ch. 15 - resumes

7/27/2019 Ch. 15 - Resumes

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© Prentice Hall, 2007 Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 1

Building Careers and

Writing Résumés

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Chapter 14 - 2

as reported in U.S. News &

World Repo rt

Test Your Employment Savvy

1 to 2

3 to 4

1. How many jobs can a typical worker expect

to have had by 30?

5 to 7

8 to 10

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Chapter 14 - 3

as reported in U.S. News &

World Repo rt

8 to 11 jobs

12 to 15

jobs

Test Your Employment Savvy

1 to 3 jobs

4 to 7 jobs

2. Over the course of one‟s working career, a

typical person can expect to have worked at

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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?

Evaluate your qualifications.

What technology, language, and peopleskills can you offer?

How can you demonstrate your skills?

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Recognize the changing nature of jobs.

Fewer people in permanent positions

More flexible workplace, includingtelecommuting

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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.

Interview someone in your field.

Join professional organizations.

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Search for a job electronically. Check the big boards: Monster,

CareerBuilder, CareerJournal, CollegeRecruiter, Yahoo.

Craigslist

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Search for a job traditionally.

Contact companies directly. Sign up for campus interviews

Ask for advice from instructors.

NETWORK, NETWORK,NETWORK!

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Employers’ Approach to

Recruiting Process

Networking

and Personal

References

Look Inside

the Company

Unsolicited

Résumés

Newspaper

Want Ads

Employment

Agency or

Search Firm

MostPreferred

LeastPreferred

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Resumes

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What is

the goal of a persuasive

résumé?

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Writing a Persuasive R ésumé

Decideon

length

Choose arésuméstyle

Arrangethe

parts

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© Chapter 14 - 13

Choose a

RésuméStyle

CHRONOLOGICAL

Focuses on job history

with most recent

positions listed first

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© Chapter 14 - 14

Choose a

RésuméStyle FUNCTIONAL

Focuses on skills

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© Chapter 14 - 15

Decide

onLength

Make your résumé as

long as needed to sellyour skills to recruiters

and hiring managers.

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Chapter 14 - 16

One-pagerésumé is

most likelywhen you

• Have fewer than

ten years of experience.

• Are making a

major career change.

• Have had only

one or twoemployers.

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Chapter 14 - 17

• Have more thanten years of experience.

Introductionor

background

Two-pagerésumé is

most likely

when you

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Chapter 14 - 18

• Are a senior-level

manager or executive.

• Have a lengthyhistory of major accomplishments.

Titlepage

Titlepage Three-

page-plus

résumé ismostlikely

when you

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Main Heading

Arrange

theParts

Career

ObjectiveSummary of

Qualifications

WorkExperience

Capabilitiesand Skills

Awards,Honors,

Activities

PersonalData

References

Education

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Chapter 14 - 20

Jane Hamilton2245 Westridge

Bedford, TX 76021

(817) [email protected]

Main Heading

• List your name, address, phone, and e-mail address.

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Chapter 14 - 21

• Optional• For a targeted job.

• Ideally, name job title, area of

specialization, and type of company.• “An entry level Mechanical Engineering

Position with Lockheed Martin.”

Career Objective

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Career Objective

• Avoid: “ A fulfilling position that

provides ample opportunity for career growth and personal

satisfaction”

• Use: “A software sales position in a

growing company requiring

international experience”

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Chapter 14 - 23

Summary of Qualifications:

• Bachelors of Science in Biology in Progress

• Lab Experience• 2 Years Customer Service Experience

Summary of Qualifications

• Present your most impressive skills andaccomplishments in a concise list.

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Summary of Qualification

• “Ten years of experience in

commission sales, consistently

meeting or exceeding sales goalsthrough creative lead generation,effective closing techniques, and

solid customer service.”

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Chapter 14 - 25

• Name your degree, date of graduation, andinstitution.

• List your major and GPA.

• Give information about your studies, butdon‟t inventory all your courses.

Education

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The University of Texas at Arlington

Bachelor’s of Science in Biology

Projected Graduation: May 2013GPA: 3.5 (4.0 scale)

* Dean’s List 2007

* Related Coursework:


Education

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Chapter 14 - 27

• If your work experience is significant andrelevant to the position sought, place thissection before education.

Work Experience

Describeyour

experience

List your previous

jobs.

Includenon-

technicalskills

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Chapter 14 - 28

Start with the most recent jobs.

Include employer‟s name andcity, dates of employment(month, year), and mostsignificant title.

• Salesperson, Kmart, Dayton, Ohio. 4/05 to 5/06

• Manager, Fleet Equipment, Kettering, Ohio. 6/06 topresent

• Tax Preparer, Volunteer Income Tax Assistanceprogram. March, 2006, to present. Sinclair College,Dayton, Ohio

List your previous jobs.

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Chapter 14 - 29

• Prepared state and federal tax returns for individuals with incomes under $25,000.

• Conducted interviews with over 50 individuals toelicit data regarding taxes.

