1. 14.1 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Chapter 14 Writing Résumés and Application Letters

2. 14.2 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Chapter 14 Objectives  Explain why companies are encouraging employees to get varied job experience.  Delineate three things that need to be analyzed when planning a résumé.  Discuss how to choose the appropriate organization for your résumé.

3. 14.3 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Chapter 14 Objectives  List the major sections of a traditional résumé.  Adapt your résumé to an electronic format.  Define the purpose of application letters and how to apply the AIDA approach to them. continued

4. 14.4 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Building Toward a Career  Employers are looking for people who  Are able and willing to adapt to diverse situations  Thrive in an ever-changing workplace  Continue to learn throughout their careers  Are team players with strong work records  Are versatile leaders  Are sensitive to intercultural differences (and have perhaps studied abroad)  Have a sound understanding of international affairs (and have perhaps learned another language)

5. 14.5 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Steps Toward Building Your Career  Keep an employment portfolio.  Take interim assignments.  Polish and update your skills.  Learn about the services your campus career center offers.  Don’t think the process is over once an employer hires you.

6. 14.6 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Planning Your Resume  Your résumé is  A structured, written summary of your education, employment history, and job qualifications  A form of advertising  Intended to get you an interview with prospective employers  Your purpose in writing a résumé is to create interest, not to tell readers everything about you.

7. 14.7 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Before the Resume…  Before you can create a successful résumé, you need to find out  What you have to offer  What you want to do

8. 14.8 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Analyze Yourself  The first step toward knowing yourself is to analyze your talents and skills:  Jot down ten achievements you’re proud of, and think about the skills they demanded.  Look closely at your educational preparation, work experience, and extracurricular activities.  Take stock of your personal characteristics (making a list of your most important qualities).  Consult your college placement office for help identifying interests, aptitudes, and personality traits.

9. 14.9 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Analyze Yourself  The second step toward knowing yourself is to discover what will make you happy and satisfied on the job:  What would you like to do every day?  How would you like to work?  What specific compensation do you expect?  Can you establish some general career goals?  What size company would you prefer?  What type of operation is appealing to you?  What location would you like?  What facilities do you envision?  What sort of corporate culture are you most comfortable with?

10. 14.10 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Knowing the Job Market  Employers hire people by  Hearing about candidates from an employee (personal contact)  Sending representatives to college campuses to interview students for job openings  Accepting unsolicited résumés  Recruiting candidates through employment agencies, state employment services, temporary staffing services, and employment bureaus operated by some trade associations  Posting jobs through classified and display ads in newspapers, trade magazines, and campus publications  Advertising positions on the Internet

11. 14.11 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Resources for Employment Opportunities Journals and Periodicals Business and Financial News Specific Companies Web Sites Career Counseling Contacts

12. 14.12 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Writing your Resume  Call attention to your best features and downplay your weaknesses—without distorting or misrepresenting the facts.  Turn negative into positive

13. 14.13 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Creating Successful Résumés Your résumé should convey the seven qualities employers seek in a candidate:  Thinks in terms of results  Gets things done  Is well rounded  Shows signs of progress  Has standards of excellence  Is flexible and willing to try new things  Possesses strong communication skills

14. 14.14 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Types of Resumes  Focus attention on your strongest points by adopting an organizational approach:  Chronological  Functional  Combination

15. 14.15 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall A Chronological Résumé  A chronological résumé emphasizes your work experience, placing that section in the most prominent position (immediately after the name and address and the objective):  You list your jobs sequentially in reverse order, beginning with the most recent position and working backward toward earlier jobs.  For each listing, describe your responsibilities and accomplishments.  If you’re a recent graduate, you can vary this approach by putting your educational qualifications before your experience.

16. 14.16 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall A Chronological Résumé  The chronological approach has three key advantages:  Employers are familiar with it and can easily find information.  This approach highlights growth and career progression.  This approach highlights employment continuity and stability.  The chronological approach is especially appropriate for candidates with a strong employment history who are aiming for a job that builds on their current career path.

17. 14.17 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Functional Résumé  The functional résumé emphasizes a list of skills and accomplishments, identifying employers and academic experience in subordinate sections:  You list your skills and accomplishments in the most prominent position.  You stress individual areas of competence.

