Correctional Library Services > Connections 2008 > The Job Search > Preparing for the Job Search

Preparing for the Job Search

Writing a Resume

What Is a Resume?
A resume, or fact sheet, is a summary of your work experience, education, and special interests. It organizes the relevant facts about you in written form and shows the prospective employer what you have done and are able to do.

Why a Resume?

• More and more employers are now requiring that you have a resume when applying for a job.
• A resume is a written presentation of you to the employer, and as such, can help you gain entry to a personal interview.
• A resume serves as a visual reminder for the employer, after the interview, of who you are and what you discussed.
• A resume, even if you were never to show it to anyone, helps you organize your thinking about yourself and what you have to offer.

Help in Writing a Resume
Because a well-written resume is so important in job hunting, it is often a good idea to get some expert help or criticism in writing one. Try visiting your public library's job information center, for example, or an employment counseling service, where you will find materials on how to write a resume, plus sample resumes, from which you can choose a model appropriate for you. Also, specially trained staff will be able to look over what you have written and help you strengthen those parts of your resume which are in need of improvement.

Two of the many websites which offer valuable advice on how to prepare resumes and cover letters are:
www.jobweb.com/resumes_interviews.aspx
www.jobstar.org/tools/resume/res-what.htm

Remember that a resume should be neat in appearance and that it should always be typed. Your local public library should have public use computers with word processing capabilities and printers.

There are many job hunters who for one reason or another have little formal education or job-related experience in their backgrounds. Perhaps they've spent many years in foster homes or prisons, perhaps they've worked illegally, or maybe they've had a number of jobs but because of a personal or drug-related problem were never able to hold one for very long. If this is the case, they will need to evaluate their life experiences carefully in terms of the skills they have invariably picked up, and will need to learn techniques for presenting themselves in the most positive light to employers. There are some resume-writing books and job counselors available to help them.

Helpful Points in Resume Writing
CHOOSE THE TYPE OF RESUME BEST SUITED
TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE
Because the resume is a summation for the employer of who you are, it is important to organize the information on it to your best advantage.

Though there is no set format for a resume, generally it can be said to fall into one of two categories: the Chronological Resume, or the Skills (Functional) Resume.

The chronological resume lists the jobs you've had and the schools you've attended, all in chronological order, beginning with the most recent and going back in time. It is best suited for those people who have a relatively unbroken work record since leaving school, have worked at jobs for long periods of time, and can offer good explanations for any time gaps in their work record
(a return to school, service in the military, etc.).

The skills (or functional) resume stresses your particular skills and abilities, and puts less emphasis on dates and names of employers and schools. It is best suited for those who have changed jobs frequently, not worked for long periods of time, and/or acquired most of their skills while incarcerated or in non-job-related pursuits.

Be sure to include all of the skills you may have, not just the ones that you've learned on the job. Many of us have skills that we don't generally think of when applying for a job. Yet they can often be valuable in our ability to adapt to new job situations. If you can speak a second language, for example, include it on your resume. If you can type sixty words per minute, or know shorthand, say so. Have you ever operated any special types of vehicles – forklifts, or trailer trucks? Say it. Or trained and supervised someone on the job – another inmate, for example, at the facility's library or pre-release center? Have you ever exhibited leadership skills such as working with young people in a neighborhood youth program, or coaching an award-winning basketball team at summer camp? Don't neglect to list such things. Remember also that employers are interested in your ability to get along with others on the job as much as they are in formal skill training. Show them in as many ways as possible that you possess the attributes they're looking for.

CONSOLIDATE YOUR INFORMATION
Most employers prefer one-page resumes. If you've done six carpentry jobs, each lasting eight weeks, over the last ten years, write "Carpentry Skills—1 year's experience."

LIST THE SKILLS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
THAT ACCOMPANIED EACH OF YOUR JOBS
AND USE ACTION VERBS WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
It is not enough to say you worked for a particular company X number of years. Compare the following two examples as to the impression they might make upon the employer.

1. 1999–2002 Whitney Paper Co., Bronx, N.Y.
   Clerk
   
2. 1999–2002 Whitney Paper Co., Bronx, N.Y.
   Storeroom Clerk.
   Responsible for deliveries of all incoming and outgoing orders in the stationery and desk
   supplies department.
   Organized and filed order records to a total of 600 invoices per month.
   Trained and supervised two beginning clerks. Operated a forklift.

HOW TO ACCOUNT ON YOUR RESUME FOR TIME INCARCERATED
Employers don't like to see time lapses on your resume. They surmise that a person who has a strong record of employment or schooling is a more stable and dependable person, and thus less of a risk to hire. In being honest about the time you spent in prison, you will not have to worry about time lapses on your resume.

