PART

5 Employment Messages and

Job Interviews

CHAPTER
13 Building Careers and Writing Résumés

CHAPTER
14 Applying and Interviewing for Employment

T
he same techniques you use
to succeed in your career
can also help you launch and
manage that career. Understand the
employer’s perspective on the hiring
process so that you can adapt your
approach and find the best job in the
shortest possible time. Learn the best
ways to craft a résumé and the other
elements in your job-search portfolio.
Understand the interviewing process

Laflor/E+/Getty Images
to make sure you’re prepared for every
stage and every type of interview.

Goodluz/Shutterstock
359
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A01_THOM6233_05_SE_WALK.indd 9 1/13/17 6:50 PM

 13
Building Careers and Writing
Résumés

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you will be able to COMMUNICATION MATTERS . . .

1 List eight key steps to finding the ideal opportunity in

today’s job market.
“A résumé that says ‘You can count on me to get things done’
makes an applicant stand out.”
—Joanne Pokaski, director of workforce development, Beth
2 Explain the process of planning your résumé, including
how to choose the best résumé organization.
Israel Deaconess Medical Center1

Employers want candidates who can step in and start producing

3 Describe the tasks involved in writing your résumé, and list
the sections to consider including in your résumé.
results quickly. By crafting a persuasive, professional résumé with
clear evidence of skills and accomplishments, you take the first
step in convincing recruiters you are that kind of employee.
4 Characterize the completing step for résumés, including
the six most common formats in which you can produce
This chapter offers some practical advice for your job search
and then guides you through the three-step process for writing
a résumé. résumés. A résumé is one of the most important writing proj-

5 Identify nine tips for creating a successful LinkedIn profile.

ects in your entire career, but this course is giving you the skills
you need in order to produce an effective one. This chapter will
help you apply what you’ve learned, so you can write an effec-
tive résumé that helps you stand out from a crowded field of
MyLab Business Communication applicants.
If your instructor is using MyLab Business Communication,
visit [Link]/mylab/business-communication
for videos, simulations, and writing exercises.

Photo courtesy of Joanne Pokaski

Workforce expert Joanne Pokaski says it is vital for your résumé to send
a clear message about your ability to get the job done.

 361
362 PAR T 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

Finding the Ideal Opportunity in Today’s

Job Market
1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE
List eight key steps to finding
Identifying and landing a job can be a long and challenging process. Fortunately, the skills
you’re developing in this course will give you a competitive advantage. This section offers
the ideal opportunity in today’s job a general job-search strategy with advice that applies to just about any career path you
market. might want to pursue. As you craft your personal strategy, keep these three guidelines
in mind:
If you haven’t already, read the ●● Get organized. Your job search could last many months and involve multiple contacts
Prologue, “Building a Career with with dozens of companies. You need to keep all the details straight to ensure that you
Your Communication Skills,”
don’t miss opportunities or make mistakes such as losing someone’s email address or
before studying this chapter.
forgetting an appointment.
●● Start now and stick to it. Even if you are a year or more away from graduation, now
is not too early to get started with some of the essential research and planning tasks.
If you wait until the last minute, you might miss opportunities and you won’t be as
prepared as other candidates.
●● Look for stepping-stone opportunities. If you can’t find the opportunity you’re look-
ing for right away, you might need to take a job that doesn’t meet your expectations
while you keep looking to get on the right track. But view every job as an opportunity
to learn workplace skills, observe effective and ineffective business practices, and fine-
tune your sense of how you’d like to spend your career.

WRITING THE STORY OF YOU

Writing or updating your résumé is a great opportunity to step back and think about
What’s your story? Thinking where you’ve been and where you’d like to go. Do you like the path you’re on, or is it
about where you’ve been and time for a change? Are you focused on a particular field, or do you need some time to
where you want to go will help explore?
focus your job search. You might find it helpful to think about the “story of you”—the things you are pas-
sionate about, your skills, your ability to help an organization reach its goals, the path
MOBILE APP you’ve been on so far, and the path you want to follow in the future (see Figure 13.1).
The Good&Co app aims to help
Think in terms of an image or a theme you’d like to project. Are you academically gifted?
professionals find jobs that bring
An effective leader? A well-rounded professional with wide-ranging talents? A creative
more meaning to their careers.
problem solver? A technical wizard? Writing your story is a valuable planning exercise that
helps you think about where you want to go and how to present yourself to target
employers.

LEARNING TO THINK LIKE AN EMPLOYER

Employers judge their recruiting When you know your side of the hiring equation a little better, switch sides and look at it
success by quality of hire, so take from an employer’s perspective. Recognize that companies take risks with every hiring deci-
steps to present yourself as a high- sion—the risk that the person hired won’t meet expectations and the risk that a better
quality hire. candidate has slipped through their fingers. Many companies judge the success of their
recruiting efforts by quality of hire, a measure of how closely new employees meet the
company’s needs.2 Given this perspective, what steps can you take to present yourself as the
low-risk, high-reward choice?
Of course, your perceived ability to perform the job is an essential part of your
potential quality as a new hire. However, hiring managers consider more than just
your ability to handle the job. They want to know if you’ll be reliable and motivated—
if you’re somebody who “gets it” when it comes to being a professional in today’s
workplace. A great way to get inside the heads of corporate recruiters is to “listen in”
Follow the online conversations on their professional conversations by reading periodicals such as Workforce Manage-
of professional recruiters to learn ment and blogs such as Fistful of Talent ([Link]) and the HR Capitalist
what their hot-button issues are. ([Link]).
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 363

My Story

Where I Have Been What experiences from your past give you insight
into where you would like to go in the future?
• Honor student and all around big shot in high school (but discovered that college is
full of big shots!)
• Have worked several part-time jobs; only thing that really appealed to me in any of
them was making improvements, making things work better

Where I Am Now Where do you stand now in terms of your education

and career, and what do you know about yourself?
• Junior; on track to graduate in 2021
• Enjoy designing creative solutions to challenging problems
• Not a high-end techie in an engineering sense, but I figure most things out eventually
• Not afraid to work hard, whatever it takes to get the job done
• I can tolerate some routine, as long as I have the opportunity to make improvements
if needed
• Tend to lead quietly by example, rather than by visibly and vocally taking charge
• Knowing that I do good work is more important than getting approval from others
• I tend not to follow fads and crowds; sometimes I’m ahead of the curve, sometimes
I’m behind the curve What would you like your future to be? What do
you like and dislike? What would you like to ex-
Where I Want to Be plore? If you haven’t figured everything out yet,
that’s fine—as long as you’ve started to think
• Get an advanced degree; not sure what subject area yet, though
about the future.
• Haven’t really settled on one industry or profession yet; working with systems of any
kind is more appealing than any particular profession that I’ve learned about so far
• Develop my leadership and communication skills to become a more “obvious” leader
• Collaborate with others while still having the freedom to work independently (maybe
become an independent contractor or consultant at some point?)
• Have the opportunity to work internationally, at least for a few years
• Like the big bucks that corporate executives earn but don’t want to live in the
public eye like that or have to “play the game” to get ahead
• Believe I would be good manager, but not sure I want to spend all my time just
managing people
• Want to be known as an independent thinker and creative problem solver, as
somebody who can analyze tough situations and figure out solutions that others
might not consider
• Are there jobs where I could focus on troubleshooting, improving processes,
or designing new systems?

Figure 13.1 Writing the Story of You

Writing the “story of you” is a helpful way to think through where you’ve been in your life and career so far, where you are now, and where you would like
to go from here. Remember that this is a private document designed to help you clarify your thoughts and plans, although you probably will find ways to
adapt some of what you’ve written to various job-search documents, including your résumé.

RESEARCHING INDUSTRIES AND COMPANIES OF INTEREST

Learning more about professions, industries, and individual companies is a vital step in your
job search. It also impresses employers, particularly when you go beyond the easily available
sources such as a company’s own website. Table 13.1 lists some of the many websites where
you can learn more about companies and find job openings. Your college’s career center
placement office probably maintains an up-to-date list as well.
To learn more about contemporary business topics, scan leading business periodicals Employers expect you to be famil-
and newspapers with significant business sections. In addition, thousands of bloggers, iar with important developments
Twitter users, and podcasters offer news and commentary on the business world. Alltop in their industries, so stay on top
([Link]) is another good resource for finding people who write about topics that inter- of business news.
est you. In addition to learning more about professions and opportunities, this research
will help you get comfortable with the jargon and buzzwords currently in use in a particu-
lar field, including essential keywords to use in your résumé (see page 372).
364 PAR T 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

TABLE 13.1 Selected Job-Search Websites

Website* URL Highlights

CollegeRecruiter [Link] Focused on opportunities for graduates with fewer than three years of work experience
Monster [Link] One of the most popular job sites, with hundreds of thousands of openings, many from
­hard-to-find small companies; extensive collection of advice on the job-search process
MonsterCollege [Link] Focused on job searches for new college grads; your school’s career center site probably
links here
CareerBuilder [Link] One of the largest job boards; affiliated with several hundred newspapers and job-related
websites
Jobster [Link] Uses social networking to link employers with job seekers
USAJOBS [Link] Official job-search site for the U.S. government, featuring openings for everything from econ-
omists to astronauts to border patrol agents
IMDiversity [Link] Good resource on diversity in the workplace, with job postings from companies that have
made a special commitment to promoting diversity in their workforces
[Link] [Link] One of the best sites for high-technology jobs
[Link] [Link] Concentrates on jobs for IT specialists and engineers; also incorporates [Link] for
contractors and freelancers looking for short-term assignments
Internship Programs [Link] Posts listings from companies looking for interns in a wide variety of professions
SimplyHired [Link] Two specialized search engines that look for job postings on hundreds of websites
Indeed [Link] ­worldwide; they find many postings that aren’t listed on job board sites such as Monster
*Note: This list represents only a small fraction of the hundreds of job-posting sites and other resources available online; be sure to check with your college’s career center
for the latest information.
Sources: Individual websites, all accessed 27 April 2017.

