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Tips for Employment Candidates |
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Here are some great tips if you are thinking about sending a resume, or have been invited for an interview at Mapletree. It might be a good idea to consider these things before applying for any job, so if you pick up a few good tips here and use them in applying for another job... Glad to help - no charge! Good Resume Tips: Take a few minutes to look around our Website to find out more about the program and the position. This will help you to decide whether it's a good match for your experience, skills, and interests. Send your resume by email. 95% of all our resumes now come by email. Fax is a distant second - okay, but not as polished. Third choice is snail mail. Do NOT hand deliver resumes - People unexpectedly arriving with resumes do not get the anticipated foot-in-the-door interview; all we get is an unexpected interruption, attending to your resume when it's convenient for you, not us. Know what position you are applying for and put that in the email subject line. Don't include a cover letter as a separate word.doc file. Doing so results in multiple files being combined into one "zip file" attachment. Zip files take longer to download, to find, and to print. Put your "cover letter" in the body of the email. Don't send your resume without an "email cover letter." Your email text can serve the purpose of the cover letter: to introduce yourself, express your interest in the position, and highlight relevant information. Use one of the standard email fonts. Don't use unusual fonts, formatting, or colored backgrounds. The same is generally true for the resume. Pleasant, easy to read, uncluttered fonts make a resume inviting and readable. Your "email cover letter" will be printed and reviewed with your resume. You can address your resume to the Director at Mapletree: Jon Brandt. Send your resume as a word.doc attachment. Give it a file name that includes your name, not our name (i.e. not "mapletreeresume.doc", and not "resume.doc." Here's why: When your resume is downloaded by HR personnel, it will be saved by the file name you give it in our computer directory. When resumes are sent as "socialservicesresume.doc" we have to give the file a new name that uniquely identifies it as yours before we download it. That takes us extra time, if it's done at all. If your resume has your name in the file name we can find it again; if not, we won't. So be sure the word.doc file name includes your name, not our name. Suggested file name format: JoshuaWilson2008Resume.doc Resumes should be no longer than three pages. Honestly, resumes that are too long seldom get read. But it's also hard to get everything you've done on one page, (without little tiny print or over filling the page). A two-page resume is ideal. Highlight Education, Employment-Experience, and some creative heading(s) to showcase personal accomplishments, achievements, skills, attributes, memberships, etc. Before you do a final "save" on your resume, make sure you have eliminated any blank pages at the end. Hint: Delete all the blank lines/spaces on the blank page. If MS Word won't suck up the last page, change the top and/or bottom margins on the previous page(s) until Word absorbs the "empty formatting" on the last (blank) page. Important Tip - before your final save: Under "view" choose "print layout view;" and in the "zoom" menu choose "page width" or "100%" for viewing size. These save settings will result in your resume opening in MS Word with the best presentation, the top of your first resume page. References are not necessary on a resume. It is, however, a good idea to bring references to the interview. Have a nicely printed list of three or four (total) personal and professional references, in case you're asked. Put your name and contact information at the top. Identify how you know them, and provide a name, business or relationship, address, phone number(s), and email address for each contact. Indicate whether they are a personal reference or a professional reference. Ask your references in advance if you can use them as a reference. A good resume doesn't get you a job; it gets you an interview. A good interview gets you a job. Interview Preparation Tips: Visit the Website and find out as much as you can about the program and the position before arriving for the interview. This will allow you to come to the interview prepared and knowledgeable about the program and the position. That allows more time for you to showcase your qualifications, ask questions that aren't answered on the Website, and talk about how the job is a good match for your skills and interests. Note: it's painfully easy for us to identify, early in the interview, which candidates have not taken time to review readily available information about the program or the position. Know which position you are applying for! Find out where the interview is so you don't have to call for directions at the last minute. Directions: Mapletree is located at 2831 Southlawn Drive, Maplewood, MN 55109. Highway 36 or I-694 to Highway 61 to Beam Ave. East on Beam Ave. one mile to third stoplight (Southlawn Drive). Note Outback Steakhouse on southwest corner of Beam and Southlawn. Go South (turn right coming from 61) on Southlawn Drive, past the Outback, to second house on the right .
DON'T SHOW UP TOO EARLY! Punctual is expected. Ten minutes early is acceptable. Fifteen minutes early is pushing it. Twenty minutes early is annoying. Thirty minutes early is rude. Early arrivals require our staff to greet, meet, and entertain until your appointed interview time, or leave you sitting by yourself. Sometimes, when the house is busy, there is not a good waiting area. Early arrivals deprive us of a chance to look polished when we greet you. It either pulls our staff away from other responsibilities or worse, it pulls staff out of the interview with the candidate scheduled before you. If you don't know how long it takes to get here, or anticipate slow traffic, leave early. Obviously, you don't want to be late. But if you arrive too early, find something to do for 20 or 30 minutes. Get a cup of coffee. Relax at a nearby restaurant. Don't wait in the driveway or on the front steps (that's tacky). If you're on time or five minutes early, it looks like you nailed it. Call if you need to reschedule or are unexpectedly late. If you have a good excuse, tell the truth. If time permits, we'll probably allow you to reschedule... once anyway. If you don't have a good excuse, make up something, (we reward creativity) - no promises though. Generally, you want to be slightly better dressed than the usual attire required for regular employees. It is possible to be over or underdressed for an interview. Don't be underdressed. If you're not sure, ask what attire is appropriate for an interview. At Mapletree, casual dress is acceptable for interviews. For men, a coat and/or tie is acceptable, but not expected - Khaki's are fine. For women dress comfortable, business casual. We don't have a formal interviewing format. Interviews at Mapletree are relaxed, informal discussions. We want to know more about you. You want to know more about Mapletree. Have some questions prepared. A job interview should be mutually beneficial. Formalities that interfere with that are counter-productive. Be friendly, personable, interested, and interesting. If you have to work too hard to be friendly, personable, or interesting, this might not be the right place for you. Having said that, wipe that serious expression off your face! We're not looking for stand-up comics but come on, man, lighten up. This is a fun place to work. We're looking for fun people, that know how to take the job seriously. Good Luck from Mapletree! Hope this is helpful. If you have any questions or comments, let us know: Email Mapletree If you think this is good stuff, print this page, save it, or give a copy to an unemployed friend. Permission granted to reproduce this resume and interviewing guide, with proper attribution: © 2006 Mapletree Group Home, Inc.
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