1. Basic Business Communication
Chapter Nine
Strategies in the Job-Search Process
©The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2007

2. 1-2
Steps in the Job Search Process
 Build a network of contacts
 Identify appropriate jobs
 Find your employer
 Prepare the application documents
 Continue job search activities

3. 1-3
Building a Network of Contacts
 Broaden your circle of friends
 Get to know your professors
 Meet business executives
 Make contacts through internships
 Work with community organizations

4. 1-4
Identifying Appropriate Jobs
 Analyze Yourself
-Education
-Personal Qualities
-Work Experience
-Special Qualifications (languages, communications skills)
 Analyze Outside Factors
-Where is the job you are seeking available?
-Are you willing to move?
-Does the location meet with your lifestyle needs?

5. 1-5
Finding Your Employer
 Career Centers (School career centers)
 Network of Personal Contacts
 Classified Advertisements
 Online Sources
 Employment Agencies
 Personal Search Agents
 Web Page Profiles
 Prospecting

6. 1-6
Preparing the Application Documents
 The traditional resume
 The application letter
 The follow-up and close of the process
 Other job search letters
 Continued job search activities

7. 1-7
What is a resume?
 A resume is a personal summary of your professional
history and qualifications
 It includes information about your career goals, education,
work experience, activities, honors, and any special skills
you might have
 Three types of resume:
-Traditional Resume
-Scannable Resume
-Electronic Resume

8. 1-8
Resume Workshop
 General Guidelines Different Styles:
 Constructing traditional  Organizational Styles
resume  Reverse Chronological
 Heading Style
 Objective Statement  Functional Style
 Education  Skills Style
 Employment Experience  Imaginative Style
 References

9. 1-9
General Guidelines
 Length
Limit an entry-level resume to one typed page. Be as
concise as possible in stating information
 Font
Avoid fonts smaller than 10 point and larger than 12 point
 Paper
Use 8 1/2” x 11” 20 lb paper. Print your resume with a laser
or high quality ink-jet printer.

10. 1-10
Constructing the Traditional Resume
 Find out general job information
 Find out desired qualifications and skills
 Logically arrange the facts into groups
 Construct the headings and subheadings
 Include contact and objective information
 Present the data for best eye-appeal
 Organize for strength
 Write impersonally and consistently
 Make the form attractive

11. 1-11
Identifying Information
 Put your name, permanent and campus addresses,
permanent and campus phone numbers, and email
address prominently at the top of your resume
 Avoid using a nickname to identify yourself
 Consider including your URL address or fax number
if you have one
RICK NASON
1401-1094 Wellington Street
Halifax, NS, Canada, B3H 2Z9
md290513@dal.ca
(902) 405-9312

12. 1-12
Objective Statement
 1-3 sentence summary of your area of expertise and
career interest
 Write as complete sentences or as descriptive phrases
with minimal punctuation
 Relate your existing skills directly to the job you are
seeking
 Demonstrate what you can do for the company rather
than what they can do for you.

13. 1-13
Objective Statement
 Avoid over generalized  Make the statement
statements: as specific as
-A position allowing me to possible:
utilize my knowledge and
expertise in different areas. -A position which
allows me to apply my
 Avoid statements that
background in
focus only on what a
engineering and high
company can do for you:
performance
-A position where I gain computing to
experience in working on
biological problems. biological problems.

14. 1-14
Presenting Information
Some guidelines
 List the facts under headings
 Cover work experience with details
 Cover education with details
 When appropriate, show achievements
 Use action verbs to strengthen the appeal

15. 1-15
Presenting Information
Some guidelines
 Avoid information on race, sex, religion, marital status,
pregnancy status, citizenship status, age etc
 Include information on activities and interests that tell
about one’s personal qualities
 Get permission for using referee’s name
 Use a separate sheet for references
 Select references that cover your background

16. 1-16
Presenting Information
Some guidelines
 Use accurate mailing and email addresses
 List information without use of personal pronouns
 Use the same grammatical form for all equal-level
headings
 Choose fonts carefully
 Use right paper

17. 1-17
Summary of Qualifications Statement
 This statement can replace or be used in addition
to the objective statement.
 Write one short paragraph or a bulleted list of
qualifications.
 Use a summary of qualifications statement to
emphasize skills you possess that aren’t obvious
from your past work experiences.

