Technical Communication for the Job Applicant By: Steven Johnson Alex Pham Sam Redman

Contents  Introduction  Resume Building/Submitting  Networking  Interviewing  Bibliography

Introduction  After much brainstorming, our group decided that the most valuable thing technical communications students should know is how to search for and apply for a job.

Introduction  According to a study done by Chegg, one of the biggest online college textbook stores, students who just have graduate degrees with no work experience don’t have the basic skills necessary to join the work force. Background

 Employers complain that our generation of students lack soft skills. Soft skills are things like communication, teamwork, professionalism and critical thinking when it comes to the workplace. Introduction

Fundamentals For Every Resume Be the 3 C’s  Consistent  Same font used through-out  Show good punctuation  Concise  Only have relevant information  All information in an efficient manner  Clear  Easy to read  Understandable and logical Resumes

What can be on a Resume  Contact information  Objective statement  Summary of qualifications  Work history  Education  Special skills  Goals  References Resumes

Objective Statements  Shows employer that you are familiar with the field  Shows that you have direction and purpose  Example:  “Obtain a position at XYZ Company where I can maximize my management skills, quality assurance, program development, and training experience” Resumes

Action Verbs  Make sentences more Consistent, Concise, and Clear  Are much more persuasive and powerful  An example with a non-action verb  Was the boss of a team of six service employees  An example with an action verb  Supervised a team of six service employees Below is a website with a list of Action verbs /files/Resume_Action_Verbs.pdf Resumes

Types of Resume Outlines  Chronological  List of work history reverse chronological order  Education, skills, and other information listed after  Good if you have plenty of work history and easy for employers  Functional  Focuses on skills on experiences  Good for youth or people will either a short or sporadic work history  Combination  First list Skills and Experiences  Second show work history  Targeted  Specifically gear your resume to one job  Show skills, experiences that match job  You can have targeted functional or Combination resumes Resumes

Networking in a Nutshell  In a literal sense: -to connect and operate in a network  Regarding career building: -broadening the possibility of an occupation by means of social communication Networking

Use personal relationships for references  Contact references to affirm that they agree to be your reference  Describe your goals and why you seek their assistance  Keep them informed on your job search progress  Prepare them for calls with potential employers  Be sure to thank them for whatever outcome Networking

Evaluate your network  Are the people within your network helpful and trustworthy?  Could they come to you with their own occupational requests?  Are you constantly expanding your personal network? Networking

Applying it to Yourself  Anyone who has day to day social interactions is susceptible to networking.  Friends  Family  Past/Present coworkers  Elders  Social media Networking

Communication is Key  Be conscious of connections  Could be anyone who will give you the necessary connection to acquire the career you want. Networking

Interviewing  After an employer reads your resume, they will contact you for an interview. This is an important step in the process of becoming employed because this is when you will make the first impression to your potential employer. Employers will read many resumes that are very similar. They interview people to see how they really are.

Preparation  Review Common Interview Questions  Mock Interviews  Professional Dress  Company Research Interviewing

During the Interview  Arrive Early  Shake Employers Hand  Greet and Introduce  Stay Calm Interviewing

Technical Communication Advancements  Phone Interviews: Many companies are implementing this type of interview to see if you do well with talking to people on the phone, they are not looking to see if you can dress nice. If you pass this interview, a follow up interview will be in order.  Webcam Interviews: Many companies that are long distances will do their interviews like this. You will have to dress nice and be able to use basic technology.  Behavioral Interview Questions: These are becoming more common in interviews. These are questions where they give you a customer service situation and ask what you would do. Interviewing

Bibliography  Networking  More Networking  ways-to-find-your-next-job/Job searching ways-to-find-your-next-job/  Sample Resume  Resume Writing  More Resume  college-degree/ / students not prepared for workforce. college-degree/ /  soft skills  Interviewing