REAL-TIME UPDATES
Take advantage of job-search apps as well, including
LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE those offered by job-posting websites and major employers
Advice for every phase of the job-search (see Figure 13.2). You can use them to learn more about
process the company as well as about specific jobs. In addition to
From an introduction to job-search strategies to details on résumé researching companies and applying for openings, inte-
writing, you’ll find advice from career counseling professionals. grating a mobile device into your job-search strategy can
Go to [Link]/bce8 and select Learn More in the help with networking and staying on top of your active job
Students section. applications. For instance, some companies don’t wait long
after extending an offer. If they don’t hear from the top
candidate in a short amount of time, they’ll move on their
next choice. By staying plugged in via your mobile device, you won’t let any opportuni-
ties pass you by.

TRANSLATING YOUR GENERAL POTENTIAL INTO A SPECIFIC

SOLUTION FOR EACH EMPLOYER
An essential task in your job
search is presenting your skills An important aspect of any employer’s quality-of-hire challenge is trying to determine how
and accomplishments in a way well a candidate’s attributes and experience will translate into the demands of a specific
that is relevant to the employer’s position. As a job candidate, customizing your résumé to each job opening is an important
business challenges. step in showing employers that you will be a good fit. Customizing your résumé is not dif-
ficult if you have done your research. From your initial contact all the way through the
MOBILE APP
interviewing process, in fact, you will have opportunities to impress recruiters by explaining
The [Link] mobile app lets how your general potential translates to the specific needs of the position.
you search for jobs and apply from
your phone.
TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES
When it comes to finding the right opportunities for you, the easiest ways are not always the
most productive ways. The major job boards such as Monster and classified services such
as Craigslist have thousands of openings, but thousands of job seekers are looking at and
applying for these same openings. Moreover, posting job openings on these sites is often a
company’s last resort, after it has exhausted other possibilities.
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 365

Figure 13.2 Mobile Job-Search Tools

Put your mobile phone or tablet to work in your job search, using some of the many employment apps now
available.
Source: Courtesy of Glassdoor.

To maximize your chances, take the initiative and go find opportunities. Identify the Don’t hesitate to contact interest-
companies you want to work for and focus your efforts on them. Get in touch with their ing companies even if they haven’t
human resources departments (or individual managers, if possible), describe what you can advertised job openings to the
offer the company, and ask to be considered if any opportunities come up.3 Reach out to public yet—they might be looking
company representatives on social networks. Your message might appear right when a com- for somebody just like you.
pany is starting to look for someone but hasn’t yet advertised the opening to the outside world.

BUILDING YOUR NETWORK

Networking is the process of making informal connections with mutually beneficial business Networking is an important way
contacts. Networking takes place wherever and whenever people talk: at industry functions, for professionals to help each
at social gatherings, at alumni reunions—and all over the Internet, from LinkedIn to Twitter other throughout their careers.
to Facebook. In addition to making connections through social media tools, you might get
yourself noticed by company recruiters.
Networking is more essential than ever because the vast majority of job openings are
never advertised to the general public. To avoid the time and expense of sifting through
MOBILE APP
thousands of applications and the risk of hiring complete strangers, many companies start
Stay in touch with your professional
by asking their employees for recommendations—and these referrals are one of the most network with the LinkedIn mobile
important sources of new employees.4 The more people who know you, the better chance app.
you have of being recommended for one of these hidden job openings.
366 PAR T 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

Creative Ways to Build Your Network

Start building your network Start building your network now. Your classmates could end up being some of your most
now—your classmates could valuable contacts, if not right away then possibly later in your career. Then branch out by
turn out to be some of your most identifying people with similar interests in your target professions, industries, and compa-
important business contacts. nies. Read news sites, blogs, and other online sources. Follow industry leaders on Twitter.
You can also follow individual executives at your target companies to learn about their
interests and concerns.5 Be on the lookout for career-oriented Tweetups, in which people
who’ve connected on Twitter get together for in-person networking events. Connect with
people on LinkedIn and Facebook, particularly in groups dedicated to particular career
interests. Depending on the system and the settings on individual users’ accounts, you may
be able to introduce yourself via public or private messages.6
Participate in student business organizations, especially those with ties to professional
organizations. Visit trade shows to learn about various industries and rub shoulders with
people who work in those industries.7 Don’t overlook volunteering; you not only meet
people but also demonstrate your ability to solve problems, manage projects, and lead
others. You can do some good while creating a network for yourself.

Keys to Being a Valued Networker

Remember that networking is about people helping each other, not just about other people
helping you. Pay close attention to networking etiquette:8
●● Be polite in every exchange. Not only is this the professional way to behave, but people
are more inclined to help those who are positive and respectful.
●● Don’t speak poorly of your current employer or any past employers. Doing so is off-
putting to other people, and it harms your reputation.
●● Respect other people’s time. Don’t inundate people with messages, questions, or
requests for help.
●● Stay away from politics and other volatile topics. Remember that you’re building a
business network, not a circle of friends.
●● Follow through on your promises. If you agree to make an introduction or provide
information, make sure you do so.
●● Follow up after meeting people. If you meet someone with shared interests, send a
brief message within a day or two to solidify the connection you’ve made.
Networking is a mutually beneficial To become a valued network member, you need to be able to help others in some way.
activity, so look for opportunities You may not have any influential contacts yet, but because you’re researching industries
to help others in some way. and trends as part of your own job search, you probably have valuable information you
can share via your online and offline networks. Or you might simply be able to connect
one person with another who can help. The more you network, the more valuable you
become in your network—and the more valuable your network becomes to you.
Finally, be aware that your online network reflects on who you are in the eyes of
potential employers, so exercise some judgment in making connections and giving recom-
mendations on LinkedIn.

SEEKING CAREER COUNSELING

Don’t overlook the many Your college’s career center probably offers a wide variety of services, including individual
resources available through counseling, interview practice, résumé help, job fairs, on-campus interviews, and job listings.
your college’s career center. You can also find career planning advice online. Many of the websites listed in Table 13.1
offer articles and online tests to help you choose a career path, identify essential skills, and
prepare to enter the job market.

AVOIDING CAREER-SEARCH MISTAKES

Don’t let a careless mistake While you’re making all these positive moves to show employers you will be a quality hire,
knock you out of contention take care to avoid simple blunders such as these that can derail a job search:
for a great job.
●● Not catching mistakes in your résumé
●● Misspelling the name of a manager you’re writing to
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 367

●● Showing up late for an interview

●● Posting something unprofessional on social media
●● Failing to complete application forms correctly
●● Asking for information that you can easily find yourself on a company’s website
Busy recruiters will seize on these errors as a way to narrow the list of candidates they
need to spend time on, so don’t give them a reason to pass on your résumé.
Also, assume that every employer will conduct an online search on you, because the
majority of companies now do so.9 They want to know what your LinkedIn profile looks
like and whether you’ve posted anything unprofessional on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook,
or other sites. If they don’t like what they see or if what they see doesn’t match what they
read on your résumé, you probably won’t be invited for an interview.10

Planning Your Résumé

Although you will create many messages during your career search, your résumé will be
the most important document in this process. You will be able to use it directly in many 2 LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Explain the process of
instances, adapt it to a variety of uses such as an e-portfolio, and reuse pieces of it in social planning your résumé, including
networking profiles and online application forms. Even if you apply to a company that how to choose the best résumé
organization.
doesn’t request résumés, the process of developing your résumé will prepare you for inter-
viewing and preemployment testing.
Developing a résumé is one of those projects that really benefits from multiple sessions
spread out over several days or weeks. You are trying to summarize a complex subject (your-
self!) and present a compelling story to strangers in a brief document. Follow the three-step
writing process (see Figure 13.3 on the next page) and give yourself plenty of time.
Before you dive into your résumé, be aware that you will find a wide range of opinions
about résumés, regarding everything from appropriate length, content, design, distribu-
tion methods, and acceptable degrees of creativity to whether it even makes sense to write
a traditional résumé in this age of online applications. For example, you may encounter
a prospective employer that wants you to tweet your résumé or submit all the links that
make up your online presence, rather than submit a conventional résumé.11 You may
run across examples of effective résumés that were produced as infographics, interactive
videos, simulated search engine results, puzzles, games, graphic novels—you name it,
somebody has probably tried it.
When you hear conflicting advice or see trendy concepts that you might be tempted You will see lots of ideas and
to try, remember the most important question in business communication: What is the some conflicting advice about
most effective way to adapt your message to the individual needs of each member of your résumés; use what you know
audience? An approach that is wildly successful with one company or in one industry about effective business commu-
could be a complete disaster in another industry. To forge your own successful path nication to decide what is right
for your résumés.
through this maze of information, get inside the heads of the people you are trying to
reach—try to think the way they think—and then apply the principles of effective com-
munication you are learning in this course.