• Determined legitimate tax deductions andrecorded them accurately.

Use action verbs to

summarize achievementsand skills relevant to your targeted job.

Describeyour

experience

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© Prentice Hall, 2007Excellence in Business Communication, 7e Chapter 14 - 30

Strengthen Your Résumé

With Action Verbs

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Using Action Verbs to

Strengthen Your Résumé

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Chapter 14 - 32

Includenon-

technicalskills

• Organized holiday awards program for 1200attendees and 140 awardees.

• Praised by top management for enthusiasticteamwork and achievement.

Give evidence of communi-

cation, management, andinterpersonal skills. Employerswant more than emptyassurances. Try to quantify

your skills.

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Chapter 14 - 33

• Volunteer Experience

• Internships

• Laboratory Experience• Course Work

Related Experience

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Chapter 14 - 34

• Software programs

• Microsoft Office

• Foreign Languages

Skills

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Chapter 14 - 35

• Be specific with each Award

• Include school, community,

volunteer, and professionalactivities.

• Church Activities

• Organizations

Awards, Honors, and Activities

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Chapter 14 - 36

• Employers are legally barred from

asking personal data, such as birth

date, health, and marital status.

• Therefore, omit such items from your

résumé.

• Do not include hobbies

Personal Data

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Chapter 14 - 37

• Do Not put References on your Resume

• Do Not put “References Available Upon

Request”

• The best references are instructors, your current employer or previous employers,colleagues or subordinates, and other professional contacts.

References

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Formatting

• Margins

• Bold

• Italics

• Underline


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Resume Examples

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“Red Flags” for Employers

Frequent job changes

Gaps in work history

Level of experience

Long-term with one company

For-cause job termination

Criminal or arrest record

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Keep the Résumé Honest

Workplace References

Background Checks

Credit Histories

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Chapter 14 - 44

Being 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.

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Proofreading Your Résumé

Headings and lists

Grammar and punctuation

Spelling and word choice

Paper and digital formats

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Proofreading Your Résumé

Headings

Objective

Education

Work Experience

Related Experience

Skills

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Producing Your Résumé

Heavy PaperWhite or Off White

PaperUse Manila Envelope

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Chapter 14 - 49

“Personal data. That‟s a major „red flag.‟ Also

typos, inconsistent punctuation, and hugeparagraphs 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. Andmisspellings!”

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Chapter 14 - 50

“Long cover letters and résumés over two

pages.” “Excess cosmetics, substituting form for

content. A résumé should look nice but not gooverboard.”

“A photo. I have to remove them because

managers must be color and gender blind.”

“Not sending the résumé to the right place.”

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Chapter 14 - 51

What Do Recruiters

Consider Most ImportantWhen Reading a Résumé?

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Chapter 14 - 52

• “The objective. Plus dates when things

happened and accomplishments.” • “Information about skills that apply to the

job; less about job history and past

duties.” • “Valid information in an easy-to-read,

attractive style.”

• “The candidate‟s address and phone

number. Lots of people put them only inthe cover letter!”

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Chapter 14 - 53

• “Realizing that the employer is looking for

„red flags‟ and making sure there aren‟tany. If you have an employment gap,include a clear statement explaining it.”

• “Meeting the qualifications for the job.” • “The presentation and the objective.”

• “A clear objective, backed up with

qualifying experience and continuity inthe work history.”

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Cover Letter

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Cover Letter

• The purpose of your cover letter isto…

– Get your resume read

– Highlight your strengths in terms of benefits to the reader

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457 Mountain View Rd.

Clear Lake, IA50428

June 16, 2007

Ms. Patricia Downing, Store Manager Walmart

840 South Oak

Iowa Falls, IA 50126

Dear Ms. Downing:

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Body Closing

• Address the letter to an individual by name.

• For advertised jobs, name the source; include jobtitle, date, and publication.

• If someone referred you, name that person.

• Show that your qualifications fit the job

specifications

Opening

Writing a Persuasive Cover Letter

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Opening Closing

Demonstrate that your background and trainingmeet the job requirements.

Summarize your principal assets from education,

experience, and special skills.

Refer to your résumé.

Body


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Opening Body

• Ask for an interview.• Make it easy to respond. Tell when and where

you can be reached (during office hours).

Some recruiters prefer that you call them.

Closing

Dear Hiring Manager:

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I am applying for your open Mechanical Engineering position(reference number 2539A), as listed on March 1 on Monster’s website.I believe that my education and experience closely mirror your needs.

I am currently a Junior Mechanical Engineering major at theUniversity of Texas at Arlington (see attached resume). During mytime at UTA, I have taken courses in ________.

While being a full time student, I have also worked at Best Buy.

Working retail has taught me responsibility, money management, andcustomer service.

I believe my qualifications can best be described in person. Therefore,I would like to set up an interview. Please call me at 817-555-2010any work day after 2pm to set up a time when we can meet. I look

forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

ch. 15 - resumes

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