African-Americans advised to work hard for success
Associated Press
OXFORD. Ohio (AP) ? Ask Bill
Madison how blacks can succeed in busi
iicss. and he has an almost distractingly
simple answer: Work hard.
Madison was a role model for blacks
even before that term entered mainstream
language. After graduating from collcge
in 19M he soldiered on into the corporate
world, even though opportumtfes for
blacks were extremely limited then. He
eventually became an executive with
Kroger Co., then after he retired he came
?to the Miami University campus where
he is a management instructor.
He has practical advice for blacks
trying to make it in a white world. For
starters, he says, put in long hours. "You
can talk about talent and competence, but
fundamentally students need to learn to
work hard."
Blacks should understand that many
business decisions are made in social set
tings, so those who won't socialize with
whites are putting themselves at a disad
vantage, he says. Learn to recognize key
social obligations. "And you need to be at
your very best."
He has some blunt words for men:
"The African-American male still has to
understand that certain behaviors that he
may regard as awl, manly or assertive
are perceived by others as arrogance, and
in some cases, as physically threatening." .
Making adjustments to get ahead
doesn't mean selling out, he says. Blacks
__can display their culture in many ways-~=^
from office furnishings to an appropriate
"fade" haircut.
"You maintain your heritage in your
home, church and with your friends, and
when you can identify people who are
open to understanding more about
African-American culture, you discuss it
and explain."
Black students have far wider
options now, and Madison counsels them
to look seriously at the technological,
marketing, advertising and financial
fields.
"In my generation, black students
were traditionally steered into personnel.
That was where the first open doors
weie, but today there are more choices."
And to white students, he points to
projections that indicate that by 2020, the
minorities of today will be a majority in
the schools.
"The first thing I suggest is that if the
predictions are true, what does that do to
you as an individual? It means that your
life will be different from what it was
like for your father or mother," he says.
White students shouldn't feel threat
ened by this demographic change but
rather look at it as an opportunity to
enrich tfieir experience, he says.
Tips for savvy job hunters
? The right approach, the right resume
? Do Your Homework
Employers want to know if you know
iheir language, especially when you're
describing functional qualifications you
believe a company is looking for. If your
resume specifies a career goal it should
indeed be specific about your target posi
tion and include any longer-range objective
you have within the company. Meaningless
generalizations about "a challenging posi
tion with room for growth" or wanting to
help an employer "achieve corporate goals"
is a tip-off that you haven't done your
homework.
? Be Honest!
An inflated or greatly exaggerated
claim of your responsibilities is bound to
come back to haunt you in an interviews,
so do not exaggerate your duties or level of
responsibility. Employers realize that most
recent graduates will not have vast job
experience. Your resume should accurately
express your level of experience, employ
ment maturity, and career direction in a
confident, controlled style.
? Emphasize Your Skills - Not Your Ego
Emphasize duties that reveal the
underlying story of your values, skills,
leadership, etc. ? even if they were those
of a minimal-level job. Avoid self-inflating
and meaningless terms like "excellent" and
"successfully" or "widely acclaimed. '^
Instead, use facts and figures to quantify
your achievements, such as number of peo
ple supervised, production levels reached,
dollars and cents saved. You should also
avoid using the first person pronoun. Try to
use a "voice" that gives the reader a feeling
that your credentials are quietly ? but very
convincingly ? speaking for themselves.
? Choose References Carefully
Unless you have a reference who is
very well known in the field you want to
enter, it is not customary to list references
on your resume. Simply stating that refer
ences are available on request us usually
sufficient. But you must have them ready.
Type them up separately and keep them
handy to present to a prospective supervi
sor or personnel department if requested
during an interview. It is important to
choose references who know your hack
ground adequately and whose level of cred
ibility is likely to improve your chances of
getting a job. Keep in mind that it's better
to have a credible, if not world famous, ref
erence speak highly of you than to have
some celebrity you barely know give you
lukewarm support.
? (Jet Help with Your Resum6
When you are satisfied with your First
version, show it to helpful associates, such
as your placement counselor, or friends and
relatives you may have in the field.
Compare it with other resumes. Get as
much feedback as you can and rewrite if
necessary. You might also consider choos
ing an alternate format and comparing the
two styles to see which you think is most
effective.
? Make a Sleek Presentation
Before you produce your resume,
proofread it thoroughly for errors. Then
proof it again. Typographical mistakes and
misspellings on your resume (or cover let
ter) can negate your job-hunting efforts in a
hurry. Make sure your layout is centered
and graphically pleasing. If you are typing
it yourself use a good typewriter and a
fresh ribbon for uniform darkness and qual
ity reproduction. A word processed resume
. lets you customize and reproduce very eas
ily. Use only good 8 1/2" x 11", bond paper
for all reproductions. Simple offset printing
of a hundred or so resumes provides good
quality and should cost less than $15.
Trying to attract attention with odd-sized or
colored stock is an obvious ploy unless you
are applying in art-or design-related fields
where your modifications may be consid
ered an indication of appropriate talents for
the job.
? Show Your Style
A well-written cover letter can make a
job applicant stand out in a number of
important ways. At the very least, a cover
letter is a simple courtesy that demonstrates
you care about the job and that you have
sufficient interest to inquire about it in a
businesslike manner. A naked resume, no
matter how packed with credentials, does
not have the same effect. And with a little
hit of effort, the customized cover letter is
a powerful attention getter.
A good cover letter, always directed to
the right person, should include why you
are writing that person, what your request
is. why your experience might help the per
son or company, and how you plan to fol
low up. You might take the opportunity to
quantify a unique job qualification with an
example of your sophistication or writing
ability. Cover letters also let you -highlight
important skills that may appear in another
format on your resume, and they certainly
allow you to tailor pitch to a specific joh or
functional area.
As with a resume, always use good
quality bond paper and printing equipment.
Customized cover letters are naturally easi
er to produce on word processing systems
if they are available.
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