Beginning the Job Search:

Locating & Analyzing Job Ads

DR. WILLIAM C. KURLINKUS
TECHNICAL WRITING
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

You Created a Scannable

Document
Consider Your
Context: Is style
appropriate? How
much?

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Sample Report:
http://www.chari
tywater.org/annu
al-report/12/

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PAINTBRUSH/FORMATTING TOOL
SERIF (READABILITY) VS. SANS SERIF
(LEGIBILITY): SANS FOR HEADINGS
SUBHEADINGS, TITLES, SECTIONS
3 COLORS MAXGENERALLY 2 (NOT
INCLUDING BLACK, WHICH THE MAJORITY
OF YOUR TEXT SHOULD BE)
2 FONT SIZES AND TYPES
DONT UNDERLINE: BOLD AND ITALICIZE
VISUAL HIERARCHY: THINK ABOUT USING
FONT CHOICE AND COLOR AS WELL AS
INDENTS AND SPACE TO SHOW WHATS THE
MOST IMPORTANT AND WHATS GROUPED
CONSIDER STARTING FROM WORD
TEMPLATES, FONT SETTINGS, AND COLORS
PALETTES.

Professional Emails: Basics

Better to be more formal than informal
Address the person by their formal title, Dr., Professor, etc.
Start and end politely. Dear x, and Sincerely, x
Include specific times. If you are requesting a meeting, its your job to

request 2-3 times when you might meet (only if you already have a
relationship with the audience).
Have a specific request in your email and make sure the request is not
buried.
Use the scannability rules: bullet points, numbers, etc.break up
paragraphs that are about different topics/requests.
Enter the email address of the recipient right before you send it.
Dont assume I know who you are.
Use an informative subject line.
Emails are legal recordsif you want privacy, want to complain, etc., call
on the phone or do so in person.

Assignment 1
INTRODUCTION TO THE PARTS
HTTPS://ENGLISH3153C.WORDPRESS.COM/AS
SIGNMENT-1-JOB-APPLICATIONS/

Restricting Your Job Search

What specialty within your chosen career appeals to

you most?

Nurses, for instance, might work at a large teaching hospital, for

a hospice agency, or in a physicians office.

What type of working conditions most appeal to you?

Small groups, traveling, telecommunicating, living overseas,

near family?

Which specific companies or organizations have the

best track record for promoting individuals in your

field? For doing the most innovative work?
Make a list right now

Enhancing Your Professional Image

Internships
Student organizations in your area
Large national organizations
Internships and training programs
Going to trade shows and professional conferences
Finding a mentor
Talking to your advisor or a favorite professor regularly
Volunteer work
Job shadowing
Thinking of class projects as professional examples. Choosing a

favorite project to go above and beyond with.

What else

Online Job Sites

Indeed: www.indeed.com
Career Builder: www.careerbuilder.com
Monster: www.moster.com
After College: www.aftercollege.com
College Recruiter: www.collegerecruiter.com
College Grad: www.collegegrad.com
Monster College: www.college.moster.com

Social Networking
Twitter: Actually a strong job search engine. Search:

x,y, z [your career] needed.

LinkedIn
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Allows you to perform a job search (by field, job title, company,
or zip code)
Lets you research a companys core values, mission statement,
etc., which can be used in cover letters
Expand contacts: current and former instructors; former
bosses, managers, co-workers; other professional association
members; community leaders; businesses you frequent; alumni

Keep information up-to-date

Letters of Recommendation
Make sure you know and talk to the person you are requesting a letter from:

previous employers, teachers, other people you worked/volunteered below.

In your request for a letter of recommendation, give the writer a list of
things you did together that they might write about. Be specific. Think about
tailoring these examples to your job ads hard and soft skills. This is why
keeping a running CV is important.
Bonus points if you can get a letter of recommendation from someone with
ties to the company you are applying for.
The example in the book is rather vagueyou should provide info about the
jobor at least type of jobyou are applying to, that way the writer can
tailor the letter to your job.
Flatter the recommendation writer.
Give them at least a month to write itremind them a week before it is due.
Give them a resume.

Analyzing a Job Ad
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Find a job ad
Determine the possibility of you getting this job
Determine what the problem this company is trying to solve by
hiring
Catalogue hard skills required
Catalogue soft skills required
Look for other buzzwords/keywords/search terms
Research the company: recent projects; ethos; pathos
Begin a list of how your prior experiences might be spun
towards the required skills and buzzwords
Locate the name and title of the person who you are applying to

Analyze This Ad: Create a TChart

HTTPS://XJOBS.BRASSRING.COM/TGWEBHOS
T/JOBDETAILS.ASPX?
JOBID=1288763&PARTNERID=54&SITEID=534
6&TYPE=SEARCH&JOBREQLANG=1&RECORDS
TART=1&CODES=WB2345

Find a Job Ad: 10 minutes

Homework
DO THE READINGS: SEE SYLLABUS
2. F I N D A N D A N A L Y Z E 1 J O B A D M A K E T CHART
3. B E G I N Y O U R C V
4. B R I N G I N Y O U R G R A M M A R H O M E W O R K
1.