1. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 1 Building Careers and Writing Résumés

2. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 2 Securing Employment in Today’s Job Market Understanding the employer’s approach Organizing your approach

3. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 3 Employment Search Process 1.Build toward a career 2.Prepare a résumé 3.Understand the interview process 4.Prepare for interview 5.Take the interview 6.Follow up and accept the offer

4. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 4 Employer’s Approach to the Recruiting Process Look inside the company Networking and personal references Employment agency or search firm Unsolicited résumés Newspaper want ads

5. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 5 Organizing Your Approach Track business news Monitor financial news Research specific firms Build a network Seek career counseling

6. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 6 Résumé Writing Process Planning Writing Completing

7. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 7 Planning Your Résumé Identify audience and purpose Include pertinent information Determine the best medium Build on your strengths

8. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 8 What Employers Seek Results orientation Workplace achievements Versatility Signs of progress Standards of excellence Flexibility Communication skills

9. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 9 Areas of Concern Frequent job changes Gaps in work history Level of experience Long-term with one company For-cause job termination Criminal or arrest record

10. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 10 Organizing Your Résumé Chronological Functional Combination

11. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 11 Writing Your Résumé Respect your résumé Take your time Review good models Minimize frustration

12. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 12 Keep the Résumé Honest Workplace references Background checks Credit histories

13. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 13 Adapting to the Audience Consider the employer’s perspectiveConsider the employer’s perspective Build on past accomplishmentsBuild on past accomplishments Stress your future potentialStress your future potential Translate skills and experienceTranslate skills and experience Clarify educational achievementsClarify educational achievements

14. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 14 Composing Your Résumé Name and address Career objective or summary Academic credentials Employment history Activities and achievements Relevant personal data

15. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 15 Completing Your Résumé Revising Producing Proofreading

16. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 16 Common Résumé Problems Wrong length Hard to read Wordy Too slick Poorly reproduced Amateurish Boastful Generic Gimmicky Carelessly written

17. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 17 Producing Your Résumé Printed traditional résumé Printed scannable résumé Electronic plain-text file MS Word file HTML format PDF file

18. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 18 Printing a Traditional Résumé High-quality paper Crisp, clear image

19. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 19 Printing a Scannable Résumé Use sans-serif fonts Separate characters Avoid columns Avoid special characters Separate phone and email Use plain white paper Identify all pages Include a keyword summary

20. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 20 Digital Résumé Formats Plain-text file MS Word file HTML version PDF format

21. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 21 Proofreading Your Résumé Headings and lists Grammar and punctuation Spelling and word choice Paper and digital formats

22. © Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 15 - 22 Distributing Your Résumé Postal mail E-mail Fax machine Online Personal website Index service or job site