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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 28, 2003)
May 28. 2003 (Elje Jlortlanò ©bsvruer Page A7 CAREERS Special Editio n Five Common Cover Letter Mistakes Recruiters read thousands o f resumes over their careers. After a while, all those resumes start to blend together. So how can you, an anony- mousjob seeker, catch a recruiter's eye? Introduce yourself with an effective cover letter. Sure, a resum e lists all o f your ach iev em en ts, but a resum e c a n ’t capture your personality . passion or desire for a particu lar job. A cover letter is the p er fect place to let potential em ployers know you as a person: W hat y o u ’ve done, w hat you can offer and how you express yourself. And th e re’s an added bonus: You can write in full sen tences instead o f fragm ents or bullet points. M any jo b se e k e rs sp e n d hours crafting each item on their resum e. Then they w hip out a quick-and-dirty cover letter full o f m istakes — not realizing that a cover letter is ju st as im por tant as a resum e. State exactly which jo b you’re applying for. Include the exact name o f the position. If the ad provided a job ID number, then include that too. It's also a good idea to mention where you heard about the opening. M any recruiters handle hun dreds o f jo b openings, so they w on’t automatically know which one y o u ’re gunning for. By re m inding them o f the specific opening for w hich y o u 're ap plying, you'll make it more likely that your resum e will be read by the right person. Do you send the exact same cover letter to every employer? Big mistake. The point o f a cover letter is to make a personal connection with the reader. So to write a success ful cover letter, you should tailor it specifically to each company you send it to. Community College Grads on Career Paths Get on board TriMet and make your career connection p ss;- North Portland resident Tracy LeanneJones overcame a learning disability and economic disadvantages on her career path as a student at Portland Community College. ■F With over 2,600 employees, TriMet proudly serves our community, offering exciting career opportuni ties in many different areas. Visit TriMet’s website at trimet.org/jobs, call our Job Hotline at 503-962-7640 (TTY 503-238-5811) or stop by our office at 4012 SE 17th Ave. in Portland. _____________ T R I © M E T _____________ See where it takes you. Portland Community College is celebrat ing its 41 st and largest graduation ceremony ever, awarding 2,934 diplomas to PCC gradu ates. Commencement exercises are set for Friday, June 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Memo rial Coliseum. Family, friends, faculty and staff will be on hand to congratulate the graduates and cel ebrate their accomplishments. PCC is the largest and most ethnically di verse institution o f higher education in Or egon. It serves more than 105,000 full-and part- time students. Ethnic minority students make up 26 percent o f the student population. Stu dents hail from all walks o f life, ranging in age from 14to96.Thisyear’sgraduatingclassis 14 percent larger than last year. Tracy Jones, student leader at the Cas cade Campus in north Portland, was chosen to deliver the student address. Jones, a single mother o f three who began her studies from a homeless shelter, has plans to transfer this fall to the University o f Maryland. The 36-year-old mother o f three young boys had a rocky start to college. She lost her ability to pay for housing when her partner and the father o f her children lost his job. From there, the road began to smooth out. Jones said. “I have created a support system in this family at PCC and I am forever indebted to the people who have helped me succeed in life," she said. A lthough talented in art and m ath, Jones struggled with reading and retaining infor m ation due to a diagnosed learning d isab il ity. But it did not prevent her from earning good grades and induction in the national com m unity college honor society, Phi Theta Kappa. She has also been a student leader at C ascade Cam pus, directing student pro gramming. Portland C om m unity C ollege w w w .p cc.ed u If you think these add up to a great education, you’ve already passed your first test. Call 503-977-4519 ■ a ■ « n e ■ • I JO S S • •a s m a a See how far your mind can take you. Temporary, Seasonal, and [Summer Aide and Technician Jobs in the areas of: . Forestry . Range . Biology . Fire . Fishery . Wildlife Management . Recreation . Surveying . Engineering ä n classes Real w o rld instructors a transfer Lowcost See how Apollo College can give you the tools you need to succeed. Programs can be completed in two months to two years. Specially designed class sizes of 15-24 stu dents allow you to get the best practical hands-on experience. Y o u r f u t u r e b e g in s a t A p o llo C o lle g e . Medical Career Training • Dental Assistant • Health Claims/Medical Biller • Limited X-Ray • Medical Administrative Assistant • Medical Assistant • Pharmacy Tech (Including QS/1 Software) Veterinary Assistant D ay a n d E ven ing Classes. Fin an cial A id to T h o se W h o Q u a lify . A p o llo C o llege is a p rim a ry s o u rc e fo r A llie d H e a lth P rofessionals. Them by A ta ri /liinM ritng www.apollocollegeLom Find these jobs at: www.usajobs.opm.gov i OR www. nc. blm.gov/jobs APOLLO COLLEGE OVER 45,000 GRADUATES SINCE 197« Lloyd Center Campus 2004 Lloyd Center (3rd Floor) (503) 761-6100 BLM Oregon/Washington Equal Opportunity Employer 1