ANALYZING YOUR PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE

Planning an effective résumé starts with understanding its true function—as a brief, persua- Once you view your résumé as a
sive business message intended to stimulate an employer’s interest in meeting you and learn- persuasive business message, it’s
ing more about you (see Table 13.2 on the next page). In other words, the purpose of a easier to decide what should and
résumé is not to get you a job but rather to get you an interview.12 shouldn’t be in it.
As you conduct your research on various professions, industries, companies, and Thanks to Twitter, LinkedIn,
individual managers, you will have a better perspective on your target readers and their and other social media, you can
information needs. Learn as much as you can about the individuals who may be read- often learn valuable details about
ing your résumé. Many professionals and managers are bloggers, Twitter users, and individual managers in various
LinkedIn members, for example, so you can learn more about them online even if companies.
you’ve never met them. Any bit of information can help you craft a more effective
message.
368 PAR T 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

1 Plan 2 Write 3 Complete

Analyze the Situation Adapt to Your Audience Revise the Message

Recognize that the purpose Plan your wording carefully so Evaluate content and review
of your résumé is to get an that you can catch a recruiter’s readability and then edit and
interview, not to get a job. eye within seconds; translate rewrite for conciseness and
your education and experience clarity.
Gather Information into attributes that target
Research target industries and employers find valuable. Produce the Message
companies so that you know Use effective design elements
what they’re looking for in new Compose the Message and suitable layout for a clean,
hires; learn about various jobs Write clearly and succinctly, professional appearance;
and what to expect; learn about using active, powerful language seamlessly combine text and
the hiring manager, if possible. that is appropriate to the indus- graphical elements. When
tries and companies you’re printing, use quality paper and
Choose Media and Channels targeting; use a professional a good printer.
Start with a traditional paper tone in all communications.
résumé and develop scannable, Proofread the Message
plain text, PDF, and social/ Review for errors in layout,
online versions, as needed. spelling, and mechanics;
Consider other formats as mistakes can cost you inter-
supplements. view opportunities.

Organize the Information Distribute the Message

Choose an organizational model Deliver your résumé, carefully
that highlights your strengths following the specific instruc-
and downplays your shortcom- tions of each employer or job
ings; use the chronological board website.
approach unless you have a
strong reason not to.

Figure 13.3 Three-Step Writing Process for Résumés

Following the three-step writing process will help you create a successful résumé in a short time. Remember to pay particular attention to the “you”
­attitude and presentation quality; your résumé will probably get tossed aside if it doesn’t speak to audience needs or if it contains mistakes.

REAL-TIME UPDATES
By the way, if employers ask to see your “CV,” they’re
LEARN MORE BY READING THIS ARTICLE referring to your curriculum vitae, the term used instead
Converting your résumé to a CV of résumé in academic professions and in many countries
Find everything you need to know to convert your U.S.-style résumé to
outside the United States. Résumés and CVs are essen-
the curriculum vitae format used in many other countries (and in many tially the same, although CVs can be much more detailed
academic positions in the United States). Go to real-­[Link]/ and include personal information that is not included in a
bce8 and select Learn More in the Students section. résumé.

TABLE 13.2 Fallacies and Facts About Résumés

Fallacy Fact
The purpose of a résumé is to list all your skills and abilities. The purpose of a résumé is to kindle employer interest and generate an interview.
A good résumé will get you the job you want. All a résumé can do is get you in the door.
Your résumé will always be read carefully and thoroughly. In most cases, your résumé needs to make a positive impression within a few ­seconds;
only then will someone read it in detail. Moreover, it will likely be screened by a com-
puter looking for keywords first—and if it doesn’t contain the right ­keywords, a human
being may never see it.
The more good information you present about yourself in Recruiters don’t need that much information about you at the initial screening stage,
your résumé, the better, so stuff your résumé with every and they probably won’t read it.
positive detail.
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 369

GATHERING PERTINENT INFORMATION

If you haven’t been building an employment portfolio thus far, you may need to do some
research on yourself at this point. Gather all the pertinent personal history you can think
of, including all the specific dates, duties, and accomplishments from any previous jobs
you’ve held. Compile all your educational accomplishments, including formal degrees,
training certificates, professional and technical certifications, academic awards, and
scholarships. Also, gather information about school or volunteer activities that might
be relevant to your job search, including offices you have held in any club or professional
organization, presentations given, and online or print publications. You probably won’t
use every piece of information you come up with, but you’ll want to have it at your
fingertips.

SELECTING THE BEST MEDIA AND CHANNELS

You should expect to produce your résumé in several media and formats. “Producing Your
Résumé” on page 379 discusses your options.

ORGANIZING YOUR RÉSUMÉ AROUND YOUR STRENGTHS

Although a résumé can be organized in a number of ways, most are some variation of
chronological organization, functional organization, or a combination of the two. The right
choice depends on your background and your goals.

The Chronological Résumé

In a chronological résumé, the work experience section dominates and is placed immediately The chronological résumé is the
after your contact information and introductory statement (see Figure 13.6 on page 378 for most common approach, but it
an example). The chronological approach is the most common way to organize a résumé, might not be right for you at this
and many employers prefer this format because it presents your professional history in a stage in your career.
clear, easy-to-follow arrangement.13 With its emphasis on your work history, however, it may
not be the best choice if you have a limited experience in the field you are pursuing or if your
work history doesn’t show a stable career with a steady progression of increasing
responsibility.14
Develop your work experience section by listing your jobs in reverse chronological
order, beginning with the most recent one and giving more space to the most recent posi-
tions you’ve held. For each job, start by listing the employer’s name and location, your
official job title, and the dates you held the position (write “to present” if you are still in
your most recent job). Next, in a short block of text, highlight your accomplishments in a
way that is relevant and understandable to your readers. If the general responsibilities of
the position are not obvious from the job title, provide a little background to help readers
understand what you did.

The Functional Résumé

A functional résumé, sometimes called a skills résumé, emphasizes your skills and capabili- The functional résumé is often
ties, identifying employers and academic experience in subordinate sections. This arrange- considered by people with limited
ment stresses individual areas of competence rather than job history. The functional or spotty employment history, but
approach has three benefits: (1) Without having to read through job descriptions, employers many employers are suspicious of
can get an idea of what you can do for them; (2) you can emphasize earlier job experience this format.
through the skills you gained in those positions; and (3) you can deemphasize any lengthy
unemployment or lack of career progress. However, you should be aware that because the
functional résumé can obscure your work history, many employment professionals are suspi-
cious of it.15 Moreover, it lacks the evidence of job experience that supports your skills
claims. If you don’t believe the chronological format will work for you, consider the combi-
nation résumé instead.
370 PART 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

The Combination Résumé

If you don’t have a lot of work A combination résumé meshes the skills focus of the functional format with the job his-
history to show, consider a com- tory focus of the chronological format. Figures 13.4 (page 376) and 13.5 (page 377) show
bination résumé to highlight examples of combination résumés. The chief advantage of this format is that it allows
your skills while still providing you to highlight your capabilities and education when you don’t have a long or steady
a chronological history of your employment history, without raising concerns that you might be hiding something about
employment.
your past.
As you look at a number of sample résumés, you’ll probably notice many variations
on the three basic formats presented here. Study these other options in light of the effec-
tive communication principles you’ve learned in this course and the unique circumstances
of your job search. If you find one that seems like the best fit for your unique situation,
by all means use it.

ADDRESSING AREAS OF CONCERN

Many people have gaps in their career history or other issues that could be a concern for
future employers. Here are some common issues and suggestions for handling them in a
résumé or your accompanying cover letter:
●● Slow career growth. If you stayed in one position for many years, highlight ways in
which you took on increasing responsibility, such as training new hires or filling in for
your supervisor during vacations.
●● Frequent job changes. If you’ve had a number of short-term jobs of a similar type,
such as independent contracting and temporary assignments, you can group them
under a single heading.16 Also, if past job positions were eliminated as a result of
layoffs or mergers, find a subtle way to convey that information. Reasonable employ-
ers understand that many professionals have been forced to job hop by circumstances
beyond their control.
●● Gaps in work history. Mention relevant experience and education you gained during
employment gaps, such as volunteer or community work. Also, consider the func-
tional or combination résumé format.
●● Inexperience. Include related volunteer work, membership in professional groups,
relevant coursework, and internships.
●● Overqualification. Tone down your résumé by focusing on the experience and skills
that relate most directly to the target position.
●● Job termination for cause. Your résumé doesn’t need to disclose that you were fired
from a previous position, but if you are asked that on an application form or in
an interview, you need to answer truthfully. Be prepared with an answer that illus-
trates how you learned from the experience and will be a positive asset to your next
employer.17
●● Criminal record. Employment laws related to criminal history vary by state, industry,
and profession. If this affects you, you may want to consult your state’s department of
labor or advocacy organizations such as the National Employment Law Project (www
.[Link]). You don’t necessarily need to disclose on your résumé if you have a crimi-
nal record, but most employers run background checks and at some point in the
application process are likely to ask whether you have been convicted of a crime.
Be prepared to discuss new skills you acquired and other positive changes you have
made.18

Writing Your Résumé

3 LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Describe the tasks involved
in writing your résumé, and list the
With the necessary information and a good plan in hand, you’re ready to begin writing.
If you feel uncomfortable writing about yourself, you’re not alone. Many people, even
sections to consider including in accomplished writers, can find it difficult to write their own résumés. If you get stuck,
your résumé. imagine you are somebody else, writing a résumé for this person called you. By “being
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 371

your own client,” you might find that the words and ideas flow more easily. You could also If you’re uncomfortable writing
pair up a classmate or friend who is writing a résumé and swap projects for a while. Work- your own résumé, you might try
ing on each other’s résumés might speed up the process for both of you. to trade with a classmate and
write each other’s résumé.

