MET Job Closure Book Recap

The Job Closer
Adapted from Steve Dalton Book: The Job Closer
Presented by Chris Dito, Executive Director, M.E.T. Program

Resumes are the starting point in a job search
Proper spelling
Correct grammar
Internally consistent formatting
Aligned margins
Single font throughout
1
2
3
4
5
i.e. Range of years, don’t use 2022-23 and 2022-2023 - choose one or the other
Source: Steve Dalton Book: The Job Closer

Aim for a great resume
BASIC RESUME GOOD RESUME GREAT RESUME
Formatting Error-free Error-free Error-free
Bullet Source Job Description Annual Review “Greatest Hits”
Bullets Describe Your... Responsibilities Major Projects Impact (and root causes, if
any)
Results Are... Not addressed Provided When Quantitative Always Provided

Focus on accomplishment statements for bullet points
Instead of talking about what you were supposed to do generally, discuss what you actually did
specifically - the projects you’d list on an annual review and the key actions taken to complete
them
• Responsible for refrigerated biscuit marketing budget of $400 million (BASIC RESUME)
• Analyzed advertising channels to optimally allocate $400 million marketing budget (GOOD RESUME)
• Optimized $400 million marketing budget by analyzing historical returns and increasing budget to highest-return
channel (newspaper interest), increasing profits by 22 percent (GREAT RESUME)
What is an accomplishment statement?
An accomplishment statement is a description of the impact you made with the responsibilities you held, rather
than just the responsibilities themselves. This is the key factor that differentiates Good and Great Resumes from
Basic Resumes.

Nothing numerical to present in bullet?
Did you…
If your impact was small, consider using words like “contributed to” and
“helped to” that shows you were part of a larger effort
Improve efficiency?
Reduce risk?
Simplify tasks? Increase knowledge?

• CAR (Challenge Action Result) is the industry standard formatting for answering
behavioral based interview questions i.e.
• Tell me about a time when…
• Give me an example of when you…
Challenge
Action
Result
CAR
Consider creating a CAR matrix from your bullet points
• For any interview question that asks you to detail how you’ve faced a challenge or
demonstrated a quality in the past, you provide a Challenge you faced, Actions you
Took, Results achieved

Create your own CAR matrix
Click here to access a
template of the CAR matrix

Consider adding an Additional Information section
● This section humanizes candidates
● Creates small talk opportunities thus builds rapport
● Can include hobbies or travel
● No more than 5 bullets in this section
● Can add programming languages in this section if relevant for you
Perhaps these two titles
below may work for as
Additional Information
section header
Entrepreneurial Experience
Community Impact

Your LinkedIn headline should reflect your industry interest & aspirational goals
Examples:
Replicate your resume content into your LinkedIn profile
• Aspiring AI technologist/ Data Hound/ Problem Solver
• Solutions Finder/ Engineer in Training/ Data Enthusiast
• Diversity Advocate/ Big Picture Thinker/ Constant Tinkerer
• Technology Evangelist/ Team Player/ CAL Ambassador
• Consensus Builder/ Lifelong Techie/ Startup Seeker

Sample student headlines

Cover Letters
2
Introductory paragraph
Details of why you would you’d be a great fit
Closing paragraph with contact information
3
1
Paragraphs
● This is me
● This is how to reach me
Cover letter should answer the question, “why should we consider you?”
● This is why I want you & why I’m qualified
Should be error free and > 300 words

Bullet points shared in cover letter & resume should focus
on points of differentiation using the RAC Framework
Reason Anecdote Connection
The term “reason” means “skill or
attribute”
Why you think the employer should
find your “reason” true or important
Finish with one sentence that
connects your reason to something
that the employer cares about
Anecdote can take on a few forms ● Will your skill increase sales or
decrease error?
● Did you make the teams you work
on work better?
● Did your analysis allow you to derive
better insight from data analytics?
Examples of anecdotes would read…
A brief summary of a bullet point of your resume that illustrates that skill or attribute in
more natural language than appears on your resume
A story about earning an accolade or award by demonstrated proficiency at the Reason
Information you learned-perhaps from online research or someone you spoke to in
informational meeting - that reinforces the importance of the Reason within their
organization and/or similar ones