18. 1-18
Summary of Qualifications Statement
Summary of Qualifications
 An MBA Major in Finance with expertise in the
following areas:
-Working as Chief Administrative Officer at Grameen Phone
-Communicating with customers in project environments
-Working as Associate Consultant with BRAC

19. 1-19
Education
 An important section for recent graduates seeking
internships or summer jobs.
 Beginning with the highest level of educational
achievement, include information such as university
attended, degrees earned, major, minors, grade point
average, date of program completion, and so forth.

20. 1-20
Education
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Graduation October 2007
MBA Major in Finance
GPA: 3.98/4.3
You do not have to include your GPA on the resume,
but if it isn’t included, employers may assume that it is
lower than it really is.
Always state the grade point scale your school is using.

21. 1-21
Relevant Courses
 List relevant courses that:
-Help you stand out from the crowd
-Have provided you with specific skills or knowledge
 Include this information in the education section:
Spanish (4 semesters)
Computer Science
Business Writing
Ethics
 Only include courses taken in addition to your major or
minor
 Refer to the course by name rather than by number

22. 1-22
Employment Experience
 Include positions you have held which are related
to the job you are seeking. These might be both
paid and volunteer positions
 Be creative with this section by describing your
experiences in the most relevant way possible

23. 1-23
Employment Experience
Hospitality Intern  Include information such as
(May 1999-August 1999) company name and location,
Mountain Jacks, HFx, NS
job title, dates, and duties
-Oversaw the planning,
performed
production, and prompt
delivery of food
 Make this section easy to read
by using spacing and bullets
-Assisted in training and
retaining new and  Use action phrases to
experienced employees highlight the duties you have
-Created a healthy performed
atmosphere in restaurant

24. 1-24
Activities and Honors
 Include relevant activities and honors
that you could discuss with your
prospective employer or that have given
you valuable experience or skills

25. 1-25
Specialized Skills
 Include skills that make you unique, such as
computer skills, foreign language skills, or military
service
 Be specific in describing your special skills; name
computer programs you know, how long you studied
a foreign language, or your dates of military service

26. 1-26
References
 In general, do not include the names and addresses of
your references
 Better state that references are available upon request
 Choose professional references rather than character
references

27. 1-27
Reference Sheet
Dr. Anson  Include the names,
Heavilon Hall, Room 226 addresses, and phone
Purdue University numbers of your references
West Lafayette, IN 47907  Always ask permission
(765) 494-3723 before you include any
information on your
-Dr. Anson is my current reference sheet
academic advisor in the  Consider giving your
Creative Writing and references a copy of your
resume so they will be
Science Fiction Program
prepared to talk to
employers

28. 1-28
Organizing Your Resume
 Organize your resume The most common
to highlight your resume styles are:
unique skills and
strengths -Organizational style
-Reverse chronological
 Use whatever
-Functional
combination of
organizational styles -Skills
you think best highlight -Imaginative
your individual
qualifications

29. 1-29
Reverse Chronological Resume Style
 Present your This style is best if:
education and work  Job experiences closely
experience in parallel the positions
chronological order,
 There are no periods of
beginning with your
unemployment time
most recent
experiences between jobs

30. 1-30
Reverse Chronological Resume Style
Work Experience:
1997-Present U.S. Postal Service, Indianapolis. Worked as a
Station Manager, delivering mail, overseeing retail
sales, planning delivery to new routes
1994-1997 All Right Parking, Inc., Indianapolis. Worked as a
Manager, handling customer relations, overseeing
accounts, supervising twenty-five employees
1992-1994 Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis. Worked as a District
Sales Manager recruiting and training new e
employees, managing crews of twenty-five carriers
within nine counties, designing routes

31. 1-31
Functional Resume Style
 Organize experience  Ignore experiences
by type of function that do not relate to
performed. Under the job for which you
each, give specific are applying
examples
 Highlight
 Place things in order
experiences that of importance rather
directly relate to the than chronological
job you are seeking order

32. 1-32
Functional Resume Style
Experience:
Research Assistant (May 1998-June 1999)- Purdue U.
Assisted Professor Robert Thompson in:
-updating statistical tables and charts
-answering research questions via the Internet, library,
and by establishing resources to provide the needed
information
President, Sociology Club (January-May 2000)
-Raised over $2,000 for club expenses and scholarships
-Organized 10 activities for over 200 students
-Designed and maintained club website

