www.wrksolutions.com 1.888.469.JOBS (5627)
404-JSS-WB2-E-0718
Job Search Seminar Workbook
MODULE 2:
JOB READINESS TOOLKIT
Workforce Solutions is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available
upon request to individuals with disabilities. (Please request reasonable accommodations 48 hours in advance.)
Relay Texas: 1.800.735.2989 (TDD) 1.800.735.2988 (voice) or 711
Name: Date:
LESSON TITLE PAGE
A. Less is More 1
B. Similar but Different 3
C. Tell Me About Yourself 7
D. Your Online Job Search 8
E. Flash Resumes 10
F. 30-Second Commercial 11
MODULE 2:
JOB READINESS TOOLKIT
The purpose of this module is to:
evaluate and practice effective
communication in applications, resumes,
basic introductions and interviewing.
1
Before: Duties included me emptying trash cans, dusting, vacuuming floors, cleaning
bathrooms, changing bed linens and replacing used items such as towels, soaps,
complimentary coffee and mini bar items.
Improved: Cleaned and replenished up to 16 rooms daily for a high-end hotel chain.
Before: Managed employees in the operations department
Improved:
Before: Answered phone calls
Improved:
RELAYING SKILLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Use bulleted statements
• Start with action verbs
• Keep it short
• Quantify – whenever possible, show measurable accomplishments by using numbers,
percentages (%), and/or amount of money ($)
• Avoid personal pronouns
• Incorporate keywords from the job posting
LET’S PRACTICE
LESS IS MORE
LESSON A
2
Before: Helped create two safety training manuals
Improved:
Before: Provided excellent customer service
Improved:
Before: Responsible for assisting customers with transitioning from federal assisted
programs to gainful employment
Improved:
LET’S PRACTICE
Bulleted Statement:
Improved Bulleted Statement:
LESS IS MORE (CONTINUED)
3
SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT
LESSON B
APPLICATIONS RESUMES BOTH
In the column labeled Applications, list items that you believe belong ONLY on an application,
but not on a resume.
In the column labeled Resumes, list items that you believe belong ONLY on a Resume,
but not on an application.
In the column labeled Both, list items that you believe belong on both.
LET’S PRACTICE
Fill out the Employment Application sample on the following two pages and keep it as a
guide when completing employer applications.
Position applying for:
EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
Name:
LAST FIRST MIDDLE
Email:
Address:
Are you able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without accommodation? ¨ Yes ¨ No
Are you legally eligible to work in the U.S.? ¨ Yes ¨ No Are you seeking a permanent position: ¨ Yes ¨ No
Shift(s) you are able to work: ¨ Any ¨ Day ¨ Night ¨ Swing ¨ Rotating ¨ Split ¨ Graveyard
If necessary for the job, are you able to work overtime? ¨ Yes ¨ No
If necessary for the job, are you older than: (check one) ¨ 14 ¨ 15 ¨ 16 ¨ 18 ¨ 19 ¨ 21
If necessary for the job, are you able to provide a valid Texas Driver’s License? ¨ Yes (If yes, fill out below) ¨ No
Type of License:
Endorsement(s): ¨ Hazardous Cargo ¨ Passengers ¨ Tankers ¨ School Bus ¨ Double/Triple Trailers
I will be able to report to work days after being notified I am hired.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
List most recent employment first. Include summer or temporary jobs. Be sure all your experience or employers related to this job are
listed here, in the summary following this section or on an extra sheet of paper if necessary. No more than 10 years history recommended.
Employment Application
Telephone:
EMPLOYER NAME AND ADDRESS: POSITION TITLE, DUTIES, SKILLS: START DATE: END DATE:
REASON FOR LEAVING:
PER:
PAY: $
SUPERVISOR: TELEPHONE:
EMPLOYER NAME AND ADDRESS: POSITION TITLE, DUTIES, SKILLS: START DATE: END DATE:
REASON FOR LEAVING:
PER:
PAY: $
SUPERVISOR: TELEPHONE:
EMPLOYER NAME AND ADDRESS: POSITION TITLE, DUTIES, SKILLS: START DATE: END DATE:
REASON FOR LEAVING:
PER:
PAY: $
SUPERVISOR: TELEPHONE:
EMPLOYER NAME AND ADDRESS: Position title, duties, skills: START DATE: END DATE:
REASON FOR LEAVING:
PER:
PAY: $
SUPERVISOR: TELEPHONE:
Signature of Applicant Date
EDUCATION
Other qualifications such as special skills, abilities or honors that should be considered:
Types of computers, software, and other equipment you are qualified to operate or repair:
Professional licenses, certifications or registrations:
Additional skills, including supervision skills, other languages or information regarding the career/occupation you wish to bring
to the employer’s attention:
INFORMATION TO THE APPLICANT
As part of our procedure for processing your employment application, your personal and employment references may be checked. If you
have misrepresented or omitted any facts on this application, and are subsequently hired, you may be discharged from your job. You may
make a written request for information derived from the checking of your references. If necessary for employment, you may be required
to: supply your birth certificate or other proof of authorization to work in the United States, have a physical examination and/or a drug
test, or to sign a conflict of interest agreement and abide by its terms. I understand and agree to the information shown above.
List two personal references who are not relatives or former supervisors.
