First of all from experience, a good piece of advice is to remember that whenever you apply for a job, online is not the best way to go. It is pretty much guaranteed that no human will ever look at your resume. The best way to ensure that you get your foot in the door when applying on-line is to include key words and phrases in your resume that are in the desired qualifications of the job posting. You will need multiple copies of your resume. This is especially true when looking at multiple industries i.e. health vs. education. It may be a good idea to provide a fairly detailed description of the IDS degree. What is it? What makes it special? Why did you choose the different areas?
Cover letters are crucial. This again goes back to the importance of adjusting your resume to match the desired qualifications. Your cover letter needs to be specific to the position. It is also wise to research the organization and included some of what you have learned about the organization in the cover letter. Whenever you have the opportunity to apply in person then definitely do so. Generally speaking your cover letter should never be longer than a page. The same goes for your resume. Therefore, your cover letter needs to let the employer know about things your resume does not. The intro to the letter is generally a little about you and what you want. Then you should include why you would be an asset to the company. In the body you should inform them of any experiences you have that would be valuable as well as the best times to contact you. In addition, the cover letter is also a reflection of your writing abilities and professionalism.
Being in the hospitality industry, cover letters have not been so important thus far. However, when looking for your first entry level position you will need to be able to present yourself professionally through your resume and cover letter.
We can't personally give you our examples because like I said hospitality up to this point has not required one. We looked up some good examples for you guys to take a look at. I know when it comes to cover letters I am not so sure what to include. You don't want to ramble on but you should include information that makes you stand out among all the other pieces of paper in the pile.
The following links are simple but good resources to get you started on writing cover letters...
http://www.quintcareers.com/cover_letter_samples.html
http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/coverletters/ht/coverletter.htm .
Being in the hospitality industry, cover letters have not been so important thus far. However, when looking for your first entry level position you will need to be able to present yourself professionally through your resume and cover letter.
We can't personally give you our examples because like I said hospitality up to this point has not required one. We looked up some good examples for you guys to take a look at. I know when it comes to cover letters I am not so sure what to include. You don't want to ramble on but you should include information that makes you stand out among all the other pieces of paper in the pile.
The following links are simple but good resources to get you started on writing cover letters...
http://www.quintcareers.com/cover_letter_samples.html
http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/
We tend to focus on the interview but remember, in order to actually get an interview you must first have a personalized, impressive resume and cover letter.
I honestly didn't know that the cover letter was so important. Half the time I forget to even put one on, which I know is bad, now. Also, you mentioned that the resume should only be a page, which also makes sense. We should probably cut out the nonsense, and focus on the points that are important to the job we are applying for. So having a few different resumes lying around wouldn't be a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you thank you. I have not heard anyone talk about a cover letter in over 10 years. When I worked in HR in the 90s we did not look at most resumes until after the cover letter was read. It was an easy way for us to sort out people of interest based on how interesting they were. Yes, you heard me correctly in the 90s cover letters at my company were more important than the actual resume. However, since the age of computers, scanned resumes, and online resumes the importance of a cover letter is slim to none because they are just not asked for that much and of course a cover letter is just one more thing that someone would actually have to spend their time reading. Since our economy has taken a downturn, I believe that a cover letter will become of increased importance in the next few years. We will have to see.
ReplyDeleteI've been kind of confused about wither or not to put a cover leatter with my resumes, but most of the ones I have submitted have been online. I have two or three diffrent ones, but I dont know where to begin with explaning the IDS degree. How have you all described it?
ReplyDeleteAmanda Farmer
As far as multiply resumes for multiple applications, I tend to agree. With interdisciplinary studies degree you must be able to present your resume in different versions to different employers, thus covering all of your bases so to speak. I will give Disney for example. You can send in different resumes for different departments through there web page. Each resume that you send in through the web page will go to a different devision. So, if you want to work in different areas such as behind the scenes, in the park, or specialized department, you would even be required to send in multiple resumes.
ReplyDeleteWould that mean sending in different versions of the same thing? And I assume a massive company like Disney doesnt look at cover letters.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Farmer
This is so helpful! I also did not realize that cover letters can be extremely beneficial to the specific position that you desire. I can see how this is going to be very helpful to any company when understanding why they should hire and Interdisciplinary graduate.
ReplyDeleteElla Enchanted - In regards to Disney, it is all done by a computer, so you would need to adjust your resume to the specific position for which you are applying. Cover letters are also scanned so you would want to write your cover letter based on the job description.
ReplyDeleteFor an IDS description, I recommend a blurb such as showing your areas and then saying "this combination of areas have given me a balanced and unique perspective".
Thank you for the links. I view the web page for
ReplyDeletehttp://www.quintcareers.com/cover_letter_samples.html and I liked the fact that it had a sample cover letter for recent graduate students. The web page was easy to use as well. Please keep giving us great web pages to view and I promise I will keep adding them to my favorits.