KEEPING YOUR RÉSUMÉ HONEST

Your résumé is a promotional message, so you naturally want to portray yourself in the best
possible light. However, you must avoid any temptation to stretch the truth. Not only is this
the right thing to do, but résumé fraud has become so widespread that many employers are
stepping up their efforts to confirm the information that candidates supply. These efforts
include running background checks, verifying employment details, designing interview To combat résumé fraud, employ-
questions specifically to expose shaky information on résumés, and using standardized ers now use a variety of screening
application forms that require candidates to provide specific details that might be missing techniques to expose falsified
from a résumé.19 Chances are that false information on a résumé will be exposed somewhere information.
during the application and interview process. Even if a decep-
tive candidate makes it past these checks, he or she has to live REAL-TIME UPDATES
with the fear of being caught somewhere down the line—­ LEARN MORE BY READING THIS ARTICLE
people have been fired years into their jobs for falsifying their Tempted to twist the truth on your
résumés.20 résumé?
By all means, express your talents and experience clearly Lying on a résumé can have legal ramifications. Go to real-­
and confidently, but don’t inflate your accomplishments or do [Link]/bce8 and select Learn More in the
anything else to mislead employers. Stand out as a candidate Students section.
with integrity.

ADAPTING YOUR RÉSUMÉ TO YOUR AUDIENCE

In a competitive job market, the more you look like a good fit, the better your chances of Translate your past accomplish-
securing interviews. Plan to adapt your résumé to each job opening in order to show how ments into a compelling picture
your capabilities meet the demands and expectations of the position. of what you can do for employers
For example, an in-house public relations (PR) department and an independent PR in the future.
agency perform many of the same tasks, but the outside agency must also sell its ser-
vices to multiple clients. Consequently, it needs employees
who are skilled at attracting and keeping paying customers, REAL-TIME UPDATES
in addition to being skilled at PR. If you are applying for both LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS INTERACTIVE WEBSITE
­in-house and agency PR jobs, you need to adapt your résumé See how well your résumé matches
for each of these audiences. a ­target job description
An essential step in adapting your résumé is using the Increase your chances of getting past a company’s résumé filters.
same terminology as the employer uses to describe job Go to [Link]/bce8 and select Learn More in the
responsibilities and professional accomplishments. In F ­ igures Students section.
13.4 through 13.6 starting on page 376, you can see how the
sample résumés do this, echoing key terms and phrases from
the job postings. With the rise of automated applicant tracking systems, matching your
language to the employer’s will help you get past the keyword filters these systems use to
rank incoming résumés.
If you are applying for business positions after military service or moving from one Military service and other spe-
industry to another, you may need to “translate” your experience into the language of cialized experiences may need to
your target employers. For instance, military experience can help you develop many skills be “translated” into terms more
that are valuable in business, but military terminology can sound like a foreign language readily understandable by your
to people who aren’t familiar with it. Isolate the important general concepts and present target readers.
them in the business language your target employers use.

COMPOSING YOUR RÉSUMÉ

Write your résumé using a simple and direct style. Use short, crisp phrases instead of Draft your résumé using short,
whole sentences, and focus on what your reader needs to know. Avoid using the word crisp phrases built around strong
I, which can sound both self-involved and repetitious by the time you outline all your verbs and nouns.
372 PART 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

skills and accomplishments. Instead, start your phrases with strong action verbs such
as these:21

accomplished coordinated initiated participated set up

achieved created installed performed simplified
administered demonstrated introduced planned sparked
approved developed investigated presented streamlined
arranged directed launched proposed strengthened
assisted established maintained raised succeeded
assumed explored managed recommended supervised
budgeted forecasted motivated reduced systematized
chaired generated negotiated reorganized targeted
changed identified operated resolved trained
compiled implemented organized saved transformed
completed improved oversaw served upgraded

Whenever you can, quantify the results with carefully selected evidence that confirms
your abilities:

Instead of This Write an Active Statement That Shows Results

Responsible for developing a new system for Developed a new service-request system that
tracking online service requests reduced scheduling errors by 90 percent and
improved customer satisfaction by 22 percent
Performed various social media functions As community manager, directed all aspects of
the company’s social media program
Have a solid record of acquiring new customers Led the department in customer acquisition
three years in a row
Member of special campus task force to Assisted in implementing new campus ­dining
resolve student problems with existing cafeteria program that balances student needs with
assignments ­cafeteria capacity

Job-Specific Keywords
Include relevant keywords from In addition to clear writing with specific examples, the particular words and phrases used
job descriptions throughout your throughout your résumé are critically important. Most résumés are now subjected to
résumé and cover letter. ­keyword searches in an applicant tracking system or other database, in which a recruiter
searches for résumés most likely to match the requirements of a particular job. Résumés that
don’t closely match the requirements may never be seen by a human reader, so it is essential
to use the words and phrases that a recruiter is most likely to search on.
Follow these tips for using keywords in your résumé and cover letter:22
●● Use the specific terminology that each employer uses in its job descriptions. This is
another good reason for adapting your résumé to each job opening; various employers
can use different terms to describe the same function or quality.
●● Integrate keywords naturally. Work them into your introductory statement, your edu-
cation section, your employment history, and any activities and achievements that
you include.
●● Without going overboard in a way that makes the writing awkward or unnatural, use
as many relevant keywords as you can throughout your résumé and cover letter.
●● Be sure to cover the full range of hard and soft skills each employer is looking for.
Hard skills are measurable, specific abilities, such as using spreadsheets, operating
equipment, speaking a particular language, designing websites, and so on. Soft skills
are the less-tangible, interpersonal side of things—including communication, team-
work, leadership, and conflict resolution. Hard skills are easier to convey because they
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 373

are specific, such as saying you are fluent in Spanish or have four years of experience
designing mobile apps. Soft skills are more challenging to express in a convincing way,
so look for ways to quantify these with details, such as “nominated for the company’s
leadership development program.”
Identifying these keywords requires some research, but you can uncover many of
them while you are researching various industries and companies. In particular, study
job descriptions carefully. In contrast to the action verbs
that catch a human reader’s attention, keywords that catch REAL-TIME UPDATES
a computer’s attention are usually nouns that describe the LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE
specific skills, attributes, and experiences an employer is Find the keywords that will light up
looking for in a candidate. Keywords can include the busi- your résumé
ness and technical terms associated with a specific profes- This list of tips and tools will help you find the right keywords to cus-
sion, industry-specific jargon, names or types of products tomize your résumé for every opportunity. Go to real-­timeupdates
or systems used in a profession, job titles, and college .com/bce8 and select Learn More in the Students section.
degrees.23

Name and Contact Information

Your name and contact information constitute the heading of your résumé; include the Be sure to provide complete and
following: accurate contact information;
mistakes in this section of the
●● Name résumé are surprisingly common.
●● Address (both permanent and temporary, if you’re likely to move during the job-
search process)
●● Email address
●● Phone number(s)
●● The URL of your personal webpage, e-portfolio, or social media résumé (if you
have one)
If the only email address you have is through your current employer, get a free per- Use a professional-sounding
sonal email address from Google Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, or a similar service. It’s not email address for business
fair to your current employer to use company resources for a job search, and doing so correspondence, such as
sends a bad signal to potential employers. Choose a straightforward address that includes [Link]@[Link]).
your first and last names, along with any additional numbers you might need to make it
unique, such as taylor.jonson123@[Link].

Introductory Statement
You have three options for a brief introductory statement that follows your name and You can choose to open with a
­contact information:24 career objective, a qualifications
summary, or a career summary.
●● Career objective. A career objective identifies either a specific job you want to land or
a general career track you would like to pursue. Some experts advise against including
a career objective because it can categorize you so narrowly that you miss out on
interesting opportunities, and it is essentially about fulfilling your desires, not about
meeting the employer’s needs. In the past, most résumés included a career objective,
but in recent years more job seekers are using a qualifications summary or a career
summary. However, if you have little or no work experience in your target profession,
a career objective might be your best option. If you do opt for an objective, word it
in a way that relates your qualifications to employer needs.
●● Qualifications summary. A qualifications summary offers a brief view of your key If you have a focused skill set but
qualifications. The goal is to let a reader know within a few seconds what you can don’t yet have a long career his-
deliver. You can title this section generically as “Qualifications Summary” or “Sum- tory, a qualifications summary is
mary of Qualifications,” or, if you have one dominant qualification, you can use probably the best type of intro-
that as the title. Consider using a qualifications summary if you have one or more ductory statement for you.
important qualifications but don’t yet have a long career history. Also, if you haven’t
been working long but your college education has given you a dominant professional
374 PART 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

“theme,” such as multimedia design or statistical analysis, you can craft a qualifica-
tions summary that highlights your educational preparedness.
●● Career summary. A career summary offers a brief recap of your career with the goal
of presenting increasing levels of responsibility and performance (see Figure 13.6 on
page 378 for an example). A career summary is particularly good for people who have
demonstrated the ability to take on increasing levels of responsibility in their chosen
field and who want to continue in that field.
Whichever option you choose, make sure it includes the most essential keywords you
identified in your research—and adapt these words and phrases to each job opportunity
as needed.

