© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 1
Searching for Searching for Employment and Employment and
Writing Employment Writing Employment MessagesMessages
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 2
Today’s Today’s WorkplaceWorkplace
•Globalization
•Technology
•Workforce Diversity
•Information Overload
•Teams & Workgroups
•Deregulation
•Downsizing
•Shareholder Activism
•Mergers & Acquisitions
•Flexible Employment
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 3
What Today’s What Today’s Employers RequireEmployers Require
Flexibility Flexibility and Adaptabilityand Adaptability
Life-Long LearningLife-Long Learning
Teamwork SkillsTeamwork Skills
Strong Work RecordsStrong Work Records
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 4
What Today’s What Today’s Employers RequireEmployers Require
Leadership CapabilitiesLeadership Capabilities
Diversified SkillsDiversified Skills
Varied ExperiencesVaried Experiences
Multicultural and Multicultural and International AwarenessInternational Awareness
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 5
What Can You Offer?What Can You Offer?
• Personal achievements
• Educational preparation
• Work experience
• Extracurricular activities
• Personal characteristics
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 6
SpecificSpecificCompensationCompensation
Type ofType ofOperationOperation
CorporateCorporateCultureCulture
Type ofType ofOccupationOccupation
GeneralGeneralCareer GoalsCareer Goals
LocationLocation
Nature ofNature ofthe Jobthe Job
Size ofSize ofCompanyCompany
FacilitiesFacilities
What Do You Want To What Do You Want To Do?Do?
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 7
Building Your CareerBuilding Your Career
Employment PortfolioEmployment Portfolio
Interim AssignmentsInterim Assignments
Workplace SkillsWorkplace Skills
Life-Long LearningLife-Long Learning
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 8
The Employment The Employment SearchSearch
BuildToward Career
BuildToward Career
1
PrepareRésuméPrepareRésumé
2
Preparefor Interview
Preparefor Interview
4
UnderstandInterview Process
UnderstandInterview Process
3
Take theInterviewTake theInterview
5Follow Up
and AcceptOffer
Follow Upand Accept
Offer
6
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 9
Employer Recruiting Employer Recruiting PracticesPractices
Employer Recruiting Employer Recruiting PracticesPractices
NetworkingNetworkingand Personaland PersonalReferencesReferences
Look InsideLook Insidethe Companythe Company
UnsolicitedUnsolicitedRRésumésésumés
NewspaperNewspaperWant AdsWant Ads
EmploymentEmploymentAgency orAgency or
Search FirmSearch Firm
Most Preferred
LeastPreferred
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 10
Organizing Your Organizing Your ApproachApproach
Monitor Business NewsMonitor Business News
Research Specific FirmsResearch Specific Firms
Build a NetworkBuild a Network
Seek Career CounselingSeek Career Counseling
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 11
Three-Step Three-Step RésuméRésumé Process Process
PlanningPlanningPlanningPlanning
AnalyzeAnalyze
InvestigateInvestigate
AdaptAdapt
AnalyzeAnalyze
InvestigateInvestigate
AdaptAdapt
WritingWritingWritingWriting
OrganizeOrganize
FormatFormat
ComposeCompose
OrganizeOrganize
FormatFormat
ComposeCompose
CompletingCompletingCompletingCompleting
ReviseRevise
ProduceProduce
ProofreadProofread
ReviseRevise
ProduceProduce
ProofreadProofread
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 12
Planning Your RésuméPlanning Your Résumé
AudienceAudience
Purp
ose
Purp
ose Purpose
Purpose
InformationInformationInformationInformation AdaptationAdaptationAdaptationAdaptation
AudienceAudience
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 13
What Employers SeekWhat Employers Seek
• Results orientation
• Workplace achievements
• Versatility
• Signs of progress
• Standards of excellence
• Flexibility
• Communication skills
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 14
Areas of ConcernAreas of Concern
• Frequent job changes
• Gaps in work history
• Inexperience
• Being “overqualified”
• Long-term with one company
• For-cause job termination
• Criminal record
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 15
Organizing RésumésOrganizing Résumés
ChronologicalChronologicalRésuméRésumé
ChronologicalChronologicalRésuméRésumé
FunctionalFunctionalRésuméRésumé
FunctionalFunctionalRésuméRésumé
CombinationCombinationRésuméRésumé
CombinationCombinationRésuméRésumé
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 16
Résumé Résumé ComponentsComponents
Résumé Résumé ComponentsComponents
Name andName andAddressAddress
Career ObjectiveCareer Objectiveor Summaryor Summary
EmploymentEmploymentHistoryHistory
Activities and Activities and AchievementsAchievements
AcademicAcademicCredentialsCredentials
RelevantRelevantPersonal DataPersonal Data
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 17
Common Common Résumé ProblemsRésumé Problems
• Inappropriate lengthInappropriate length
• Hard to readHard to read
• WordyWordy
• Too slickToo slick
• Poorly reproducedPoorly reproduced
• AmateurishAmateurish
• BoastfulBoastful
• DishonestDishonest
• GimmickyGimmicky
• Carelessly writtenCarelessly written
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 18
Producing Producing Chronological RésumésChronological Résumés
Use Use ActionActionWordsWords
Use Use ActionActionWordsWords
CareerCareerObjectiveObjectiveSectionSection
CareerCareerObjectiveObjectiveSectionSection
EducationEducationSectionSection
EducationEducationSectionSection
WorkWorkExperienceExperience
SEctionSEction
WorkWorkExperienceExperience
SEctionSEction
PersonalPersonalSectionSection
PersonalPersonalSectionSection
No ReferencesNo ReferencesSectionSection
No ReferencesNo ReferencesSectionSection
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 19
PrintedPrinted
ASCII-TextASCII-Text
HTML-CodedHTML-Coded
Résumé FormatsRésumé Formats
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 20
Producing Producing ScannableScannable RésumésRésumés
ASCIIASCIIFormatFormatASCIIASCII
FormatFormat
KeyKeyWordsWords
KeyKeyWordsWords
DocumentDocumentDesignDesign
DocumentDocumentDesignDesign
BuzzwordsBuzzwordsand Jargonand JargonBuzzwordsBuzzwordsand Jargonand Jargon
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 21
Submitting Submitting Scannable RésumésScannable Résumés
PostalMail
FaxMachine
E-mailor Online
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 22
SubmittingSubmittingOn-Line RésumésOn-Line Résumés
Personal WebsitesPersonal Websites
Index Services
Index Services
ASCIIVersionASCII
VersionEmploymentInformation
EmploymentInformationReferencesReferencesPersonal
InformationPersonal
Information
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 23
Writing Writing Application Application LettersLetters
Writing Writing Application Application LettersLetters
Keep E-mailKeep E-mailShortShort
Keep E-mailKeep E-mailShortShort
Be SpecificBe SpecificBe SpecificBe Specific
Aim forAim forHigh QualityHigh Quality
Aim forAim forHigh QualityHigh Quality
Include SalaryInclude SalaryInclude SalaryInclude Salary
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 24
Types of Application Types of Application LettersLetters
Types of Application Types of Application LettersLetters
Getting Getting AttentionAttentionGetting Getting AttentionAttention
Building Building InterestInterestBuilding Building InterestInterest
Increasing Increasing DesireDesireIncreasing Increasing DesireDesire
Motivating Motivating ActionActionMotivating Motivating ActionAction
SolicitedSolicited UnsolicitedUnsolicited
© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 25
Cultural Cultural ConsiderationsConsiderations
The Right Styleand Approach
Proper Toneand Format