© 2010 Thomson South-WesternInstructor Only Version
CHAPTER 13CHAPTER 13
The Job The Job Search, Search,
Résumés, and Résumés, and Cover LettersCover Letters
Chapter 13, Slide 2Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Test Your Job SavvyTest Your Job Savvy
6
8
10
12 or more
1. Workers between the ages of 18 and 38 can expect to have how many different employers?
This quiz is intended to pique your interest and dispel some myths about job searching.
Chapter 13, Slide 3Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Test Your Job SavvyTest Your Job Savvy
greater emphasis on hard skills greater emphasis on soft skills switch from job objective to a summary at the
top use of a computer template to prepare one
version for all jobs
2. The biggest change in résumé formats over the last decade has been
Chapter 13, Slide 4Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Test Your Job SavvyTest Your Job Savvy
True False
3. Having your job terminated ranks in the top 10 of the most severe crises in life.
Chapter 13, Slide 5Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Test Your Job SavvyTest Your Job Savvy
Chronological (arranged around dates of employment, education)
Functional (arranged around skills)
4. What résumé format do recruiters generally prefer?
Chapter 13, Slide 6Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Test Your Job SavvyTest Your Job Savvy
searching the Internet
sending out hundreds of résumés
5. Many experts in the field of recruiting think that the best way for a college graduate to find a job today is by
networking reading the
classified ads
Chapter 13, Slide 7Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Test Your Job SavvyTest Your Job Savvy
Monster.com
Yahoo! Hot Jobs
Company Web sites
CareerBuilder.com
6. The best place to look for a job online is at
Chapter 13, Slide 8Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Test Your Job SavvyTest Your Job Savvy
Potential employers, professional organizations, and friends
Family members, neighbors, and business associates
School alumni and former instructors Your dentist, your doctor, your insurance agent,
and others All of the choices
7. You’ve heard that “networking” is a good way to find a job. Who should be on your list of people to contact about job leads?
Chapter 13, Slide 9Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
An embedded résumé All three
versions
Test Your Job SavvyTest Your Job Savvy
A traditional print-based résumé
A scannable résumé
8. A savvy job candidate would prepare which of the following résumés?
Chapter 13, Slide 10Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
The primary purpose of a cover letter is to request an interview.
Test Your Job SavvyTest Your Job Savvy
True False
9. The primary purpose of a cover letter is to ask for a job.
Chapter 13, Slide 11Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
KISS strategy NASA strategy
Test Your Job SavvyTest Your Job Savvy
AIDA strategy STAR strategy
10. During a job interview, you are asked to “tell a time when you . . . .? What strategy should you use to answer such behavioral questions?
Chapter 13, Slide 12Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Identifyyour
interests
Evaluateyour
qualifications
Searchfor a job
electronically
Learn aboutcareers and
choose apath
Recognizethe
changingnature of jobs
Searchfor a job
traditionally
Preparing for EmploymentPreparing for Employment
START HERE
Chapter 13, Slide 13Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Identify your interests. Do you enjoy working with people, data
or things? Do you need to be your own boss? How important are salary, benefits,
location, and so forth?
Preparing for EmploymentPreparing for Employment
© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM / DEAN SANDERSON
Chapter 13, Slide 14Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Evaluate your qualifications. What technology, language, and people
skills can you offer? How can you demonstrate your skills?
Recognize the changing nature of jobs. Fewer people in permanent positions More flexible workplace, including
telecommuting Lifelong learning needed to continually
update skills
Preparing for EmploymentPreparing for Employment
Chapter 13, Slide 15Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Learn about careers and choose a path. Visit your campus career center, search
the Web, use your library. Take a summer or part-time job in your
field. Volunteer with a nonprofit organization. Interview someone in your field. Join professional organizations.
Preparing for EmploymentPreparing for Employment
Chapter 13, Slide 16Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Search for a job electronically. Check the big boards: Monster,
CareerBuilder, College Recruiter, Yahoo Hot Jobs.
Use the big boards for information; realize that few people actually find jobs on them.