In fact, the vast majority of counselors who work with formerly incarcerated people advise that you be honest about the time you spent incarcerated. Though there is discrimination in hiring practices in the "real world," any short-term gains from not telling the truth are far outweighed by long-term consequences. Here are some issues to consider: if an employer learns that you are being dishonest, you will most certainly not be hired, and if already hired, you will probably be fired, no matter how well you are doing on the job. In hiring you, an employer puts trust in you, and it is only natural that he or she will feel hurt in learning that he or she has been deceived. For a fuller discussion of the reasons why you should choose to be honest, including the legal ramifications of choosing to be dishonest, see page 245 (Special Considerations: Telling the Truth About Your Conviction(s) When Applying for a Job).To learn more on how to avoid discrimination as someone who has been incarcerated, see page 246 (Special Considerations: How to Avoid Being Discriminated Against When Looking for Work).

When composing your resume, be sure to explain how you spent the time in prison to your best advantage. If you finished your GED program, or received tutoring, or took a correspondence course, say so under "Educational Background." If you were trained and did work in the prison optics program, Corcraft, or in asbestos removal, list this under "skills," or "work experience." Did you do porter work in prison, maintenance, landscaping? Ever work in a prison office, or library, or transitional services center? List it. It is the rare inmate who cannot list at least a few positive skills or programs he or she was involved in while incarcerated.

On the following pages are the resumes of three fictitious persons looking for work. Note especially the manner in which these formerly incarcerated people have chosen to present their time in prison on their respective resumes.

To help you in resume construction, numbered notes ( ) have been added alongside each resume, and correspond to explanations following the resume.

Sample Resume I: Chronological Resume

Notes to Sample Resume I

Darryl Cooper spent three years, from 1998 to 2001, incarcerated in a New York State Correctional Facility. In his resume, he has learned to use his experience to his best advantage.

1. Show that while in prison you've done constructive things with your time, not just "done" time. Mention any educational achievements, for example, or work experience you've had while incarcerated.
2. If you've been involved in any organized prison activities or programs, list them. They help indicate to a prospective employer what you may have experienced while away in terms of personal growth and development.
3. Consolidate and make use of your short-term employment experience. Four three-month painting jobs over a four-year period can be presented as "1 year's experience."
4. In choosing references, select persons who can testify as to what you are like today, how you have changed, and your readiness to settle down and take on the responsibilities of a job.
   

Sample Resume II: Chronological Resume

Notes to Sample Resume II

Hector Diaz spent 2001-2004 incarcerated at an upstate correctional facility. His training as an asbestos remover at the prison has provided him with marketable skills that he can use now that he is being released. He has learned that the New York State Labor Department lists asbestos handling among the fastest-growing occupations in New York City. Although Hector realizes he must acknowledge his conviction when asked on his job application or during an interview if he has ever been convicted of a crime, he names the school upstate which granted him a degree without mentioning that he received the degree as a prisoner, and he lists the facility where he received his asbestos training only as "Mid-Apple C.F.," not "Mid-Apple Correctional Facility." This assures that information about his incarceration remains between him and the interviewer, not screeners or whoever else might have access to his resume. After gaining access to an interviewer, he will have the opportunity to explain his conviction and his personal growth and change while incarcerated. (For a more detailed discussion on accounting for time incarcerated, see Appendix, page 257.)

1. Be sure to include all of the formal training and education you may have received, including courses in the armed forces and in prison, for example. It is to your advantage to show the prospective employer that you spent your time productively while incarcerated.
2. When listing your work experience, always emphasize your responsibilities on the job, and the skills that you learned or needed to employ. This is as true for "low-level" jobs as it is for more professional ones. Make your jobs sound important. Hector was sent with fellow asbestos workers from his facility to work in nonprofit and local government sites throughout the county. He makes reference to this as well as to the fact he worked as part of a team.
3. Use action verbs for more effect (managed; supervised, trained, organizing, selling, etc.).
4. Play up any personal data and advantages that might be useful to your job (fluent in Spanish, driver's license) or in explaining your character (basketball coach).
5. It is not usually necessary to list specific references on the resume.

Sample Resume III: Skills Resume

Notes to Sample Resume III

Jennifer Blake spent most of 2001 incarcerated on Rikers Island in New York City, convicted on a misdemeanor charge. Because she has had little formal education and no long history of job experience, Jennifer has decided to construct a skills-type resume. She will focus on the many skills she learned while being a homemaker living with a disabled grandparent (Homemaking), a volunteer health worker (Health Care), a security guard (Relating to the Public), and working as an inmate in jail. While incarcerated, she learned skills as a cook's assistant. (For a more detailed discussion on accounting for time incarcerated, see Appendix, page 257.) Many job counselors advise that it is no longer necessary to state "References available upon request," as it is self-evident.

