1. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Chapter 18 Employment Correspondence Technical Communication, 11th Edition John M. Lannon

2. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Prospecting for Jobs  Assess your skills and aptitudes.  Research the job market.  Search online  Learn to network.

3. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Preparing a Résumé  Typical Components  Contact information  Job and career objectives  Education  Work experience  Personal data  Personal interests, awards, and skills  References  Portfolio  Used in some professions to provide work samples

4. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Organizing a Résumé  Organize your résumé to highlight your qualifications in the best possible way Reverse chronological order Functional Combination

5. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Guidelines for Résumés  Begin résumé well before your job search  Try to limit your resume to a single page  Use high quality paper in a professional color  Stick to relevant experience  Never invent credentials  Do not discuss salary  Avoid complete sentences  Use action verbs and key words  Use punctuation to clarify and emphasize  Proofread, Proofread, Proofread

6. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Job Application Letter  Include a cover letter with each résumé  Give yourself a likeable image  Target your letter to a specific opportunity  Two types  Solicited  Unsolicited

7. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Format of Cover Letters Solicited  Introduction  State job you are applying for, where you saw it advertised, one sentence summary of yourself  Body  Without simply repeating your resume, point out your best qualifications, using specific examples  Conclusion  Restate interest and request interview Unsolicited  Introduction  Prepare an attention- grabbing opening and address letter to a specific person.  Body  Without simply repeating your resume, point out your best qualifications, using specific examples  Conclusion  Restate interest and request interview

8. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Electronic Job Hunting  Most U.S. employers encourage candidates to submit online resumes  Electronic scanning of résumés  Searches for keywords to select interviewees

9. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Electronic Resumes Email Résumés  Directly as email text  Be careful to reformat, use space bar instead of tabs, end each line by hitting the enter key  Attach a File  Check with the potential employer to see what formats they will accept. ASCII Résumés  Also called a “Text File.”  Can be read by any computer. Searchable Résumés  A hyperlinked resume on a personal, school, or professional society web page, often containing links to an online portfolio

10. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Online Job Searching and Privacy  Risks include:  your present employer discovering that you are looking for work  Unintended recipients accessing personal information  Protect Yourself By:  Limit personal information you include  Be selective about which sites you use  Protect Your Good Name Online:  Be careful with social networking sites as many employers search these. Avoid inflammatory comments and Party stories and adjust your privacy settings accordingly!

11. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Support for the Application Dossier  Includes your official records, such as college transcript, scholarship letters Professional portfolio  Contains samples of your professional work

12. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Employment Interviews  Top applicants are asked to Interview for positions  Interviews can vary in format  Face to face, telephone, video conference  One-on-one, with a committee  Alone or with a group of candidates  An hour, or several days  Pleasant chats or grueling interrogations

13. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Mastering the Interview Careful Preparation is Key  Research the company  Plan for common interview questions  Dress appropriately  Prepare a list of well-researched questions about the job and organization

14. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. After the Interview The Follow-Up Letter  A Thank you letter should be sent within a day of the interview  Be brief but personal and close with enthusiasm Letter of Acceptance  Serves as part of your contract Letter of Refusal  Should be polite, prompt, and allow for future opportunities

15. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. Any Questions? For additional help reviewing this chapter, please visit the Companion Website for your text at http://www.ablongman.com/lannon.