Education
If you are early in your career, If you’re still in college or have recently graduated, education is probably your strongest
your education is probably your selling point. Present your educational background in depth, choosing facts that support
strongest selling point. your professional theme. Give this section a heading such as “Education,” “Technical Train-
ing,” or “Academic Preparation,” as appropriate. Then, starting with the most recent, list
the name and location of each school you have attended, the month and year of your gradu-
ation (say “anticipated graduation: ______” if you haven’t graduated yet), your major and
minor fields of study, significant skills and abilities you’ve developed in your coursework,
and the degrees or certificates you’ve earned. Fine-tune your message by listing courses that
are most relevant to each job opening, and indicate any scholarships, awards, or academic
honors you’ve received.
The education section should also include relevant training sponsored by business or
government organizations. Mention high school or military training only if the associated
achievements are pertinent to your career goals.
Whether you list your grade point average depends on the job you want and the qual-
ity of your grades. If you don’t show your GPA on your résumé—and there’s no rule say-
ing you have to—be prepared to answer questions about it during the interview process
because many employers will assume that your GPA is not spectacular if you didn’t list
it on your résumé. If you choose to show a grade point average, be sure to mention the
scale, especially if it isn’t a four-point scale. If your grades are better within your major
than in other courses, you can also list your GPA as “Major GPA” and include only those
courses within your major.

Work Experience, Skills, and Accomplishments

When you describe past job This section can be called “Work Experience,” “Professional Experience,” or “Work and
responsibilities, identify the skills Volunteer Experience,” if you have limited work experience and want to bolster that with
and knowledge that you can apply volunteer experience. Like the education section, the work experience section should focus
to a future job. on your overall theme in a way that shows how your past can contribute to an employer’s
future. Use keywords to call attention to the skills you’ve developed on the job and to your
ability to handle responsibility. Emphasize what you accomplished in each position, not just
the generic responsibilities of the job.
List your jobs in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent. Include
military service and any internships and part-time or temporary jobs related to your
career objective. Include the name and location of the employer, and if readers are unlikely
to recognize the organization, briefly describe what it does. When you want to keep the
name of your current employer confidential, you can identify the firm by industry only
(“a large video game developer”). If an organization’s name or location has changed since
you worked there, state the current name and location and include the old information
preceded by “formerly . . .” Before or after each job listing, state your job title and give the
years you worked in the job; use the phrase “to present” to denote current employment.
Indicate whether a job was part-time.
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 375

Devote the most space to the jobs that are most recent or most closely related to your Devote the most space to jobs
target position. If you were personally responsible for something significant, be sure to that are most recent and most
mention it. Facts about your skills and accomplishments are the most important informa- closely related to your target
tion you can give a prospective employer, so quantify them whenever possible. position.
One helpful exercise is to write a 30-second “commercial” for each major skill you
want to highlight. The commercial should offer proof that you really do possess the skill.
For your résumé, distill the commercials down to brief phrases; you can use the more
detailed proof statements in cover letters and as answers to interview questions.25
If you have a number of part-time, temporary, or entry-level jobs that don’t relate
to your career objective, you have to use your best judgment when it comes to including
or excluding them. Too many minor and irrelevant work details can clutter your résumé,
particularly if you’ve been in the professional workforce for a few years. However, if you
don’t have a long employment history, including these jobs shows your ability and willing-
ness to keep working.

Activities and Achievements

You can use this optional section to highlight activities and achievements outside of a work Include personal accomplish-
or educational context—but only if they make you a more attractive job candidate. For ments only if they suggest special
example, traveling, studying, or working abroad and fluency in multiple languages could skills or qualities that are relevant
weigh heavily in your favor with employers who do business internationally. to the jobs you’re seeking.
Because many employers are involved in their local communities, they tend to look
positively on applicants who are active and concerned members of their communities as
well. Consider including community service activities that suggest leadership, teamwork,
communication skills, technical aptitude, or other valuable attributes.
You should generally avoid indicating membership or significant activity in religious
or political organizations (unless, of course, you’re applying to such an organization)
because doing so might raise concerns among people with differing beliefs or affiliations.
However, if you want to highlight skills you developed while involved with such a group,
you can refer to it generically as a “not-for-profit organization.”
Finally, if you have little or no job experience and not much to discuss outside of your
education, you can indicate involvement in athletics or other organized student activities.
Also consider mentioning publications, projects, and other accomplishments that required
relevant business skills.

Personal Data and References

In most cases, your résumé should not include any personal data beyond the information When applying to U.S. companies,
described in the previous sections. When applying to U.S. companies, never include any of your résumé should not include
the following: physical characteristics, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, reli- any personal data such as age,
gious or political affiliations, race, national origin, salary history, reasons for leaving jobs, marital status, physical descrip-
names of previous supervisors, names of references, Social Security number, or student ID tion, or Social Security number.
number. Expectations differ in other countries, so research the job application process in
specific countries if you need more information.
The availability of references is assumed, so you don’t need to put “References avail- Prepare a list of references but
able upon request” at the end of your résumé. However, be sure to have a list of several don’t include them on your
references ready when you begin applying for jobs. Prepare your reference sheet with your résumé.
name and contact information at the top, using the same design and layout you use for
your résumé. Then list three or four people who have agreed to serve as references.
Include each person’s name, job title, organization, address, telephone number, email
address (if the reference prefers to be contacted by email), and the nature of your
relationship.
Figures 13.4 through 13.6 show how a job applicant can put these guidelines to work
in three job-search scenarios.
376 PART 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

Gomes includes
phone and email
The Scenario Emma Gomes contacts, along
You are about to graduate and have found
(847) 555–2153 with a blog that
[Link]@[Link]
a job opening that is in your chosen field. [Link]
features academic-
You don’t have any experience in this field, oriented writing.
but the courses you’ve taken in pursuit of Address: Permanent Address:
your degree have given you a solid aca- 860 North 8th Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809 993 Church Street, Barrington, IL 60010 Using a summary
demic foundation for this position.
of qualifications
The Opportunity Summary of Qualifications for her opening
The job opening is for an associate market • In-depth academic preparation in marketing analysis techniques statement lets her
analyst with Living Social, the rapidly grow- • Intermediate skills with a variety of analytical tools, including Microsoft Excel and Google Analytics target the résumé
ing advertising and social commerce ser- • Front-line experience with consumers and business owners and highlight her
vice that describes itself as “the online • Multiple research and communication projects involving the business applications of social media most compelling
source for discovering valuable local expe-
riences.” (A market analyst researches Education attributes.
markets to find potentially profitable busi- B.S. in Marketing (Marketing Management Track), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, anticipated Her education is a
ness opportunities.) graduation: May 2020
much stronger sel-
The Communication Challenge Program coursework ling point than her
work experience, so
You don’t have directly relevant experience • 45 credits of core business courses, including Business Information Tools, Business Statistics, Principles
as a market analyst, and you might be of Accounting, and Business Finance she goes into some
competing against people who do. Your • 27 credits of marketing and marketing management courses, including Buyer Behavior, Marketing detail—carefully
education is your strongest selling point, Research, Product and Pricing Strategy, and seminars in e-commerce and social media selecting course
so you need to show how your course- names and project
work relates to the position. Special projects
descriptions to echo
• “Handcrafting a Global Marketplace: The Etsy Phenomenon,” in-depth analysis of how Etsy transformed the language of the
Don’t let your lack of experience hold you the market for handmade craft items by bringing e-commerce capabilities to individual craftspeople
back; the job posting makes it clear that • “Hybrid Communication Platforms for Small Businesses,” team service project for five small businesses
job description.
this is an entry-level position. For example, in Terre Haute, recommending best practices for combining traditional and social-media methods of
the first bullet point in the job description customer engagement and providing a customized measurement spreadsheet for each company
says “Become an expert in market
She adjusts the
data . . .,” and the required skills and Work and Volunteer Experience descriptions and
experience section says that “Up to 2 Independent math tutor, 2015-present. Assist students with a variety of math courses at the elementary, accomplishments
years of experience with similar research middle, and high school level; all clients have achieved combined test and homework score improvements of each role to high-
and analysis is preferred.” The important of at least one full letter grade, with an average improvement of 38 percent.
light the aspects of
clues here are become (the company LeafSpring Food Bank, Terre Haute, IN, 2018-present (weekends during college terms), Volunteer.
doesn’t expect you to be an expert Stock food and supply pantries; prepare emergency baskets for new clients; assist director with public relations her work and volun-
already) and preferred (experience would activities, including website updates and social media news releases. teer experience that
be great if you have it, but it’s not Owings Ford, Barrington, IL, 2017–2019 (summers), Customer care agent. Assisted the service and sales are relevant to the
required). managers of this locally owned car dealership with a variety of customer-service tasks; scheduled service ap-
position.
pointments; designed and implemented improvements to service-center waiting room to increase guest comfort;
Keywords and Key Phrases convinced dealership owners to begin using Twitter and Facebook to interact with current and potential customers.