Thank you again for your time and thank you for reading. Shari L. Weber
Hello everyone. I have been making some calls to some career Human Resource friends that I know from Ohio. I asked if they have heard anything about the Interdisciplinary Studies Degree and unfortunately they have not, but do not give up hope. They were highly interested though. My friends told me that it sounds like anyone that would have an IDS degree would be of great value to any of the companies I have spoken with. A cover letter would almost be a must with our resumes because you will be able to define your unique assets for the company.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading. Shari L. Weber
I have been thinking. It would be great if the IDS department head would get meetings with HR departments in local companies. The school should start a radio ad stating to potential employers that IDS students have qualifications that may be of use to their companies and to contact UCF about graduates. In the same ad UCF could promote IDS enrollment in the program at UCF. Win win for everyone. The employers would realize IDS students have what they want and solicit UCF for new graduates. We should make this a whole educational campaign. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading. Shari L. Weber
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ReplyDeleteShari - That is exactly what I suggested to the Head of the department when he spoke to our class about forming and IDS club! He said that having a meet and greet with local HR people would be a great idea for a club meeting, so I really hope something comes out of it soon!It is also nice to know that hopefully when a HR person receives my resume, they will not disregard it . I will just have to put cover letters with them from now on!
ReplyDeleteDani D - That's interesting to know about Disney, but really makes sense, I would just be worried they might only look at a few sentences, so I would have to have an amazing cover letter.
To all - In your experience, have references been important?
Amanda Farmer
Amber,
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with your first comment on how cover letters seem a little pointless. They just seem like a waste of paper and I think that a prospective employer would think there was too much clutter when looking through a stack of resumes. I do understand the point of having something to talk about what your resume can't say but like the blog stated hospitality management, which is one of my areas of concentration, really doesn't require a cover letter yet. I did do a cover letter with a resume in high school but it wasn't much to write home about at that point in my life and I am not sure if I would really have much to write about now either.
I didn't know how important the cover letter was either. I honestly don't think I have actually seen one from either my family or friends. Then again, I havn't looked into my parents work related items. It kind of confuses me with the fact that there is already so much pressure to keep your resume as short as possible and o the point because employers only scan then and then make a decision. If we include a cover letter, isn't it just taking up more time? I do see how it could be helpful though especially to clarify what the interdisciplinary major is because I find so many people uniformed.
ReplyDeleteI am glad Shari brought up the 90's. I was still in grade school during that time so I never realized the importance of a cover letter then. It is actually very interesting how crucial the cover letter was and what a drastic change it has taken. It is important to look at how the computer and technology age has made such large changes in the way we used to hire. Even since I have been job hunting, I always hated the online applications, but that is sometimes the only thing that is offered. They don't let the employer see the appearance or the personality someone has that could play a huge advantage in whether you get the job or not. I sit kind of in the middle of things,I hate the online applications, but at the same time, with the speed of today, a cover letter seems beneficial but also just more stuff for the employer to spend reading.
ReplyDeleteAnother great perspective Shari has brought was that she called some people actually in the HR field to get some input. Once again confirmed, many people are still unaware of what interdisciplinary means and not informed of what great benefit we could be to their company. How many other people could bring a very broad range of skills and thought processes to the table? We are taught to look through different angles to come to the best solution. The more I think about it, the more I realize how a cover letter could help "seal the deal."
ReplyDeleteWhere I work they only have in-store application centers so the person is basically forced to fill out the application there, which I think is great. Most of the time there are at least 2 or 3 managers present and the person could go and put a face with the application. I think that most people should want to fill out an application in person anyways to get their foot in the door more so than people who fill one out online.
ReplyDeleteCassandra, I agree with you about doing a face-to-face application process. I think that first impressions have a significant influence on being hired. This can happen in the first couple minutes of walking into a business to ask for an application. Another benefit to filling out an application in person is that you are able to ask immediate questions instead of having to call in or email. I think that everyone should always fill out applications in person with a professional attitude to give a positive first impression.
ReplyDeleteMy parents, when I was younger, would not only have me fill out the application in person but also call back every few days to see if they had reviewed my application. I am thankful for that now because they made me have more drive when I am applying for a different job but it was a lot for a 16 year old to swallow. I personally think that going to a perspective job in person to ask questions or fill out an application is somewhat more useful than a cover letter to a resume...
ReplyDeleteThank you for links! I must say I really had no idea what a Cover Letter was. I knew what a cover letter was for a fax, but not really for a resume. Im not too sure how handy a cover letter will be in my future, seeing as I have never used one nor seen one in any of my previous employments or internships, but it should be interesting to see how and when it will be incorporated in my career.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to see Dani's post about Disney using a cover letter. I currently work at Disney and did not need to have a cover letter nor do I remember them asking me for one. It might be just the position I have at Disney that having a cover letter is insignificant.
ReplyDeleteThe example of an ending blurb, "this combination of areas have given me a balanced and unique perspective" is awesome. I plan to keep this mind if I ever need a cover letter.
I think that a cover letter in addition to filling out an application face to face are both very beneficial. The more time that you can get by asking questions and becoming engaged in the job position will be really helpful for you whether you are offered the job or not. This blog has been very helpful to me in my understnading of cover letters and their significance.
ReplyDeleteI think my biggest concern about the cover letter is what should I write on it and do i always add the cover letter to my resume?
ReplyDeleteAmanda-
ReplyDeleteYou asked if references are important... in my experience, but so much... I think they are important to have but I have never had anyone use them. I do think you should have them, and they should be a reliable source, but I just haven't personally experienced someone using them.
Cristina G-
ReplyDeleteI am almost positive it is a separate sheet. You put it over the resume maybe to eliminate clutter. It seems to me to be an optional sheet of paper for people to look at or not.
Thanks Amber, that's good to know!
ReplyDelete