MODULE 5

Employment
communication
 Topic Outline
 Introduction to employment communication
 Composing Application Messages
 Writing CVs
 The Relationship Between a Résumé and an
Application Letter
 The Résumé of a Recent Graduate
 Contents of a Résumé
 Guidelines for Preparing a Good CV
 Drafting an Application Letter
 Interviews
 Introduction
Communicating through writing is an essential in
the modern world and is becoming important as
we participate in what is now commonly called
the information age
written communication is the most common form
of business communication. It is essential for
small business owners and managers to develop
effective written communication skills and to
encourage the same in all employees.
 Definition of Employment
communication
Communicating through written words in
the form of CVs, applications, or
communicating orally during interviews,
group discussions for the need of
employment with the employers is termed
as employment communication
 Application Messages
 An application letter expresses your interest and
qualifications for a position to a prospective employer.
 Your application letter is one of your most important job
search documents.
 An effective letter can get you a phone call for an interview.
 Type of application letters – Solicited & Unsolicited letters
 A solicited cover letter is something you draft when you're
applying for a posted job opening or responding to an
employment ad.
 An unsolicited cover letter is used to pitch yourself to a
potential employer, either for an existing job opening or as a
way of introducing yourself to a company you’d like to work
with.
Composing Application Messages
A job application letter, also known as a cover
letter, should be sent or uploaded with the
resume when applying for jobs.
An application for employment, job
application, or application form is a collection
of forms that an individual seeking
employment, called an applicant, must fill out
as part of the process of informing an employer
of the applicant's availability and desire to be
employed, and persuading the employer to offer
the applicant employment.
 Application blank is most commonly used to collect
information from the applicants. The information
sought and information provided will facilitate the
selection process.
 Mostly application blanks seek the following types
of information.
(i) Personal Data,
(ii) Marital Data,
(iii) Educational Data,
(iv) Physical Data,
(v) Employment Data,
(vi) Extra-curricular Data &
(vii) References.
 How to Organize a Letter of
Application
Header, Salutation, Introduction, Body, Closing
Length: A letter of application should be not
more than one page long.
Format: A letter of application should be single-
spaced with a space between each paragraph. Use
about 1" margins and align text to the left, which is
the standard alignment for most documents.
Font: Use a traditional font such as Times New
Roman, Arial, or Calibri. The font size should be
between 10 and 12 points.
 CVs, Personal
Interviews, and
Group
Discussions
 Writing CVs
A CV (singular) meaning “course of one‘s life”
 CV (plural) is most often used for academic or
research position
The curriculum vitae (CV) is also referred to as
résumé, personal profile, bio-data, personal data
sheet, qualification sheet, and summary.
Curriculum vitae are a written description of your
work experience, educational background, and
skills. Also called as a CV, or simply vitae, it is
more detailed than a resume
Points to consider while writing a CV are:
A résumé is usually attached to an application letter. It is,
therefore, read after the application letter or cover letter.
 The secret of a good résumé is its ability to project its
author as the most suitable candidate for a particular job
 A CV should be written specifically in terms of the
job’s requirements.
 There is no fixed order in which a résumé should be
written and it covers the same points regarding an
individual’s background, achievements, and
experiences.
 Applying for Jobs
The steps an individual needs to take to get his or
her dream job are as follows:

 Prepare a good résumé or curriculum vitae (CV).

 Identify potential employers and job openings.
 Submit your CV and an application or cover letter.
 Adopt good communication skills to be
successful.
 Relationship Between a Résumé and an
Application Letter
The résumé and application letter perform
separate functions:
 Therésumé briefly communicates all relevant and
important biographical information about an applicant.
 The application letter interprets the information for the
application letter, the job applicant selects the most
important and relevant facts from his or her résumé and
discusses those in the context of the job’s requirements.
A résumé is formatted for easy access to important
points.
 Purpose of CV
To apply for a job within the same field.  
To summarize your life achievements.
To apply for a particular job vacancy.
CONTENTS OF THE CV  
Personal details
Job objective
Education
Professional experience
Computer skills
Language and personal communication skills
Extracurricular activities
References
 Difference between CV and Resume
The primary differences are the length, the
content and the purpose.
Resume one page where as CV usually 3 or
more pages depending on the individual‘s
experience.
Resume focuses on specific achievements
and result oriented responsibilities.
CV goes into detail with regard to work
experience/job responsibilities based on the
vacancy
The Résumé of a Recent Graduate
The résumé of a recent graduate lists the
following:
 Personal/biographical details
 His or her educational background
 Details of his or her work experience
 References
All information in the CV should be under
bold, clear headings, so that the reader can
easily find the desired information.
A graduate’s résumé should consist of the following sub-
headings:
 Heading - The heading should include the applicant’s
name, address, date of birth, telephone number, and e-mail
address.
 Objective - Employers want to know practical objectives,
not the ambitions of the applicant. The applicant should
mention the specific, desired position that suits his or her
educational qualifications and experience to job.
 Education - The highest qualification is generally the most
important and relevant one. List out degrees in reverse
chronological order.
 Work experience - Relevant work experience should be
listed in reverse chronological order. This category can
include all experience, part-time as well as full-time work
experience.
 Awards and honors - The résumé should have
information about scholarships, prizes, and
awards won in college.

 Activities
- In this section, the applicant should
mention his or her college activities.

 References - Under references, the applicant

should list the names of two or three persons
who know that they are being listed as
references.

