Responses should be carefully edited and run between 250-500 words. They are due prior to the start of Tuesday, September 11's class.
Please respond to this post with a paragraph that discusses three general principles about an Audience-Based job application package that you read about either in the assigned articles, the websites, the powerpoint presentations, and/or the examples provided. Think especially about the ideas that may be new to you in terms of audience-created documents, and then relate at least one of these concepts to your own post-collegiate job search plans.
Responses should be carefully edited and run between 250-500 words. They are due prior to the start of Tuesday, September 11's class.
20 Comments
Yit Akyuz
9/10/2012 01:27:31 am
There are many factors of an audience-based job application package that I had not considered prior to reading about it in this class. First of all, while writing a resume, I always thought that there were some definite things to ignore (For instance, including high school). After watching the first powerpoint, I learned that previous advice for your resume may not be applicable to your current job application. Each job is looking for different experiences and skills. Therefore, you must cater your resume to the employer’s needs. If you think including your high school information will be beneficial for your audience, then include it!
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Christine Peng
9/10/2012 05:20:56 am
There were many new things I learned about an audience-based job application package from reading the PowerPoint and articles. First, I learned the importance of a reference list and for it to have the same header as my resume. For a reference list, it is important to have three or four references that can speak about your professional work. Also, it is definitely important to obtain permission from your reference, to send a thank-you note and to keep in contact with them.
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Jennifer Eguizabal
9/10/2012 08:08:13 am
I was one of the people that thought the “Rachel Green” method of sending out generalized resumes to every job one was applying for was acceptable. However, after listening and reading through the Audience-Based Resume PowerPoint by Professor Von Euw, I realized that sending a general resume could be detrimental to receiving the job of your dreams. Instead, an applicant should send an Audience-Based Resume that focuses on education, experience and skills pertinent to the particular job he or she is applying for. I learned that an Audience-Based Resume could be organized in chronological, functional, or skill-based format in order to highlight the applicant’s strengths towards the job. For example, if a person has plenty of skills related to the field they are applying for but does not have much experience, that person may want to consider having a skill-based resume. I will organize my resume in chronological order because it would showcase my work experience and educational achievements concurrently. Also, I learned that it is optimal to use action verbs throughout the resume in order to stay consistent and use the language of the job description. In my current resume, I do not start the descriptions of my experience with action verbs, I will need to change this in order to have a more impactful and persuasive resume. Lastly, through the PowerPoint I learned that revealing your GPA unless your audience requests it. With the new knowledge I gained through the PowerPoint presentation I realized there is plenty of room for improvement for my resume. Hopefully, with these improvements I can make a strong and persuasive Audience-Based Resume that could lead to potential jobs and opportunities.
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Steven Varkiani
9/10/2012 08:50:23 am
I have to say, the entire prospect of an audience-based job application was foreign to me until I started this class. Before this class, I had been giving out identical resumes, which were fairly non-descriptive and generic to the point that I often would not hear back from employers, thinking maybe my email client was broken. I kept thinking “maybe everyone out there is just a better candidate than me”, but I realize now that many of them simply had far better applications, which stand out to the employer in question.
