How to Write Job Applications and Resumes Completing on application and succeeding in interview are fundamental in job-seeking.

How to Write Job Applications and Resumes
    Welcome to my lecture, boys and girls. You are going to leave the college in no more than three months. Before you leave, you may be considering your future. Some may continue further study for master’s degree or overseas. But most of you are going to hunt for a decent job. As you have completed your formal education, you will look for a job suited to your training,interests and ambition. In most cases,you will visit a prospective employer’s office and complete an application form for the position in which you are interested. The employer may then make a decision regarding your employability on the basis of the application form and a personal interview. This employment process is the simplest one and probably the one most commonly used for obtaining a first job.
    In the job-seeking situation, there are a number of ways you may use your writing skills;to complete an application blank,prepare a resume,write an application letter, or write employment follow-up letters. To obtain your first job, you may need to complete only an employment application form. However,you may also need to prepare a letter of application and a resume. As an ambitious job-seeker,therefore,you should be able to prepare all the written material that will help you obtain the job you want.
    The first question you should consider is: what abilities do I have to offer an employer?
    You will be hired because you have a skill that an employer needs. Before you start your campaign for a job, you must decide for which specific jobs you are qualified and in which jobs you are interested. (1) On the basis of your personal and educational background, you begin by listing specific skills and (2) knowledge that would benefit an employer. Then you decide which specific job titles need the skills and knowledge you possess.
    After that you may think: which of the positions I have listed interest me most? Which ones interest me least? Direct your job-seeking efforts to the most interesting positions for which you are qualified. Once you have assessed your skills and know ledge and determined the various jobs for which you are qualified, one of your most important decisions involves preparing your resume.
    Once you have decided what you have to sell an employer, you should prepare a written summary of your qualifications. This summary,often called a resume, is a description of your qualifications. It usually includes a statement of your education, (4) your employment record or experience, a list of references, and other data that will help you obtain the job you wish.
    A good resume is highly useful. You may use it to accompany a letter of application , present it to an employer at the interview, mail it to a prospective employer without a formal letter of application, or use it to assist you in filling out an employment application form.
    Since resumes are sales instruments, they must be prepared just as carefully as sales letters. They must present the best possible impression of you. The act of preparing the resume is just as valuable as the resume itself, for it forces you to think about yourself. That is what you have to offer an employer and why you should be hired. Thus it becomes a self-appraisal. Everyone brings unique talents to a position, but usually only after you prepare a resume do you realize your true worth. I’d like to give several suggestions on how to prepare good resumes.
    Firstly,(6) make the resume attractive. Because the resume is a sales instrument , it should be as attractive as you can make it. Of course, it should be typewritten, perfectly balanced on the page,and (7) free from errors and noticeable corrections. This is obvious and important. If there are many typewriting errors and grammar mistakes in you resumes, you will send very bad impression on the employers. No employers will hire such kind of careless people in their companies. Resumes vary in length from one page to several pages, depending on how much you have to say about yourself. Your first resume should probably fit on one page or at the most two,but as you gather experience and obtain more education, your resumes may get longer and more detailed.
    Next, make the resume fit the employer’s needs. A resume is tailored carefully to meet the employer’s needs for the job for which you are applying. Thus it is an individual thing. Never try to copy someone else’s resume or to use the same one over and over. You must find out what the job you are seeking demands and then tailor your resume accordingly. For example, if you apply for a job where you will be required to take dictation at a high speed, (9) you will want to emphasize your skill in shorthand. You will make absolutely sure that the employer knows you are a highly skilled shorthand writer and transcriber. On the other hand, if the secretarial job you want requires little in the way of shorthand but a good deal of talent in writing, you will mention your shorthand skill but emphasize your writing ability.
    In a word,although it seems harder for college graduates to find a job,you should believe in yourself. As most of you are similar in education background, (10) you should tiy to make your job application and resume unique to yourself. Making it particular does not mean cheating in the contents of the resume. Always remember that never cheat in your job application and resume, otherwise you will receive really bad results. At last,I wish you all find a decent and satisfactory job and also a bright future.