Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1985)
C onsumer Group Study Finds : Job Hunting Requires Planning and Preparation Industry is laying on profoswioiials « to financial pressures are bringing home-makers back into the labor force. Add to that the recent cottegj graduates looking for work and it is apparent that the competition for available jobs will be intense In the coming year. Anyone looking for a white collar job will have to stand out from the crowd,” says Robert L Berko of Consumer Education Research Center. The non-profit Center has just completed < survey of personnel people in industry to find ou how they make their choice from a number o applicants with similar qualifications CERC distilled this into a how to book entitled'A J o t H u n ter 's G u id e How io locate and land the " a " r 'S ava,,able '<>' $2 50 from CERC-Joba, 439 Clark S t. South Orange. N.J 07079 they seem to reason, who does not take the trouble to compose a different letter for eacn prospective em ployer will probably be a lazy or indifferent worker. The cover letter that is sent with the resume should be highly personalized, Mr. Berko says, It should make the prospective employer feel that this is the only company for which the job seeker wishes to work. ” The book details how to write a resume to spotlight particular talents (or hide lack of them). Some resumes should be in chronological order w hile others should have education or job experience at the top Even the graphics made a difference Graphics represented time and care spent in the resumes preparation, the study found. A resume set in type and printed on a good quality bond paper jumps out of the pack of typewritten-on- white paper resumes A good resume and cover letter will get the job applicant an interview but if he appears unsure, ill- prepared, impolite or badly groomed, he will get short shrift The Job Hunter s Guide” has a list of interview questions that will help in the preparation tor the face-to-face m eeting Practicing the answers will help the applicant he prepared with the exact answer that w ill best show his or her talents Unprepared interviewees often think of the right answer on their way home, without the job. Merchandising your talents is not a haphazard effort There are more people competing for jobs than there are jobs available The well prepared will get the jobs, says Mr Berko. A Job Hunter s Guide shows tho applicant how to find a suitable opening and takes him through the process until he has the job he wants The researchers found that many resumes were n ^ve r read because the cover letter that accompanied them lacked infermatmr th^- would have made the applicant seem s».-® r <over letters turned off employers because thov / er< not lersonahzedjoHhat particular company A Derson. Port of Portland An Equal Opportunity Employer For Information on current job openings, call our Employment Information Desk, 231 5000, Extension 700. 283-0090
