Business Communication Today

Business Communication
Communication Today
Today
Chapter 18
Building Careers and Writing Résumés
Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 1

Learning Objectives
1. List eight key steps to finding the ideal
opportunity in today’s job market.
2. Explain the process of planning your
résumé, including how to choose the best
résumé organization.
3. Describe the tasks involved in writing a
résumé and list the major sections of a
traditional résumé.
Learning Objectives
4. Characterize the completing step for
résumés, including the six most common
formats in which you can produce a
résumé.

Finding the Ideal
Finding Ideal Opportunity
Opportunity in
in
Today’s Job Market
Today’s
(LO 18.1) List eight key steps to finding the
ideal opportunity in today’s job market.

Crafting a Personal Strategy
Organize Your Job Search
Start Now and Stick to It
Seek Stepping-Stone Opportunities

Writing the Story of You
What are you passionate about?
Explore the
Possibilities
**********
What skills do you possess?
Find Your
Passion How can you help the organization?
**********
Identify What experiences have you had?
Career
Paths
What do you want in the future?
Learning to Think
Like an Employer
1 • Your Ability to Perform
Quality • Your Overall Reliability

2
of Hire
3 • Your Motivation Level

Researching Industries and
Companies of Interest
• Visit company websites.
• Talk to customers.
• Start with The Riley Guide.
• Read periodicals and newspapers.
• Check out blogs and podcasts.
• Use job search apps.

Translating Your Potential Into
Specific Employment Solutions
Attributes
Attributes
Specific
Specific
Position
Position
Experience
Experience

Taking the Initiative
to Find Opportunities
• Target companies of interest.
• Contact human resources.
• Contact company managers.
• Describe what you can offer.
• Ask to be considered.

Building Your Network
•ReachOut
•Reach Outto
toYour
YourClassmates
Classmates
•TargetProfessions,
•Target Professions,Industries,
Industries,Companies
Companies
•UseOnline
•Use OnlineSources
Sourcesand
andSocial
SocialMedia
Media

Building Your Network
•JoinStudent
•Join StudentBusiness
BusinessOrganizations
Organizations
•AttendIndustry
•Attend IndustryTrade
TradeShows
Shows
•Participatein
•Participate inVolunteer
VolunteerOpportunities
Opportunities

Practicing Network Etiquette
• Learn about the people you connect with.
• Don’t overwhelm network contacts.
• Communicate clearly and succinctly.
• Respect contacts’ personal information.
• Don’t email your résumé to strangers.
• Say “Thank You” when someone helps you.

Seeking Career Counseling
• Job-Search Techniques
College Career • Résumé Preparation
Centers and • Job Readiness Training
Online Sources • Interview Techniques
• Self-Marketing Skills

Avoiding Mistakes
• Overlooking résumé errors
• Misspelling the manager’s name
• Arriving late for an interview
• Tweeting something unprofessional
• Completing forms incorrectly
• Not doing your own research

Summary of Discussion
• In this section, we discussed the following:
– Creating a Personal Strategy
– Writing “The Story of You”
– Learning to Think Like an Employer
– Researching Industries and Companies of
Interest
– Translating Your Potential into a Specific
Solution for Employers
(Continued on Next Slide)
– Taking the Initiative to Find Opportunities
– Building Your Network
– Networking Etiquette
– Seeking Career Counseling
– Avoiding Mistakes
• The next section will cover Planning Your
Résumé.

Planning Your
Planning Your Résumé
Résumé
(LO 18.2) Explain the process of planning your

résumé, including how to choose the best
résumé organization.

Three-Step Process
for Résumés
1 Plan 2 Write 3 Complete
Analyze Situation Revise Message
Adapt to
the Audience
Gather Information Produce Message
Choose Media and

Proofread Message
Channels Compose the
Message
Get Organized Distribute Message

Analyzing Your
Purpose and Audience
Understand the
Understand the Purpose
Purpose of
of aa Résumé
Résumé
• A brief persuasive business message
• Stimulate interest; get you an interview
Learn About
Learn About Your
Your Audience
Audience
• Professions, industries, and companies
• Those who may be reading your résumé
Gathering
Pertinent Information
• Dates and Duties
Employment • Accomplishments
• Degrees and Certificates

Education • Awards and Scholarships
• Offices You’ve Held

Volunteer • Presentations Given
Selecting the Best
Media and Channels
PrintedTraditional
Printed Traditional PrintedScannable
Printed Scannable
ElectronicPlain
Electronic PlainText
Text MSWord
MS WordFile
File
OnlineVersion
Online Version PDFFile
PDF File

Organizing Your Résumé
Around Your Strengths
Chronological Style
Typical Résumé
Functional Style
Formats
Combination Style

The Chronological Résumé
Emphasize Employment Experience
Name and Location of Employers
Job Titles and Dates of Employment
Highlights of Your Accomplishments

The Functional Résumé
Emphasize Skills and Accomplishments
Show What You Can Do
Emphasize Earlier Job Experience
Deemphasize Gaps in Work History

The Combination Résumé
Blend Chronological and Functional
Highlight Your Capabilities
Highlight Your Education
Minimize Employer Concerns

Addressing Areas of Concern
•• Frequent
Frequent Job
Job Changes
Changes
•• Gaps
Gaps in
in Work
Work History
History
•• Overall
Overall Level
Level of
of Experience
Experience

Addressing Areas of Concern
•• Long
Long Term
Term with
with One
One Employer
Employer
•• Job
Job Termination
Termination for
for Cause
Cause
•• Criminal
Criminal Record
Record

– The Three-Step Résumé Process
– Analyzing Your Purpose and Audience
– Gathering Pertinent Information
– Selecting the Best Media and Channels
– Organizing Your Résumé Around Your
Strengths
– The Chronological Résumé
– The Functional Résumé
– The Combination Résumé
– Addressing Areas of Concern
• The next section will cover Writing Your
Résumé.