What is a point of differentiation vs point of parity?
Points of differentiation = what
makes a product (you) unique
Points of parity = elements
that everyone shares vs.
Example: Mentioning being a UC
Berkeley M.E.T. student in your cover
letter (all applicants from an Employer
Meet & Greet will be from M.E.T.)
“From day one at Cal I have been able
to dig into cryptocurrency by engaging
in group projects via Blockchain at
Berkeley which has allowed me to
combine my experiential & academic
learning to synthesize data
Instead: Take what you’ve learned since
becoming a Cal student and what makes you
unique and *possibly* more qualified than
your peers

The student mentions current
associates that work at company early
so the readability of the cover letter
will likely be higher
Dear Franklin,
I am interested in Darlington’s open Marketing Associate position. After speaking with current associates Angela Charles
and Nicola Yazzie, I believe I can contribute the following to your organization.
Problem Solving: I received two promotions in three years—the fastest rate possible at BiffCo—for my ability to break
complex equipment issues into solvable tasks. My ability in this area would help me keep complex projects such as product
redesigns and packaging changes running smoothly and on time at Darlington.
Analytics: While at BiffCo, I reduced part costs 30 percent by analyzing more than 12,000 unique inventory item to phase
out obsolete parts, identify cheaper substitutes, and renegotiate contracts on our most heavily purchased substitutes, and
negotiate contracts on our most heavily purchased items. This ability to use large amounts of data in creative ways would
help me identify new markets and customer segments for Darlington’s products.
Leadership: Nicole stressed to me how much Darlington values leadership in the form of firm-building. I have always
strived to leave my mark on my organizations, both as Technology Officer in my graduate school’s student government
and as Excel Training Lead for BiffCo’s new analysts. At Darlington, I would continue seeking leadership opportunities to
strengthen the firm and build my internal network.
In closing, I think this would be a great mutual fit. Please contact me at 555-555-5555 or email@email.com at your
earliest convenience.
Best regards,
Student
RAC example and how it reads in a
cover letter

PHASE # PHASE FOR INTERVIEWER, ANSWERS “DOES THIS CANDIDATE...
1 Small talk ...make a good first impression?”
2 “Tell me about yourself.” ...have a story that makes sense?”
3 “Why this job, organization…?” ...really want this (that is, do they know what they’re
getting and what we care about)?”
4 Behavioral interview questions ...have the necessary skills, mettle, and track record?”
5 Case interview ...have the necessary technical proficiency?”
6 “What questions do you have for me?” ...arrive prepared and use others’ time wisely?”
What to expect - interview phases

What to expect - interview phases
Why this job,
organization?
Tell me
about
yourself
Small Talk
Case or
technical
questions
Behavioral
interview
questions
“Does this
candidate
make a good
first
impression?”
“Does this
candidate
really want
this (that is,
do they
know what
they’re
getting and
what we
care
about?”
“Does
candidate
have a story
that makes
sense?”
“Does this
candidate
have the
necessary
skills,
mettle, and
track
record?”
“Does this
candidate
have the
necessary
technical
proficiency?”
What
questions do
you have for
me?
“Does this
candidate
arrive
prepared
and use
others’ time
wisely?”
Interviewer
is trying to
find out:

Most common interview questions
These are the most common questions asked at the start of an interview
Tell me about yourself* (TMAY)
Why this job?
Why our organization?
Why do you want to work in this industry?
1
2
3
4
* Another variation of TMAY question is:
● “Walk me through your resume” (WMTYR) is essentially the same question as “Tell me about yourself” (TMAY)
○ Interviewer is seeking to understand, how does your background make sense for this role

Tell me about yourself phase
Personalize this answer
• Great for rapport building so it is usually asked first in the interview
• Equate this question as you would meeting a long lost relative for the first time
• Want to be warm and tell the honest truth about your life to date, but also be slightly
deferential
– Treat them as you would an elder - bring that sort of energy and subtle
formality to this answer
Avoid grocery list type answers
• Do not recite your duties and responsibilities on your resume - they have already seen
this content
• Focus on what you did in your jobs as that is what interviewers would prefer to hear
– interviewers are looking for WHY job seekers did what they did
Watch an effortless
elevator pitch

Small talk interview phase
Pre-interview small talk is more about listening than speaking
Generally begins with a “temperature check question” with an easily answered question
Common answer:
“Fine, and you?”
NOT a great answer as it gives interviewer no new
information to work with and does not establish rapport
You want to expand the conversation potential and and
one works answer does not lend itself in that direction
“How’s your day going so
far?”
If you are interested Interviewer will find you more interesting
Better answer:
“I’m on my second cup of coffee, so better now…” OR “It’s a
beautiful day here with the sun shining - hard not to be happy
about it.”
They *may* seize on this question to chat about coffee or the
weather. Be sure to ask them a question back about their morning.

