Career Quest Reference Letters

Preparing Reference Letters

You may be asked to provide letters of reference or you may want to do this without being asked. I have always tried to ask for a letter of recommendation after resigning from a current position. Of course you can only do this if you are leaving in good standing and feel you have done an excellent job. Hopefully this is the case. You never want to burn a bridge. You may never know when you will need that employer somewhere down the road.

If you ask for a letter of recommendation and they do agree to provide you with one, make sure they do this before your last day on the job. A simple reminder a couple of times and I'm sure they will promptly do it for you.

You might also consider sending letters to every past employer you can think of asking them to send you a letter of recommendation. Be thoughtful in the composition of your letter. Take a moment to refresh their memory about who you are and when you worked for them. Compliment them and thank them for the job they did while they were your supervisor.

Explain to them that you are currently looking for a new work opportunity and would like for them to send you a letter or recommendation. Be sure you send them a self-addressed-stamped-envelope so that it is easy for them to respond and doesn't cost them postage.

Some companies forbid or prohibit the employees or HR department from giving out references. If this is the case ask anyway and if they state company policy then ask the HR department for a document on company letterhead at least stating the dates you worked there and the position you held. All companies, even if they do not provide references, usually do give out dates of employment and confirmation of position held.

One valuable tool I learned about rather late in my career is what some industries call the 'Brag Book' or 'At-A-Boy/Girl Book'. This is a book that you would compile throughout your life. It would consist of every type of award or recognition letter you have ever received. Some brag books contain sales numbers and figures and the increases, reference letters, awards certificates, thank you cards, memos and e-mails and annual evaluations. Here again, the thicker the brag book, the more accomplished it is assumed you have been.

Once I learned of this tool, I immediately began relocating all types of awards, letter of recognition, etc. that I had gained over the last several years. Since then I have put everything in that book that is what I call a 'pat on the back' to me. I even ask for letters of recommendation now. If I have someone tell me what a wonderful job I have done, I thank them and then ask them if they would write me a letter stating that fact so that I may put it in my brag book. I've never been turned down. If you really did a good job for them, they are usually more than welcomed to do that small favor for you.

When it is time for my annual evaluation each year, I take any letters, e-mails or memos which I have received through the course of the past year, make copies of them and send them along with a letter to my manager which highlights what I have accomplished since my last evaluation.

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire

DAY JOB LINKS...

Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae

Another type of "resume" is a curriculum vitae. It is from the Latin curriculum vita and simply means "the course of one's life". This format is used for those who have professions in medicine, law, education, science and media.

I won't take the time here to go over in detail the format of a CV, but will simply state that it must include a running history of all accomplishments, honors, publications, affiliations, presentations, certifications, courses taught, grants, licenses, graduate and post-graduate work, etc. The longer your CV is, the more accomplished in your profession and career you probably are.

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire

DAY JOB LINKS...

Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest Resume Structure

Resume Structure

Resume - Heading

In the resume shown; the heading for the resume is the same as the heading for the cover letter. This does not have to be the case. You may decide to get creative and be bold here. Make sure that the heading does not overpower the page. There needs to be balance. One common mistake I have seen is when a person types their address and phone number so small that when it is faxed to me, I can't read it. Faxing many times causes a lot of distortion and if the font is very small it can be indistinguishable. You won't get called if they can't read your phone number.

Resume - Objective

There are many schools of thought on the objective of a resume. Some say that it must be very specific to the job you are applying for, using keywords for your industry. Others say that it can be a general overall objective. I say that it is a personal preference. I myself rarely read the objective if ever, but I always put one on my own resume. The reason I don't read them is that they are usually canned blurbs stating the fact that they are trying to gain a position with the company. To me that is stating the obvious. However, I would never want to keep my resume from being read just because I failed to put an objective at the top of the resume.

Resume - Employment History

There are three types of resumes. One is chronological, one is functional and the third is a combination of the two. My preference is to see employment listed chronologically with the most current employment at the top of the page. With employment listed in this manner it is easy to get a picture of the flow of the work. It is also easy to see any gaps in employment, which is something that employers always look for. You may explain gaps in employment like this:

Lakeshore Tennis and Fitness Center 11/97 – 4/98     Sales Associate/Customer Service
• Sales, bookkeeping, and merchandising
 Baylor University 9/92 – 11/97                                   Full-time student (did not work outside of school during this period of time)
• Attended class on a full-time basis

Schlitterbahn 4/92 – 9/92                                           Lifeguard
• Observed customers to ensure safety and security
 
Or like this:

Lakeshore Tennis and Fitness Center 11/97 – 4/98    Sales Associate/Customer Service
• Sales, bookkeeping, and merchandising

Homemaker 9/92 – 11/97                                         Full-time homemaker (did not work outside the home during this period of time)
• Attended to all duties involved in running a home such as meal planning, cleaning and bill paying.