High School
College/University
Business/Technical
Additional
In case of accident or illness, please contact:
CONTACT
Name: Telephone:
Address:
REFERENCES
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
Are you a veteran? ¨ Yes ¨ No Duty/specialized training:
MILITARY
NAME
INSTITUTION NAME FIELD OF STUDY DEGREE
YEARS
COMPLETED
TELEPHONE OCCUPATION YEARS KNOWN
NAME TELEPHONE OCCUPATION YEARS KNOWN
Summarize other employment related to this job:
Relationship:
TERRY CLAYTON
301 Estelle, Houston, TX 77000 terry.clayton@gmail.com
832.376.0000 linkedin.com/in/tclayton
Certified Public Accountant with ABC Company
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with extensive experience in GAAP and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)
auditing procedures. Outperformed competition by 55% by providing risk consulting, risk analytics
and risk technologies to international companies. Maintained state and federal compliance by
mastering tax laws and organizational compliance.
Areas of Expertise
GAAP Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX Auditing) Financial planning
Tax Laws Organizational compliance Mergers and Acquisitions
International Exposure Risk and Tax Implications Inventory Control
Career History
Accountant – Marathon Oil Houston, TX 01 / 2008 – Present
• Reported directly to senior financial manager of a Fortune 500 company
• Maintained statements of cash flow, income statements, and corporate balance sheets
with revenues exceeding $50M.
• Created auditing program that cut observation times by 25%
• Wrote and designed inventory control module in Excel, saving company 20% annually
• Performed audits worldwide, including financial / operational audits over $10 + M
• Advanced proficiency in software programs; SAP and QuickBooks
• Educated groups of 15-30 board members on state and federal compliance procedures
Senior Tax Accountant – Ernst & Young LLP Houston, TX 07 / 2000 – 12 / 2007
Received “Accountant of the Year” Award, 2006 & 2007
Promoted to Senior Tax Accountant, 1 / 2004
• Advised and guided 20 businesses to become more effective at managing scarce resources,
making better business decisions and reducing client’s exposure to negative events
• Possessed in-depth digital age tax knowledge, worked with global financial services, media,
and automotive companies
• Coordinated with 15 cross-functional teams across global networks, borders, and industries
• Established relationships with entrepreneurs and worldwide organizations, developing tax
and business skills domestically and a multinational basis
• Consistently assessed areas of risk, advised clients on the taxation implications of
international trade and assisted them in complying with customs regulations
Education
Certified Public Accountant Houston, TX
Masters of Business Administration Mays Business School, Texas A&M Houston, TX
Accounting, Bachelor of Business Administration University of Houston Houston, TX
EXAMPLE
7
TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF
LESSON C
The statement employers ALWAYS include in one form or another is, “Tell me about yourself.”
In the space provided below, write down your answer to this request.
EXAMPLE
8
YOUR ONLINE JOB SEARCH
LESSON D
CAREER EXPLORATION AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
• Keirsey Temperament Sorter – www.keirsey.com
The Keirsey Temperament Sorter
®
-II (KTS
®
-II) is the most widely used personality
instrument in the world. It is a powerful 70-question personality instrument that helps
individuals discover their personality type and align their career choices with personal
strengths and preferences.
• O*Net Career Exploration – My Next Move – www.mynextmove.org
The O*NET Interest Profiler can help you find out what your interests are and how they
relate to the world of work. You can find out what you like to do and it helps you decide
what kinds of careers you might want to explore.
ONLINE JOB SEARCH TOOLS
• Workforce Solutions – www.wrksolutions.com
Workforce Solutions has full- and part-time offices across the 13-county Gulf Coast
region. The staff at these locations help people find jobs, keep jobs or get better jobs.
We offer job search and job matching assistance, career counseling and financial aid for
education/training or work support.
• CareerBuilder – www.careerbuilder.com
Helps millions of people find jobs; search and apply for the most up-to-date job postings,
sign up for job alerts, and find jobs that match your interests.
• Indeed – www.indeed.com
The #1 job site worldwide with over 200 million unique visitors per month, providing
job seekers free access to millions of jobs from thousands of company websites and
job boards.
• Houston Business Journal – www.bizjournals.com/houston
You will find the latest breaking business news, weekly top stories, job openings, latest
news of Houston’s industries, company information, etc.
9
YOUR ONLINE JOB SEARCH (CONTINUED)
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS
• LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com
A social network for anybody interested in new opportunities, growing their careers and
connecting with others. All sorts of jobs listings are posted on LinkedIn and it will recom-
mend specific jobs to you based on your current information, including your location and
optional job preferences that you can fill out to get better-tailored job listings.
• Facebook – www.facebook.com
A popular, free social networking website that allows registered users to create
profiles, upload photos and videos, send messages and keep in touch with friends,
family and colleagues. Allows members to post, read and respond to classified ads,
job postings, etc.
• Twitter – www.twitter.com
Twitter is an online news and social networking service on which users post and
interact with messages known as “tweets.” Twitter also provides you with a valuable
tool for building a positive online reputation and bringing you to the attention of
employers and recruiters.
10
FLASH RESUMES
LESSON E
RESUME TIPS
YOUR RESUME SHOULD:
BE PERSONALIZED
Your resume should look, feel
and sound like you on paper.
BE CUSTOMIZED
Your resume should fit the specific
position. Research should be done
on the company, industry, etc. to
determine best format.
BE RIGHT FOR THE EMPLOYER
The employer’s perspective matters
most. The “right” opinion is that
of the person sorting through the
applicant pool.
1
2
3
11
30-SECOND COMMERCIAL
LESSON F
INTRODUCTION
Hello, my name is .
TARGET
I’m looking for work as a .
EXPERIENCE
I have years of experience in
and years of experience in .
I would describe myself as and .
SKILLS
Examples: Customer service, data entry, answering phones, construction, handling cash,
designing websites, auto mechanics, etc.
1.
2.
3.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
State your accomplishments with action verbs and measurements such as:
numbers, percentages (%), and/or amount of money ($).
1.
2.
3.
12
NOTES
13
NOTES
www.wrksolutions.com
1.888.469.JOBS (5627)
