1. How has the concept of the “job” changed, and how will it affect your employment search?

 Traditionally, employees who worked diligently could expect to remain in secure jobs and perhaps have only one employer in a lifetime.  Today, however, many positions are less secure and work is completed by teams on projects.  Flexible, short-term assignments are more common, and many assignments are with small employers.  In searching for employment, you should be ready to offer up-to-date skills and expect to be constantly retraining.  Keep your resume current and expect flexible, short-term assignments.

2. How is a resume different from a company employment application?

A resume is a promotional device aimed at selling a candidate.  It is arranged strategically to emphasize the candidate’s strengths.  A company employment application is a legal document eliciting systematic data about a candidate.  It is arranged to enable employers to gather standardize data bout each applicant. 

3. Some job candidates think that applying for unsolicited jobs can be more fruitful than applying for advertised openings.  Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of letters that “prospect” for jobs.

The advantage of “prospect” letters is that the competition is reduced.  Many people apply for advertised jobs, but few candidates will take the time to write to companies when no job may exist.  The disadvantages, of course, are that no job may be available.  Moreover, the writer risks alienating the recruiter.

4. What are the advantages and disadvantage of developing a hypertext resume?

 A hypertext resume has the advantage of showcasing a candidate’s technical savvy. It can act as a portfolio of a candidate’s work, showing actual examples of documents and completed projects.  It can hold much more information than a standard resume, and it can be animated and colorful.  On the down side, it must be kept fairly generic; it cannot be changed easily to appeal to different prospective employers.  Hypertext resumes also may be a security problem.  Candidates should be careful in revealing personal telephone numbers and addresses to such a wide audience.