Schlitterbahn 4/92 – 9/92                                          Lifeguard
• Observed customers to ensure safety and security

Each job must be clearly separated from the other. The sample resume on page 48 lists the title of the position held first with the dates underneath. Under the position and dates of employment you will see a short description of the duties performed while on the job. Another option would be to list bullet points stating tasks or duties preformed.


Next is the name of a supervising reference and their phone number. This resume lists direct supervisors. When asked for professional references it is good to include as many direct supervisors as possible. I myself won't consider any reference except a direct supervisor.


A candidate would never give the name of an enemy or a business contact that would not give a glowing reference. But you can't dispute the role of a direct supervisor. References in regards to employment are to see how the candidate performed the duties of the job, not discuss personal matters.


It is also appropriate and may be preferable to attach a separate list of references to the back of the resume rather than list each one by the position held. There are pros and cons to either way. If you list the supervisor with the position held, the potential employer can easily match up the supervisor with the job. If they choose to call them they will have handy the duties which you say you performed while at that job and the dates you were there.


Many times someone else in the company is responsible for calling references. In this instance the separate sheet would be handy for them to pass off to the person in charge of references. If you do prepare a separate sheet, make sure your name, address and phone numbers are on that page in case it should get separated from the resume itself.


If a job is part-time you may also list that on an appropriate place in the resume as well as the reason for leaving each position. This is an especially good suggestion if you have had frequent job changes and valid reasons for leaving each job. Otherwise, you could be labeled a "job hopper".


When writing the description of your past employment it is good to use what are called keywords. These are words or short phrases that describe the type of work, experience or education you have.


Each industry has its own set of keywords so it would be very difficult to include an exhaustive list of keywords in this curriculum. If you are involved in a particular industry, you will know what those keywords are. If you are changing industries you will need to learn what the keywords are for that industry. To find out what they are, read industry magazines and publications. There should be a common reoccurrence of certain terms and phrases.

Some well known companies such at AT&T, Hewlett Packard, IBM are employer keywords. Harvard, Yale and Princeton are examples of keywords for universities.


One purpose of keywords is due to the increased use of technology. Resume databases that scan in a resume and then store them so that they can be pulled up when a prospective employer does a search in the system, use keywords for those searches. An employer might be looking for someone with UNIX programming experience. If so, they would enter UNIX in the system and do a search on that keyword.


You can also find keywords in the advertisements for the position. If an ad states that they are looking for a "full-charge bookkeeper", then somewhere in your resume or cover letter you would want to put "full-charge bookkeeper". If you have never held that title or done that particular job, you could put that term in the cover letter or objective stating that you are applying for the position of "full-charge bookkeeper". Make sure it is spelled correctly and punctuated exactly as it is shown in the ad unless it is spelled incorrectly in the ad.


Remember - Always tell the truth when compiling your resume. Do not shortchange your experience, but do not lie about things you have done, experience you have gained or your education. Most large employers have gone to doing full background checks, which include checking your education or degree. Even if you don't get caught, it is just not ethical.


When listing your job duties it is good to give quantifiable statements. Here is a sample list below:

• Exceeded sales quotas by 150% each month.

• Saved the company $100,000 by developing cost analysis procedures.

• Increased market share by 27% in my first year.

• Managed a $100,000 operating budget.

• Increased effective core account base by 38% through category development.

• Managed a 5-state territory with a sales volume of $8 million.

• Supervised 29 technicians and contractors in a massive computer upgrade program.

• Achieved placement rates 50% above national average.

• Recruited 50 senior-level corporate executives.

• Developed and administered a $2 million dollar budget.

• Saved $10,000 in charges relating to the annual sales customer meetings.

• Achieved a 15% drop in on-site accidents during first year.

• Increased program value 100% from $9.8 million to more than $21 million.


The functional resume was birthed in the '80's. It lists the skills and jobs in a group without listing dates. The resume on the next page is a cross between a chronological and functional, which is the third type of resume.  (In the book I show an example, but to same space I didn't put it here.  Google for Functional Resume and you will find examples.)


