, if required you can also send unsolicited cover letters with the resume
attached these are called post applications.
be up to date with newspaper want ads for example, in India we have a common publication like employment
news, employment weekly. You have websites also.

Features of today's work place :

 Globalization
 Technology driven
 Cultural diversity
 Information Overload
 Teams And Work Groups
 Flexible Employment
Requirements of today’s employers
 Flexibility and Adaptability
 Lifelong Learning
 Teamwork Skills
 Strong work records
 Leadership Capabilities
 Diversified Skills
 Multicultural And International Awareness
Strategies in the Job Search Process
 Build the Network of Contacts
 Identify Appropriate Jobs
 Locate your employer
 Prepare the application documents
 Continue job search activities

A step-by-step approach to Job search
1. Identifying Skills & Interests
2. Fine Tuning Online Presence
3. Using Online Job Portals
4. Network More
5. Researching on Targeted Jobs
6. Being Organised
7. Preparations for Interviews & Marketing for Self
8. Salary Negotiations
Stages of Job Search:-
i. Self- Assessment
= A. Know yourself
B. Develop a support network
C. Build and maintain positive attitudes
ii. Planning the Job Search
A. Getting Organised
B. Gathering Information
C. Identifying Potential Employers
iii. Applying For A Job

FORMAL LETTER
Formal letters are naturally much more formal in style than informal/friendly [Link] letters can be written
for a number of reasons such as:
 to express your concerns while working in a professional setup
 to provide official information across your workspace
 to order goods
 to apply for employment, etc.
 to the Editor of a newspaper agency, etc.

TYPES OF FORMAL LETTERS

 Business Letters
 Letters of Application
 Letters to Newspapers
BUSINESS LETTERS
Before you start to write a business letter, there are few things you should keep in mind:
 Use simple, everyday language to convey the message..
 Never use jargon .
 Avoid using abbreviations .
 The modes of address vary according to the type of letter and the receiver.
 Clear and exact descriptions of the articles.
 Always quote the date of the letter and its reference numbers.

LETTERS OF APPLICATION
Before and after you write a letter of application, make sure you check for the following:
 Always start with a short introduction stating whether the applicant is writing in response to a reference.
 State the age, education and experience of the applicant.
 Provide the employer with a genuine expression of the applicant’s earnestness
 Also, furnish references so that the employer can gather an idea of the kind of employee you would be.
LETTERS TO NEWSPAPERS
Always address these letters to ‘The Editor’ and end with ‘Yours faithfully’. These letters should be
professional and authentic.

WRITING A FORMAL LETTER – PARTS OF A FORMAL LETTER

When writing a formal letter, always be respectful and conscious of your language, no matter what the subject of
the letter might be in a prescribed format.
 Use of colloquial words, abbreviations and slang language should be restricted while writing aformal letter.
 AFormal Lettermust be precise and to the point.
To write a formal letter, there are some points to be remembered:-
1. Always start with the sender’s address.
2. This is followed by thedate.
3. The receiver’s addresscomes next.
4. The subject of the letter is very important. It is a statement of the purpose of the letter. It should be written in
a single line.
5. The salutation can be Dear Sir/Ma’am. If the person is known, address name, ‘Dear Shrinath’.
6. The body of the letter can be written in 3 paragraphs.
i. The first paragraph should be aimed at introducing yourself and stating the purpose of your letter.
ii. The second paragraph should furnish all the information about the matter.
iii. The third paragraph can be a concluding paragraph where you lay out your expectations.
7. Toclose the letter,you can use a complimentary closing like ‘Yours faithfully’, ‘Yours sincerely’ etc.
8. Unlike informal letters,signature should include your name (in block letters) and designation below your
signature.
The Writing Process: Check List for writing formal letter:
1. Pre-writing: Time to think
2. Drafting: Time to write it down
3. Revising: Time to improve my writing
4. Editing: Time to make things correct.
5. Publishing: Time to share my writing
Useful Phrases for Personal and Social Correspondence
Openings :The standard opening for personal correspondence is Dear but variations include:
Useful phrases:
 Thank you for your letter [inviting, offering, confirming]
 I am very grateful to you for [letting me know, offering, writing]
 It was so kind of you to [write, invite, send]
 Many thanks for [sending, inviting, enclosing]
Closures: For acquaintances and formal situations
 Best wishes.
 Kindest regards.
Closures: Affectionate variations for close friends and family
 All the best
 With love and best wishes
 Do give my kindest regards to …

ENCLOSURES AND ATTACHMENT

 We would be grateful if you could forward/send any further information
  We will be pleased to supply any further information you require.
 We would like to make a decision on this as soon as possible.
 If there is any other information you need, please do not hesitate to contact us at the above e-mail address.
 Please find enclosed….