18. 14.18 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Functional Résumé  The functional approach has three advantages:  Employers are able to see what you can do for them, without having to read through every job description.  You can emphasize earlier job experience.  You can de-emphasize any lack of career progress or lengthy unemployment.  The functional approach is especially appropriate for candidates who are just entering the job market, who want to redirect their careers, or who have little continuous career-related experience.

19. 14.19 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Combination Résumé  The combination résumé includes the best features of the chronological and functional approaches, but it is not commonly used:  It tends to be longer.  It can be repetitious if you have to list your accomplishments and skills both in the functional section and in the chronological job descriptions.

20. 14.20 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Writing Your Resume  To compose an impressive résumé,  State your information as forcefully as possible (avoid weak statements)  Write your résumé using a simple, direct style (use active statements that show results)  Use short, crisp phrases instead of whole sentences  Focus on what your reader needs to know  Absolutely avoid using the word “I”  Start your phrases with impressive action verbs

21. 14.21 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Writing Your Resume  Begin your résumé by identifying yourself and providing your contact information:  Include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address (if you have one).  If you have contact information at school and at home, provide both.  If you have a work phone and a home phone, list both and indicate which is which.

22. 14.22 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Career Objective  Stating a career objective is optional:  Some experts advise against it, saying that your objective is obvious from your qualifications and that a stated objective labels you as being interested in only one thing.  Some experts argue for it, saying that employers will try to categorize you anyway, so you might as well give them the right label.  If you choose to state your objective, make it as specific as possible.  If you have different types of qualifications, prepare separate résumés.  If your immediate objective differs from your ultimate one, combine the two in a single statement.

23. 14.23 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Education Section  In the education section, present your academic background in depth:  Use a simple heading such as “Education,” “Professional College Training,” or “Academic Preparation.”  List the name and location of each school you attended (starting with the most recent).  Include the term of your enrollment (in months and years) for each entry.  List your major and minor fields of study for each entry.

24. 14.24 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Education Section  Include significant skills and abilities you’ve developed in your course work.  List the degrees or certificates you’ve earned at each school.  List the courses that have directly equipped you for the job you’re seeking.  Indicate any scholarships, awards, and academic honors you’ve received.  Include any off-campus training sponsored by business or government.

25. 14.25 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Education Section  List any relevant seminars or workshops you’ve attended (and any certificates you received).  Mention high school or military training only if the associated achievements are pertinent to your career goals.  If you choose to show a grade-point average, include the scale (especially if a 5-point scale is used instead of a 4-point scale).

26. 14.26 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Work Experience Section  In the work experience section, highlight the relationship between your previous responsibilities and your target field:  List your jobs in chronological order (with the current or last one first).  Include any part-time, summer, or intern positions, even if unrelated to your current career objective.  If you have worked your way through school, say so.  Include the name and location of each employer.

27. 14.27 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Work Experience Section  Briefly describe what each organization does.  State your functional title for each job.  State how long you worked on each job (from month/year to month/year).  Devote the most space to the jobs that are related to your target position.  Mention any significant achievements on the job (including facts about your skills and accomplishments).

28. 14.28 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Additional Sections  You might include a section describing other aspects of your background that pertain to your career objective:  Command of another language  Travel experience  Skills in operating computers, specific software, or other specialized equipment  You may insert information at the bottom of your résumé about additional materials that are available:  You might want to say that work samples are available upon request.  You may say that “references are available upon request,” but doing so isn’t necessary.