This person was applying for a position as a teacher. One positive characteristic of this type of resume is the fact that it gives a comprehensive view of experience. The reason I don't like to receive these types of resumes is that I cannot determine at which job what experience was gained. But, the combination resume is recommended if you desire this type of effect. Recruiters are very wary of purely functional resumes which do not have the employers and dates worked listed.


Resume - Skills List

A summarized list of skills is a good addition to any resume. You may choose to place them at the end or beginning of your resume, either is acceptable. When making this list, use the worksheet you did previously to determine your skill set. You will not want to list all skills here. Pick an assortment of those skills you feel would be most valued or desired. The others may be discussed later in the interview process.


Once you have determined which skills you will use, then word them using keywords. Only abbreviate where an abbreviation is commonly known to everyone. If it is easily confused with another abbreviation, then spell it out fully.


Resume - Education

Always list your education level and where you attended if you graduated from high school or college. If you did not, there is no need to draw attention to education. Focus on other assets. List all education including pertinent seminars and internships. List all degrees and certifications as well.


If you have just graduated from high school or college and do not have very much relevant work experience, then place your education at the top of your resume. As your relevant work history grows, move your education towards the bottom of the page.


It is not appropriate to list high school activities unless you are under 20 years of age. If you have training or education beyond high school then it is not appropriate to list it at all. If you went to college, it is assumed that you graduated high school.


Resume - Salary Requirements

This is optional. Many ads ask for salary history to be stated in the cover letter or on the resume. In this example the candidate states her current salary in the cover letter and her desired salary in the resume. The reason for this is to avoid calls on positions that will not pay the salary she needs. If an employer sees the desired salary they know up front what you wish to make. If at that time they choose to call you, you know they don't feel your salary request is out of line with what the position is paying.


Always put negotiable by the salary statement. You want to be flexible, especially since it is a good practice to state a salary a little higher that you actually are willing to take. This leaves some room for negotiating.


The salary statement can be looked at in another way. When someone states a particular salary, it says to the employer in essence, "this is what I am worth". In my job I routinely call candidates from whom I have received resumes and do an initial phone screen. The very first question I ask is what their minimum base salary is. I can tell right off if that person has progressed very far in their career and how much valid experience they have had in the industry. It is also a measure of how successful they have been.


On the other hand it isn't wise to over inflate a desired salary and price yourself out of the job market. Look at your budget and add about 20% to the amount. If you desire $30,000, then state on the resume $36,000. Each time I have changed jobs and sent out my resume, I upped the desired salary considerably and each time, I got it.


Reference Letter

This candidate chose to attach a letter of reference with her resume. You may choose to do that as well. However I would never send more than two reference letters with a resume. Once again consider the time of the potential employer. They are not going to read through reams of paper.


Instead of a reference letter you may choose to send a copy of an outstanding award or something of that nature. If you do, make sure it is pertinent to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a sales job it is appropriate to attach a letter showing you were the top salesperson in the company for the year. It would not be appropriate to attach a letter of that nature if you were applying for a secretarial position.


Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest Cover Letter Structure

Cover Letter Structure

There are many schools of thought regarding the structure of a resume and those ideas change periodically with the current trend. From the standpoint of someone who has read literally thousands, hundreds in any given day, there are certain things I always like to see in a resume. Below I will touch on each part of a resume.

Cover Letter - Heading

You should place a heading on your cover letter just as you do on your resume. It should include your name, address, and all phone numbers where you wish to be contacted. Also it is very important in this day of technology to include your e-mail address. It is an easy way to contact potential candidates without having to play phone tag, as well as showing that you are comfortable with today's technology.

Cover Letter - Inside Address

This is the address of the company that you are sending or giving your resume to. This needs to be personalized if at all possible, otherwise they will feel as if they are just getting a form letter you are sending to everyone. That may be the case, but they need to feel that you are particularly interested in them and their company.

Cover Letter - Attention and Regarding Line

If you know the name of the person who placed the ad or has the open position within the company, then put their name in the attention line. If you do not know their name then you could put either General Manager or Human Resources Director. You may also customize it some by putting Marketing Director if you are applying for a marketing job and do not know their name. The same would be true for a warehouse position, accounting position, etc.

