Chapter 14 - 1

Building Careers and Building Careers and Writing RésumésWriting Résumés

Chapter 14 - 2

ContentsContents

• Securing Employment in Today’s Job Market

• Preparing Resumes

Chapter 14 - 3

Securing Employment in Securing Employment in Today’s Job MarketToday’s Job Market

Understanding theEmployer’s Approach

Understanding theEmployer’s Approach

OrganizingYour Approach

OrganizingYour Approach

Chapter 14 - 4

The Job Search ProcessThe Job Search Process

Build Toward Career

Build Toward Career

Prepare Résumé

Prepare Résumé

Understandthe Process

Understandthe Process

Preparefor Interview

Preparefor Interview

CompleteInterview

CompleteInterview

Follow Upand Accept Job

Follow Upand Accept Job

1 2 3

4 5 6

Chapter 14 - 5

How Employers How Employers Approach the Recruiting Approach the Recruiting

ProcessProcess

Inside the Inside the CompanyCompany

Most Preferred

LeastPreferred

PersonalPersonalReferencesReferences

EmploymentEmploymentAgencyAgency

UnsolicitedUnsolicitedRésumésRésumés

Solicited Solicited RésumésRésumés

Chapter 14 - 6

Organizing Your Organizing Your ApproachApproach

Monitor Business News

Research Specific Firms

Participate In Networking

Seek Career Counseling

Chapter 14 - 7

Three-Step Résumé Three-Step Résumé ProcessProcess

Analyze SituationAnalyze Situation

Gather InformationGather Information

Select MediumSelect Medium

Get OrganizedGet Organized

ReviseRevise

ProduceProduce

ProofreadProofread

DistributeDistribute

Adapt to the Audience

Adapt to the Audience

Composethe Message

Composethe Message

PlanningPlanning CompletingCompletingWritingWriting

Chapter 14 - 8

Chapter 14 - 9

Planning Your RésuméPlanning Your Résumé

Purpose and AudiencePurpose and Audience InformationInformation

Résumé MediumRésumé Medium OrganizationOrganization

Chapter 14 - 10

Analyze Audience and Analyze Audience and PurposePurpose

The RésuméThe Résumé

Target CompanyTarget Company

Hiring ManagerHiring Manager

InterestEmployer

PersuadeEmployer

WrittenSummary

StructuredSummary

Chapter 14 - 11

Gather InformationGather Information

Personal ExperiencePersonal ExperiencePersonal ExperiencePersonal Experience

Education BackgroundEducation BackgroundEducation BackgroundEducation Background

Employment HistoryEmployment HistoryEmployment HistoryEmployment History

Chapter 14 - 12

Choose the MediumChoose the Medium

Word Document

Word Document Plain-TextPlain-Text

PowerPointPowerPoint MultimediaMultimedia Plain PaperPlain Paper

Chapter 14 - 13

Organize the Organize the Résumé Résumé

Results OrientedResults Oriented

Career ProgressCareer Progress High StandardsHigh Standards

FlexibilityFlexibility CommunicationCommunication

Well RoundedWell Rounded

Chapter 14 - 14

Common Résumé IssuesCommon Résumé Issues

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

Chapter 14 - 15

Common Résumé IssuesCommon Résumé Issues

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

Chapter 14 - 16

Typical Résumé Typical Résumé FormatsFormats

PersonalBackground

PersonalObjectives

Chronological Combination Functional

Work HistoryEducational Level

Skills andAccomplishments

Chapter 14 - 17

Writing Your RésuméWriting Your Résumé

Take Your TimeTake Your Time

Review Good ModelsReview Good Models

Minimize FrustrationMinimize Frustration

Respect Your RésuméRespect Your Résumé

Chapter 14 - 18

Keep the Résumé Keep the Résumé HonestHonest

Service Providers

InterviewQuestions

Professional Recruiters

Workplace ReferencesWorkplace References

Background ChecksBackground Checks

Credit HistoriesCredit Histories

Chapter 14 - 19

Adapting to the Adapting to the AudienceAudience

Consider Employer’s PerspectiveConsider Employer’s Perspective

Link Accomplishments to PotentialLink Accomplishments to Potential

Translate Skills and ExperienceTranslate Skills and Experience

Clarify Educational AchievementsClarify Educational Achievements

Chapter 14 - 20

Composing Your Composing Your RésuméRésumé

ContactInformation

ContactInformation

IntroductoryStatement

IntroductoryStatement

EducationalBackground

EducationalBackground

EmploymentHistory

EmploymentHistory

Activities andAchievements

Activities andAchievements

RelevantPersonal Data

RelevantPersonal Data

Chapter 14 - 21

Summary of qualifications:Summary of qualifications: Ten years of experience in commission selling, Ten years of experience in commission selling, consistently meeting or exceeded sales goals consistently meeting or exceeded sales goals through creative lead generation, effective through creative lead generation, effective closing techniques, and solid customer closing techniques, and solid customer service.service.

Chapter 14 - 22

Completing Your Completing Your RésuméRésumé

RevisingRevising

ProducingProducing

ProofreadingProofreading

Chapter 14 - 23

Typical Résumé Typical Résumé ProblemsProblems

Long or WordyLong or WordyLong or WordyLong or Wordy

Difficult to ReadDifficult to ReadDifficult to ReadDifficult to Read

Poorly ProducedPoorly ProducedPoorly ProducedPoorly Produced

Boastful ToneBoastful ToneBoastful ToneBoastful Tone

Short or SketchyShort or SketchyShort or SketchyShort or Sketchy

AmateurishAmateurishAmateurishAmateurish

Writing ProblemsWriting ProblemsWriting ProblemsWriting Problems

Gimmicky DesignGimmicky DesignGimmicky DesignGimmicky Design

Chapter 14 - 24

Producing Your Producing Your RésuméRésumé

Design ElementsDesign ElementsKeep ItSimple

AvoidExcess

HardcopyRésumé

HardcopyRésumé

ScannableRésumé

ScannableRésumé

Plain TextFile

Plain TextFile

PDF FilePDF FileMS WordFile

MS WordFile

HTMLFormatHTMLFormat

Chapter 14 - 25

Traditional Printed Traditional Printed RésuméRésumé

High-QualityHigh-QualityPaperPaper

High-QualityHigh-QualityPaperPaper

ProfessionalProfessionalImageImage

ProfessionalProfessionalImageImage

Chapter 14 - 26

Printed Scannable Printed Scannable RésuméRésumé

OCR SoftwareOCR Software

Résumé LengthRésumé Length

Keyword SummaryKeyword Summary

Chapter 14 - 27

Digital Résumé Digital Résumé FormatsFormats

Plain-TextPlain-Text MS WordMS Word

PDF FormatPDF FormatHTML VersionHTML Version

Chapter 14 - 28

Proofreading the Proofreading the RésuméRésumé

Strive forPerfection

Attend tothe Details

Paper and Digital FormatsPaper and Digital Formats

Spelling and Word ChoiceSpelling and Word Choice

Grammar and PunctuationGrammar and Punctuation

Headings and ListsHeadings and Lists

Chapter 14 - 29

Distributing Your Distributing Your RésuméRésumé

PostalMail

PostalMail

FaxMachine

FaxMachine E-MailE-Mail

Chapter 14 - 30

Posting Résumés Posting Résumés OnlineOnline

Personal E-Portfolio

Personal Website

Social Networking

Chapter 14 - 31

Posting Résumés Posting Résumés OnlineOnline

General Websites

Specialized Websites

Staffing Services

Chapter 14 - 32

Building Careers and Building Careers and Writing RésumésWriting Résumés