 Summary - Individuals with a lot of

experience sometimes begin with a summary
of their qualifications in place of a job
objective.
 Drafting an Application Letter
An application letter is planned like a sales letter: it gains attention
and asks for action. It needs to be written very skillfully.
 The first paragraph - The first paragraph identifies the objective
exactly. In the first paragraph, the applicant should specifically
state the position/job he or she is applying for and how he or she
came to know about it—usually through an advertisement or a
contact.
 The second paragraph - The second paragraph gives evidence of
the applicant's ability/qualifications. In the second paragraph, the
applicant should explain how he or she is qualified for the
position/job.
 The third paragraph - The purpose of the letter is to convince
the prospective employer to interview the applicant. The applicant
can make his or her request in the third paragraph.
 Group discussions
Ability to interact in a group on a given
topic.
Means of success as a manager or
executive responsible for coordination and
organization activities with a groups of
individuals.
Evaluators focus on group dynamics rather
than the content of participant‘s views.
 TECHNIQUE of GD
 Group consists of 8 to 10 candidates.
 No one is nominated as leader, coordinator, or chairman
to conduct the discussion.
 Each candidate is to be addressed in the discussion and
given roll number.
 Seating is arranged in a circle and candidates are seated
according to the ascending order of roll numbers.
 The topic can be anything, from current affairs to general
issues.
 The group is permitted to speak at will.
 The duration of a group discussion will usually be one
hour.
 A panel of observers will assess the participants
 Purpose of GD
To hear participants speak
To evaluate their communication skills
To observe their interactive skills
To assess their confidence  
To judge their alertness, presence of
mind, problem-solving ability
 Objective of GD
 Getting the group attention first
 Language: Formal, simple ,correct spoken English, Not
colloquial English
 Dress: Formal
 Body Language: Posture should be formal , reflect
enthusiasm.
 Gestures and body movements: Shouldn‘t be threatening
or restricting other members.
 Avoid excessive use of hands and try to be natural.
 Eye contact: with many while speaking
 Do not sum up or conclude when the group has not
reached any conclusion.
 GD is to assess the ability to interact in a group effectively
 Interviews
 An interview can be defined as an
oral tool used to test a candidate’s
suitability for employment.
 An interview is a conversation
between the employer and the
potential candidate, for both to
learn more about each other and
about the vacancy on hand.
 Both parties have a need: you
want a job and the employer
wants to find the right person to
fill the job.
 Purpose of an Interview
• To provide information about oneself that is not
within resume.  
• To allow the employer to evaluate the skills and
personality based on the demands of the position
and the organisation.  
• To allow a candidate to gain information about
the position and the company.
 Types of interview
Campus interview
Walk-in interview / on-site interview  
Panel / Board / Committee interview
Telephone interview  
Interview through Video Conferencing
method
Personality interview
Stress interview
 Interview questions
Education and domain knowledge  
Work Experience  
Career Goals  
Personal Qualities  
Knowledge of the company & Industry  
General awareness  
Application of concept in real-life problem
Most interviews focus on the following
issues:
 Technical competence
Technical competence is assessed by
examining the candidate’s academic background and previous
job profiles.

 Motivation - All employers want to evaluate a prospective

employee’s level of interest in a job and how strongly he or
she wants to fulfill his or her goals.

 Handling difficult questions - The interviewee should not

get nervous when he or she has to handle tough questions.
Instead, he or she should maintain eye contact and use
positive facial expressions, tone and volume of speech.
 Job interviews strategies
 Job interview strategies that focus only on the
interview is not enough.
 You must use strategies that cover the entire
process. They can be divided into three phases:

1. Actions you should take before the interview.

2. Actions you should take during the interview.
3. Actions you should take after the interview.
 Pre-interview Strategies

1. Research the company.

2. Study the job description carefully and
make sure your CV is suitable for what
the company is looking for.
3. Prepare for questions that will be asked
during the interview.
4. Visit the interview location a day or so
before your interview.
5. Plan what to wear for your interview.
 During-interview Strategies

Job interviews can be frightening and unpleasant,

only if you are unprepared.
Because you followed the Pre-interview
Strategies, you will be more confident,
professional, and less nervous than the other
candidates.
These traits are all more important than your job
qualifications. As most of the employers hire for
personality and train for skills.
1. Arrive early.
2. Make your introduction and greeting
memorable.
3. Use body language that shows you are
enthusiastic, confident, and comfortable with the
interview process.
4. Answer questions clearly and confidently.
5. Exit kindly or happily.
 Other important interview strategies

Turn weaknesses
into strengths.

Always use the

SMART
technique.

Thinkbefore you
answer.
Tips on how to stay calm in the interview
 Don’t be negative.
 Don’t provoke aggression or create conflict.
 Behave normally Maintain eye contact, and keep
your answers short in order not to get interrupted.
 If the interviewer stresses you purposely, slow
down and try to speak as calmly and softly as you
can.
 Don’t look too serious or irritated at the
interviewer. If the interviewer tries to provoke you,
you should not erase the smile on your face.
 If the interviewer asks you the same question over
and over again, then please be clear on what you
say and stick to that. Don’t change your answers.
 Post-interview Strategies
1. Send a Thank-You e-mail.

2. Don't be shy about making

follow-up calls.

3. DONT worry, BE happy.

4. If you got the job, go celebrate!

If you didn't, don't despair, just
start again.