The regarding line is where you would place the position which your are applying for. Some ads also list a position number or opening number. Place that there as well. If you do not know of a particular position available, you may put Available Positions. Some companies have multiple listings at all times and you could state in the body of your cover letter that you would appreciate being considered for any available position for which you are qualified.

Cover Letter - Salutation

You would address the person to whom you are writing the letter. If you do not know the name of the person, use the title you used in the Attention Line. Do not use Dear Sir or Sirs. That is no longer politically correct. You may be addressing a woman or a man and since you do not know, do not use Dear Sir. It is also no longer politically correct to use Mrs. in saluting a woman. You do not know if they are married or single, so do not assume and put Mrs. The correct title would be Ms. for a woman.

Cover Letter - Body

The body of the letter is to introduce yourself and state what the facts cannot state in the resume. Do not make the body of the letter wordy or extremely long. They will not read it. Many ads state specific qualifications for the position. This would be a good place to emphasize the fact that you meet their requirements for that particular position. You may use bullet points or place them in the body of the letter. There were not specific qualifications specified for the position that the applicant shown is applying for.

You could use this technique in the body of the letter:

You require:                            I Have:
You may also want to point out where you heard about the position. If it was posted in a newspaper or classified listing, be sure to put the publication and date of the advertisement.

BS in Finance or Accounting         BS in Accounting, Marketing minor

4 years on the job experience             6 years as Senior Accountant

CPA                       CPA

 
This is a great place to "name drop". At our company we are directed to take a closer look at referrals. If a resume comes to me and states that John Doe an employee of "Our Company" referred them, then I am obligated to give it a good once over. By HR law I cannot give them special privilege if the candidate is not qualified, but I may at least grant them an interview.
 
If there are points that you want to emphasize, you may use bold, italic or underline to emphasize them. If an employer is only quickly scanning the resumes and cover letters, they may not take time to read the cover letter thoroughly, but bold type will catch their eye and they will probably stop to read that at least.
 
To close the body of the letter, ask for what you want. If you want to meet with them, ask for an interview. If you are going to give them a call on a specific day to follow up, then state the date and time which you will call. For instance, "I will give you a call next Tuesday morning, August 15th to inquire about setting up a mutually convenient time to meet". Then by all means, call on Tuesday morning just as you said you would. And finally, thank the reader for taking the time to read your letter and resume and for considering you for the position.
 
Cover Letter - Close and Signature
 
Keep the close simple. 'Sincerely' is adequate for a cover letter. Your signature should be neat, but do not change your signature for your cover letter. It should be exactly as you would sign your name for any occasion. The typed version of your name should be your name as it appears in the heading of your cover letter. If you go by a nickname or middle name, you may want to type it as follows: Benton (Ben) M. Sitton. This will tell the reader that you go by the name of Ben and is appropriate in a cover letter close.
 
Do not use italic or a script font in place of a signature. You may scan your signature and insert it as a graphic image where the signature belongs so that you may fax it or e-mail it directly from your computer with a signed cover letter. If you do not have a scanner, you may have it scanned and put on a diskette at a copy center or some place which offers this type of service.
 
Resume - Heading
 
In the resume shown; the heading for the resume is the same as the heading for the cover letter. This does not have to be the case. You may decide to get creative and be bold here. Make sure that the heading does not overpower the page. There needs to be balance. One common mistake I have seen is when a person types their address and phone number so small that when it is faxed to me, I can't read it. Faxing many times causes a lot of distortion and if the font is very small it can be indistinguishable. You won't get called if they can't read your phone number.
 
Resume - Objective
 
There are many schools of thought on the objective of a resume. Some say that it must be very specific to the job you are applying for, using keywords for your industry. Others say that it can be a general overall objective. I say that it is a personal preference. I myself rarely read the objective if ever, but I always put one on my own resume. The reason I don't read them is that they are usually canned blurbs stating the fact that they are trying to gain a position with the company. To me that is stating the obvious. However, I would never want to keep my resume from being read just because I failed to put an objective at the top of the resume.
 
Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest No Personal Informaiton on Resume

Avoid Including Personal Information

The topic of a photo on the resume brings about the question of including other personal data on the resume. I strongly discourage this practice. An interviewer is not supposed to ask any question regarding anything personal. You should not be considered for a position based on race, sex, health or marital status. Business is business and personal is personal, keep the two separate.

If the job requires extensive travel,

Instead of stating on your resume:

"I am single with no family obligations which would prevent me from traveling."

State:

"I am willing to travel."

