San Diego State University Key Selling Points Self Inventory To create resumes and cover letters that serve your long-term career interests, your first step should be to carefully evaluate your career ambitions and qualifications. In the process, you clarify your professional goals for the short term (one to two years) and long term (five to ten years), identify the skills you have developed at school and work and sort out the attributes that define who you are as a professional. As with other business communications, you attempt to identify your most important and strongest features so you can develop a concise and compelling message about the value you bring to your prospective employers.To help you identify your interests, abilities, and attributes, you might consider completing a self-inventory (see Figure 1 with an example of Haniz’s self-inventor: Start by writing your career goals. Even if you don’t yet have clear ones in mind, do your best to imagine the type of work you would like to be doing in five and ten years. Allow yourself enough time to do some soul-searching and research about career as you develop your goals.Identifying your career goals helps you accomplish several things in the job search process. First, it helps you frame your resume and cover letter to project your career hopes. Second, it helps you evaluate how well your abilities and attributes prepare you for your desired career. This process allows you to address those areas where you most need improvement. Finally, it shows employers that you are serious, as well-defined career goals imply seriousness in your approach to work. Identify your Key Selling Points
To create resumes and cover letters that serve your long-term career interests, your first step should be to
carefully evaluate your career ambitions and qualifications. In the process, you clarify your professional
goals for the short term (one to two years) and long term (five to ten years), identify the skills you have
developed at school and work and sort out the attributes that define who you are as a professional. As
with other business communications, you attempt to identify your most important and strongest features
so you can develop a concise and compelling message about the value you bring to your prospective
employers.
To help you identify your interests, abilities, and attributes, you might consider completing a selfinventory (see Figure 1 with an example of Haniz’s self-inventor: Start by writing your career goals. Even
if you don’t yet have clear ones in mind, do your best to imagine the type of work you would like to be
doing in five and ten years. Allow yourself enough time to do some soul-searching and research about
career as you develop your goals.
Identifying your career goals helps you accomplish several things in the job search process. First, it helps
you frame your resume and cover letter to project your career hopes. Second, it helps you evaluate how
well your abilities and attributes prepare you for your desired career. This process allows you to address
those areas where you most need improvement. Finally, it shows employers that you are serious, as welldefined career goals imply seriousness in your approach to work.
Self-Inventory of Career Interests and Job-Related Abilities and Attributes
My Career Goals
1. _______________________________________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________________________
My Strongest Professional Abilities
1.
2.
3.
4.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
My strongest professional attributes
1.
2.
3.
4.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Areas where I need to improve
1. _______________________________________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________________________
Once you have written down your career goals, identify your abilities and attributes. Abilities are skills
and knowledge that can be applied to accomplishing work tasks. Attributes are personal traits or
characteristics. In the job application process, employers are often looking for more than your abilities.
They’re trying to figure out the kind person you are. These judgments often come in the form of
adjectives, such as reliable, analytical, or people-oriented. These attributes are difficult to measure
precisely, but they indicate how well you’ll fit into the company culture, how much effort and
commitment you’ll put into your work, and how you’ll impact the work of others.
Employers consider your mix of attributes as they try to determine if you have the right chemistry—an
intangible that human resource professionals say they weigh heavily in the decision to hire. Fifteen
percent of HR professionals say it accounts for 75 percent or more of the decision. Nearly four in ten (39
percent) say it accounts for about 50 percent of the decision.
One useful way of analyzing your abilities and attributes is in terms of credibility. To do so, consider the
features of competence (ability to accomplish work tasks), caring (ability to maintain effective workplace
relationships), and character (ability to uphold corporate norms and standards). Competence focuses on
the technical skills to achieve work tasks. In Table 16.1, you can see examples of abilities and attributes
associated with competence, caring, and character.
Abilities and Attributes That Establish Credibility in the Job Application Process
Abilities (skills and/or knowledge) Attributes (enduring approaches
to work)
Competence
(Task)
Caring
(Relationships)
Character
(Values)
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