Writing Your Résumé
(LO 18.3) Describe the tasks involved in writing

your résumé and list the major sections of a
traditional résumé.

Keeping Your Résumé Honest
Workplace Employment
References History
Interview
Criminal Records Questions

Adapting Your Résumé
to Your Audience
AdjustYour
Adjust Your TranslateYour
Translate Your
Terminology
Terminology Experience
Experience

Composing Your Résumé
• Use a simple, direct style.
• Use short phrases, not whole sentences.
• Start phrases with action verbs.
• Provide specific supporting evidence.
• Include business or technical keywords.

Essential Résumé Elements
Name and Contact Information
Brief Introductory Statement
Educational Background

Essential Résumé Elements
Experience, Skills, Accomplishments
Activities and Achievements
Personal Data and References

– Keeping Your Résumé Honest
– Adapting to the Audience
– Composing Your Résumé
– Essential Résumé Elements
• The next section will cover Completing Your
Résumé.

Completing Your
Completing Your Résumé
(LO 18.4) Characterize the completing step for

résumés, including the six most common
formats in which you can produce a résumé.

Revising Your Résumé
Clarity & Ease of Conciseness

Finding Information Overall Length
Your Top Skills Years of Experience

Your Current Job Higher-Level Jobs
Your Education Technical Jobs

Producing Your Résumé
Optimal
Optimal Résumé
Résumé Design
Design
Professional
Professional
Clean Skimmable
Looking
Looking

Choosing a Design Strategy
for Your Résumé
These
on These
• Audience • Trendy
Avoid
Avoid These
• Goals • Flashy
Focus on
Focus
• Resources • Different
These
Considering Photos, Videos,
Presentations, and Infographics
Support for Résumés
Opportunities Challenges
 Social Media  Discrimination

 Flexible Format  Ease of Evaluation
 Multimedia Elements  Habits of Recruiters
 Compelling Content  Applicant Tracking
Printing a Traditional or
Scannable Résumé
Traditional Scannable
Important Elements: Important Elements:

•High Quality Paper •Keyword Summary
•Neutral Color Paper •Simple Format

Creating a Plain-Text File
of Your Résumé
Cut and Paste

Include Your
Résumé Parts into an
Résumé in the
Application
Body of an Email

Creating a Word File
of Your Résumé
Make Sure Your

Preserve Design
Computer Is Free
and Layout of
From Viruses
Your Résumé

Creating a PDF Version
of Your Résumé
Files are Less

Preserves the
Vulnerable to
Formatting of
Computer Viruses
Your Résumé

Creating an Online or
Social Media Résumé
•CreateaaPositive
•Create PositiveImpression
Impression
•UseSocial
•Use SocialNetworking
NetworkingTools
Tools
•ProvideYour
•Provide YourRésumé
Résuméto
toEmployers
Employers

Proofreading Your Résumé
 Headings and Lists
 Sentence-Level Issues
 Essential Numerical Data

Distributing Your Résumé
Posting on Mailing
Job Websites Printed Versions
Emailing Submitting on an
Digital Versions Employer’s Site

– Revising Your Résumé
– Producing Your Résumé
– Choosing a Design Strategy
– Considering Photos, Videos, Presentations, and
Infographics
– Producing Printed Résumés
– Creating Digital Résumés
– Creating an Online or Social Media Résumé
– Proofreading Your Résumé
– Distributing Your Résumé
• This concludes our discussion of Chapter 18:
Building Careers and Writing Résumés.

Business Communication Today

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Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 1

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 3

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 4

Organize Your Job Search

Start Now and Stick to It

Seek Stepping-Stone Opportunities

Quality • Your Overall Reliability

3 • Your Motivation Level

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 7

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 8

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 9

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 10

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 11

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 12

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 13

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 14

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 15

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 17

(LO 18.2) Explain the process of planning your

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 18

Choose Media and

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 19

• Degrees and Certificates

• Offices You’ve Held

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 22

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 23

Emphasize Employment Experience

Name and Location of Employers

Job Titles and Dates of Employment

Highlights of Your Accomplishments

Emphasize Skills and Accomplishments

Show What You Can Do

Emphasize Earlier Job Experience

Deemphasize Gaps in Work History

Blend Chronological and Functional

Highlight Your Capabilities

Highlight Your Education

Minimize Employer Concerns

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 27

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 28

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 30

(LO 18.3) Describe the tasks involved in writing

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 31

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 32

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 33

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 34

Brief Introductory Statement

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 35

Activities and Achievements

Personal Data and References

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 36

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 37

(LO 18.4) Characterize the completing step for

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 38

Clarity & Ease of Conciseness

Your Top Skills Years of Experience

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 39

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 40

 Social Media  Discrimination

Important Elements: Important Elements:

Copyright © 2016 Pearson Education Limited Chapter 18 ̶ 43

Cut and Paste