Look beyond the big boards to corporate Web sites, professional association sites, as well as local employment, niche, and social sites (such as LinkedIn, Plaxo, and Facebook).
Preparing for EmploymentPreparing for Employment
Chapter 1, Slide 17Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 13, Slide 17Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Preparing for EmploymentPreparing for Employment
Search for a job traditionally.
Check classified ads. Check alumni and professional
association listings. Contact companies directly. Sign up for campus interviews;
attend job fairs. Ask for advice from instructors. NETWORK, NETWORK,
NETWORK!
Chapter 13, Slide 18Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Writing a Customized RésuméWriting a Customized Résumé
Preparation Research the job market.
Use newspapers, the Web, and other resources to learn about jobs, qualifications, and employers.
Analyze your strengths.What will sell you for the job you want?
Study other résumés as models.Experiment with formatting.
Chapter 13, Slide 19Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
What isthe goal of
a customizedrésumé?
Chapter 13, Slide 20Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Writing a Customized RésuméWriting a Customized Résumé
Decideon
length
Choose arésuméstyle
Arrangethe
parts
Chapter 13, Slide 21Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Choose aChoose aRésuméRésumé
StyleStyle
Choose aChoose aRésuméRésumé
StyleStyle
CHRONOLOGICALCHRONOLOGICAL
Focuses on job historywith most recent
positions listed first
Focuses on job historywith most recent
positions listed first
Choosing a Résumé Style Choosing a Résumé Style
Chapter 13, Slide 22Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Choose aChoose aRésuméRésumé
StyleStyle
Choose aChoose aRésuméRésumé
StyleStyle FUNCTIONALFUNCTIONAL
Focuses on skillsFocuses on skills
Choosing a Résumé Style Choosing a Résumé Style
Chapter 13, Slide 23Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
DecideDecideonon
LengthLength
DecideDecideonon
LengthLength
Make your résumé aslong as needed to sell your skills to recruitersand hiring managers.
Make your résumé aslong as needed to sell your skills to recruitersand hiring managers.
Deciding on LengthDeciding on Length
Chapter 13, Slide 24Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Main HeadingMain Heading
Career Objective
Career Objective
Summary of Qualifications
Summary of Qualifications
WorkExperience
WorkExperience
SpecialSkills
SpecialSkills
AchievementsAwards
Activities
AchievementsAwards
ActivitiesEducationEducation
Arranging the PartsArranging the Parts
ArrangeArrangethethe
PartsParts
ArrangeArrangethethe
PartsParts
Chapter 13, Slide 25Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Include a career objective only for a targeted job.
Ideally, name job title, area of specialization, and type of company.
List your name, address, phone, and e-mail address.
Heading and Objective
Arranging the PartsArranging the Parts
Chapter 13, Slide 26Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Name your degree, date of graduation, and institution.
List your major and GPA. Give information about your studies, but
don’t inventory all your courses.
Present your most impressive skills and accomplishments in a concise list.
Arranging the PartsArranging the Parts
Summary of Qualifications
Education
Chapter 13, Slide 27Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
If your work experience is significant and relevant to the position sought, place this section before education.
Describeyour
experience
List yourprevious
jobs
Includenon-
technicalskills
Arranging the PartsArranging the Parts
Work Experience
Chapter 13, Slide 28Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Start with the most recent jobs. Include employer’s name and city, dates of employment (month, year), and most significant title.
Salesperson, Kmart, Dayton, Ohio. 4/08 to 5/09
Manager, Fleet Equipment, Kettering, Ohio. 6/09 to present
Tax Preparer, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. March, 2009 to present. Sinclair College, Dayton, Ohio
List yourprevious
jobs.
Arranging the Parts of a RésuméArranging the Parts of a Résumé
Chapter 13, Slide 29Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Prepared state and federal tax returns for individuals with incomes under $25,000.
Conducted interviews with over 50 individuals to elicit data regarding taxes.
Determined legitimate tax deductions and recorded them accurately.
Use action verbs to summarize achievements and skills relevant to your targeted job.
