Slide MGT310 Slide14

Building Careers and

Writing Résumés

Securing Employment in Today’s Job

Market

Employment Search Process

1. Build toward a career

2. Prepare a résumé

3. Understand the interview process

4. Prepare for interview

5. Take the interview

6. Follow up and accept the offer

Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 3

Employer’s Approach

to the Recruiting Process

 _{Look inside the company}

 _{Networking and personal references}

 _{Employment agency or search firm}

 _{Unsolicited résumés}

 _{Newspaper want ads}

Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 4

Organizing Your Approach

 _{Track business news}

 _{Monitor financial news}

 _{Research specific firms}

 _{Build a network}

 _{Seek career counseling}

Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 5

Three-Step Résumé Process

 _Planning

 _Writing

 _Completing

Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 6

Planning Your Résumé

 _{Identify audience and purpose}

 _{Include pertinent information}

 _{Determine the best medium}

 _{Build on your strengths}

Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 7

What Employers Seek

 _{Results orientation}

 _{Workplace achievements}  _Versatility

 _{Signs of progress}

 _{Standards of excellence}  _Flexibility

 _{Communication skills}

Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 8

Areas of Concern

 _{Frequent job changes}  _{Gaps in work history}  _{Level of experience}

 _{Long-term with one company}  _{For-cause job termination}

Organizing Your Résumé

 _{Chronological}

 _Functional

Writing Your Résumé

 _{Respect your résumé}

 _{Take your time}

 _{Review good models}

Keep the Résumé Honest

 _{Workplace references}

 _{Background checks}

Adapting to the Audience

 _{Consider the employer’s perspectiveConsider the employer’s perspective}  _{Build on past accomplishmentsBuild on past accomplishments}

 _{Stress your future potentialStress your future potential}

Composing Your Résumé

 _{Name and address}

 _{Career objective or summary}  _{Academic credentials}

 _{Employment history}

Completing Your Résumé

Common Résumé Problems



Wrong length



Hard to read



Wordy



Too slick



Poorly reproduced



Amateurish



Boastful



Generic



Gimmicky



Carelessly written

Producing Your Résumé

 _{Printed traditional résumé}

 _{Printed scannable résumé}

 _{Electronic plain-text file}

 _{MS Word file}

 _{HTML format}

Printing a Traditional

Résumé

Printing a Scannable

Résumé



Use sans-serif fonts



Separate characters



Avoid columns



Avoid special characters



Separate phone and email



Use plain white paper



Identify all pages

Digital Résumé Formats

 _{Plain-text file}

 _{MS Word file}

 _{HTML version}

Proofreading Your

Résumé

 _{Headings and lists}

 _{Grammar and punctuation}

 _{Spelling and word choice}

 _{Paper and digital formats}

Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 21

Distributing Your

Résumé

 _{Postal mail}

 _E-mail

 _{Fax machine}

 _Online

 _{Personal website}