Don't Fold Your Resume

Always, always, mail your resume flat. Never fold a resume and send in a standard envelope. It is it more difficult to handle and doesn't fit well into a file. It also reduces the scanability of the document.

Since you are going to mail your resume flat, you might consider sending it in one of the many types of resume folders available on the market today. I would not put it into a bound folder that would make it difficult to remove. This always frustrates me because it is time consuming and I need the resume loose to be able to deal with it in the accepted manner. I don't mind the resume folders. They protect the resume during mailing and are easy to remove the resume from.

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest No Graphics on Resumes

Stay Away From Photos or Other Large Graphics

Graphics, photos and other pictures are not usually a good idea to put on a resume. Again remember the scanability of the document. The computer will try to interpret the graphic images and turn them into type. Even if the resume is not scanned, it may be copied many times to distribute within the company or even faxed. Graphics, pictures and photos do not copy and fax well.

However if you are an artist or graphic designer you may want to display your creative abilities in your resume. If you are applying for a job where creative page layout and graphic design would be skills considered for employment, then by all means, be creative. Be tasteful, professional, but creative.

Another reason for not putting a photo on a resume, besides the fact that they don't scan or fax well, is the simple fact that an employer should not consider a candidate for employment from just seeing a head shot on a resume. This is unethical, so eliminate the temptation for them and don't put your photo on the resume.

As in most cases there are exceptions to every rule. One specific exception to this rule is that foreign companies requesting a curriculum vita require a photograph. You may also want to include your photo if you are an actress or model and are applying for that type of position.

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire

DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest Keep it Simple

Keep It Simple

If a resume is too busy or wordy you take a chance of it not even being read. Most employers get hundreds of resumes for an open position and usually take only seconds to do the initial scan. If the flow of the resume is complicated or unclear they may get easily frustrated and set it aside.

Paper and color choices are very important in compiling a resume. Many people are compelled to choose odd patterns and vibrant colors in order to be noticed. It has been my experience that those things only detract from the actual validity of the resume. My all time preference is just plain old bright white. It is clean, easy to read and scans beautifully.

In this current age of technology many resumes are scanned into computers and databases and then and OCR (optical character recognition) program is ran on them to convert the graphic image into a text file. Papers that have a high fiber content or that are colored are more difficult to scan acceptably. Always use pure black ink as well.

You may also use off-white or light gray if you just can't bring yourself to use white, but stay away from colored ink. It looks unprofessional and remember, this is your first impression to this employer.


Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest Preparing a Resume

Preparing Resume

A resume is the very first contact with a potential employer. Its purpose is to get your foot in the door and hopefully get you an interview. It is a marketing tool, and it may only have a brief moment to make an impact. The first impression before it is even read must be that it is clean, neat and highly professional.

When we call ourselves 'Christians' we are saying that we are a representation of Christ. If that statement is true and we are a representation of Christ, don't you believe that we have an obligation to represent him in the highest light available? Would it be a true representation for a Christian to send a half done, sloppy resume to a potential employer?

God is calling us to a standard of excellence. He has called us to be the best we can be in all areas of our lives, without reserve. Our model is Jesus. In everything he did, he was excellent. We will not be excellent in all areas of our lives instantly, but we can strive to be the best that we can be and do the best that we possibly can do.

God is interested in the details of our lives, right down to the image we represent in our careers and personal lives. Presenting a professional resume may seem like a small detail, but details are important. It is the details that make up the whole picture. Strive to be the best that you can possibly be in the details and the resulting overall picture will be beautiful.

Philippians 3:12-14 NCV I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. (13) Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, (14) I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.

Forget the past and its shortcomings. You can do this. Press ahead and set a goal for excellence. If you follow the plan ahead for creating your resume, a step at a time, it won't seem so overwhelming. Follow these guidelines and let God lead you to design your own unique resume.

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire


DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest Type of Job You Would Enjoy

Determine Type of Job You Would Enjoy Most

Now on the worksheet provided, write down your fantasy job. What would that job be if there were no boundaries such as education, age or location? List at least three in the order of greatest desire. Do not be afraid of being ridiculous. These fantasy jobs will be a great determining factor in what type of job you really enjoy, and who knows, maybe someday it might not be a fantasy any more.

Maybe right now you just need a job to pay the bills, but will this job bring ultimate career fulfillment? And how will the job meet your financial goals for the future? Will you be able to send your children to college on this type of job? Will it provide you a retirement income?

