Workshop, Resume and Skills Building

WORKSHOP, RESUME- AND
SKILLS-BUILDING
Bjørn Jensen (Bear)
Doctoral Student
BRIAN LAMB SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION

AGENDA
• Introduction
• The application process
– Resume
– Phone Interview
– Employment Interview
• Questions

WHO AM I?
• Name: Bjørn Jens Møiniche Jensen, ”Bear”
• Nationality: Denmark (Danish)
• Field of study: MSc in BA & Org.Com (Copenhagen Business School)
• Current ed.: Ph. D in Org. Com and Open Digital Innovation
• Job experience: Project Manager, External Comm. Consultant
• Relevant Teaching exp:
• COM325, CS235, COM114, COM212...
• jensen26@purdue.edu
• Office: Beering Hall, 2nd floor, office 2165
• www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernjensenpurdue
• Office Hrs: Wed 2:30-4:00, Fri: 11:30-1:00

THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Resume,
cover letter,
application
Phone Int.
Prelim. Job
Int
2nd job int.
or job

COVER LETTER
This is a persuasive letter that shows your interest
in a specific job position and provides key
information about you. It does the following:
– Provides the first impression of you!
– Identifies your desired job position
– Explains why you want the position
– Reveals what you know about the organization
– Reveals what you do NOT know about the
organization

COVER LETTER
• Beef up descriptions “Developed & implemented
a training program that resulted in a 45%
increase in employee satisfaction”
• Words expressing the same: Administered,
Developed, Formulated, Prepared, Revised,
Anticipated, Devised, Identified, Prioritized,
Strategized, Commissioned, Evaluated,
Observed, Researched, Studied, Determined,
Forecasted, Planned, Reserved, Tailored…

COVER LETTER
 Tailor your letter to each application
– Address to a specific person
– Adapt your message to the specific position and
organization
 Grab their attention!
– Refer to a prior conversation
– “Drop” a name
– Lead with a strong success

COVER LETTER
 Be Succinct!
– Paragraph 1: Why I’m writing you…
• Why you are writing?
• Your desired position
• How you heard about the position
• Why you are interested in this position/org
– Paragraph 2: Why I’m qualified…
• Provide evidence for your claim
• Go beyond your resume
– Paragraph 3: The closer
• Reference your resume, request an interview, show gratitude

COVER LETTER
Format Matters
– Use special paper
– Use single-spaced text
– Include contact information
– Sign your name
– Proofread your letter
Guide to writing cover letters

RESUME
 Tailor your resume to each application
– Order of information
– Examples and language
– Types of skills listed
 Language matters!
– “Seeking an entry level position in higher education.”
– “ Seeking an assistant professor position that will
utilize my strong dedication to students’ development
and their educational needs” – Career Guide, 2009

HEADING
• Name (4 pts larger than rest of text)
• Contact Information
– Current
– Permanent, if applicable
• E-mail
• Web Address

OBJECTIVE
• Needs to be relevant to the position
• States professional interest in one clear, concise
phrase
• Avoid self-serving statements (“…where I can…” “which
will help me gain experience…”)
– Recommended when handing out resumes during job fairs.
– Lets the employers know what you are looking for and in what
field.

EDUCATION
• Be sure the degree and major are accurate
• Include only declared minors
• GPA recommended, include scale
– Cumulative GPA
– Major GPA
• Study Abroad
• Academic Honors
• Put courses that are relevant to what you want to do
on your resume

EXPERIENCE
• Core 4: company, location, dates, and title
• Make sure verb tenses are correct
• Think about transferable skills
• Quantify where possible
• Remember a résumé is a highlight of
accomplishments NOT a list of duties
• No high school experience

CATEGORY HEADINGS (POTENTIALLY)
• Work Experience
• Related Experience
• Professional Experience
• Volunteer Experience
• Additional Experience
• Notable Projects
• Leadership Experience
• Research
• Professional Affiliations

ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES
• Create additional sections as necessary
– Certifications, Computer Skills
– Awards and Honors
• Campus Activities can be here or with
Relevant Experience

BUILD YOUR CAREER
• Purdue Center for Career Opportunities
• https://www.cco.purdue.edu/students/
• https://purduecco.wordpress.com/category/lin
kedin-boot-camp/

BUILD A POSITIVE ONLINE PERSONA
•Google is your new resume!
•Leverage social media when advertising your skills and experience.
•18% of employers reported they have found content on social networking sites
that caused them to hire the candidate. Examples include:
 Profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit – 50 %
 Profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications – 39 %
 Candidate was creative – 38 %
 Candidate showed solid communication skills – 35 %
 Candidate was well-rounded – 33 %
 Other people posted good references about the candidate – 19 %
 Candidate received awards and accolades – 15 %

4 THINGS RECRUITERS LOOK AT…
Resume
– What information is impressive/noteworthy?
– What information is problematic/missing?
Cover Letter
– Is their rationale for applying for the
position/company clear?
– How well does your applicant explain why he/she
is a good “fit” for the position?

