dr. bill williamson | associate professor of professional and technical writing

professional development online

This website discusses strategies for entering the job market. Whether you are looking for entry-level work or looking to move from one job to another, this site provides you with advice I believe you will find useful. The site was developed and is maintained by Bill Williamson, Associate Professor English in Professional and Technical Writing at Saginaw Valley State University.

site organization

This site is comprised of six main divisions. Each is described briefly below. The navigation menu floating to the right of the screen allows instant navigation to any of these pages.

Overview. The Overview link will return you to this page.

Planning the Search. Planning the Search discusses strategies for conducting an organized job search. If you apply to more than two or three jobs, then planning is an essential stage.

Researching Jobs. Researching Jobs discusses locating job postings, reading job postings, and researching companies.

Developing a Profile. Developing a Profile discusses strategies for organizing information about you and making it readily available for your needs during the job search.

Designing the Resume. Designing the Resume covers issues of document design, including writing an effective resume, laying out information, deciding on resume length, and other such issues.

Sample Resumes. Sample Resumes introduces sample resumes for you to review. They do not all necessarily represent exemplary design, but each is strong in some regard.

Writing Cover Letters. Writing Cover Letters offers guidelines for communicating effectively in the letter that introduces you and your resume to potential employers.

Cover Letter Template. Although I do not provide sample cover letters at the moment, I do offer a template for structuring such letters. This link allows you to download it directly in pdf form.

why listen to me?

I have monitored issues in professional development since 1989, when I began a resume design service "on the side" to help finance my undergraduate degree. Since then, I have worked with a variety of clients, including teachers, engineers, scientists, business people, and others both from industry and the academy.

Am I an expert? That depends. This is not my life's work or my sole occupation; but I have accumulated significant expertise from working with people, reading about changes in the job search process, and generally staying conscious of trends in our professional society. Perhaps the most important item of everything I've learned is to be suspicious of people who say they have all the answers; that is usually a signal that their knowledge is too narrow or out of date. The job market is not something you can master. And no one is qualified to offer guarantees of success. There are simply too many variables to consider.

So why listen to me? Because I do know something about the job-search process, and I am always looking to share what I know and to learn more.

anecdotal information

I am interested in gathering anecdotal information about job searches across the disciplines. If you are willing to share your success (or lack of success) stories, please email me at wwilliam@svsu.edu.