PISV Portfolio
- 2. Portfolio components Employment or Graduate School section Employment or Graduate School Current, accurate, and professional-appearing Resume: 15 points Area Points Area Points BA job search results 4 Program search results 4 Cover letter 12 Personal statement 12 3 rec. forms 6 3 rec. forms 6 Interviewing skills 3 Exam prep 3
- 3. Portfolio components Grad program or job search results Qualifications Admission requirements Application materials needed Cover letters and resumes Career Services Personal Statement
- 4. Portfolio components 3 recommendation letter requests Identify programs of interest and why? Parallels to info in Goal Statement summarized Any other qualities you would like mentioned? interviewing skills / exam prep: evidence of a plan done your homework on what is involved dates available & deadlines options for workshops or classes to help prep 2 sample apps
- 5. Graduate Program Search • Allow enough time • Know your industry • Toss a wide net • Create a spreadsheet • Test the admissions office • Visit the campus • Talk to current students and alumni
- 6. Graduate Program Search • petersons.com/.../find-right-graduate-school – "Looking for the best graduate schools? Perform a graduate school search at Petersons.com. Find the best graduate school for you and apply to one today." • graduateguide.com/ – "Graduate school search engine allows you to search for graduate schools by location and degree program." • naspa.org/.../graduate-program-directory – "Finding the perfect graduate program to fit your needs does not need to be a major research project! NASPA has made it easy for you to find the right school and program to meet your educational goals." • usnews.com/.../7-critical-steps-to-find-the-right-grad-school – "Do your research so you can make an informed decision, a former graduate school admissions dean says."
- 7. Job Search • Indeed.com – "Indeed enables you to search jobs posted on 1,000's of websites. Employers also post jobs directly on Indeed. No matter where a job is posted, it will be easy to find when you use Indeed." • careerbuilder.com – "Looking for a new job? Get advice or search over 1.6 million jobs on the largest job site, set alerts to be first in line and have new jobs emailed to you." • monster.com – "Find the job that's right for you. Use Monster's resources to create a killer resume, search for jobs, prepare for interviews, and launch your career.” • simplyhired.com – "Our advanced personalization technology connects over 30 million unique job seekers with millions of jobs each month. "
- 8. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/ – "Job Search Writing: Preparing an application, job search letters, resumes & vitas“ – "Tailoring employment documents for a specific audience“ – "Example Employment Documents“ – "Job Skills Checklist" – "Action verbs in workplace writing“ – Purdue OWL: Personal Statements: youtube video
- 9. Grad Application Timeline • February – April – Research • May – July – School visits • August – October – Compile materials – Complete exams • November – January – Send completed applications
- 10. Cover Letter • Cover letters are the first chance you have to impress an employer – they’re not just a protective jacket for your CV. • No single cover letter that everyone will love. • Your cover letter should be designed specifically for the purpose you are writing and customized for each position you seek. • Use samples as inspiration, but do not copy – they work because they are customized to the writer!
- 11. Cover Letter Your letter should include: • How you learned about the opportunity • Why you are qualified • What you can offer the company • How you will follow-up
- 12. Cover Letter • Use keywords • Focus on activities and responsibilities • Sell yourself • Show your knowledge of the company • Edit, edit, edit
- 13. How to Send an Email Cover Letter • list your name and the job title in the subject line of the email message. • Include your contact information in your email signature. • Don't list the employer contact information. • Start your email message with a salutation.
- 14. Personal Statement 1. Relate your past and present experiences to the future. 2. Elaborate on your qualifications. 3. Specifically explain why this institution is the best fit for you. a. You must tailor your essays to specific programs. 4. Introduce the main idea for each body pargraph in the topic sentence.
- 15. Personal Statement 5. Utilize white space.
- 16. Things to Consider Before you Begin Writing • What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story? • What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you? • Should I account for things like a drop in my GPA, poor SAT/GRE scores, or lapses in my work or education history?
- 17. Putting It All Together • Find a theme or focus • Develop a logical order • Examine details and language to make your essay more vibrant – Avoid cliches • Edit – Expand ideas or trim and refocus ideas to meet the expected length • Create an introduction – Avoid: “I’ve always wanted to help people.” • Work on the last sentence – meaningful and bring closure
- 18. Final Issues to Avoid • Lack of Information about the Program to Which You Are Applying • Generic • Too past-focused • Poor Writing Skills • Misfired Attempts to Impress
- 19. Requesting a Letter of Recommendation • Choose well • Start early • Provide full information • Be gracious • Begin now to create the contacts you need
- 20. Interviewing Skills • Hard Questions –“What is your greatest weakness?” • Tricky Interview Questions –“Tell me about yourself?” –“What do you have to offer?” –“Where do you see yourself in five years?”