© Prentice Hall, 2007 Business Communication Essentials, 3eChapter 13 - 1 Building Careers and Writing Résumés

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Business Communication Essentials, 3e Chapter 13 - 1

Building Careers and Building Careers and Writing RWriting Résumésésumés

Building Careers and Building Careers and Writing RWriting Résumésésumés


Today’s Dynamic Today’s Dynamic WorkplaceWorkplace

Career StabilityCareer Stability

Lifetime EmploymentLifetime Employment

Small BusinessesSmall Businesses

Independent ContractorsIndependent Contractors

http://www.eeoc.gov/





How Employers View the How Employers View the Job MarketJob Market

TemporaryTemporaryWorkersWorkers

TemporaryTemporaryWorkersWorkers

IndependentIndependentContractorsContractors

IndependentIndependentContractorsContractors

CheaperCheaperLabor MarketsLabor Markets

CheaperCheaperLabor MarketsLabor Markets

GlobalGlobalRecruitingRecruitingGlobalGlobal

RecruitingRecruiting

FinancialTrade-Offs

FinancialTrade-Offs

EconomicUncertainty

EconomicUncertainty


What Today’s What Today’s Employers RequireEmployers Require

FlexibilityFlexibility

Life-Long LearningLife-Long Learning

Teamwork SkillsTeamwork Skills

Strong Work RecordsStrong Work Records


What Today’s What Today’s Employers RequireEmployers Require

Leadership CapabilitiesLeadership Capabilities

Diversified SkillsDiversified Skills

Varied ExperiencesVaried Experiences

Multicultural AwarenessMulticultural Awareness


Adapting to the MarketAdapting to the Market

What You Want

What You Offer

Workplace Value


SpecificSpecificCompensationCompensation

SpecificSpecificCompensationCompensation

Type ofType ofOperationOperationType ofType of

OperationOperation

CorporateCorporateCultureCulture

CorporateCorporateCultureCulture

Type ofType ofOccupationOccupation

Type ofType ofOccupationOccupation

GeneralGeneralCareer GoalsCareer Goals

GeneralGeneralCareer GoalsCareer Goals

LocationLocationLocationLocation

Nature Nature of the Jobof the JobNature Nature

of the Jobof the Job

Size ofSize ofCompanyCompanySize ofSize of

CompanyCompany

FacilitiesFacilitiesFacilitiesFacilities

What Do You Want?What Do You Want?


What Can You Offer?What Can You Offer?

• Personal achievements

• Educational preparation

• Work experience

• Extracurricular activities

• Personal characteristics


Increasing Your ValueIncreasing Your Value

Employment PortfolioEmployment Portfolio

Interim AssignmentsInterim Assignments

Workplace SkillsWorkplace Skills

Life-Long LearningLife-Long Learning


The Employment The Employment SearchSearch

BuildToward Career

BuildToward Career

1

PrepareRésumé

PrepareRésumé

2

Preparefor Interview

Preparefor Interview

4

UnderstandInterview Process

UnderstandInterview Process

3

Take theInterview

Take theInterview

5Follow Up

and AcceptOffer

Follow Upand Accept

Offer

6


Employers’ Approach to Employers’ Approach to Recruiting ProcessRecruiting Process

Employers’ Approach to Employers’ Approach to Recruiting ProcessRecruiting Process

NetworkingNetworkingand Personaland PersonalReferencesReferences

Look InsideLook Insidethe Companythe Company

UnsolicitedUnsolicitedRRésumésésumés

NewspaperNewspaperWant AdsWant Ads

EmploymentEmploymentAgency orAgency or

Search FirmSearch Firm

Most Preferred

LeastPreferred


Organizing Your Organizing Your ApproachApproach

Track Business NewsTrack Business NewsTrack Business NewsTrack Business News

Monitor Specific FirmsMonitor Specific FirmsMonitor Specific FirmsMonitor Specific Firms

Build a NetworkBuild a NetworkBuild a NetworkBuild a Network

Seek CounselingSeek CounselingSeek CounselingSeek Counseling


Planning Writing Completing

Analyze SituationAnalyze Situation

Gather InformationGather Information

Select MediumSelect Medium

Get OrganizedGet Organized

ReviseRevise

ProduceProduce

ProofreadProofread

DistributeDistribute

Analyze the Audience

Analyze the Audience

Composethe MessageCompose

the Message

Three-Step Writing Three-Step Writing ProcessProcess


Planning Your RPlanning Your Résuméésumé

Analyze Audience/PurposeAnalyze Audience/Purpose

Gather InformationGather Information

Choose the Best MediumChoose the Best Medium

Organize ContentOrganize Content


““Red Flags” for Red Flags” for EmployersEmployers

Frequent Job ChangesFrequent Job ChangesFrequent Job ChangesFrequent Job Changes

Gaps in Work HistoryGaps in Work HistoryGaps in Work HistoryGaps in Work History

Level of ExperienceLevel of ExperienceLevel of ExperienceLevel of Experience


““Red Flags” for Red Flags” for EmployersEmployers

Long-Term w/One FirmLong-Term w/One FirmLong-Term w/One FirmLong-Term w/One Firm

For-Cause TerminationFor-Cause TerminationFor-Cause TerminationFor-Cause Termination

