Jobs

Suggested Topics:

  • Resume writing conventions: avoid using first person “I”. Why do you think pronouns are removed from resumes?
  • References should be coworkers, former supervisors, or others who know you in a professional capacity. This is preferred over family and friends. Are references used in your country? Who can be used as a reference.
  • Most job seekers today write thank you letters to their interviewers after the interview. What do you think a thank you message should include?

Activity 1:

Which of the things below should be included on a resume when looking for jobs in the U.S.? What is unnecessary? Hint: For some of these the answer might vary depending on your age and education level.

  • References
  • Photo of yourself
  • GPA
  • Marital status
  • Languages you speak
  • High school clubs and activities
  • Title of thesis

Activity 2:

Which of these words are most professional? Which are less professional and should be avoided in a resume?  Match synonyms together.

 

did

planned

conducted

designed

assisted

Led

met

collaborated

Encouraged

Worked together

executed

fixed

designed

made

rewrote

managed

distributed

amended

shared

reviewed

consulted

 

Activity 3:

How would you address these issues in a job search or interview? Discuss with a Conversation Partner.

 

You have a gap in your employment because you were unemployed for six months.

 

You’ve applied for a job that you are barely qualified for. You have the necessary skills, just not as much experience as the job is asking for.

 

You are applying for your first job in the U.S., so you don’t have any references from past supervisors (or your references live outside the country).

 

You’ve been offered two jobs and you’re not sure which one you want to choose. You have to give the first job an answer by tomorrow, but you need more time to decide.

 

The interviewer said you’d hear about their decision in a week. It’s been almost two weeks, but you haven’t heard back.

 

Vocabulary List:  Jobs

Word Meaning Context
Networking A general term for any type of communication with someone that leads to new academic or career opportunities Online networking

Face-to-face networking

Meet and greet
Job Fair Multiple employers meet in the same place to recruit  
Employment Rate; unemployment rate The percentage of people who do and don’t have jobs In 2013, the unemployment rate in the U.S. is around 7.6%.
Cold Call When you contact an employer without knowing if there is a job opportunity or not I cold called the manager to find out if there were any job openings.
Interviewing    
Interviewer The person leading the interview  
Interviewee The applicant  
Panel interview Interview in which multiple people ask the interviewee questions  
Eye contact Looking someone in the eye  
Presence If we say that someone “has presence,” it means that someone looks very confident and leaves a good impression. When she speaks, she has presence.  I listen to everything she says.
Resumes and Cover Letters    
Curriculum vitae (CV) Usually used in academic positions. The term “resume” is used more in business and other professional settings.  
To Whom it May Concern: This is a standard greeting used on a cover letter if you don’t know the hiring manager’s name.  There is some controversy over using this, because it is impersonal.  It is better to use a name if you have one. To Whom it May Concern:

I am applying for the position of______ at _____.
I look forward to hearing from you. This is a standard closing to a cover letter. I look forward to hearing from you about the ______ position.
References Generally, you include three references on your resume.  Most of the time, you should not use family members or friends as references. Acceptable references include:

Current or past supervisors

Pastors, group leaders, etc.

Coworkers

Teachers and Professors

Other professional contacts
Thank you for your time and consideration. A formal and polite way to close a letter  

 

 

 
I am emailing to check on the status of my application. In other words, was my application received or not?  
     
Other Vocabulary    
Fired vs. laid off

Let go

 Fired means to lose your job, usually for disciplinary reasons.

Laid off refers to someone who loses a job due to structural changes in the company

 1.       He stole money from the company, so he got fired.

2.       When the store closed, everyone was laid off.

3.       He was let go.
Transferred Moved to another office location or department He was transferred from IT to accounting.
Titles    
Mr. Appropriate in most situations when addressing a male.  
Ms. Appropriate in most situations when addressing a woman, regardless of her marital status. This term refers to married, single, divorced, or widowed women.  
Miss This term refers to single women. Do not use it in professional situations.  
Mrs. This term refers to married women. Do not use it in professional situations.  
Sir/Madam “Dear sir/madam” is impersonal. “Sir”  and “ma’am” are usually used with strangers. Excuse me sir, did you drop your pen?

Thank you, ma’am.

May I help you miss?

 

 

 

Additional Resources:

 

  • Popular Job Sites: Higher Education Jobs, Indeed, Phillyjobs, Idealist, Monster