Ch 5.2 Flashcards
one way to draw a retailer’s attention to your interest in their company, your education, & your work related experiences, strenghts, achievements
your resume
important aspect of your resume
Accuracy: everything is truthful, important info is not omitted, details are correct
identifying keywords
important keywords on your resume can be retail industry terms, job description requirements, or based on language used on the website
objective statement describes
what you are looking for and shows that you have what is required for a specific job
objective statement should be based on
the employer’s job description
the bulk of work on your resume is
the skills and experience
as an expereinced worker listing skills and experience, you need
3-5 most recent jobs and responsibilities
as a entry level worker listing skills and experience you need
any informal work that you were paid for
tips for building skills and experience section
-set an active tone using action verbs
-include keywords specific to the job
-concise and complete sentences
-use words to get your resume noticed
action verbs associated with entry retail/customer service
accomplished
addressed
aministered
balanced
complied
demonstrated
explained
inspected
organized
reduced
resolved
solved
Using STAR to organize accomplishments
S-situation
T-task
A-action
R-results
important to tell the situation in which you acted, task performed or problem solved; the actions took or obstacle overcame, and the result
questions that help create acoomplishment driven resume, clear concise answers during interview
What have I done that thoroughly satisfied a customer?
What is something that I have accomplished that I’m proud of?
What have I done that was valuable to others?
What did I do that improved the way work was being done? Did it save the company money?
What were the key issues when I was hired? What did I do to solve them? What were the results of my efforts?
When did I do more than was required of me by my supervisor or job description? What were the circumstances and the outcomes?
listing educational experience
education is provided at the highest level first.
provide the school name, year attended/grad year, degrees earned
awards and achievements
highlight your national retail federation certifications along with any other awards, scholarships, or achievements. Be sure to spell out names
volunteer work and extracurricular
Consider any work you’ve done through your family or school or a civic or church group. However, don’t list hobbies and interests that are unrelated to the job
chronological resume format
emphasizes your work history by organizing the information under your job headings in date order, starting with most recent
functional resume format
organizes information under skill headings.
good for early career or changing fields
developing qualifications summary
highlights background and reflect specific qualifications that set you apart from other candidates. 2-3 sentences and contain important keywords from job description
resume checklist
Include contact information
Use a qualification summary or objective statement
Include keywords that highlight your experience and qualifications as well as those that match the job description
Include accomplishments, not just job duties
Include military experience, if applicable
Use past tense action verbs
Include information about your certifications
Include total years with the company, as well as years in each position you held
Proofread!
get feedback on your resume
use website tool (jobscan, zipjob) to test your resume against the job description
sumbit as word doc saved in plain text
printing your resume
White or beige 8.5 x 11-inch paper, not colored paper
An easy-to-read to read font such as Arial or Times New Roman rather than a hard-to-read fonts
A font size of 11 pt or 12 pt
White space on the page to break up solid texts
There’s no need to staple your resume if it exceeds one page.
online application is an important virutal legal document in which you
Acknowledge your interest in the role you are applying for
Confirm that the information that you have provided is true and accurate
Provide your employment history
Detail the knowledge, skills, and experience that support you as a candidate for the role
employer uses online applications :
As a record of the people who applied for the job
To identify whether a candidate’s skills and experiences align with the available job
To guide an interview with a candidate based on the information provided
To retain information about potential employees who may be a good fit for another position in the future
preparing for interview
research the company and review job description
rehearse answers to basic interview questions
tell me about yourself - interview question
This open-ended invitation provides an opportunity for you to make a connection with the interviewer and tell them what is important about you as it relates to their hiring decision. It’s your first opportunity to set yourself apart from other candidates. Be brief and concise and be sure not to ramble.
what are your stengths- interview question
Describe strengths that are relevant to the job you are applying for. While other strengths are important, they take a back seat in an interview to the qualities the employer needs.
what are your weaknesses- interview question
While you need to provide an honest answer to this question, it is a good idea also to explain how you are working to overcome the weakness. For example, “In the past, it has been difficult for me to accept criticism from my peers. However, I have learned to ask for and value input, and it has improved my performance.”
why are you interested in working for this company and what do you know about us - interview question
You will need to do some homework to be able to answer these questions in a genuine way. If you know very little about the company, it may indicate to the interviewer that you didn’t care enough about the job to effectively prepare. Explain the positive things you have learned about the company, its culture, and/or its products. Describe how the company fits with your career goals.
why should we hire you- interview question
Describe how you meet all or almost all of the criteria they seek and may bring additional skills to the team. This indicates that you may be interested in growing your career with them.
where do you see your career in 3 years- interview question
Focus on how you would like to help the company over the next three years. They are most interested in how you plan to help them. You might also share additional skills you’d like to develop during that time that could allow you to bring even more to the company.