Criminal RecordCriminal RecordCriminal RecordCriminal Record


Organizing Your Organizing Your RRésuméésumé

PersonalBackground

PersonalObjectives

Work HistoryEducational Level

Skills andAccomplishments

Chronological Combination Functional


Writing Your RWriting Your Résuméésumé

Take Your TimeTake Your Time

Review Good ModelsReview Good Models

Minimize FrustrationMinimize Frustration

Respect Your RésuméRespect Your Résumé


Keep the RKeep the Résumé ésumé HonestHonest

Workplace ReferencesWorkplace ReferencesWorkplace ReferencesWorkplace References

Background ChecksBackground ChecksBackground ChecksBackground Checks

Credit HistoriesCredit HistoriesCredit HistoriesCredit Histories


Adapting to the Adapting to the AudienceAudience

• Consider the employer’s perspectiveConsider the employer’s perspective

• Build on past accomplishmentsBuild on past accomplishments

• Stress your future potentialStress your future potential

• Translate skills and experienceTranslate skills and experience

• Clarify educational achievementsClarify educational achievements


Composing Your Composing Your RésuméRésumé

Composing Your Composing Your RésuméRésumé

Name andName andAddressAddress

Name andName andAddressAddress

Career ObjectiveCareer Objectiveor Summaryor Summary

Career ObjectiveCareer Objectiveor Summaryor Summary

EmploymentEmploymentHistoryHistory

EmploymentEmploymentHistoryHistory

Activities and Activities and AchievementsAchievements

Activities and Activities and AchievementsAchievements

AcademicAcademicCredentialsCredentials

AcademicAcademicCredentialsCredentials

RelevantRelevantPersonal DataPersonal Data

RelevantRelevantPersonal DataPersonal Data


Completing Your Completing Your RésuméRésumé

RevisingRevisingRevisingRevising

ProducingProducingProducingProducing

ProofreadingProofreadingProofreadingProofreading


Common Résumé Common Résumé ProblemsProblems

• Too long

• Too short

• Hard to read

• Poorly written

• Uninformed

• Spelling

• Grammar

• Poor quality

• Boastful

• Gimmicky


Producing Your RProducing Your Résuméésumé

Printed Printed Traditional RTraditional Résumé

Printed Printed Traditional RTraditional Résumé

Printed Printed Scannable RScannable Résumé

Printed Printed Scannable RScannable Résumé

ElectronicElectronicPlain-Text FilePlain-Text File

ElectronicElectronicPlain-Text FilePlain-Text File MS Word FileMS Word FileMS Word FileMS Word File

HTML FormatHTML FormatHTML FormatHTML Format Electronic PDF FileElectronic PDF FileElectronic PDF FileElectronic PDF File


Printing a Traditional Printing a Traditional RRésuméésumé

High-QualityHigh-QualityPaperPaper

High-QualityHigh-QualityPaperPaper

ProfessionalProfessionalImageImage

ProfessionalProfessionalImageImage


Printing a Scannable Printing a Scannable RRésuméésumé

Separate All CharactersSeparate All Characters

Avoid Special CharactersAvoid Special Characters

Use Plain White PaperUse Plain White Paper

Use a Keyword SummaryUse a Keyword Summary

Use Sans-Serif FontsUse Sans-Serif Fonts

Avoid ColumnsAvoid Columns

Separate Phone and EmailSeparate Phone and Email

Identify All PagesIdentify All Pages


Digital RDigital Résumé Formatsésumé Formats

Plain-Text FilePlain-Text File

MS Word FileMS Word File

HTML VersionHTML Version

PDF FormatPDF Format


Proofreading Your Proofreading Your RRésuméésumé

Headings and listsHeadings and lists

Grammar and punctuationGrammar and punctuation

Spelling and word choiceSpelling and word choice

Paper and digital formatsPaper and digital formats


Distributing Your Distributing Your RRésuméésumé

PostalMail

PostalMail

FaxMachine

FaxMachine E-MailE-Mail


Distributing Your Distributing Your RRésuméésumé

OnlineSubmission

OnlineSubmission

PersonalWebsitesPersonalWebsites

Index ServiceOr Job Site

Index ServiceOr Job Site


Reviewing Key Reviewing Key PointsPoints

• Adapting to the workplace

• Searching for employment

• Preparing effective résumés

• Preparing employment messages

Documents

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Business Communication Essentials, 3eChapter 13 - 1 Building Careers and Writing Résumés