How long has it been since you thought about a passion that burns within you? What was the dream you left behind with your youth? What was it that you always knew you were born to do, until life took you on another course? Dare to dream again. It is OK. God has called us to be dreamers. The bigger your dreams, the more you are likely to accomplish.

Psalm 37:4 KJ Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Mark 11:24 KJ Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

There is no reason to think that you cannot do the job you really want to do. Maybe not today, but it can be a goal that you can work toward. Maybe your dream job is being a doctor. Analyze if it truly is a realistic goal, one that you can achieve with God's help. Sure it takes a lot of education, but you can go to school. It will take you a long time, but if you are willing and you really want to do it, you can get there.

Phillipians 4:13 KJ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Maybe being a doctor is your dream job, but it just isn't realistic for you, or isn't your calling. What is it about being a doctor that causes you to feel that it is a dream job? Is it the income, helping people, or working in the scientific/medical field? If one of those things are what make this a dream job, there are other avenues where you can pursue those things.

There are a lot of careers that have very lucrative incomes, even more so than being a doctor. Also there are many careers out there that are involved in helping people. The same is true with careers in the medical field. Put some thought into your dream job. Put it down on the worksheet provided and then think about why it really is your dream job.

My Ultimate Job/Career

Make a list below of all the jobs/careers you feel you would like to do, even if you do not currently posses the necessary skills or education to do them. On the blank on the left, list the skills or education that you would need to be able to do this job. On the blank on the far right list the skills that you currently posses which you feel would cause you to be really good at a job like this.


The Ultimate Job


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Skills and education you Skills and education you would need to do this job already posses to do this job.


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The Ultimate Job


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Skills and education you Skills and education you would need to do this job already posses to do this job.


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The Ultimate Job


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Skills and education you Skills and education you would need to do this job already posses to do this job.


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The Ultimate Job


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Skills and education you Skills and education you would need to do this job already posses to do this job.


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The Ultimate Job


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Skills and education you Skills and education you would need to do this job already posses to do this job.


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Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire

DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest Story of Talents

Story of Talents in a Different Light

Matthew 25:14-30 KJ For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. (15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one: to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. (16) Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them five other talents. (17) And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. (18) But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. (19) After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. (20) And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. (21) His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord. (22) He also that had received two talents came and said, two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. (23) His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord. (24) Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou are an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: (25) And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. (26) His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed. (27) Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. (28) Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. (29) For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. (30) And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.



You have just read the parable of the talents. There are many many lessons to be learned within this parable. Of course in the parable the word talent is a form of money used in biblical times. How fitting it is that this word is interchangeable with the word which Webster's describes as, 'personal ability'.


Each servant was given a measure of talents. The measure was based on his ability, or skills. From there the three servants were left to their own devices to do with the talents as they chose.


The first servant used the five talents to multiply them into ten talents. The second servant did the same and doubled his talents. It was apparent to these two that these talents were given to them to use. They did so without fear and with confidence.


They knew, just as the third servant did, that the master was harsh and they could have suffered severally had they lost or reduced the talents given to them. They had a lack of 'fear of failure' and a strong confidence that they could increase the talents given to them.


Many years ago when I was in my early twenties, my mother-in-law taught me how to decorate cakes. She also held classes for others to come and learn how to decorate cakes and she didn't charge anyone anything. She would just say, "God has given me this talent and I want to share it and help others learn. He has freely given it to me, so I will freely give to others."


She wasn't decorating cakes and giving them away for free, but she was helping people develop a skill and possibly uncover a talent to decorate cakes, thus multiply her talent. She taught so many people to decorate cakes that it would be impossible to try and determine just how many times that talent was increased or doubled.


From that time on, everything I learned to do, I was more than willing to share with others. I have given of my services freely as well as train others. Through the years I have been continually uncovering new talents I never knew I had. By applying the principle of the talents to my life, my own talents have increased phenomenally.


People are constantly asking me, "How did you learn to do so many things?" The answer is that I have freely given what God has given to me, multiplying my talents and skill in others. Because of this, God has been faithful, just as the master in the parable and he has given me much more.


Seeing this principle acting in my life through the years has helped me to gain tremendous confidence. I honestly believe that I can tackle anything. If I need or want to do something and haven't had the training or the talent previously, I believe that I can learn and God will develop within me a talent to do it.