tell me about a time when you solved a problem- interview question
It may be hard to respond to this statement if you don’t have much work experience. Interviewers want to see that you can think critically and develop solutions. Even if the problem was related to not having enough time to study/spend time with your children, describe the steps you took to prioritize your time. This demonstrates that you are responsible and can solve problems on your own.
tell me about a time when you contributed to a team project - interview question
At some point, you have been part of a team – family, community activities, sports, or a school club all require teamwork. Teamwork is essential in retail to meet customer needs and maximize productivity. Choose an example that shows how you contributed to the team’s success.
why did you leave your last job - interview question
Honesty is always best. If you were terminated, briefly explain the circumstances and how you plan to do things differently in the future. If you left on your own, give reasons that contribute to career advancement.
what does good customer service look like to you - interview question
The interviewer is checking to see if your view on customer service matches the company’s perspective. If you haven’t delivered customer service on the job yet, think of a time when you received great service and share what you liked about it.
what task do you enjoy most about your last job- interview question
Respond enthusiastically with tasks, projects, and accomplishments that benefited your last employer or school project. Share an example that describes skills relevant to the job.
what tasks do you enjoy the least during your previous job- interview question
It is important to review the job description before crafting the answer to this question. Be careful if you are describing something that is a significant responsibility of the job. For example, you could say something like, “I did not enjoy washing the dishes, but I understand the importance of getting that done, so I always do it to the best of my ability!” And say it with a smile.
asking questions after your interview shows that you
Are interested in learning more about the company and the position. It is your responsibility to understand the job expectations if you are hired.
Have been attentive during the interview
May want to share skills and experiences that were not covered during the interview
Would like to clarify something that was previously discussed
your question should
Show that you did your research
Reveal something interesting and appropriate about yourself
Prompt a good decision
example question for interviewer
How would you describe an average day on the job?
What are the key challenges of the position?
What skills will I need to grow with the company?
What would be a typical career path for someone in this position?
How would you describe the ideal candidate?
When and how will I be evaluated? What are the performance standards?
Is there a specific dress code?
prepare ahead time
commute
emergency contact in case of delay
choice of clothing
prepare resume etc
day of interview
eat light, drink water
dress appropriate
review job description
get sun and air
arrive early
turn phone off
when greeting you should
look in their eyes and use firm handshake
making a connection
observe surrounding
make comment to establish common connection
express interest in company and the job using
research you did on company, products, services
focus on what you can do for them
connecting skills to their needs
be aware of body language
5-10 seconds eye contact shows connnected and engaged
listen carefully to question and answer concisely
showcase resume
observe interviewer nonverbal cues
do not use filter words several times within sentences
talk about certificate and previous training
emphasize that you work hard, willing to learn and grow, interested in retail industry
ask questions
when invited to do so, ask questions prepared ahead time to show proactive
dont ask salary during interview
avoid bringing it up and wait for hiring manager to inform you first
after interview
send thank you email or card within 24 hrs
thank you notes, social media activity
composing thank you email
In addition to thanking the person for their time and consideration
Mention something you learned in the interview to show that you were fully engaged
Reiterate the skills you have that meet the employer’s needs
Remind them why you are a good fit for the company’s culture
eliminate social media post that contains
Negative comments about companies.
Anything that could be interpreted as stalking or harassing behavior.
Inappropriate words or pictures.
Excessive pessimism.
Poor grammar.
Typos.
reviewing a job offer
Is this the right job for me now that I know more about it?
Is the compensation what I was expecting?
Do I understand the benefits associated with this job?
When is the start date?
What’s the job classification?
full time
require specific number hours per week, eligible for benefits
part time
require fewer hours, quanitity may vary, benefits vary
temporary
designated for specific period of time
compensation
what a company gives its employees in exchange for their work
hourly pay
the federal government has said a minimum hourly wage that companies are required to pay, but individual States and companies may set a higher minimum wage.
bonuses
companies may reward employees by giving bonuses for great performance- either the employee’s performance, the company’s performance, or both.
commission
some sales associates receive a percentage of their sales as part of their wages.
company discount
may include product discounts and discounts at partner businesses.
example of benefits that may be offered
Healthcare coverage
Dental and vision plans
401K or retirement plans
Paid time off (PTO)
Stock options or restricted stock units (RSU)
Training and continuous learning opportunities
pending background check and drug screening
The company will initiate the process for a background check by asking you to provide permission and some additional Information, such as your Social Security number.
You will be given instructions on where you need to go to complete a drug screening test. The results are provided directly to the company.
at will employment
Employment is “at will.” That means an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason, except illegal ones, such as discrimination.