Writing Business Letter takes much longer than in own language. Guidelines for writing business letter:
 Plan before you write.

 Tone

 Dates

 Be concise and clear.

Writing a Job Application Letter

Tips to write a job application letter:
 Mention the job position you are applying.
 Introduce yourself and highlight your skills and qualifications.
 State strongly why you would be right for the job.
 Use a polite tone throughout your letter.
 Stay genuine and professional.
 End the letter on a positive note.
 Proofread the letter before you send it to the concerned hiring manager/employer.
 End job application letter by thanking the employer for the time and consideration.
Useful Phrases for letter about Employment.
Openings:
The standard opening for formal correspondence is Dear.
Useful phrases:
 I am writing in response to your advertisement in [publication]
 Thank you for your letter of [date] offering me the post of
Closures:
 Thank you for considering this application
 I look forward to hearing from you

COVER LETTER WRITING

What is a cover letter?
A cover letter is a brief one page letter sent along with the resume to potential employers.
Cover Letter Format
A hard-copy cover letter should be written in the business letter format, while an email should be sent in the
same format but without the heading.

Writing cover letters is a very important art and technique involving following four steps.
 Gain attention in the opening.
 Carefully word your content -keep it short, simple and well arranged.
 Organize for conviction.
 Drive for action in the close (conclusion paragraph).

Tips for writing an effective Cover Letter:-

 Research. Before you begin writing, make sure you have done your home back on the company, what they do,
their competitors, their place in the market and the key people that work there. what position you are
applying for and tell them why you pick them.

 Format Your cover letter should be no longer than one side of A 4 and written in an appropriate font and size 11
or 12 in Arial or Georgia will work well if you are unsure.
  Forms of address: make sure you know who you are addressing the letter to and their preferred title
 Tone of voice and content Throughout your cover letter, make sure your tone of
voice is professional while letting your personality shine through. Then think about what you are going to
say and how you are going to say it.

 the sign off

 Proofreading

An example : Cover letter

 On the top right hand corner you have the address separated by a space and after a space there is the date line. Either you may
write 2 October 1999 or write October 2, 1999.
 No To because it is understood that this is the address of the addressee.
 begin with a salutation
 Dear Miss XYZ, do not put a comma, put a colon
 first paragraph of the cover letter gives a detailed description of the background or the context (who you are, and the position
you are applying for include where or how you found the opening, the title, a job ID if there is one) under which the candidate
has been interested to apply for the job under advertisement.; should also lead into the next paragraph by stating a brief
summary of your qualifications or your interest in the position
 The second paragraph gives an example of this. your qualifications and achievements which show why you are a good fit for the
position the way in which the candidate is able to match his or her expertise with that required by the organization. the amount
of enthusiasm you have for the job.
 Third Paragraph The candidate is now able to speak about his other skills or his additional advantages to be in the workplace.
Concluding or closing paragraph of the cover letter the candidate gives an indication that he or she has attached the CV
wherefore the details can be obtained, and his contact address is once again given.
 Remember you should include a call of action like inviting you to an interview.
 The last thing is thank them for taking the time out to consider you.
 there is no need to write yours sincerely and yours faithfully, simple write sincerely there is no need to write faithfully because,
your faith has not been tested simply write sincerely because you are sincere in your attempts to get a job sincerely.
 Signature and the full name of the candidate in mixed case.
 Enclosure resume is mentioned in the bottom left hand corner.

Types of cover letters

 Solicited
 Unsolicited
Solicited cover letter - Solicited cover letter are written in response to an ad. The ad may be a paper add or web
ad or an ad on the company’s website itself.
Unsolicited cover letter - The unsolicited cover letters are those which have not been asked for, which is written
with your CV, called first applications.