1. In choosing a skills-type resume, emphasize the skills you have learned from your non-job-related experience, including volunteer work, as well as from your paid job experience. List your responsibilities and make them sound important, especially in light of your career objective.
2. If you have little job experience in your past, volunteer for work in the field in which you are interested. It provides you with legitimate work experience and possible contacts for paying jobs. It also gives you the opportunity to show a prospective employer that you're motivated to move ahead.
3. Why not consider furthering your education? Many free or low-cost courses exist throughout the city in a variety of fields, such as High School Equivalency and vocational skills. Listed on a resume, they will impress an employer and show that you are a person who wants to learn and has taken the initiative to do so.
4. If you didn't finish high school, omit the dates. If, however, you are asked specifically about being a high school graduate, be honest. Remember that any information on the resume can always be checked for verification by the employer.
5. Be sure to include all information that might be relevant to your job objective or revealing of your character. Certificates in swimming and first aid, for example, are relevant to pursuing a career in nursing. Being a basketball player at school indicates that you are skillful as a team player, competitive, and confident.

How to Use a Resume

1. Clip a copy of your resume to your job application. You can do
   this at a personnel office, for example, especially if the resume contains information not asked for on the application.
2. Bring copies of your resume to job interviews, and leave a copy with the interviewer.
3. Leave copies of your resume with the any job-placement agency with which you establish contact.
4. Give copies of your resume to friends, relatives, or associates,
   who may run across job openings from time to time and notify you of them.
5. In job hunting some people may need to construct two or more resumes to focus on different aspects of their experience. If, for example, you've had many different jobs in your work history, you may wish to emphasize some in applying for one job and others in applying for another job. You might also want to readapt your "job objective" depending on the opening for which you are applying.
   

Finding Out Where the Jobs Are

• Search the classified ads
• Apply directly to the employer
• Use employment agencies
• Use employment or placement services
• Visit union offices for information about union jobs and apprenticeship programs
• Notify friends, relatives, and neighbors
• Make use of bulletin boards
• Use the computer to find a job

Searching the Classified Ads
It is wise when looking for work to make a daily habit of checking the "help wanted" or classified ads in your local paper. In New York City, daily papers which include help wanted ads include the Daily News, the New York Post, the New York Times (see especially the Sunday edition), El Diario, and the Wall Street Journal. Weeklies include the Village Voice and the Amsterdam News. The local branch of your public library will carry subscriptions to some of these papers. Better yet, you may choose to visit The New York Public Library's Job Information Center, where you will find the latest help wanted ads from newspaper and job information sources in one location, already clipped and posted for your convenience.

Job ads are sometimes listed first under general categories, such as General Help, Business Help, or Professional, then alphabetically by job title. Some ads ask that you submit a letter of application, resume, and references. Otherwise you may be given a telephone number which you can call to find out more information before deciding whether or not to apply.

Three samples of classified ads follow, along with explanations and a listing of common abbreviations used.

HELP WANTED

To apply for this job, it is necessary that you be able to type 45 words per minute, and be experienced in basic computer skills ("computer literate"). You must be a mature and responsible person. The job is located in Midtown Manhattan, and offers good opportunities for someone in addition to a good salary. It is a full-time job (generally this implies Monday through Friday 9-5). FAX your cover letter and resume to Decklan Bianco at (212) 005-7431.

This is a part-time sales job that requires no previous experience. The person hired would help sell beauty aids throughout Queens. You would need to have a car, but an allowance toward transportation costs would be given to you. There is a good benefits package and the salary is negotiable. You are asked to send a copy of your resume and a list of references to Mickey Raton at the address given.

There is an immediate opening for a person to work as a sheet metal worker. He or she must have had at least one year's experience in duct work. The job offers good working conditions, paid hospital insurance, and chances for career advancement. Come in to apply to the address given between 9 am and 5 pm; we can presume Monday through Friday.

Common abbreviations used in classified ads

Applying Directly to the Employer
One of the most obvious ways to learn where job openings are is to contact employers directly. You can begin with the Yellow Pages of the telephone book. There you will find businesses listed by classification. If, for example, you decide you would like to work in a hotel or department store, simply check under "Hotels," or "Department Stores," and you will find an alphabetical listing by name, accompanied by address and phone number.

If you know of no specific person to contact, go to the personnel office of the firm, and tell the receptionist you are looking for work and are interested in filling out an application. Sometimes you will be interviewed by a personnel officer as soon as you have filled out the application. Other times you will be asked to leave the completed form and told you will be notified as soon as they have an opening.

