1. Tips for Writing Effective Resumes

2. The 21 st Century Job Market  12–15 different employers ( Bolles, 141)  10% – 20% growth in technical communication jobs through 2012 ( U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

3. 21 st Century Job Market (cont.)  Salary mean for technical communicators in 2005 was $67,520 ( Society for Technical Communication)  Salary mean for technical communicators with less than 2 years experience was $42,910 ( Society for Technical Communication)

4. Develop a Marketing Strategy  Do a self-assessment  Interview a working professional communicator  Identify your market  Create network opportunities

5. Develop a Marketing Strategy (cont.)  Research and collect information on companies that employ technical and/or professional communicators  Know the language of potential employers  Find information on companies in your field  Do an Internet job search  Develop a network of contacts

6. Networking Tips  Become active in your professional organizations  Develop a list of contacts that includes classmates, teachers, business associates, and friends  Target companies that you would like to work for well in advance of graduation

7. Networking Tips (cont.)  Learn about your target companies’ products, services, types of jobs, management philosophy, etc.  Subscribe to list services and e-mail networking services that pertain to professional communication

8. Sample Technical Communication Careers  Technical writing  Proposal writing  Software documentation  Hardware documentation  Information development  Web development

9. Sample Technical Communication Careers (cont.)  Multimedia development  Graphic design  Instructional design  Training  Publication management  Video production  Editing

10. Desirable Soft Skills for Technical Communicators  Analytical and curious  Strong interpersonal skills—can work with ALL personality types  Research and interview skills  Time management skills  Teamwork-driven  Willingness to learn  Creative mind, creative solutions

11. Resume Tips  Format for a 20 to 30-second review  Make sure you have spell-checked it  List your software tools  Include quantifiable job contributions

12. Resume Tips (cont.)  Include a summary of your qualifications (skills + experience)  List your accomplishments  List your technical skills and software proficiencies  Note relevant courses/certifications

13. Additional Tips  Keep your resume to one page unless you have important skills and/or experience that requires a second page.  Be positive. Focus on accomplishments and strengths.  Do not mention salary requirements.

14. Additional Tips (cont.)  Use formatting techniques and white space to speed up reading time.  Use phrases, not complete sentences.  Rely on action verbs to describe qualifications.  Be specific. Use the language of potential employers and focus on their needs.  Proofread! Proofread! Your resume is the first writing sample an employer will see.

15. Parts of the Standard Resume  Contact information  Career objective  Education summary  Achievements and honors  Work summary  Special skills  References

16. Types of Resumes  Chronological  Combination  Functional  Scannable

17. Chronological Resume: Advantages  Professional interviewers are more familiar with it.  It is the easiest to prepare, because its content is arranged by dates, companies, and titles.  It puts a steady employment record into the best perspective.

18. Chronological Resume: Advantages (cont.)  It provides the interviewer with a guide for discussing work experience.

19. Chronological Resume: Disadvantages  Can starkly reveal employment gaps  May place undesired emphasis on unrelated jobs  May de-emphasize skill areas unless they are reflected in the most recent job

20. Combination Resume: Advantages  Provides a good opportunity to emphasize an applicant’s most relevant skills and abilities  De-emphasizes gaps in employment  Focuses on activities and skills rather than dates

21. Combination Resume: Disadvantages  Important dates may be difficult to locate.  Format may not be familiar to recruiters.  It can be longer than the chronological resume.

22. Functional Resume: Advantages  Summarizes related skills and experience developed over time  Focuses on duties, accomplishments, and advanced skill sets  Can focus on skills and experience that cross over from another field

23. Functional Resume: Disadvantages  Not appropriate for entry-level technical or professional communication positions  May be more difficult to develop into a scannable resume

24. Scannable Resume  Designed so an optical scanner can identify job-related skills and tools quickly  Focuses on getting the most hits possible  The more hits, the better your chances

25. Eight Tips for Formatting a Scannable Resume 1. Eliminate formatting used in traditional resumes. Use capital letters for major headings. Eliminate italics, boldface, etc. 2. Left-justify your text. 3. Use the language of the job ad whenever possible. 4. Use a standard serif or sans serif font ( Times, Arial, Palatino, Futura).

26. Eight Tips for Formatting a Scannable Resume (cont.) 5. Avoid columns. Scanners move from left to right. 6. Avoid graphics and shading. 7. Make your scannable resume laser legible. 8. Remember to use plenty of white space even if your resume extends to a second page

27. Cited References Bolles, Richard N. Job Hunting on the Internet. 2nd ed. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 1999. Society for Technical Communication. 2005 Technical Communication Salary Survey. Washington, DC. http://www.stc.org/salarySurvey.asp U.S. Bureau of Labor. “Writers and Editors Job Outlook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. 2004-05 ed. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos89.htm