I wrote a blog a year ago covering much this same language as well as a trick for resume assembly. The blog includes where to look, how to read a job add, the resume, and the cover letter. I am including the links here for ready reference. The article was initially skewed toward a SoCal audience as it relates to links, but everything else is generic. The Intro: http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/gayle-m-montgomerys-blog/p/bp--job-seekers-watch-this-space Where to Search: http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/gayle-m-montgomerys-blog/p/bp--lesson-1-where-to-search-for-a-job How to Read a Job Ad: http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/gayle-m-montgomerys-blog/p/bp--lesson-2-how-to-read-a-job-ad-blog Resume: http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/gayle-m-montgomerys-blog/p/bp--lesson-3a-resumes-and-cover-letters-blog Cover Letters: http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/gayle-m-montgomerys-blog/p/bp--lesson-3b-cover-letters-blog I had intended to cover many more topics, but the environment in the resident site became far too contentious during the election, and I opted to pull away. Hope this helps. ________________________________ From: James Tichgelaar <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2013 10:49 AM Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Department of Human Resources When the HR department is screening applications, they will usually rank applications according to how closely they match the job description given in the job announcement (if a large organization, be sure to check their web page to see if there is a longer announcement than the job ad that was posted or printed). The trick is to specifically address the key language of the job ad, and whenever possible use the exact term (HR people may not know all of the synonyms for your skills and knowledge). The closer you can honestly match yourself to the announcement, the better your odds of getting past that first hurdle. Often this means reformatting or changing words in your resume to match the specific job. You should tweak your resume to fit the position, emphasizing the skills and duties listed for the position. On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 1:21 PM, Ashley Watson <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Hello all, > As I am continuing my frustrating job search since I graduated with M.A. in Museum Studies from Syracuse University in May 2012, one interesting detail that have come to my attention in my job search and analyzing why the actual evaluation of the potential applicants is flawed. Not just for the museums, but also for many fields, the department of human resources is the FIRST WALL in your path to a potential call up for an interview for any job you apply for. From my observations, the staff in that department tend to KNOW very little to absolutely NOTHING about any specific museum job and they are armed with the power to screen those?? According to my friends from the old days, they said it used to go straight to the APPROPRIATE person in the department that the job opening was created in, with the HIRING/FIRING power. I think that department of human resources is what it really hurt many of the qualified applicants like us here. Any thoughts on this? No, I am not giving up on my job search, I just need to bypass that wall by continuing to build on my professional connections with some important museum professionals armed with the power. > >Thanks, >Ashley Watson >Exhibits/Collections Intern >Haggin Museum >Stockton, CA >>________________________________ > >To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: >http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 ________________________________ To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).