© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Building Careers and Writing Résumés

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Securing Employment in Today’s Job Market Understanding the employer’s approach Organizing your approach

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 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

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 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

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Organizing Your Approach Track business news Monitor financial news Research specific firms Build a network Seek career counseling

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Résumé Writing Process Planning Writing Completing

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Planning Your Résumé Identify audience and purpose Include pertinent information Determine the best medium Build on your strengths

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter What Employers Seek Results orientation Workplace achievements Versatility Signs of progress Standards of excellence Flexibility Communication skills

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Areas of Concern 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, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Organizing Your Résumé Chronological Functional Combination

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Writing Your Résumé Respect your résumé Take your time Review good models Minimize frustration

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Keep the Résumé Honest Workplace references Background checks Credit histories

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 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 Translate skills and experienceTranslate skills and experience Clarify educational achievementsClarify educational achievements

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Composing Your Résumé Name and address Career objective or summary Academic credentials Employment history Activities and achievements Relevant personal data

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Completing Your Résumé Revising Producing Proofreading

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Common Résumé Problems Wrong length Hard to read Wordy Too slick Poorly reproduced Amateurish Boastful Generic Gimmicky Carelessly written

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Producing Your Résumé Printed traditional résumé Printed scannable résumé Electronic plain-text file MS Word file HTML format PDF file

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Printing a Traditional Résumé High-quality paper Crisp, clear image

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Printing a Scannable Résumé Use sans-serif fonts Separate characters Avoid columns Avoid special characters Separate phone and Use plain white paper Identify all pages Include a keyword summary

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Digital Résumé Formats Plain-text file MS Word file HTML version PDF format

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Proofreading Your Résumé Headings and lists Grammar and punctuation Spelling and word choice Paper and digital formats

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter Distributing Your Résumé Postal mail Fax machine Online Personal website Index service or job site