Click on this video to hear
the creators of South Park
break down this critically
helpful process
Try using FIT Model to answer questions
Favorite part
Insight gained
Transition made
FIT
• They are stories, not a grocery list of your events
• Tell about a favorite part of a job or life stage
• FIT connect various stages with “but” & “therefore”
– At some point you had an Insight (your “but”) that
led to your Transition (your “therefore”, although
“thus” and “so” work nicely too, which sounds like
this)

Favorite part
Insight gained
Transition made
Use FIT model to answer questions
My FAVORITE part of pharmaceutical sales was learning how to ask doctors the right questions to get them to
share both their spoken and unspoken needs with me. However, I learned from the experience that I especially
enjoyed the project management aspects of my work [INSIGHT]. There was unfortunately no path for sales
personnel to move into project management at MedFast, so I decided to join CleanMed [TRANSITION] in
order to facilitate that career switch.
My FAVORITE part of studying biology while at the University of California, Berkeley was breaking complex
systems into their smaller components to understand how they worked at a granular level. My biggest
INSIGHT from this experience was that I wanted to use my talent for understanding and explaining complex
topics in a more applied setting. Therefore, upon graduation I [TRANSITION]ED into a role as a regional sales
representative for MedFast’s pharmaceutical division.

FIT answers begin with brief orienting
Perhaps begin with hometown
Saying something like this will help orient your interviewer:
“I’m originally from Delhi and I’ve always loved
numbers”
OR
“I’m from Minneapolis, the youngest of four kids, but I
wanted to expand my horizons beyond Minnesota so
upon graduation from high school I decided to join the
US Navy”
OR, you can skip hometown
“My earliest passion was performance and that
led me to study theater at Berkeley” or “Both of
my parents are software engineers, so that led to
my early interest in engineering”
Key to FIT is to keep it short
FIT works because it tells a story rather than a detached series of facts making your story more memorable

“Why this job?”
“Why our organization?”
Be prepared with 3 reasons to the “WHY” questions
• Answers should be authentic
• Specific to the employer / role / industry
• Informed (you have done research on industry & company )

Remember three themes when answering questions: be authentic, specific & informed
“Why does this role appeal to you?”
“I think three reasons stand out in particular about this position. The first [REASON] is the emphasis on analytics; I noticed
the job description described how one of the key responsibilities of the Marketing Associate role was to analyze Nielsen data
to identify trends in Darlington product sales and identify opportunities for growth. As a civil engineer, I have become very
comfortable with manipulating data in both Microsoft Excel and Access using that information to tell a compelling story
about why a particular decision should be made [ANECDOTE]. I think my ability to craft stories out of data will help me
identify developing trends in the home electronics market faster and communicate our products’ benefits to consumers in an
easy to understand way [CONNECTION]. The second REASON is…
“Why do you want to work in the consumer electronics sector?”
“I think three reasons in particular stand out for me. The first [REASON] is my lifelong passion for home electronics. I got the
Darlington SuperPro 6200 Gaming system for my birthday one year when I was grade school [ANECDOTE]. That got me
interested in electronics at a very young age. I started reading industry blogs, debating new platform’ merits with my
friends, and even listening in on investor calls! I think my long history of following electronics trends and discussing products
with fellow fanatics would help me effectively communicate with not only consumers who love Darlington products but also
the engineers who design them and the sales teams who take them to market [CONNECTION].

Combine multiple experiences into FIT model answer to conserve time
“During my first two years out of undergrad, I worked for a series of three different startup as a Java
programmer. My favorite part about those roles was communicating with the product manager to
identify ways to design the code with future enhancements in mind. However, I wanted to have more
formal training than what the startup environment provided so I decided to join industry leader
TechTitan as a programming team lead to access those training opportunities.”
Introduction
Bulk of interview
answer
Closing
85 sec
15 sec
20 sec

• Have 5 favorite CAR stories
– Do not recommend using same story twice
• If asked about a challenge or fail
How many stories do I need on the ready?
Challenge (or fail) example:
“During my first year as an analyst, I had spent hours creating a presentation outlining our
team’s recommendations for our client. However, I hadn’t shown this presentation to my
colleagues on the client side in advance, so my presentation was quickly derailed by their
question and objections to the plan they were seeing for the first time [SETBACK]. I realized
the error of my ways, made many apologies to my client for blindsiding them, and promised
myself I would never again fail to get my team’s buy-in before evaluating recommendations
to my supervisors.”

