Ch13 instructor

© 2010 Thomson South-Western
Instructor Only Version
CHAPTER 13CHAPTER 13
The JobThe Job
Search,Search,
Résumés, andRésumés, 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.

 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

True False
3. Having your job terminated ranks in the
top 10 of the most severe crises in life.

 Chronological (arranged around dates of
employment, education)
 Functional (arranged around skills)
4. What résumé format do recruiters
generally prefer?

 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

Monster.com
Yahoo! Hot Jobs
Company Web sites
CareerBuilder.com
6. The best place to look for a job online is at

 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?

 An embedded
résumé
 All three
versions
 A traditional
print-based
résumé
 A scannable
résumé
8. A savvy job candidate would prepare
which of the following résumés?

The primary purpose of a cover
letter is to request an interview.
True False
9. The primary purpose of a cover letter is
to ask for a job.

 KISS strategy
 NASA strategy
 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?

Identify
your
interests
Evaluate
your
qualifications
Search
for a job
electronically
Learn about
careers and
choose a
path
Recognize
the
changing
nature of jobs
Search
for a job
traditionally
Preparing for EmploymentPreparing for Employment
START HERE

 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?
© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM / DEAN SANDERSON

 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

 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.

 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).

Chapter 1, Slide 17Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e Chapter 13, Slide 17Mary Ellen Guffey, Essentials of Business Communication, 8e
 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!

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.

What is
the goal of
a customized
résumé?

Writing a Customized RésuméWriting a Customized Résumé
Decide
on
length
Choose a
résumé
style
Arrange
the
parts

Choose aChoose a
RésuméRésumé
StyleStyle
Choose aChoose a
RésuméRésumé
StyleStyle
CHRONOLOGICALCHRONOLOGICAL
Focuses on job history
with most recent
positions listed first
Focuses on job history
with most recent
positions listed first
Choosing a Résumé StyleChoosing a Résumé Style

Choose aChoose a
RésuméRésumé
StyleStyle
Choose aChoose a
RésuméRésumé
StyleStyle FUNCTIONALFUNCTIONAL
Focuses on skillsFocuses on skills
Choosing a Résumé StyleChoosing a Résumé Style

DecideDecide
onon
LengthLength
DecideDecide
onon
LengthLength
Make your résumé as
long as needed to sell
your skills to recruiters
and hiring managers.
Make your résumé as
long as needed to sell
your skills to recruiters
and hiring managers.
Deciding on LengthDeciding on Length

Main HeadingMain Heading
Career
Objective
Career
Objective
Summary of
Qualifications
Summary of
Qualifications
Work
Experience
Work
Experience
Special
Skills
Special
Skills
Achievements
Awards
Activities
Achievements
Awards
ActivitiesEducationEducation
Arranging the PartsArranging the Parts
ArrangeArrange
thethe
PartsParts
ArrangeArrange
thethe
PartsParts

 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

 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.
Summary of Qualifications
Education

If your work experience is significant and
relevant to the position sought, place this
section before education.
Describe
your
experience
List your
previous
jobs
Include
non-
technical
skills
Work Experience

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 your
previous
jobs.
Arranging the Parts of a RésuméArranging the Parts of a Résumé

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.
Describe
your
experience
Arranging the Parts:Arranging the Parts:
Work ExperienceWork Experience

Include
non-
technical
skills
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

 Highlight your technical skills.
All employers seek employees proficient with
the Internet, software programs, office
equipment, and communication technology
tools.
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.

 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

Sample Reference ListSample Reference List

 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.
Additional Tips
Proofread!

Examine These RésumésExamine These Résumés
Discuss ways to
improve this poor résumé.
Click icon to view
an improved version.
Adobe Acrobat
Document
Adobe Acrobat
Document

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

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

Preparing a
Scannable
Résumé
Maximizing
“Hits”
Preparing a
Plain Text
Résumé for
E-Mailing
Optimizing Your Résumé forOptimizing Your Résumé for
Today’s TechnologiesToday’s Technologies

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.

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 view
scannable résumé Adobe Acrobat
Document

Preparing a Plain TextPreparing a Plain Text
Résumé 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 view
plain text résumé Adobe Acrobat
Document

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.

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.

Submitting Your RésuméSubmitting 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:

A focus group
of nine expert
recruiters gave these
individual responses:
What Turns Recruiters OffWhat Turns Recruiters Off
When Reading Résumés?When Reading Résumés?

 “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!”

 “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.”

 “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 ConsiderWhat Do Recruiters Consider
Most Important in a Résumé?Most Important in a Résumé?

What Do Recruiters ConsiderWhat 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.”

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, PersuasiveWriting a Customized, Persuasive
Cover LetterCover Letter

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

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

Model Cover LettersModel Cover Letters
Click icon to view
solicited cover letter.
Click icon to view
unsolicited cover letter.
Click icon to view
e-mail cover letter.
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