If you can make a direct contact with a person in the firm who does the hiring for his or her department, this is usually more effective than being processed through a personnel office. Common ways of learning the identity of the person who is hiring include: (1) making a personal contact with an employee at the firm, (2) telephoning the company to see if you can learn the
information by phone, or (3) if the firm is large enough, obtaining a listing of its department heads through a business directory (available at the public library). When you have this person's name, call him or her, or write directly, including a copy of your resume. Ask if you can come in for an interview. You can do this even if you know of no immediate openings. By arranging in this way for an "informational interview," you will be able to meet the employer and find out some of the requirements needed to work in his or her area, and you will have the opportunity to make a positive impression upon the person. Then, whenever a job opening does occur, you will be viewed as more than just "one more resume" piling up on the employer's desk.

Job-Searching on the Internet
In recent years job-hunting using the Internet has become increasingly common. Many companies and agencies use the Internet to advertise their openings, both on the company's own website and on websites created for job-seekers. Some job websites are informal bulletin boards, such as the jobs section of Craigslist (www.newyork.craigslist.org), while others such as Career Builder (www.careerbuilder.com) feature places to post your resume for prospective employers and offer a range of job search choices. When searching for a job online, you will need an email address, both to email your resume to employers and to sign in on the job search websites. Email addresses are also requested on quite a few paper job applications today. You can sign up for a one-session class on using email, or ask for help setting up a free email account, at most public libraries and some formerly incarcerated people's organizations.

Employment Agencies
Another important source of finding out where jobs are is the employment agency. At an employment agency, you will be interviewed, and an attempt will be made to match your skills with those required for a specific job opening. Then you will be sent for an interview to an appropriate employer.

Employment agencies operate as businesses. You and/or the employer will have to pay for the services of having you placed. Be aware, however, that you should never pay in advance for a service that is only promised. Also, in your dealings with employment agencies, be sure to read any contract carefully before signing.

For a listing of employment agencies in New York City, check the phone book's Yellow Pages under the heading "Employment Agencies." Some, but not all, will specialize in specific job fields. If you are interested in temporary work, look in the Yellow Pages under "Employment Contractors – Temporary Help."

Employment or Placement Services
Employment services, or placement services, as they are some- times called, are similar to employment agencies in that they both provide job placement. Employment services, however, do not charge fees. They are usually attached to a government or neighborhood agency, a school, or a job-training program.

Check carefully the two chapters of this booklet entitled "Organizations for Formerly Incarcerated People" and "Finding a Job." Many of the listings, such as the New York State Department of Labor, Job Services Division, are employment services; others, such as the Center for Employment Opportunities, include placement services in their descriptions. Note that some of the employment services listed specialize in job placement for specific groups, such as formerly incarcerated people, the economically disadvantaged, veterans, recovering alcoholics, or people with disabilities.

Sources of Information for Union Jobs and
Apprenticeship Programs
Union offices are still another source for help in job hunting. Each trade has its own local union office, which you can call for infor-mation on available job opportunities. For a listing of union groups, look under "Labor Organizations" in the New York County Business to Business Yellow Pages (available at your public library). Be aware, however, that a difficult economic situation makes it very unlikely that a non-union person will be accepted into a union for a position. Apprenticeships are similar to on-the-job-training programs in that a person learns a job skill by doing it. The apprentice is taught by a person who is an expert at the skill, called a journeyworker, in a training program which lasts usually from two to six years. Often, a trade union controls the number of apprentices to be chosen and is responsible for selecting and training them at the work site. It is very difficult to obtain information about available apprenticeship programs. However, you can learn what groups in private industry are currently recruiting for apprentices by calling the New York State Department of Labor, New York Regional Office, at 212.621.0844 or checking www.labor.state.ny.us/apprenticeship/appindex.shtm.

Notifying Friends, Relatives, and Neighbors
That You Are Looking for Work
Many times jobs are filled when employers learn about possible applicants by word of mouth. This may happen, in fact, even before new openings are scheduled to be advertised. Let all of your friends, relatives, and neighborhood contacts know that you are looking for work. They can spread the word, and as soon as they hear of an opening at work, or elsewhere, they can notify
you at once.

Making Use of Bulletin Boards
Many times neighborhood bulletin boards can play an important role in job hunting. They can be used both by people advertising job openings and by people searching for jobs. If you are looking for work, simply list on a small index card what types of jobs you are looking for, and be sure to include, along with your name, a phone number or address where you can be reached. If you have any special skills, such as playing percussion, for example, or tutoring in a foreign language or tutoring math, an ad on the bulletin board can also result in a way for you to earn a little extra cash. Bulletin boards can often be found in local supermarkets, laundromats, and community centers, among other places.