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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
Consumer Group Study' Finds:
Job Hunting Requires
Planning and Preparation
Industry is laying off professionals and financial
pressures are bringing home-makers back into the
labor force. Add to that the recent college
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 a
survey of personnel people in industry to find out
how they make their choice from a number of
applicants with similar qualifications CERC
distilled this into a how to" book entitled "A Job
H u n t e r ’s G u id e How to locate and land the
position you want" is available for $2 50 from
CERC Jobs. 439 Clark S t , South Orange. N J 07079
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 Hunters Guide has a list of
interview questions that will help in the preparation
tor the face-to-face meeting Practicing the
answers will help the applicant be prepared with the
exact answer that will 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 the 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 w i e
n ^ve r read because the cover lettor that
accompanied them lacked information t.he? would
have made the applicant seem s».«5
r.o v e r
letters turned off employers because they ? e r- not
personalized for that particular company. A person.
(Q l Port of Portland
An Equal Opportunity Employer
For Information on current job openings,
call our Employment Information Desk,
231 5000, Extension 700.
Page 16, JOBS, April 10, 19æ
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