You study the job posting and highlight the Professional Engagement
following elements: • Collegiate member, American Marketing Association; helped establish the AMA Collegiate Chapter at The final sections
Indiana State
1. Working in a team environment highlight activities
• Participated in AMA International Collegiate Case Competition, 2017–2018
2. Research, including identifying and awards that
trendy new businesses Awards reflect her interest
3. Analyzing data using Microsoft • Dean’s List: 2018, 2019 in marketing and
Excel
• Forward Youth award, Barrington Chamber of Commerce, 2016 her desire to im-
4. Managing projects
prove her skills.
5. Collaborating with technical
experts and sales staff Notice how Gomes adapts her résumé to “mirror” the keywords and phrases from
6. Creating new tools to help the job posting:
maximize revenue and minimize
Offers concrete evidence of teamwork (rather than just calling herself a “team player,” for example)
risks
7. Bachelor’s degree is required Emphasizes research skills and experience in multiple instances

Natural curiosity and desire to Calls out Microsoft Excel, as well as Google Analytics, a key online tool for measuring activity on websites
8. learn Indicates the ability to plan and carry out projects, even if she doesn’t have formal project management experience
9. Detail oriented Indicates some experience working in a supportive or collaborative role with technical experts and sales specialists
10. Hands-on experience with social (the content of the work doesn’t translate to the new job, but the concept does)
media Suggests the ability to work with new analytical tools
Displays her B.S. degree prominently
Demonstrates a desire to learn and to expand her skills
Tracking the progress of her tutoring clients is strong evidence of a detail-oriented worker—not to mention someone
who cares about results and the quality of her work
Lists business-oriented experience with Facebook, Twitter, and other social media

Figure 13.4 Crafting Your Résumé, Scenario 1: Positioning Yourself for an Ideal Opportunity
Even for an ideal job-search scenario, where your academic and professional experiences and interests closely match the parameters of the job
­opening, you still need to adapt your résumé content carefully to “echo” the specific language of the job description.37
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 377

The Scenario Emma Gomes

(847) 555–2153
You are about to graduate but can’t find [Link]@[Link]
job openings in the field you’d like to [Link]
enter. However, you have found an
opening that is in a related field, and it Address: Permanent Address:
would give you the chance to get some 860 North 8th Street, Terre Haute, IN 47809 993 Church Street, Barrington, IL 60010
valuable work experience.
Gomes modified her
The Opportunity Summary of Qualifications summary of qualifica-
• Front-line customer service experience with consumers and business owners tions to increase em-
The job opening is for a seller support
associate with Amazon, the online retail • Strong business sense based on work experience and academic preparation phasis on customer
giant. Employees in this position work • Intermediate skills with a variety of software tools, including Microsoft Excel and Google Analytics service.
with merchants that sell products through • Record of quality work in both business and academic settings
the Amazon e-commerce system to
make sure merchants are successful. In Education She adjusts the selec-
essence, it is a customer service job, but B.S. in Marketing (Marketing Management Track), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN,
tion of highlighted
directed at these merchants, not the expected graduation May 2020 courses to reflect the
consumers who buy on Amazon. Program coursework retail and e-commerce
The Communication Challenge • 45 credits of core business courses, including Business Information Tools, Business Statistics, Principles aspects of this partic-
of Accounting, and Business Finance ular job opening.
This isn’t the job you ultimately want, but • 27 credits of marketing and marketing management courses, including Marketing Fundamentals, Buyer
it is a great opportunity with a well-known Behavior, Marketing Research, Retail Strategies and seminars in e–commerce and social media
company. Special projects She adjusts the word-
You note that the position does not require • “Handcrafting a Global Marketplace: The Etsy Phenomenon,” in-depth analysis of how the Etsy ing of this Etsy project
e-commerce platform helps craftspeople and artisans become more successful merchants description to closely
a college degree, so in that sense you
might be a bit overqualified. However, • “Hybrid Communication Platforms for Small Businesses,” team service project for five small businesses mirror what Amazon
in Terre Haute, recommending best practices for combining traditional and social–media methods of
you also see a strong overlap between is—an e-commerce
customer engagement and providing a customized measurement spreadsheet for each company
your education and the responsibilities
and required skills of the job, so be sure platform serving a
Work and Volunteer Experience
to highlight those. multitude of indepen-
Independent math tutor, 2015-present. Assist students with a variety of math courses at the elementary,
middle, and high school level; all clients have achieved combined test and homework score improvements dent merchants.
Keywords and Key Phrases of at least one full letter grade, with an average improvement of 38 percent.
You study the job posting and highlight LeafSpring Food Bank, Terre Haute, IN, 2018-present (weekends during college terms), Volunteer.
the following elements: Stock food and supply pantries; prepare emergency baskets for new clients; assist director with public
relations activities, including website updates and social media news releases. She provides more
1. Be able to predict and respond to
merchant needs; good business Owings Ford, Barrington, IL, 2017–2019 (summers), Customer care agent. Assisted the service and detail regarding her
sales managers of this locally owned car dealership with a variety of customer-service tasks; scheduled customer support
sense with the ability to appreciate service appointments; designed and implemented improvements to service-center waiting room to increase
the needs of a wide variety of guest comfort; convinced dealership owners to begin using Twitter and Facebook to interact with current experience.
companies and potential customers.
2. Strong written and oral
communication skills Professional Engagement The final sections are
3. High degree of professionalism • Collegiate member, American Marketing Association; helped establish the AMA Collegiate Chapter at still relevant to this job
Indiana State
4. Self-starter with good time opening, so she leaves
• Participated in AMA International Collegiate Case Competition, 2017–2018
management skills them unchanged.
5. Logically analyze problems and Awards
devise solutions • Dean’s List: 2018, 2019
6. Comfortable with computer- • Forward Youth award, Barrington Chamber of Commerce, 2016
based tools, including Microsoft
Excel
7. Desire to expand business and
technical skills
8. Customer service experience Notice how Gomes adapts her résumé to “mirror” the keywords and phrases from
9. Collaborate with fellow team the job posting:
members to resolve difficult Suggests strong awareness of the needs of various businesses
situations Examples of experience with written business communication; she can demonstrate oral communication skills during
10. Record of high performance phone, video, or in-person interviews
regarding quality of work and Results-oriented approach to tutoring business suggests high degree of professionalism, as do the two awards
personal productivity
The ability to work successfully as an independent tutor while attending high school and college is strong evidence of
self-motivation and good time management
Indicates ability to understand problems and design solutions
Suggests the ability to work with a variety of software tools
Demonstrates a desire to learn and to expand her skills
Highlights customer service experience
Offers concrete evidence of teamwork (rather than just calling herself a “team player,” for example)
Tracking the progress of her tutoring clients is strong evidence of someone who cares about results and the quality
of her work; Dean’s List awards also suggest quality of work; record of working while attending high school and
college suggests strong productivity

Figure 13.5 Crafting Your Résumé, Scenario 2: Repositioning Yourself for Available Opportunities
If you can’t find an ideal job opening, you’ll need to adjust your plans and adapt your résumé to the openings that are available. Look for ­opportunities
that meet your near-term financial needs while giving you the chance to expand your skill set so that you’ll be even more prepared when an ideal
­opportunity does come along.38
378 PART 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

