© 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
• Fax machine
• Online
• Personal website
• Index service or job site