29. 14.29 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Additional Sections  In a section titled “Activities and Achievements,” you might  List volunteer activities such as tutoring, fundraising, or community service projects  List career-related activities such as speaking or writing activities  List participation in athletics or creative projects  List the offices held in academic or professional organizations  Note any awards you’ve received

30. 14.30 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Personal Data  Personal data should be left off your résumé, unless including it enhances the employer’s understanding of why you would be the best candidate for the job.  Exclude:  Political or religious organizations  Any protected class data  Salary information  Reasons for leaving jobs  Names of previous supervisors  Your social security number

31. 14.31 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Completing Your Resume  As with any other business message, you need to complete your résumé by  Revising it  Producing it  Proofreading it

32. 14.32 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Common Résumé Problems Too shortToo slick Too long Too amateurish MisspellingsPoorly reproduced Grammatical errorsBoastful Hard to readDishonest WordyGimmicky Too shortToo slick Too long Too amateurish MisspellingsPoorly reproduced Grammatical errorsBoastful Hard to readDishonest WordyGimmicky

33. 14.33 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Resume “To-Dos”  When producing your traditional, printed résumé,  Use a clean typeface on a high-grade letter-size bond paper  Use an envelope that matches the paper  Leave ample margins all around  Make sure that all corrections are unnoticeable  Avoid italic typefaces

34. 14.34 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Resume “To-Dos”  Use a quality laser printer  Try to keep your résumé to one page  Break up text with headings that call attention to various aspects of your background  Set off key points by underlining, capitalizing, or reversing indentation into the left margin  Use lists to itemize your most important qualifications  Leave plenty of white space (even if you run onto a second page)

35. 14.35 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Creating a Scannable Résumé  Prepare résumés in plain text or ASCII.  Eliminate complicated formatting such as boldfacing, underlining, multiple fonts, italics, or other formatting features.  Provide key words so employers can readily detect specific skills, experience, or education requirements.  Balance traditional language with current jargon.

36. 14.36 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall  Provide employers with your URL  Use keywords as hyperlinks  Don’t use photos  Leave out names of references  Include a link to an ASCII file of your résumé, so employers can download it Creating an Online Résumé

37. 14.37 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Other Types of Employment Messages  In addition to your résumé, you’ll need to  Write application letters  Write job-inquiry letters  Fill out application forms  Write follow-up messages

38. 14.38 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Application or Cover Letters  The purpose of your cover letter is to get the reader interested enough to read your résumé:  Learn something about the organization you’re applying to  Focus on your audience so that you can show you’ve done your homework  Address your letter with the name, title, and department of the person you’re writing to  A solicited application letter is in response to an announced job opening.  An unsolicited application letter is sent to an organization that has not announced an opening.

39. 14.39 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Cover Letters  Present your strongest selling points (in terms of their potential benefit to the organization)  Be careful not to repeat facts presented in your résumé (interpret them)  Spell out a few of your key qualifications  Back up your assertions with some convincing evidence of your performance  Discuss each requirement specified in any advertisement

40. 14.40 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Cover Letters  Demonstrate a few significant job-related qualities (diligence, willingness to work hard, ability to learn quickly, skill at handling responsibility, aptitude for getting along with people)  Mention salary requirements (only if the organization has asked you to state them)  Refer the reader to your résumé by citing a specific fact or general point covered there  Ask readers for a specific action (for an interview)  Try to sound natural and appreciative

41. 14.41 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Cover Letters  Offer to come to the employer’s office at a convenient time  Make a reply easy by clearly stating contact information and the best time to reach you  Mention that you will follow up with a phone call in a few days  Refer again to your strongest selling point  Refer to your date of availability

42. 14.42 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall Application Forms  Application forms are data sheets that simplify the comparison of applicants’ qualifications  When completing application forms, you should  Have your résumé with you  Never leave anything blank; if you have nothing to fill in, write “Not applicable”  Use a pen and print legibly  Do not distort information or lie  Follow up after a reasonable time

43. 14.43 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall  What is the purpose of maintaining an employment portfolio?  What is a résumé, and why is it important to adopt a "you" attitude when preparing one?  In what ways can job-seekers use the Internet during their career and employment search?  How does a chronological résumé differ from a functional résumé, and when is each appropriate?  What elements are commonly included in a résumé? Test Your Knowledge Let’s Discuss

44. 14.44 To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e, Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall  What are some of the most common problems with résumés?  Why is it important to provide a key word summary in a scannable or electronic résumé?  What advantages do résumés sent by e-mail have over résumés sent by fax or by mail?  How does a solicited application letter differ from an unsolicited letter?  How does the AIDA approach apply to an application letter? continued Test Your Knowledge Let’s Discuss