The Scenario Emma Gomes

(847) 555–2153
Moving forward from Figures 13.4 and [Link]@[Link]
13.5, let’s assume you have worked in Twitter: [Link]/emmagomes
both those positions, first for two years 1605 Queen Anne Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
Gomes stays with a
as a seller support associate at Amazon summary of qualifica-
and since then as an associate market Market and Strategy Analyst tions as her opening
analyst at LivingSocial. You believe you
are now ready for a bigger challenge,
• Five years of experience in local and online retailing, with three years of focus on market opportunity statement but gives it
analysis
and the question is how to adapt your a new title to reflect
• Strong business sense developed through more than 60 marketing programs across a range of retail
résumé for a higher-level position now
sectors, including hospitality, entertainment, and fashion
her experience and to
that you have some experience in your focus on her career
chosen field. (Some of the details from • Recognized by senior management for ability to make sound judgment calls in situations with
the earlier résumés have been modified incomplete or conflicting data path as a market
to accommodate this example.) • Adept at coordinating research projects and marketing initiatives across organizational boundaries and analyst.
balancing the interests of multiple stakeholders
The Opportunity • Advanced skills with leading analysis and communication tools, including Excel, PowerPoint, and
Google Analytics Work experience is
The job opening is for a senior strategy
analyst for Nordstrom. The position is Professional Experience now her key selling
similar in concept to the position at
LivingSocial, Seattle, WA (July 2017–present), Associate market analyst. Analyzed assigned markets
point, so she shifts to
LivingSocial, but at a higher level and for such factors as consumer demand, merchandising opportunities, and seller performance; designed, a conventional chrono-
with more responsibility. launched, and managed marketing initiatives in 27 retailing categories, including fashions and accessories; logical résumé that
met or exceeded profit targets on 90 percent of all marketing initiatives; appointed team lead/trainer in
The Communication Challenge recognition of strong quantitative and qualitative analysis skills; utilized both established and emerging puts employment
This job is an important step up; a senior
social media tools and helped business partners use these communication platforms to increase consumer ahead of education.
engagement in local markets.
strategy analyst is expected to conduct She also removes the
Amazon, Seattle WA (July 2015–June 2017), Seller support associate. Worked with more than 300
in-depth financial analysis of business product vendors, including many in the fashion and accessories sectors, to assure profitable retailing part-time jobs she had
opportunities and make recommenda- activities on the Amazon e-commerce platform; resolved vendor issues related to e-commerce opera- during high school and
tions regarding strategy changes, tions, pricing, and consumer communication; anticipated potential vendor challenges and assisted in
merchandising partnerships with other the development of more than a dozen new selling tools that improved vendor profitability while reducing
college.
companies, and important decisions. Amazon’s vendor support costs by nearly 15 percent.
She updates the edu-
You worked with a wide variety of Education
cation section with a
retailers in your Amazon and Living- Evening MBA program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; anticipated graduation: May 2021.
Social jobs, including a number of Broad-based program combining financial reporting, marketing strategy, competitive strategy, and supply listing for the MBA pro-
fashion retailers, but you haven’t worked chain management with individual emphasis on quantitative methods, financial analysis, and marketing gram she has started
decision models.
directly in fashion retailing yourself. (selecting points of
B.S. in Marketing (Marketing Management Track), Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, May 2015.
Comprehensive coursework in business fundamentals, accounting and finance, marketing fundamentals, emphasis relevant to
Bottom line: You can bring a good set of
skills to this position, but your financial
retailing, and consumer communications. the job opening) and
analysis skills and retailing insights Professional Engagement
reduces the amount
might not be readily apparent, so you’ll
• Member, American Marketing Association
of detail about her
need to play those up. undergraduate
• Member, International Social Media Association
Keywords and Key Phrases • Active in National Retail Federation and Retail Advertising & Marketing Association
degree.
You study the job posting and Awards She updates the pro-
highlight the following elements:
• LivingSocial Top Ten Deals (monthly employee achievement award for designing the most profitable fessional engagement
1. Provide research and analysis to couponing deals); awarded seven times, 2017–2019 and awards sections
guide major business strategy • Social Commerce Network’s Social Commerce Innovators: 30 Under 30; 2018
decisions with timely and rel-
2. Communicate across business evant information.
units and departments within
Nordstrom
3. Familiar with retail analytics
4. Knowledge of fashion retailing Notice how Gomes adapts her résumé to “mirror” the keywords and phrases from
5. Qualitative and quantitative the job posting:
analysis Highlights her experience in market and business analysis and her continuing education in this area
6. Project management Mentions skill at coordinating cross-functional projects
7. Strong communication skills Lists experiences that relate to the collection and analysis of retail data
8. Bachelor’s required; MBA
Emphasizes the work she has done with fashion-related retailing and retailing in general
preferred
Identifies experience and education that relates to quantitative and qualitative analysis (this point overlaps #1 and #3
9. Advanced skills in financial and
to a degree)
statistical modeling
Mentions project management experience
10. Proficient in PowerPoint and Excel
Lists areas that suggest effective communication skills
Lists education, with emphasis on coursework that relates most directly to the job posting
Mentions work experience and educational background related to these topics
Includes these programs in the list of software tools she uses

Figure 13.6 Crafting Your Résumé, Scenario 3: Positioning Yourself for More Responsibility
When you have a few years of experience under your belt, your résumé strategy should shift to emphasize work history and accomplishments. Here is
how Emma Gomes might reshape her résumé if she had held the two jobs described in Figures 13.4 and 13.5 and is now ready for a bigger challenge.
For an application letter that could accompany this résumé, see Figure 14.3 on page 397.39
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 379

Completing Your Résumé

Completing your résumé involves revising it for optimum quality, producing it in the vari-
ous forms and media you’ll need, and proofreading it for any errors before distributing it 4 LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Characterize the completing
or publishing it online. step for résumés, including the six
most common formats in which you
can produce a résumé.
REVISING YOUR RÉSUMÉ
Revising your résumé for clarity and conciseness is essential. Recruiters and hiring managers Revise your résumé until it is as
want to find key pieces of information about you, including your top skills, your current job, concise and clear as possible.
and your education, in a matter of seconds. Many are overwhelmed with résumés, so don’t
make them work to find or decode this information. Remember the fundamental purpose
of the résumé—it’s to get you an interview, not to get you a job. Weed out minor details
until your résumé is tight, clear, and focused.
The ideal length of your résumé depends on the depth of your experience and the level If your employment history is
of the positions for which you are applying. As a general guideline, if you have fewer than brief, keep your printable résumé
five years of professional experience, keep your conventional résumé to one page. For to one page; you can expand on
online résumé formats such as LinkedIn, you can always provide links to additional infor- this in your LinkedIn profile and
mation. If you have more experience and are applying for a higher-level position, you may other online platforms.
need to prepare a somewhat longer résumé.26 For highly technical positions, longer résu-
més are often the norm as well because the qualifications for such jobs can require more
description.

PRODUCING YOUR RÉSUMÉ

No matter how many media and formats you eventually choose for producing your résumé, Effective résumé designs are clear,
a clean, professional-looking design is a must. Recruiters and hiring managers typically want clean, and professional.
to skim your essential information in a matter of seconds, and anything that distracts or
delays them will work against you.

Choosing a Design Strategy for Your Résumé

You’ll find a wide range of résumé designs in use today, from text-only documents that fol- Don’t pick a résumé style just
low a conventional layout to full-color infographics with unique designs. As with every type because it’s trendy or different;
of business message, keep your audience, your goals, and your resources in mind. Don’t make sure it works for your ­specific
choose a style just because it seems trendy or flashy or different. For example, you can find needs.
some eye-catching infographic résumés online, but many of those are created by graphic
designers applying for visually oriented jobs in advertising, fashion, web design, and other
areas in which graphic design skills are a must. In other words, the intended audience expects
an applicant to have design skills, and the résumé is a good opportunity to demonstrate
those. In contrast, a colorful, graphically intense résumé might just look odd to recruiters
in finance, engineering, or other professions.
The sample résumés in Figures 13.4 through 13.6 use a classic, conservative design
that will serve you well for most business opportunities. Notice how they feature simplic-
ity, an easy-to-read layout, effective use of white space, and clear typefaces. Recruiters can
pick out the key pieces of information in a matter of seconds.
You can certainly enhance your résumé beyond this style, but do so carefully and With any résumé design, make
always with an eye on what will help the reader and avoid confusing an applicant tracking sure that readers can find essen-
system. Make subheadings easy to find and easy to read. Avoid dense blocks of text, and tial information in a matter of
use lists to itemize your most important qualifications. Color is not necessary by any seconds.
means, but if you add color, make it subtle and sophisticated. Above all, don’t make the
reader work. Your résumé should be a high-efficiency information-delivery system, not a
treasure hunt.
380 PAR T 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

Be prepared to produce versions of Depending on the companies you apply to, you might want to produce your résumé
your résumé in multiple formats. in as many as six formats (all are explained in the following sections):
●● Conventional résumé
●● Scannable résumé
●● Plain-text file
●● Microsoft Word file
●● Online résumé
●● PDF file
Unfortunately, no single format or medium will work for all situations, and employer
expectations continue to change as technology evolves. Find out what each employer or
job website expects, and provide your résumé in that specific format.

Considering Photos, Videos, Presentations, and Infographics

In most cases, it’s best not to As you produce your résumé in various formats, you will encounter the question of whether
include photos with résumés that to include a photograph of yourself on or with your résumé. For print or digital documents
you send to employers or post on that you will be submitting to employers or job websites, the safest advice is to avoid photos.
job websites. The reason is that seeing visual cues of the age, ethnicity, and gender of candidates early in
the selection process exposes employers to complaints of discriminatory hiring practices. In
fact, some employers won’t even look at résumés that include photos, and some applicant
tracking systems automatically discard résumés with any extra files.27 However, photographs
are acceptable and expected for social media résumés and other online formats where you
are not actively submitting a résumé to an employer.
Some applicants create PowerPoint or Prezi presentations, videos, or infographics to
supplement a conventional résumé. These other formats have the appealing options of
flexibility and multimedia capabilities. For instance, you can present a menu of choices on
the opening screen and allow viewers to click through to sections of interest. (Note that
most of the things you can accomplish with a presentation can be done with an online
résumé, which is probably more convenient for most readers.)
A video résumé can be a compelling supplement as well, but be aware that some
employment law experts advise employers not to view videos, at least not until after
candidates have been evaluated solely on their credentials. The reason for this caution is
the same as with photographs. In addition, videos are more cumbersome to evaluate than
paper or electronic résumés, and some recruiters refuse to watch them.28 However, not
all companies share this concern over videos, so you’ll have to research their individual
preferences. In fact, the online retailer Zappos encourages “video cover letters” from
interested candidates.29
An infographic résumé attempts to convey a person’s career development and skill set
graphically through a visual metaphor such as a timeline or subway map or as a poster
with an array of individual elements. A well-designed infographic could be an intriguing
element of the job-search package for candidates in certain situations and professions
because it can definitely stand out from traditional résumés and can show a high level of
skill in visual communication. However, infographics are likely to be incompatible with
most applicant tracking systems and with the screening habits of most recruiters, so don’t
submit an infographic when a company expects a conventional résumé. In virtually every
situation, an infographic should complement a conventional résumé, not replace it. In
addition, successful infographics require skills in graphic design, and if you lack those
skills, you’ll need to hire a designer.

Producing a Conventional Printed Résumé

Even though most of your application activity will take place online, having a copy of a
conventional printed résumé is important for taking to job fairs, interviews, and other
events. Many employers expect you to bring a printed résumé to the interview, even if you
applied online. The résumé can serve as a note-taking form or discussion guide, and it is
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 381

tangible evidence of your attention to professionalism and detail.30 When printing a résumé, Use high-quality paper when
choose a heavier, higher-quality paper designed specifically for résumés and other important printing your résumé.
documents. White or slightly off-white is the best color choice. Avoid papers with borders
or backgrounds.