My confidence does not rest or reside in my own abilities or myself. It relies on the fact that I have seen God's hand in my life. I have seen him bring to pass what he said he would do. I have confidence in him and his word.


The third servant was so fearful that he buried his talent and did absolutely nothing with it. He could have done the mere minimum and placed the talent in the bank and let it at least draw interest, but he didn't. He was paralyzed by the 'fear of failure'.


As I mentor others and coach them in the steps of success, the number one thing I find is that there are many people who are tremendously paralyzed by the 'fear of failure'. They are so terrified of failing or doing the wrong thing that they do nothing.


This servant was only given one talent to begin with. In the parable it said that the master gave the servants talents based on their abilities or skills. We must assume from this that the servant had few skills or abilities, but he must have had some skills or he wouldn't have gotten any talents.


Had he just done the minimum and put the talent into the bank to draw interest, which we know returns very little and certainly wouldn't have doubled the talent, he would have pleased his master. Are you doing at least the minimum with the talent that God has given you?


If you are convinced that you possess no talents, then maybe you need to gain some skills. If I read the parable correctly the two are linked together. If I had never taken the class from my mother-in-law on cake decorating to gain some skills in that area, I would have never uncovered my talent to decorate cakes.


I promise that when you begin to go to classes and learn skills in areas where you have an interest, you will begin to uncover talents in your life. Use them freely and wisely and God will begin to multiply them.


When filling out the worksheet, do not just list talents and skills that you feel an employer might be looking for. Ask your friends and family to help you determine your talents and skills. They may see something you don't. List all your skills and talents on the worksheet provided.

Skills Worksheet

Use this page to make a list of skills that you feel you possess.

Skills gained from Skills gained from

       work experiences                    personal experiences


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Talents Worksheet

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Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire

DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs

Career Quest Determine Skills

Determine Skills

What skills you posses will be a big determining factor in what job you consider. If you have never been a brick mason it is not reasonable to believe that you can go out and instantly get a position as a master mason. If you wish to be a brick mason, you will need to develop the necessary skills in order to do that; either by working as an apprentice or by attending a vocational school which offers those types of courses.

For now let's consider what skills you already possess. Make a list on the worksheet provided of skills you feel you currently use in your work or in positions you have held in the past. Some of those might be typing, filing, ten-key, etc.

Next, write down skills you use in your everyday life such as organization. You could be surprised to realize just how organized you are to get three children to their various clubs and sports on time each day while also attending to the shopping, cleaning, laundry and meals.

Some of you have developed skills working as a shade-tree mechanic or leisure-time carpenter. Just because you have never received a salary for a task does not mean that you do not have the ability or skill to do the job. The same is true for skills you have acquired through volunteer work.

Let's talk a little about what a skill really is. A skill is a very basic activity that is one-dimensional and very focused. Skills are activities not ideas. A marketable skill is a skill that has a measurable value and can be marketed to an employer.

Skills vary from talents in that skills can be improved and developed and even learned. Talents can only be cultivated. To cultivate a talent you must develop the skills used in that talent. For instance, you may possess a talent to paint. To cultivate that talent you must practice or develop the skills used in painting. Some of those skills would be brush technique, color matching and blending, ability to transfer what is seen to the canvas and so on and so forth.

Someone with a natural talent for painting may not have to work quite as hard to develop their skill for painting as someone who has no discernable talent in that area. Someone without talent can learn the basic skills and can paint, but without a natural talent it may be more difficult.

You need to determine in what areas you feel you have a natural talent that you could cultivate and where you have developed or improved skills. When you begin to list your talents and skills, don't be modest. You need to be realistic and evaluate yourself honestly.

In teaching job search courses I have found that one of the most difficult parts of this process is for people to list their skills and talents. I repeatedly hear, "I don't have any." That's preposterous! Each task you have learned since you were a child is a skill of some kind. Each job you have had, each course you have taken has given you something.

God is the giver of talents. If you feel you don't posses any talents, get with God and ask him to show you where your talents lie. He has placed them there; he knows what they are. They may be undiscovered. You may have just not had the opportunity to uncover them. You might have a talent for music, but have never had the opportunity to play an instrument or take music lessons.

If God has given you a dream or a desire, the probability is high that he has also given you a talent and some skills to set you on the journey to that goal. They may be rough and few, but everyone has skills and talents. God will equip you for the call he has placed on your life.

Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire

DAY JOB LINKS...
Dreams Do Come True
Dragonfly In Amber Designs