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F. Langley Aumann
9/10/2012 07:06:09 pm
In audience-based job application package contains three pivotal cogs in order to create a well functioning and precise piece of information. The cover letter, the resume itself, and reference sheet work together and form a background of experiences in conjunction with acquired skill sets to make one attractive for a particular job opening. Through this package, the creator must display a mastery of skills necessary and listed by the job description, exemplify the correct use of grammatical tools, as well as accentuate the resume owner’s varied experiences and how they have built on themselves toward becoming a well-rounded individual. A formal cover letter, usually the first document an employer sees, should combine all three principles. In tailoring said cover letter to a particular job, the first priority is to highlight and expound upon specific experiences in the workplace or in schooling that may play into certain characteristics for which employers looking. The use of the claim, evidence, analysis model provides the creator of the cover letter with an excellent template in regards to how to set up an appropriate display of a skill. In Kyle Wiens’s article for the Harvard Business Review, I Won't Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here's Why., the organizational skills required for correct grammar is translated into exceptional organizational skills in the workplace in addition to increased respect, simply put. Not only does one display intelligence through grammatical rhetoric, but public speaking, utilized in meetings, presentations, and everyday dealings, flourishes with a mastery of language. One of the most important goals portrayed in a cover letter is the melding of different experiences into a comprehensive picture of the hopeful employee. An example of this could be explaining how serving as a president to a school club and experience with a contracting firm could display leadership, organizational skills, and most importantly the ability to work in a team. The last of the previous listed principles raises the biggest issue for my personal cover letter. I've had different positions in a multitude of academic areas, and while they may seem scatterbrained or all over the place, in my post-collegiate job search I realize that I need to acknowledge different skill sets that coincide with my various experiences. By doing this I will be able to more accurately describe my abilities and create a well-rounded resume for a potential employer.
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Danny Michaelis
9/11/2012 01:25:54 am
In considering the audience in job applications, I have realized that I had never before really ever considered the audience as a factor. I had created a single resume, full of all my experiences in a dull passive form and passed it on to all my prospective employers with a pathetic cover letter lacking personality or real purpose. It was all about my experience and the job description and not about the reader and me.
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Amber Garland
9/11/2012 02:41:19 am
Before this class, the idea of audience-based resumes was a concept I had never heard of. I was under the impression that you had one resume that was to be sent out to all potential employers. After reading the articles posted on the course website, my eyes are now open to the fact that you must tailor your resume in a manner to target different employers and secure the first interview.
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Liat Sacks
9/11/2012 04:21:22 am
In all writing course I have ever taken, teachers have always emphasized the importance of “one’s audience”. I always knew that it is important to accommodate your writing depending on the audience who will be reading your work. However, I see that appealing to the audience is even more important when applying for a job.
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Liat Sacks
9/11/2012 06:50:25 am
Also I wanted to point out that the Purdue article says that in order to write an effective cover letter, one must, "show the employer that you are individualizing (tailoring) this job application". (Purdue OWL)
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Alexandra Frenkel
9/11/2012 04:29:00 am
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Tyler Lundfelt
9/11/2012 05:39:59 am
Before enrolling in this class, I had little-to-no knowledge regarding audience-based resumes and cover letters. The idea of a cover letter itself is new to me, as I have never before written one and barely knew about their purpose or composition. The cover letter is extremely audience-based and does a great job of linking the raw talents and experiences outlined in the resume’ to real-life skills that pertain directly to the job at hand. For example, it is important that my resume’ says that I have experience with Cocoa and Objective-C programming languages, but the cover letter gives me a chance to explain that I worked in a team to create a comprehensive iPad application, giving me specific skills for the job I am searching for, an iPad app developer for Apple.
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Rob Steele
9/11/2012 05:53:54 am
I never realized how important and how serious audience based job applications should be taken. In this case it seems first impressions are very important in the job application process. Companies are looking for the most suitable candidate that will best represent their company, and a little more attention to detail in the application process could be the difference between you and the job.
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Allison Summers
9/11/2012 06:28:38 am
An Audience-Based job application package is something that I never really considered when applying to jobs in the past. I did very little more than making sure that I had the skill qualifications needed for the job when applying, but since reading the articles and going through the PowerPoint I can see the validity in catering your application to the job. For instance in the PowerPoint presentation and the articles online it tells you that you should set up your cover letter and resume by saying what the job description/responsibility is, how you can accomplish that task, and then give an example of a previous time when you had done a similar thing. It makes sense to aim to show your future employer that you do not only know what the position entails but that you are also fully capable of doing these things and that you have done them in the past. The readings also say that you should make your actual resume tailored to the job you are applying for. So you should expand and elaborate on the experiences that are relevant to the job. For instance, if you had worked on a specific project that relates closely to the company/ position that you are applying for, then you should expand on the project more in your cover letter and go into more depth when you include it in your resume. This helps show your ability to contribute to the company. Making an audience based application makes a lot of sense when applying for a specific position.
