© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Building Careers and Writing Résumés

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Today’s Dynamic Workplace Career stability Lifetime employment “Job-hopping” Small businesses Independent contractors

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter How Employers View the Job Market Financial trade-offs –Temporary workers –Independent contractors Economic uncertainty –Cheaper labor markets –Global recruiting

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter What Today’s Employers Require Flexibility and adaptability Life-long learning Teamwork skills Strong work records

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter What Today’s Employers Require Leadership capabilities Diversified skills Varied experiences Multicultural and international awareness

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Adapting to the Market What you want What you can offer Your workplace value

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Specific Compensation Type of Operation Corporate Culture Type of Occupation General Career Goals Location Nature of the Job Size of Company Facilities What Do You Want?

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter What Can You Offer? Personal achievements Educational preparation Work experience Extracurricular activities Personal characteristics

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Increasing Your Value Employment portfolio Interim assignments Workplace skills Life-long learning

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter The 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, 7eChapter Employer Recruiting 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, 7eChapter Organizing Your Approach Track business news Monitor specific firms Build a network Seek counseling

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Three-Step Résumé Process Planning Writing Completing

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Planning Your Résumé Analyze audience and purpose Gather information Choose the best medium Organize content

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter “Red Flags” for Employers 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, 7eChapter Organizing Your Résumé Chronological Functional Combination

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Writing Your Résumé Respect your résumé Take your time Review good models Minimize frustration

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Keep the Résumé Honest Workplace references Background checks Credit histories

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter 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, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Composing Your Résumé Name and address Career objective or summary Academic credentials Employment history Activities and achievements Relevant personal data

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Completing Your Résumé Revising Producing proofreading

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Common Résumé Problems Too long Too short Hard to read Wordy Too slick Amateurish Poorly produced Boastful Gimmicky Carelessly written

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Producing Your Résumé 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, 7eChapter Printing Your Résumé Paper quality Overall length Formatting issues Objectives and key words

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Digital Résumé Formats Plain-text file MS Word file HTML format

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Proofreading Your Résumé Headings and lists Grammar and punctuation Spelling and word choice Paper and digital formats

© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7eChapter Distributing Your Résumé Postal mail Fax machine Online Personal website Index service or job site