Page 184 - digitalliteracy

Summary & Resources

Summary & Resources

Module Summary

The goal of Module 8 has been to enable you to use the information you learned from your
self-assessments in Module 7 to build a professional résumé and cover letter, begin a job
search, and gather information that can help you establish a successful and satisfying career.

One of your first tasks is to build or update your résumé. A résumé is a summary of your
talents, skills, job experience, and accomplishments. You are often asked to submit a résumé
when you apply for a job. The purpose of the résumé is to land a job interview where you can
introduce yourself to prospective employers and explain to them why they should hire you.

When you submit your résumé, you should generally include a cover letter that summarizes
your career objectives and explains what you can offer the organization or company and why
the potential employer should hire you.

Together, your résumé and cover letter should present a positive, professional image of you,
help reviewers and hiring managers answer yes to the following four questions, and persuade
them to consider you as a possible job candidate.

1. Does this person fit our job requirements and have the necessary skills and
experience to do the job?
2. Does this person appear to be a good fit with our company?
3. Is this person interesting to me, and does he or she stand out in a positive way so
that I want to know more about the person before I make a hiring decision?
4. Is this person’s résumé professionally prepared and well presented—with no
spelling, grammar, or typographic errors?

By following the guidelines in this module, you can greatly enhance your chances of achieving
the goals of your résumé and cover letter and advancing to a personal interview—the next
step in a successful job search.

Finding a job requires patience and perseverance. It takes time, research, organizational skills,
several revisions of your résumé and cover letter, and a great deal of practice to improve your
interview skills until the right job comes along and you are hired. Don’t be discouraged if your
job search takes time. As you continue to practice your job searching, writing, and interviewing
skills, you are improving your chances of finding a great job. Here at Ashford University you
have a variety of resources to help you along that path. One of the most important resources
is the Ashford University Career and Professional Development Center, which is available to
you free of charge through your Student Portal or the Student Life link. Through this site, you
can find a wealth of tools and resources for every step of the job search process on your own
or obtain one-on-one assistance from a Career Services specialist by e-mail or phone.

As you embark on your career path, refer back to the guidelines in this module and explore the
various websites to learn additional strategies. The resources available to you will continue
to grow and change; you will likely find new ones on your own because you are equipped and
have the knowledge to search for these tools for success.

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