JOB APPLICATION CHAPTER 6

LETTER & RESUME

FARAH MERICAN ISAHAK MERICAN UITM KEDAH
 JOB APPLICATION LETTER
@ COVER LETTER
 Written by a prospective employee to a prospective
employer giving information such as educational
qualifications, working experiences, character & personality
to get an interview.

 Create a favorable impression on your future employer.

 TYPES OF APPLICATION
LETTER
1. Comprehensive Letter
a) Reference to the source of advertisement & formal application
for the post.
b) Personal details such as age, sex, marital status.
c) Details on education qualifications.
d) Previous employment.
e) Any special skills, interest & extra-curricular activities.
f) Reference to testimonials enclosed @ name & address of
referees.
g) Statement expressing willingness to attend interview.
 TYPES OF APPLICATION
LETTER
2. Letter of Application with Resume
a) Introduce yourself & give reason for interest to the post.
b) Highlight background, qualifications for the job & invite the
reader to consider the info in the resume.
c) Ask for interview at reader’s convenience.
CONTENTS OF
APPLICATION LETTER
Must be well organized & complete.
Formal application letter should have the below parts;
 Applicant’s address.
 Date.
 Inside name & address.
 Salutation.
 Subject heading.
 Body of letter.
 Complimentary closure.
 Signature.
 Name.
 Enclosure notation.
FORMAT: FULL BLOCK
LAYOUT
WRITER’S ADDRESS

DATE

INSIDE NAME & ADDRESS

GREETING @ SALUTATION

SUBJECT LINE/HEADING

BODY

BODY

BODY

COMPLIMENTARY CLOSURE
SIGNATURE
NAME
ENCL: (#)
 CONTENTS OF
APPLICATION LETTER
The application letter with resume is usually divided into 3 parts.
 Opening paragraph
 source & date of advertisement.
 formal application for position.

 Middle paragraph
 Details highlighting relevant qualifications, experience & skills.

 Closing paragraph
 Statement that resume is included, request for interview &
conclusion.
 RESUME
 Key to employment office door.
 A declaration of what you can do & why you would be the
best candidate for the job.
 A business letter to sell U!
 RESUME FORMATS
CHRONOLOGICAL FORMAT
 The most common way to organize a resume.
 Preferred by employers.
 Easy to understand.
 The work experience section dominates & is placed in the most
prominent slot  immediately after the name, address & the obj.
 Start with your current job & travels back in time.
 It lists dates, job titles, employer & employer’s location for each job.
 Under each listing, describe your responsibilities &
accomplishments.
RESUME FORMATS
CHRONOLOGICAL FORMAT
 Students graduating: write your educational qualifications
1st, focusing the attention to your academic credentials.
 3 key advantages:
1. Employers are familiar with it & an easily find info.
2. It highlights growth & career progression.
3. It highlights employment continuity & stability.
 RESUME FORMATS
FUNCTIONAL FORMAT
 Emphasizes a list of skills & accomplishment.
 Identifying employers & academic experience in subordinate
sections.
 This format stresses individual areas of competence(capability)-
useful for people who are just entering the job market, want to
redirect their career, @ have little continuous career-related
experience.
RESUME FORMATS
FUNCTIONAL FORMAT.
 3 advantages:
 Without going through job descriptions, employers can
see what you can do for them.
 You can emphasize earlier job experience.
 You can de-emphasize any lack of career progress @
lengthy unemployment.
 RESUME FORMATS
Combination format.
 Combines the best features of the chronological & functional
formats.
 Presenting your skills & abilities in an effective manner, and at the
same time presenting job chronology.
 Not commonly used. Disadvantages:
 Tends to be longer.
 Can be repetitious.
 Advantages:
 You can emphasize your abilities, skills, and accomplishments.
 You can avoid the attention on your lack of recent work
experience.
 GUIDE TO RESUME WRITING
1. Resume essentials
 Outline your skills, abilities, work experience &
extracurricular activities.
2. The Content of Your Resume
 Contact info at the top of your resume:
 Name – avoid nicknames.
 Address – permanent.
 Telephone – permanent & include area code.
 E-mail address – choose an address that sounds professional.
 Web site address – only if the page reflects your professional
ambitions.
 GUIDE TO RESUME WRITING
3. Objective @ Summary
 Tell employers the sort of work you are hoping to do.
 Be specific. Eg: To obtain an entry-level position within a financial
institution requiring strong analytical & organizational skills.
 Tailor your objective to each employer you target.

4. Education
 New grads should list educational info 1st.
 Your most recent educational info is listed 1st.
 Include your degree (B.A.,M.S.), major, institution attended, minor.
 Add your grade point average (GPA) if it is higher than 3.0.
 Mention academic honors. (deans list)
 GUIDE TO RESUME
WRITING
5. Work Experience
 Give a brief overview of work that has taught you skills.
 Use action words to describe your job duties.
 In chronological order, with the current @ last one 1st.
 Include:
a) Title of position.
b) Name of organization.
c) Location of work (town, state).
d) Dates of employment.
e) Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on
specific skills & achievement.
 GUIDE TO RESUME
WRITING
6. Other Information
 Key or special skill @ competencies.
 Leadership experience in volunteer organizations.
 Participation in sports.
7. References
 Ask for permission before you give the names to potential
employer.
 Include each person’s name, job title, organization, address,
telephone number, and email address.
END OF CHAPTER TQ

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