© prentice hall, 2007 excellence in business communication, 7echapter 14 - 1 building careers and...

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 1

Building Careers and Building Careers and Writing RésumésWriting Résumés

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 2

Today’s Dynamic Today’s Dynamic WorkplaceWorkplace

• Career stability

• Lifetime employment

• “Job-hopping”

• Small businesses

• Independent contractors

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 3

How Employers View the How Employers View the Job MarketJob Market

• Financial trade-offs– Temporary workers– Independent contractors

• Economic uncertainty– Cheaper labor markets– Global recruiting

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 4

What Today’s What Today’s Employers RequireEmployers Require

• Flexibility and adaptability

• Life-long learning

• Teamwork skills

• Strong work records

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 5

What Today’sWhat Today’sEmployers RequireEmployers Require

• Leadership capabilities

• Diversified skills

• Varied experiences

• Multicultural and international

awareness

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 6

Adapting to the MarketAdapting to the Market

• What you want

• What you can offer

• Your workplace value

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 7

SpecificCompensation

Type ofOperation

CorporateCulture

Type ofOccupation

GeneralCareer Goals

Location

Nature of the Job

Size ofCompany

Facilities

What Do You Want?What Do You Want?

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 8

What Can You Offer?What Can You Offer?

• Personal achievements

• Educational preparation

• Work experience

• Extracurricular activities

• Personal characteristics

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 9

Increasing Your ValueIncreasing Your Value

• Employment portfolio

• Interim assignments

• Workplace skills

• Life-long learning

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 10

The Employment SearchThe Employment Search

• Build toward a career

• Prepare a résumé

• Understand the interview process

• Prepare for interview

• Take the interview

• Follow up and accept the offer

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 11

Employer Employer Recruiting PracticesRecruiting Practices

• Look inside the company

• Networking and personal references

• Employment agency or search firm

• Unsolicited résumés

• Newspaper want ads

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 12

Organizing Your Organizing Your ApproachApproach

• Track business news

• Monitor specific firms

• Build a network

• Seek counseling

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 13

Three-Step Résumé Three-Step Résumé ProcessProcess

• Planning

• Writing

• Completing

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 14

Planning Your RésuméPlanning Your Résumé

• Analyze audience and purpose

• Gather information

• Choose the best medium

• Organize content

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 15

““Red Flags” for Red Flags” for EmployersEmployers

• Frequent job changes

• Gaps in work history

• Level of experience

• Long-term with one company

• For-cause job termination

• Criminal or arrest record

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 16

Organizing Your ROrganizing Your Résuméésumé

• Chronological

• Functional

• Combination

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 17

Writing Your RWriting Your Résuméésumé

• Respect your résumé

• Take your time

• Review good models

• Minimize frustration

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 18

Keep the RKeep the Résumé Honestésumé Honest

• Workplace references

• Background checks

• Credit histories

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 19

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

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 20

Composing Your RComposing Your Résuméésumé

• Name and address

• Career objective or summary

• Academic credentials

• Employment history

• Activities and achievements

• Relevant personal data

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 21

Completing Your RCompleting Your Résuméésumé

• Revising

• Producing

• proofreading

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 22

Common Résumé Common Résumé ProblemsProblems

• Too long

• Too short

• Hard to read

• Wordy

• Too slick

• Amateurish

• Poorly produced

• Boastful

• Gimmicky

• Carelessly written

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 23

Producing Your RProducing Your Résuméésumé

• Printed traditional résumé

• Printed scannable résumé

• Electronic plain-text file

• MS Word file

• Online résumé

• Electronic PDF file

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 24

Printing Your RPrinting Your Résuméésumé

• Paper quality

• Overall length

• Formatting issues

• Objectives and key words

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 25

Digital RDigital Résumé Formatsésumé Formats

• Plain-text file

• MS Word file

• HTML format

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 26

Proofreading Your Proofreading Your RRésuméésumé

• Headings and lists

• Grammar and punctuation

• Spelling and word choice

• Paper and digital formats

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 27

Distributing Your Distributing Your RRésuméésumé

• Postal mail

• E-mail

• Fax machine

• Online

• Personal website

• Index service or job site