© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 1

Searching for Searching for Employment and Employment and

Writing Employment Writing Employment MessagesMessages

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 2

Today’s Today’s WorkplaceWorkplace

•Globalization

•Technology

•Workforce Diversity

•Information Overload

•Teams & Workgroups

•Deregulation

•Downsizing

•Shareholder Activism

•Mergers & Acquisitions

•Flexible Employment

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 3

What Today’s What Today’s Employers RequireEmployers Require

Flexibility Flexibility and Adaptabilityand Adaptability

Life-Long LearningLife-Long Learning

Teamwork SkillsTeamwork Skills

Strong Work RecordsStrong Work Records

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 4

What Today’s What Today’s Employers RequireEmployers Require

Leadership CapabilitiesLeadership Capabilities

Diversified SkillsDiversified Skills

Varied ExperiencesVaried Experiences

Multicultural and Multicultural and International AwarenessInternational Awareness

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 5

What Can You Offer?What Can You Offer?

• Personal achievements

• Educational preparation

• Work experience

• Extracurricular activities

• Personal characteristics

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 6

SpecificSpecificCompensationCompensation

Type ofType ofOperationOperation

CorporateCorporateCultureCulture

Type ofType ofOccupationOccupation

GeneralGeneralCareer GoalsCareer Goals

LocationLocation

Nature ofNature ofthe Jobthe Job

Size ofSize ofCompanyCompany

FacilitiesFacilities

What Do You Want To What Do You Want To Do?Do?

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 7

Building Your CareerBuilding Your Career

Employment PortfolioEmployment Portfolio

Interim AssignmentsInterim Assignments

Workplace SkillsWorkplace Skills

Life-Long LearningLife-Long Learning

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 8

The Employment The Employment SearchSearch

BuildToward Career

BuildToward Career

1

PrepareRésuméPrepareRésumé

2

Preparefor Interview

Preparefor Interview

4

UnderstandInterview Process

UnderstandInterview Process

3

Take theInterviewTake theInterview

5Follow Up

and AcceptOffer

Follow Upand Accept

Offer

6

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 9

Employer Recruiting Employer Recruiting PracticesPractices

Employer Recruiting Employer Recruiting PracticesPractices

NetworkingNetworkingand Personaland PersonalReferencesReferences

Look InsideLook Insidethe Companythe Company

UnsolicitedUnsolicitedRRésumésésumés

NewspaperNewspaperWant AdsWant Ads

EmploymentEmploymentAgency orAgency or

Search FirmSearch Firm

Most Preferred

LeastPreferred

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 10

Organizing Your Organizing Your ApproachApproach

Monitor Business NewsMonitor Business News

Research Specific FirmsResearch Specific Firms

Build a NetworkBuild a Network

Seek Career CounselingSeek Career Counseling

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 11

Three-Step Three-Step RésuméRésumé Process Process

PlanningPlanningPlanningPlanning

AnalyzeAnalyze

InvestigateInvestigate

AdaptAdapt

AnalyzeAnalyze

InvestigateInvestigate

AdaptAdapt

WritingWritingWritingWriting

OrganizeOrganize

FormatFormat

ComposeCompose

OrganizeOrganize

FormatFormat

ComposeCompose

CompletingCompletingCompletingCompleting

ReviseRevise

ProduceProduce

ProofreadProofread

ReviseRevise

ProduceProduce

ProofreadProofread

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 12

Planning Your RésuméPlanning Your Résumé

AudienceAudience

Purp

ose

Purp

ose Purpose

Purpose

InformationInformationInformationInformation AdaptationAdaptationAdaptationAdaptation

AudienceAudience

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 13

What Employers SeekWhat Employers Seek

• Results orientation

• Workplace achievements

• Versatility

• Signs of progress

• Standards of excellence

• Flexibility

• Communication skills

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 14

Areas of ConcernAreas of Concern

• Frequent job changes

• Gaps in work history

• Inexperience

• Being “overqualified”

