Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 1 Technical Communication A Practical Approach: Chapter 10: The Job Search William Sanborn Pfeiffer Kaye Adkins

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 2 The Job Search Researching Occupations and Companies Job Correspondence Job Interviews

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 3 Researching Occupations and Companies Do Basic Research in Your College Library or Placement Office Interview Someone in Your Field of Interest Find Information on Companies in Your Field Do Intensive Research on a Selected List of Potential Employers Use Your Computer to Gather Data

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 4 Job Correspondence Job Letters Resumes

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 5 Job Correspondence Job Letters Most readers of job letters have these characteristics… They read job letters in stacks They are tired They are impatient They become picky grammarians They want attention-grabbers but not slickness

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 6 Job Correspondence Job Letters The Letter’s Organization Abstract apply for specific job refer to ad, mutual friend, or other source state how you can meet your potential employer’s needs

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 7 Job Correspondence Job Letters The Letter’s Organization Body specify your understanding of the reader’s main needs provide main qualifications that satisfy these needs avoid mentioning weak points or deficiencies keep body paragraphs to six or fewer lines use bulleted or numbered lists maintain the “you” attitude throughout

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 8 Job Correspondence Job Letters The Letter’s Organization Conclusion tie the letter together with one main theme or selling point refer to your resume explain how and when the reader can contact you for an interview

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 9 Job Correspondence Resumes Challenges Emphasis select just a few major points of emphasis from your personal and professional life Length use only one page Arrangement arrange information so that it is pleasing to the eye and easy to scan

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 10 Job Correspondence Resumes Computer Challenges If you are writing a resume that may be read by a computer… use white or light-colored paper focus on key words – especially job skills avoid design features such as italics, fancy typefaces, and graphics

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 11 Job Correspondence Resumes Chronological Resume Emphasizes employment history Functional Resume Emphasizes skills you have developed Combined Resume Merges features of both the chronological and functional formats

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 12 Chronological Resume

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 13 Functional Resume

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 14 Combined Resume ( Formatted for Submission On Line)

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 15 Job Correspondence Resumes Objective Education Experience Activities, Recognitions, Interests References

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 16 Job Correspondence Resumes Objective Keep it short, preferably one sentence Provide enough detail to show that you have prepared for, and are interested in, a specific career Design a resume for each job description Consider not including an objective

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 17 Job Correspondence Resumes Education Include... school, location, degree, and date of graduation Consider including… grade point average, honors, minors, and key courses

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 18 Job Correspondence Resumes Experience Include specific positions you have held chronological resume Include specific skills you have developed in your experience functional resume Include experience and skills combined resume

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 19 Job Correspondence Resumes Activities, Recognitions, Interests Activities selected items that show your involvement in your college or your community or both Recognitions awards and other specific honors that set you apart from other applicants Interests hobbies or other interests that give the reader a brief look at the “other” you

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 20 Job Correspondence Resumes References Write “Available upon request” at the end of the page List names, addresses, and phone numbers at the end of the resume

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 21 Job Interviews Preparation Performance Follow-Up Letters

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 22 Job Interviews Preparation Do Your Homework on the Organization Write Out Answers to the Questions You Consider Likely Do Mock Interviews Be Physically Prepared for the Interview

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 23 Job Interviews Performance Dress Appropriately Take an Assertive Approach Use the First Few Minutes to Set the Tone Maintain Eye Contact While You Speak Be Specific in the Body of the Interview Do Not Hesitate Reinforce Main Points

Technical Communication Fundamentals, 1 st Edition W.S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. 24 Job Interviews Follow-Up Letters Write no more than one page Use short first paragraph to express appreciation for the interview Use the middle paragraph(s) to… Reinforce a few reasons why you would be the right choice for the position Express interest in something specific about the organization Use a short last paragraph to restate your interest in the job