Resume
The resume serves three distinct purposes that define its format, design and presentation:
 To represent professional information in writing
 To demonstrate the relationship between professional information and the problem or challenge the
potential employer hopes to solve.
 To get an interview by clearly demonstrating to meet the minimum qualifications.
What are the components of your resume?
 Name and address (personal details)
 Career objective or summary
 Academic / Educational Credentials
 Employment history
 Activities and achievements
 Personal data

How do you construct the traditional resume?

 Self analysis : look at the background facts what are your strengths, weaknesses. What do you know about
yourself, arrange these facts into groups
 Construct the headings : For example: academics, internship, extracurricular interest, your references, any
other aspect which you can put into your CV.
 Contact information : right at the top where it is most visible and importantly placed.
 Statement of career goals, career objectives. : . Organize it better with various strategies so that your CV is
strong.
 Present the information
 Write impersonally

Traditional resumes follow a strict structure –

 This type of resume should be written in the following order:
 Personal Details
 Professional summary
 Professional Work History
 Educational History
 Relevant Skillsets

How to organize your resumes?

Types of Resume:-
1. Chronological
2. Functional
3. Combination
4. Targeted
5. Mini
6. Nontraditional

1. Chronological – The various sections in the resume are organized in chronological order.
Structure of a Chronological Resume:
• Name and Job Title
• Contact Information
• Resume Summary
• Professional Experience
• Education
• Skills
• Additional Sections

2. Functional –Functional resumes focus more on relevant skills than work history.
A functional resume format usually includes the following information in the order:
• Contact information
• Objective or summary statement
• Summary of relevant skills
• Work experience
• Education
• Additional information (i.e., volunteer work and special interests)
3. Combinational Resume - In some cases, a functional resume might be too limiting. If you have some
experience and few or no gaps in your employment history, a combination resume might be the right choice.
4. Scannable resume - A scannable resume is a resume that allows a computer reader to search it optically in
hard copy, for the purposes of compiling resume information in a database.
5. Electronic Resume/ Online resume
Electronic resumes show your technical skills.
• Technical skill is as important as other experience.
• Take note that changes in technology force recruiters to hire someone with advanced computer skills.
• Writing an electronic resume is a silent act to impress them.
How to Write an Electronic Resume
• Use buzzwords.
• Take note of the file format.
• Use a simple layout.
• Proofread your draft.
• Ask for professional advice.

common resume problems

 Inappropriate length
 Hard to read
 Wordy
 Too Slick
 Poorly reproduced (inferior quality of print).
 Amateurish (sub standard)
 Boastful, sometimes they hide,
 Fudge information (dishonesty).
 Gimmicky.
 Carelessly written.

what is a good CV?

Your CV is a marketing document in which you are the product and you are the seller and you are marketing
yourself . Your CV is the single most important document in your job application

CV WRITING TIP
#1 Write a new CV for every job you apply for. Most candidates will write one CV and then submit it for various
different job applications. This is a mistake!
#2 Keep your CV short - it only has to be 2 pages in length.
#3 Make sure your CV matches the job advert or job description. This is a clear way to make sure you get invited
to the interview or assessment center.
#4 Load your keywords and phrases. (Professional, Enthusiastic, Loyal & Hardworking, Trustworthy, Customer
Focused, Flexible, Innovative, Conscientious (reliable) )
#5 Within your CV, focus on contact details, a personal statement, your skills, and experience, previous work
experience and roles, education and references - that is all you need to include on your CV!
#6 Make sure you create a powerful and compelling personal statement.
#7 Make sure you include a covering letter with your CV when you send it off, as this will ensure you beat the
competition!

What are the don’ts?

 Do not omit anything that the organizations asked for in the Advertisement.
 Do not be dishonest, do not fudge, do not play with these
 specific bricks of your periods of employment. If there has been a break in your period of employment
then be frank up front and state it. Do not give partial information partially disclosing on your
qualifications or your education or your job responsibilities; be fair be clear.
 Do not be too much descriptive of your charisma, leadership and communication skills. (Do not write
excellent communication skills, when you do not possess them.)
 Do not try to be humorous.
 Use jargon if required for your profession and that of your advice of your career consultant.
 Do not forget to check the documents you are sending out or the attachments which have to be included in
the CV and use the spell check.
 Be careful about the recipient’s name his or her job title or designation, address and do not put the postal
address or the postcode or any sense the addressee wrong.
 Do not commit silly mistake of putting your specific job application the job titled wrongly on your CV.