Building Careers and

Writing Résumés

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 1

 Securing Employment in
Today’s Job Market

Understanding the
Understanding the
Employer’s Approach
Employer’s Approach

Organizing
Organizing
Your Approach
Your Approach

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 2

 The Employment Search

1 2 3
Build
Build Prepare
Prepare Understand
Understand
Toward
TowardCareer
Career Résumé
Résumé Interview
InterviewProcess
Process

4 5 6 Follow
Prepare Take FollowUpUp
Prepare Takethe
the and
for andAccept
Accept
forInterview
Interview Interview
Interview Offer
Offer

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 3

 Employers’ Approach to
Recruiting Process
Most Least
Preferred Preferred

Networking Employment
Look Inside Unsolicited Résumés
and Personal Agency or
the Company Résumés Via Advertising
References Search Firm

© Prentice Hall, 2008 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

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 5
Résumé Writing Process
Planning Writing Completing

Analyze
AnalyzeSituation
Situation Revise
Revise
Adapt
Adapttoto
the
theAudience
Audience
Gather
GatherInformation
Information Produce
Produce

Select
SelectMedium
Medium Proofread
Proofread
Compose
Compose
the
theMessage
Message
Get
GetOrganized
Organized Distribute
Distribute

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 6

 Planning Your Résumé
Analyze Audience/Purpose

Gather Information

Choose the Best Medium

Build on Your Strengths

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 7
 What Employers Seek

Results Workplace
Versatility
Orientation Achievements

Signs of Standards of Communication

Flexibility
Progress Excellence Skills

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 8

 “Red Flags” for Employers

Frequent Job
Frequent Job Changes
Changes

Gaps in
Gaps in Work
Work History
History

Level of
Level of Experience
Experience

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 9

 “Red Flags” for Employers

Long-Term w/One
Long-Term w/One Firm
Firm

For-Cause Termination
For-Cause Termination

Criminal Record
Criminal Record

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 10

Organizing Your Résumé
Work History Skills and
Educational Level Accomplishments

Chronological Combination Functional

Personal Personal
Background Objectives
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 11
 Writing Your Résumé

Respect Your Résumé

Take Your Time

Review Good Models

Minimize Frustration
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 12
Keep the Résumé Honest

Workplace References
Workplace References

Background Checks
Background Checks

Credit Histories
Credit Histories

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 13

Adapting to the Audience

• Consider the employer’s perspective

• Build on past accomplishments
• Stress your future potential
• Translate skills and experience
• Clarify educational achievements
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 14
Composing Your Résumé

Name
Nameand
and Career
Career Objective
Objective Academic
Academic
Address
Address or
or Summary
Summary Credentials
Credentials

Employment
Employment Activities
Activitiesand
and Relevant
Relevant
History
History Achievements
Achievements Personal
PersonalData
Data

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 15

Completing Your Résumé

Revising

Producing

Proofreading
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 16
 Common Résumé Problems

 Wrong length  Amateurish

 Hard to read  Boastful

 Wordy  Generic

 Too slick  Gimmicky

 Poorly reproduced  Carelessly written

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 17

 Producing Your Résumé

Printed
Printed Printed
Printed
Traditional
TraditionalRésumé
RRésumé
R Scannable
ScannableRésumé
R
Résumé
R

Electronic
Electronic MS
MSWord
WordFile
File
Plain-Text
Plain-TextFile
File

HTML
HTMLFormat
Format Electronic
ElectronicPDF
PDF File
File

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 18

 Printing Traditional Résumés

High-Quality
High-Quality
Paper
Paper

Professional
Professional
Image
Image

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 19

 Printing Scannable Résumés

Use Sans-Serif Fonts Separate All Characters

Avoid Columns Avoid Special Characters

Separate Phone and Email Use Plain White Paper

Identify All Pages Use a Keyword Summary

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 20

 Digital Résumé Formats

Plain-Text File

MS Word File

HTML Version

PDF Format
© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 21
Proofreading Your Résumé

Headings and lists

Grammar and punctuation

Spelling and word choice

Paper and digital formats

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 22
 Distributing Your Résumé

Postal
Postal Fax
Fax E-Mail
E-Mail
Mail
Mail Machine
Machine

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 23

 Distributing Your Résumé

Online
Online Personal
Personal Job
Job Site
Site or
or
Submission
Submission Websites
Websites Index
Index Service
Service

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Business Communication Today, 9e Chapter 18 - 24