Ashley, I'm going to point out two things in your question: 

1)  In my opinion, your message is much too long for one paragraph.  I have a short attention span, and I had a hard time following your thoughts.  I would have had a far easier time if it had been broken down into two or three shorter paragraphs.  (You're not alone.  Half a dozen answers above are even longer.  About half of those I just skipped.)

2)  It's very important that your letters and resume are crystal clear and carefully proofed.  They are the prospective employer's first (and maybe only) impression of you.  I refer specifically to this sentence: "I think that department of human resources is what it really hurt many of the qualified applicants like us here."  I know what you're saying, but I had a hard time getting there.

I hope this helps you (and others with looonnng paragraphs).  I wish you well.

-Jim


On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 2:26 PM, Gayle <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
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:

Where to Search:

How to Read a Job Ad:

Resume:

Cover Letters:

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 


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