Tell me about a time you’ve faced an ethical dilemma
Interviewer is seeking good
judgement, a moral code and
candor
Most likely you have not faced
this yet, but just add this to
your list of questions to
ponder
Final question YOU get to ask
When will I hear back regarding my status in the process?

Interview quick tips
Questions should be answered in two minutes, no more, no less
• Less = underbaked, underprepared
• More = self indulgent, meandering
Your focus should be on the answer, not a “sell”
• Prepare your favorite examples in advance and deliver them well, it’s your favorite, so treat is as such
and tell is as a story - it will be more memorable
Stay true to the two minute rule with all answers
• Omit description of what company you worked for did
• Eliminate any jargon acronyms or terms that require explanation
• Limit description of what you team was attempting to do (focus on work you did = most relevant)

Write a thank you email
• Thank them for their time and
consideration
• Highlight most memorable or insightful
piece discussed in interview
• Reiterate your interest in the role + that
you look forward to hearing from them
• Keep under 100 words
– Don’t sell, express gratitude with brevity
• Most likely your thank you will be sent via
email

If you receive an offer, it’s time to prepare for negotiations
You finished the interview!

Negotiating full time offers
You didn't get the offer
• Be gracious with the news
• You can now pursue other options
You did get the offer
• Should you negotiate?
– You should only negotiate an offer if you are seriously contemplating accepting
• You should begin the offer negotiation about a week before the deadline
• IF they want a decision immediately, ask for an extension
– “May I please have the weekend to think it over? I want to make sure I’m making the
best possible long term decision for both of us.”
• Do not negotiate over email
– Email instead saying you have a time sensitive update regarding your status and you’d
like to set up a call to discuss.

Ask for a pre-negotiation call (PNC)
This is where you determine what is and is not negotiable in your offer
• No negotiation happens in this call
• Email your contact and request time to discuss your offer since you have questions
• A PNC call requires you to have a written offer that you can tangibly refer to
During a PNC
Common questions
• Do you have any flexibility around salary?
• If not, what about, signing bonus, vacation time, relocation, unpaid time off,
paid sick leave?

Do not actually negotiate on the call
Focus on these 4 tenets as outlined by Fisher Ury & Patton’s book Getting To Yes
1. Separate the people from the problem (this isn’t personal)
2. Focus on interest rather than positions
3. Generate a variety of options before settling on an agreement
4. Insist that the agreement will be based on an objective criteria
Learn what areas seem firm vs. have wiggle room
The actual negotiation call -
See the person as a partner rather than an adversary
You should provide a reason for any request you make during the negotiation
• Providing rationale gives the contact reasoning behind what you are asking for
• “Is there any way you can provide/increase a relocation stipend at all? I have loan payments to assess before
my start date, and that would help me manage the interim period from a working capital perspective”
• “Could you possibly increase the paid vacation time at all? I have a number of wedding/family events to attend
in the coming year and it would help immensely”

Assess offer holistically
Use employment websites for salary scales
● Use Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, Payscale for cost of living calculations
Sleep on it (Night 1)
Imagining you have accepted the offer
When you wake up, write how you feel
(hypothetically) accepting the offer
Sleep on it (Night 2)
Imagining you have rejected the offer
When you wake up, write how you
feel (hypothetically) rejecting the offer
If employer makes accommodations
Should I now accept on the spot?
● Recommendation: consider engaging in the Sleep on It exercise
● Write down all the pros and cons of offer

Sleep on It exercise isn’t the end all/be all
May offer clarification of best decision for you with time and space
Decide to accept offer
• Accept via email, phone video call
• Employer will want to know decision ASAP to
keep that in mind when accepting
• Be sure to inform your network of your
decision to accept the position / they may
have been instrumental in this position
outcome (references, contacts, introductions)
Decide to decline offer
• Email your contact asking for a phone call with
time sensitive information
– Deliver decision as politely as possible
• A phone call is preferred to decline an offer vs.
declining an offer via email
• Declining over email is acceptable, just not
preferred

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