Job Portal
Here are some helpful tips and information for job seekers
1. Get a Professional-Looking Email Address
- Most jobs require an email address.
- It is a good idea to have an email address just dedicated to your job search that has a professional-looking username.
- Free email providers include the following:
- Gmail (requires a cell phone)
- Yahoo! Mail (requires a cell phone)
- Proton Mail (does not require a cell phone, but if you forget your password it is nearly impossible to get into your account)
- Select an email address:
- Use your name so it looks professional.
- Do NOT include any personal information such as the month, date, or year of your birth.
- If your username is not available, try adding your middle name or periods between your first, middle, and last names.
- Set a password for your email:
- Choose something you will remember.
- Choose something it would be hard for someone else to guess or figure out.
- DO NOT LOSE YOUR PASSWORD – if you do, getting access to your email again can be very difficult if not impossible.
- Regularly check your email:
- Some employers only contact prospective employees via email.
- Some employers assume people check their email multiple times a day.
- If you have a smartphone, get the appropriate email app so you can check your email easily and often.
2. Write and Type a Resume
- Include the following information on your resume:
- contact information
- always include your full name, phone number, and email address
- NEVER include your SSN, birthdate, or marital status
- work experience
- education
- special skills related to the job (include computer skills, especially experience using the Microsoft Office Suite and other software specifically related to the job)
- professional organizations you’re a member of that relate to the job for which you are applying
- Throughout your resume, include key action verbs and words from the job description as well as measurable details, especially in your work experience descriptions.
- Look online and at books to choose a resume format that highlights your skills honestly and appropriately.
- Type your resume.
- Use a standard font such as Arial or Times New Roman.
- These are easy to read.
- They are timeless. You do not want your resume to look trendy.
- If you are comfortable with the formatting tools in Microsoft Word, consider using that to create your resume. If not, try resume.com, a free online resume creator.
- Remember to save your resume as a document as well as a PDF.
- Always send your resume as a PDF (unless otherwise specified) to ensure prospective employers are seeing exactly the formatting you want them to see.
- In addition, save your resume as a document, so that you can go back and edit it later for other job applications or as your employment history, education, or skills change.
- Limit your resume to one page whenever possible, but do not do this by adjusting the margins to extreme values. Adjusting the margins in this way may make it difficult for prospective employers to print your resume.
- Proofread your resume. Typos are extremely unprofessional and may cause your resume to be disregarded regardless of your experience.
- Use a standard font such as Arial or Times New Roman.
- Visit https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications for more tips and resume templates and samples.
- Visit https://www.jobzone.ny.gov/ for a resume template and additional information about resumes.
- Visit http://cnyworks.com/resources/resume-advice for additional resume tips.
3. Write a Cover Letter
- Whether writing a formal cover letter for a job or simply an email to a prospective employer, keep the following in mind:
- Use key words from the job announcement/description.
- Use strong action verbs when describing your skills and how they match the employer’s goals and objectives.
- Focus on the employer and how you will be an asset to their company, not how much you need the job.
- Type and proofread your letter. Use a professional program to create your cover letter such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
- Use a standard font such as Arial or Times New Roman and standard margins. Matching your cover letter and resume is often a good idea.
- Visit https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications for more tips and cover letter templates and samples.
- Visit https://www.jobzone.ny.gov/ for more tips and cover letter templates.