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Aaron Marshall
9/11/2012 06:38:45 am
The idea of an audience-based resume as opposed to a general resume is a concept that was introduced to me through this course. I now understand how important it is to tailor my resume to match my audience and the qualification that the employer is looking for. This concept will certainly transform my resume and will make each and every employer connect with me on a more personal basis.
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Poorna Natarajan
9/11/2012 06:51:38 am
In terms of audience-created documents, I have learned the necessity for specificity and selectivity in wording, the implications employers read from grammar mistakes and typos, and the effects of a resume’s aesthetic design. After reading Purdue’s “Scannable Resumes Presentation” and Wall Street Journal’s “Your Resume vs. Oblivion”, I realized the significance of using specific keywords that match the job description’s listed skills and necessary qualities. I have always noticed that each job description has a listed set of action keywords like production and design. However, after reading the “Scannable Resumes Presentation”, I realized that these keywords could be used as self-describing nouns like productions assistant and design assistant. I found this method particularly useful for future use, especially after reading the “Your Resume vs. Oblivion” and realizing that I was indeed victim to the applicant-tracking systems. I also have been victim to the use of the notorious grammar mistake of “your vs you’re” and found it embarrassing during correspondence with friends and even professors. However, after reading Harvard Business Review’s “I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why,” I understood that grammar mistakes could be more than just self-deprecating—they could cost me a job. While author Kyle Wiens comes across ridiculously cutthroat, I know its important to also know that the professional world is ruthless and hyper-competitive. Proofreading is ever so critical in a critical document like my resume or my cover letter. As an engineering student, I have already been familiar with the engineering co-op’s “Writing an Effective Resume” and modeled my resume with the templates I like. However, I never took the time to understand why I like the resumes I selected to use for aid. After reading Purdue’s “Resume Design” I now know the stylistic effects that drew me to the resumes and how I can further tailor my own resume. With this new knowledge on audience-based cover letters, I look forward to applying them as I search for a summer internship.
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Jessica Adams
9/11/2012 06:58:31 am
Audience based job application packets are more important today than ever. With the American economy struggling to recover, the job market has become extremely competitive. Since hiring managers are inundated with resumes, finding potential candidates has become a difficult and grueling task. Correct grammar, formatting, as well as specifically tailoring your resume to a job posting, are principles that as a future applicant, I must abide.
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Pinal Mistry
9/11/2012 07:01:23 am
I had made one general resume which I used to submit for every job or internship openings. It turned out that I was qualifying for most of the jobs but only because my resume was so lengthy that none of the recruiters had time to read through every detail. After reading and watching video about the Audience Based resumes and Cover Letters, I learned that I have to make changes in my resume as per the job requirements. I have to highlight the qualities which are more important and related to the particular job. My resume should to be concise and only have enough information. All the extra information should be less highlighted. A person should make his resume based on their achievements. If you have more experience, you should highlight the different experience first and then your skills and vice versa. The changes in the resume must be made such that the recruiter can relate your resume with the current job requirements and at least give you a chance for the interview. It is also not ethical to just list the skills to get the particular job without having them. Another thing I learned is how to make an effective cover letter. I never had a cover letter before. Now I have the knowledge of how the cover letter should be organized, what information it should contain and importantly how lengthy it should be. I can finally make an effective cover letter now. I will focus more on the audience then myself while revising my resume. This knowledge will help me get an ideal job or an internship.
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Talia Gutin
9/11/2012 07:05:40 am
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Constance Moyo
9/11/2012 01:26:18 pm
The general things I have learnt about audience based job applications is centered around the cover letter attached to the resume.
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9/24/2012 10:25:55 pm
Useful information shared. I am very happy to read this article..Thanks for giving us nice info. Fantastic walk-through. I appreciate this post.
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