Describeyour
experience
Arranging the Parts: Arranging the Parts: Work ExperienceWork Experience
Chapter 13, Slide 30Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Includenon-
technicalskills
Organized holiday awards program for 1200 attendees and 140 awardees.
Praised by top management for enthusiastic teamwork and excellent communication skills.
Give evidence of communication, management, and interpersonal skills. Employers want more than empty assurances. Try to quantify your skills.
Arranging the Parts: Arranging the Parts: Work ExperienceWork Experience
Chapter 13, Slide 31Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Highlight your technical skills.All employers seek employees proficient with the Internet, software programs, office equipment, and communication technology tools.
Arranging the PartsArranging the Parts
Special Skills, Achievements, Awards
Show that you are well-rounded.List awards and extracurricular activities, especially if they demonstrate leadership, teamwork, reliability, loyalty, initiative, efficiency, and self-sufficiency.
Chapter 13, Slide 32Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Listing references directly on your résumé takes up valuable space.
Instead, most recruiters prefer that you bring to the interview a list of individuals willing to discuss your qualifications.
The best references are instructors, your current employer or previous employers, colleagues or subordinates, and other professional contacts.
References
Arranging the PartsArranging the Parts
Chapter 13, Slide 33Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Sample Reference List Sample Reference List
Chapter 13, Slide 34Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Omit references (unless specifically required). Look for ways to condense your data. Double-check for parallel phrasing. Project professionalism and quality. Avoid personal pronouns. Omit humor. Use 24-pound paper and a quality printer for your
print copy. Know how to send your résumé by e-mail. Have a friend or colleague critique your résumé.
Arranging the PartsArranging the Parts
Additional Tips
Proofread!
Chapter 13, Slide 35Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Examine These RésumésExamine These Résumés
Discuss ways toimprove this poor résumé.
Click icon to viewan improved version.
Adobe Acrobat Document
Adobe Acrobat Document
Chapter 13, Slide 36Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Textbook Résumé ModelsTextbook Résumé Models(click accompanying icon to view)(click accompanying icon to view)
Chronological Résumé Models Recent college graduate with
related experience (Figure 13.7)
Current college student with limited experience (Figure 13.6)
Current university student with limited related experience (Figure 13.8)
Adobe Acrobat Document
Adobe Acrobat Document
Adobe Acrobat Document
Chapter 13, Slide 37Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Textbook Résumé ModelsTextbook Résumé Models(click accompanying icon to view)(click accompanying icon to view)
Chronological Résumé Model University graduate with
substantial experience (Figure 13.9)
Functional Résumé Model Recent university graduate with
unrelated part-time experience (Figure 13.10)
Adobe Acrobat Document
Adobe Acrobat Document
Chapter 13, Slide 38Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Preparing aScannableRésumé
Maximizing“Hits”
Preparing aPlain Text
Résumé forE-Mailing
Optimizing Your Résumé for Optimizing Your Résumé for Today’s Technologies Today’s Technologies
Chapter 13, Slide 39Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Preparing a Scannable RésuméPreparing a Scannable Résumé
Use 10- to 14-point type. Avoid unusual typefaces, underlining, italics, and
double columns. Be sure your name is on the first line. List each phone number on its own line. Use smooth white paper, black ink, and quality
printing. Provide white space. Avoid double columns. Use smooth white paper, black ink, and quality
printing. Provide white space.
Chapter 13, Slide 40Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Maximizing “Hits”Maximizing “Hits”
Focus on specific keywords. Incorporate words from the job ad. Use typical headings (Objective, Education,
Skills, etc.) Use accurate names; watch abbreviations. Describe interpersonal traits and attitudes. Use more than one page if necessary.
Click icon to viewscannable résumé Adobe Acrobat
Document
Chapter 13, Slide 41Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Preparing a Plain TextPreparing a Plain TextRésumé for E-MailingRésumé for E-Mailing
Follow the tips for scannable résumés. Reformat with shorter lines (such as 4-inch). Think about using keyboard characters to
enhance format (=== or ~~~). Move all text to the left. Save your résumé in plain text (.txt) or rich
text format (.rtf). Test your résumé before sending it.