33. 1-33
Skills Resume Style
 Emphasize what you  Ideal style for
can do rather than people who have
where you have gained valuable
worked skills from a variety
 Try to match your of unrelated
skills to the position experiences
for which you are
applying

34. 1-34
Skills Resume Style
Skills:
Communication Skills
-Counseled teens in an anti-drug initiative at Jefferson High School
-Received Employee of the Month Award for my work creating a
positive environment at Wal-Mart while working as a cashier
-Presented a semester-long project on choosing a major to a group
of prospective students
Training Skills
-Trained new employees in cashier procedures at Wal-Mart
-Served as assistant coach for a Scotia High School basketball team

35. 1-35
Imaginative Resume Style
 Acts like a mini-  Ideal style when a
portfolio because it job demands
demonstrates a creativity, such as
combination of layout, graphic design
graphics, text
integration, and  Appropriate to use
audience selection color graphics on an
 Make sure a company imaginative resume
is open to this type of
resume before
submitting it

36. 1-36
Rick Nason
7431 Davenport Drive
(512) 598-9693 Dallas, TX 75226 (512) 598-0017
Objective: Administrative Assistant Position
Education: Bachelor of Science in Office Administration
Northern State University, 1991
GPA 3.0/4.0
Special Skills:
Keyboarding at 90 wpm, WordPerfect, Word,
Ami Pro, Excel and 1-2-3, Paradox and Access
Relevant Courses:
Business Communication Office Procedures
Document Imaging Management

37. 1-37
Experience:
Secretary 1996-1998
Boatner King Insurance Company, Dallas
Personal secretary to Mr. Carlos Boatner, President
Data-entry Clerk 1993-1996
Thatcher Manufacturing Company, Dallas
File Clerk 1992-1993
J. C. Douglas Wholesale Company, Dry Creek
References:
Will gladly provide personal and professional references
on request.

38. 1-38
Scannable Resume
 Constructed to be read by a computer and retrieved
when an appropriate position is being filled
 Can be scanned into a database and retrieved when a
position is being filled
 Objective is to getting the resume reviewed in order
to be re-interviewed

39. 1-39
Scannable Resume
Procedures for Scannable Resume
 Include industry-specific key words
 Choose precise nouns over verb actions
 Present information in a form read accurately by
scanners

40. 1-40
Electronic Resume
 Enables you to use electronic technology
 Three basic formats:
-ASCII or Text File:
-Word Processor, RTF (Rich Text File) and PDF (Portable
Document File)
-Multimedia HTM File

41. 1-41
Electronic Resume
Procedures for Electronic Resume
 Use the electronic format the receiver specifies or
prefers
 Remove all contact information except your email
address
 Consider adding a last updated notation
 Extend the HTML format to include colors, graphics,
video, and sound as appropriate

42. 1-42
Writing the Cover Messages
 Writing cover messages involve matching your
qualifications with the job
 They are as good as sales letters
 Skillfully sell your abilities through them

43. 1-43
Procedure of Writing the Cover Messages
 Study your product (you) and your prospect (the
employer) and think out a strategy for presentation
 Begin with words that gain attention
-begin applying for the job
-set up the presentation of your sales point
 Adapt the tone and content to the job you seek
 Present your qualifications, fitting them to the job
 Choose words that enhance the information presented
 Derive for an appropriate actions (interviews)

44. 1-44
Handling the Interview
 Research the employer (company) to impress
 Make a good appearance through dress and grooming
 Anticipate questions and plan to answer
-Standard, tough, illegal, critical thinking and behavioral questions
 Make a good impression by being at ease (calm, confident)
 Help bring out the questions that show your qualifications

45. 1-45
Preparing your answers helps you choose a
strategy
Question: What are your weaknesses?
Possible Strategies:
 Present a weakness that’s really a hidden strength
 Cite a corrected weakness
 Recall a lesson learned
 Reveal a lapsed skill
 Use an unrelated skill
 Cite an objective
 Try humor
 Repeat your qualifications

46. 1-46
Writing Other Job Search Letters
 Thank-you letter
 Follow-up letter
 Job acceptance letter
 Job refusal letter
 Job resignation letter

47. 1-47
Continuing Job Search Activities
 Maintain your resume
 Read job ads/ professional journals