WHAT CAN’T THEY ASK?
 National Origin/Race
– Cannot discriminate against nationality
– No harassing behaviors allowed
– Language fluency only if required for effective job position
 Pregnancy
 Religion
 Sex/Sexual Harassment
 Retaliation
– Against individuals who file complaints

WHAT CAN THEY ASK?
Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications
• Work experiences
• Training
• Education
• Skills
• Conviction records
• Physical attributes and personality traits that have a direct
bearing on one’s ability to perform a job effectively

PHONE INTERVIEWS
Why do companies do them?
• Save money!
• Cover letters and resumes are important to get you the phone
interview, but phone interviews are used to narrow the pool of
applicants even more.
• You will be asked primary and behavior-based (STAR) questions to:
– ensure you're sane and reasonably intelligent
– check on basic logistics for continuing the process (like availability)
– find out your salary expectations,
– check your understanding of the job
– clear up any questions about your resume
– establish basic qualifications
– most importantly: see if you'll say or do anything obvious that takes you out
of the running.

BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW
• Employer decides what skills are needed, and asks questions to determine if
the applicant has the skills.
• Based on two principles:
(1) Past behavior in specific job-related situations is the best predictor of future behavior
(2) Past performance is the best predictor of future performance
• Instead of asking how you would behave or perform, they will ask how you
did behave/perform.
• The interviewer will want to know how you handled a situation, instead of
what you might do in the future.

BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
• Behavioral-based interview questions
generally start with the following phrases:
– Tell me about a time when you…
– Describe a circumstance when you were faced
with a problem related to…
– Think about an instance in which you…
– Tell me how you approached a situation where…

BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW - ATTRIBUTES
• Common behavioral questions evaluate attributes such as:
– Integrity
– Leadership
– Initiative
– Communication Skills
– Problem Solving Skills
– Interpersonal Skills
– Adaptability
• Have 4 to 6 stories in your “back pocket” for all interviews!

EASY TO REMEMBER METHOD!
• Situation
• Task/Problem
• Action
• Result
Q: "Tell me about a time you went the extra
mile to satisfy a customer."

STAR EXAMPLE
Situation
Last summer I worked at
Kohl's as a sales
associate.
Task
A customer returned a
shirt with the seams
splitting.
Action
I verified the shirt had
manufacturing problems and
refunded the customer's
money. I thanked the
customer for coming forward
with the problem. I also
offered the customer a
coupon for 10% off their
next purchase. I notified our
buyer that we had had
several of those shirts
returned for defects.
Result
The customer was happy
with the results. She even
wrote a note to the store
saying she was pleased
with our customer service.

GENERAL TIPS FOR RESPONSES
• Your persuasive goals:
– You are a great “match.”
– You are their ideal candidate.
– The company will benefit if they hire you!
• Tie together the company’s needs with what you
have to offer. Make this connection specific.
Think STAR/SPAR.

EXERCISE: CREATING A STAR TOOLBOX
• This exercise will help you develop
answers specific to your own
accomplishments.

• Recruiters are interested in how you go about
answering a question. Demonstrate that you are:
– Organized
– Positive and amiable
– Able to support your claims with examples
– Able to use appropriate grammar and avoid
slang/fillers

“I see you don’t have much experience in our field. Why should I
hire you over others who do? “
Cite transferable skills/knowledge you’ve learned in classes
or unrelated jobs:
• – Teamwork
• – Leadership
• – Time management skills/meeting deadlines
• – Communication skills
• – Special coursework

• Why did you choose (school/major)?
Promote your university/department:
• Low teacher to student ratio
• Access to unique resources/labs/equipment
• Ranking in the country
• Key faculty, internship/programs
• ake the opportunity to sell the program to the R who may not be as informed as
he/she should be about Purdue.
Avoid
• Geographical location, cost
• Parental influence, family tradition, sig others

“I see you have only average grades…”
Take ownership
• Challenging start…but show progress in recent semesters
• Worked many hours
• Very active in organizations
• Emphasize GPA in your major or a specific area
• Contextualize the GPA in comparison to other students in
your major

“What are your weaknesses?”
• Select an actual weakness that can be
improved and…
– Put it back in the distant past.
– Explain how you have overcome it.
– Confirm that it is no longer a problem.
– Or discuss a weakness which is not related to the
current position.

QUESTIONS?

PHONE: 765-494-3429
WEB: www.cla.purdue.edu/communication
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Purdueblsc
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/lambschool
LI: www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernjensenpurdue

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