Click icon to viewplain text résumé Adobe Acrobat
Document
Chapter 13, Slide 42Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Being Honest and EthicalBeing Honest and Ethical
Do not inflate your education, grades, or honors.
Do not enhance job titles.
Do not puff up accomplishments.
Do not alter employment dates.
Do be honest, ethical, and careful.
Chapter 13, Slide 43Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Polishing Your RésuméPolishing Your Résumé
Avoid including anything that could become a basis for discrimination: photograph, age, marital status, national origin, race, etc.
Do not send a photograph.
Don't include your social security number.
Don't include high school information, references, or full addresses of schools or employers.
Don't put the word "résumé" at the top.
Chapter 13, Slide 44Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Submitting Your Résumé Submitting Your Résumé
Word document Plain-text, ASCII document PDF document Company database Fax
Employers may ask you to submit your résumé in one of these ways:
Chapter 13, Slide 45Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
A focus groupof nine expert
recruiters gave theseindividual responses:
What Turns Recruiters Off What Turns Recruiters Off When Reading Résumés?When Reading Résumés?
Chapter 13, Slide 46Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
“Personal data. That’s a major ‘red flag.’ Also typos, inconsistent punctuation, and huge paragraphs that look like job descriptions.”
“Odd-sized résumés from services saying ‘Presenting the candidacy of . . .’ I don't even read them anymore. They’re a major rip-off.”
“Résumés that show no research; not looking at the employer’s needs.”
“Omissions in terms of dates. And misspellings!”
What Turns Recruiters Off What Turns Recruiters Off When Reading Résumés?When Reading Résumés?
Chapter 13, Slide 47Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
“Long cover letters and résumés over two pages.”
“Excess cosmetics, substituting form for content. A résumé should look nice but not go overboard.”
“A photo. I have to remove them because managers must be color and gender blind.”
“Not sending the résumé to the right place.”
What Turns Recruiters Off What Turns Recruiters Off When Reading Résumés?When Reading Résumés?
Chapter 13, Slide 48Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
“The objective. Plus dates when things happened and accomplishments.”
“Information about skills that apply to the job; less about job history and past duties.”
“The candidate’s address and phone number. Lots of people put them only in the cover letter!”
What Do Recruiters Consider What Do Recruiters Consider Most Important in a Résumé?Most Important in a Résumé?
Chapter 13, Slide 49Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
What Do Recruiters Consider What Do Recruiters Consider Most Important in a Résumé?Most Important in a Résumé?
“Valid information in an easy-to-read, attractive style.”
“Meeting the qualifications for the job.” “The presentation and the objective.” “A clear objective, backed up with
qualifying experience and continuity in the work history.”
Chapter 13, Slide 50Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Body Closing
Address the letter to an individual by name. For advertised jobs, name the source; include job
title, date, and publication. If someone referred you, name that person. Show that your qualifications fit the job
specifications, show your knowledge of the reader’s business, or show that your special talents will be assets to the company.
Opening
Writing a Customized, Persuasive Writing a Customized, Persuasive Cover LetterCover Letter
Chapter 13, Slide 51Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Opening Closing
Demonstrate that your background and training meet the job requirements.
Summarize your principal assets from education, experience, and special skills.
Avoid repeating specific data from your résumé.
Refer to your résumé.
Body
Writing a Customized, Persuasive Writing a Customized, Persuasive Cover LetterCover Letter
Chapter 13, Slide 52Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Writing a Customized, Persuasive Writing a Customized, Persuasive Cover LetterCover Letter
Opening Body
Ask for an interview. Consider hooking the request to a statement reviewing your strongest points.
Make it easy to respond. Tell when and where you can be reached (during office hours). Some recruiters prefer that you call them.
Closing
Chapter 13, Slide 53Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
Model Cover LettersModel Cover Letters
Click icon to viewsolicited cover letter.
Click icon to viewunsolicited cover letter.
Click icon to viewe-mail cover letter.
Adobe Acrobat Document
Adobe Acrobat Document
Adobe Acrobat Document
© 2010 Thomson South-WesternInstructor Only Version
ENDEND