• Long-term with one company

• For-cause job termination

• Criminal record

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 15

Organizing RésumésOrganizing Résumés

ChronologicalChronologicalRésuméRésumé

ChronologicalChronologicalRésuméRésumé

FunctionalFunctionalRésuméRésumé

FunctionalFunctionalRésuméRésumé

CombinationCombinationRésuméRésumé

CombinationCombinationRésuméRésumé

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 16

Résumé Résumé ComponentsComponents

Résumé Résumé ComponentsComponents

Name andName andAddressAddress

Career ObjectiveCareer Objectiveor Summaryor Summary

EmploymentEmploymentHistoryHistory

Activities and Activities and AchievementsAchievements

AcademicAcademicCredentialsCredentials

RelevantRelevantPersonal DataPersonal Data

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 17

Common Common Résumé ProblemsRésumé Problems

• Inappropriate lengthInappropriate length

• Hard to readHard to read

• WordyWordy

• Too slickToo slick

• Poorly reproducedPoorly reproduced

• AmateurishAmateurish

• BoastfulBoastful

• DishonestDishonest

• GimmickyGimmicky

• Carelessly writtenCarelessly written

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 18

Producing Producing Chronological RésumésChronological Résumés

Use Use ActionActionWordsWords

Use Use ActionActionWordsWords

CareerCareerObjectiveObjectiveSectionSection

CareerCareerObjectiveObjectiveSectionSection

EducationEducationSectionSection

EducationEducationSectionSection

WorkWorkExperienceExperience

SEctionSEction

WorkWorkExperienceExperience

SEctionSEction

PersonalPersonalSectionSection

PersonalPersonalSectionSection

No ReferencesNo ReferencesSectionSection

No ReferencesNo ReferencesSectionSection

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 19

PrintedPrinted

ASCII-TextASCII-Text

HTML-CodedHTML-Coded

Résumé FormatsRésumé Formats

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 20

Producing Producing ScannableScannable RésumésRésumés

ASCIIASCIIFormatFormatASCIIASCII

FormatFormat

KeyKeyWordsWords

KeyKeyWordsWords

DocumentDocumentDesignDesign

DocumentDocumentDesignDesign

BuzzwordsBuzzwordsand Jargonand JargonBuzzwordsBuzzwordsand Jargonand Jargon

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 21

Submitting Submitting Scannable RésumésScannable Résumés

PostalMail

FaxMachine

E-mailor Online

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 22

SubmittingSubmittingOn-Line RésumésOn-Line Résumés

Personal WebsitesPersonal Websites

Index Services

Index Services

ASCIIVersionASCII

VersionEmploymentInformation

EmploymentInformationReferencesReferencesPersonal

InformationPersonal

Information

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 23

Writing Writing Application Application LettersLetters

Writing Writing Application Application LettersLetters

Keep E-mailKeep E-mailShortShort

Keep E-mailKeep E-mailShortShort

Be SpecificBe SpecificBe SpecificBe Specific

Aim forAim forHigh QualityHigh Quality

Aim forAim forHigh QualityHigh Quality

Include SalaryInclude SalaryInclude SalaryInclude Salary

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 24

Types of Application Types of Application LettersLetters

Types of Application Types of Application LettersLetters

Getting Getting AttentionAttentionGetting Getting AttentionAttention

Building Building InterestInterestBuilding Building InterestInterest

Increasing Increasing DesireDesireIncreasing Increasing DesireDesire

Motivating Motivating ActionActionMotivating Motivating ActionAction

SolicitedSolicited UnsolicitedUnsolicited

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 25

Cultural Cultural ConsiderationsConsiderations

The Right Styleand Approach

Proper Toneand Format

© Prentice Hall, 2003 Business Communication Today Chapter 17 - 26

Other Other Employment Employment

MessagesMessages

Job-InquiryJob-InquiryLettersLetters

ApplicationApplicationFollow-UpsFollow-Ups