Printing a Scannable Résumé

You might encounter a company that prefers scannable résumés, a type of printed résumé You may encounter an employer
that is specially formatted to be compatible with optical scanning systems that convert that prefers printed résumés in
printed documents to digital text. These systems were quite common just a few years ago, scannable format, but most now
but their use seems to be declining as more employers prefer email delivery or website want online submissions.
application forms.31 A scannable résumé can contain the same information as your con-
ventional résumé, but it needs to have a simple format without underlining, bullet points,
and other elements that can confuse the scanning system. If you need to produce a scan-
nable résumé, search online for “formatting a scannable résumé” to get detailed
instructions.

Creating a Plain-Text File of Your Résumé

A plain-text file (sometimes known as an ASCII text file) is a digital version of your résumé A plain-text version of your
that has no font formatting, no bullet symbols, no colors, no lines or boxes, and no other résumé is simply a computer file
special formatting. The plain-text version can be used in two ways. First, you can include it without any of the formatting
in the body of an email message, for employers who want email delivery but don’t want file that you typically apply using
attachments. Second, you can copy and paste the sections into the application forms on an word-processing software.
employer’s website.
A plain-text version is easy to create with your word processor. Start with the file you Make sure you verify the plain-
used to create your résumé, use the “Save As” choice to save it as “plain text” or whichever text file that you create with your
similarly labeled option your software has, and verify the result using a basic text editor word processor; it might need a
(such as Microsoft Notepad). If necessary, reformat the page manually, moving text and few manual adjustments using a
inserting space as needed. For simplicity’s sake, left-justify all your headings rather than text editor such as NotePad.
trying to center them manually.

Creating a Word File of Your Résumé

Some employers and job websites will ask you to upload a Microsoft Word file or attach it Some employers and websites
to an email message. This method of transferring information preserves the design and want your résumé in Microsoft
layout of your résumé and saves you the trouble of creating a plain-text version. However, Word format; make sure your
before you submit a file to anyone, make sure your computer is free of viruses. Infecting a computer is free from viruses
potential employer’s computer will not make a good first impression. before you upload the file.

Creating a PDF Version of Your Résumé

Creating a PDF file is a simple procedure, depending on the software you have. In newer
versions of Microsoft Word, for example, you can save a document directly as a PDF file.
The advantages of creating PDFs are that you preserve the formatting of your résumé (unlike
pasting plain text into an email message) and that you create a file type that is less vulnerable
to viruses than word-processor files.

Creating an Online Résumé

A variety of online résumé formats, variously referred to as e-portfolios, interactive résumés, You have various options for
or social media résumés, provide the opportunity to create a dynamic, multimedia presenta- posting a résumé online, but
tion of your qualifications. You can expand on the information contained in your basic your LinkedIn profile is the most
résumé with links to projects, publications, screencasts, online videos, course lists, blogs, important of these.
social networking profiles, and other elements that give employers a more complete picture
of who you are and what you can offer. For most job hunters, though, the most important
online résumé you can create is your LinkedIn profile (see page 382).
382 PAR T 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

PROOFREADING YOUR RÉSUMÉ

Your résumé needs to be ­perfect, Employers view your résumé as a concrete example of your attention to quality and
so proofread it thoroughly detail. Your résumé doesn’t need to be good or pretty good—it needs to be perfect. A
and ask several other people human reader will view errors as signs of carelessness, and an applicant tracking system
to verify it, too. can be programmed to automatically reject résumés with spelling and grammatical
errors.32
Your résumé is one of the most important documents you’ll ever write, so don’t rush
or cut corners when it comes to proofreading. Check all headings and lists for clarity and
parallelism, and be sure your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct. Double-
check all dates, phone numbers, email addresses, and other essential data. Ask at least
three other people to read it, too. As the creator of the material, you could stare at a
mistake for weeks and not see it.

DISTRIBUTING YOUR RÉSUMÉ

When distributing your résumé, How you distribute your résumé depends on the number of employers you target and their
pay close attention to the specific preferences for receiving résumés. Employers usually list their requirements on their web-
instructions provided by every sites, so verify this information and follow it carefully. Beyond that, here are some general
employer, job website, or other distribution tips:
recipient.
●● Mailing printed résumés. Take some care with the packaging. Spend a few extra cents
to mail your documents in a flat 9 * 12 envelope, or better yet, use a Priority Mail
flat-rate envelope, which gives you a sturdy cardboard mailer and faster delivery for
just a few more dollars.
●● Emailing your résumé. Some employers want applicants to include the text of their
résumés in the body of an email message; others prefer an attached Microsoft Word
or PDF file. If you have a reference number or a job ad number, include it in the subject
line of your email message.
●● Submitting your résumé to an employer’s website. Many employers, including most
large companies, now prefer or require applicants to submit their résumés online. In
some instances, you will be asked to upload a complete file. In others, you will need
to copy and paste sections of your résumé into individual boxes in an online applica-
tion form.
Don’t post a résumé on any pub- ●● Posting your résumé on job websites. Before you upload your résumé to any site, learn
lic website unless you understand about its privacy protection. Some sites allow you to specify levels of confidentiality,
its privacy and security policies. such as letting employers search your qualifications without seeing your personal
contact information or preventing your current employer from seeing your résumé.
You can also set your résumé to private on sites such as Monster so that you can use
it to apply for jobs you find there but it won’t be viewable or searchable by anyone.33
To protect yourself from identity thieves and spammers, don’t post your résumé to
any website that doesn’t give you the option of restricting the display of your personal
information.

Building an Effective LinkedIn Profile

5 LEARNING OBJECTIVE
Identify nine tips for creating a
LinkedIn ([Link]) is the most important website to incorporate in your job
search. Employment recruiters search LinkedIn for candidates far more than any other
successful LinkedIn profile. social network, and companies doing background checks on you are almost certain to
Your LinkedIn profile is a great look for your LinkedIn profile.34
opportunity to showcase projects, You can think of LinkedIn as a “socially networked multimedia résumé.” An effective
awards, and multimedia elements. LinkedIn profile includes all the information from your conventional résumé, plus some
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 383

additional features that help you present yourself in a compelling way to potential
­employers. Here are nine tips for building an effective profile:35
1. Photo. Add a photo that says “professional” without being overly formal. You don’t
need to hire a professional photographer, but the photo needs to be clear and lit well
enough so that your face isn’t in shadow. Stand against a visually “quiet” background
that won’t distract viewers, dress appropriately for the jobs you are pursuing, and
remember to smile.
2. Headline. Write a headline that expresses who you are or aspire to be as a profes-
sional, such as “Data science major ready to make data come alive through leading-
edge techniques in data mining, visualization, and AI.” Include keywords that target
employers are likely to be searching for. Like other text fields on LinkedIn, you have
a limited number of characters to work with here, so focus on your most valuable
attributes.
3. Summary. Write a summary that captures where you are and where you are going.
Imagine that you are talking to a hiring manager in a personal and conversational
tone, telling the story of where you’ve been and where you would like to go—but
expressed in terms of meeting an employer’s business needs. Highlight your job
experience, education, skills, accomplishments, target industry, and career direction.
Unlike the introductory statement on your conventional résumé, which you can fine-
tune for every job opportunity, your LinkedIn summary offers a more general picture
of who you are as a professional. Be sure to work in as many of the keywords from
your research as you can, while keeping the style natural. Employers can use a variety
of search tools to find candidates, and they’ll look for these keywords.
4. Experience. Fill out the experience section, using the material from your conventional
résumé. Make sure the details of your employment match your résumé, as employers
are likely to cross-check. However, you can expand beyond those basics, including
linking to photos and videos of work-related accomplishments.
5. Recommendations. Ask for recommendations from people you know on LinkedIn.
You may have a limited number of connections as you start out, but as your network
expands you’ll have more people to ask. A great way to get recommendations is to
give them to the people in your network.
6. Featured skills. List your top skills and areas of expertise. As you expand your net-
work, endorse the skills of people you know; many users will endorse your skills in
return.
7. Education. Make sure your educational listing is complete and matches the informa-
tion on your conventional résumé.
8. Accomplishments. LinkedIn offers a variety of categories that let you highlight aca-
demic achievements, special projects, publications, professional certifications, impor-
tant coursework, honors, patents, and more. If you don’t have an extensive work
history, use this section to feature academic projects and other accomplishments that
demonstrate your skills.
9. Volunteer experience and causes. Add volunteering activities and charitable organiza-
tions that you support.
Figure 13.7 on the next page offers a helpful summary of these tips. For the most
current instructions on performing these tasks, visit the LinkedIn Help center at www
.[Link]/help/linkedin. Remember that the more robust you make your profile, the
better your chances are of catching the eye of company recruiters.
In addition to completing your profile, search for and join groups that focus on your LinkedIn groups are an oppor-
professional interests. This is great way to expand your network and learn from leaders tunity to expand your network
in your field. Be sure to review the privacy and communication settings as well. The and learn from experienced
options are fairly extensive, so take time to consider each one carefully. professionals.
For the more information on résumé writing, visit [Link]/bce8 and
select Chapter 13.
384 PAR T 5 Employment Messages and Job Interviews

Profile photo
●● Strike a friendly pose that’s not too formal or too casual.
Flashon Studio/123RF

●● Make sure you face isn’t in shadow.

●● Stand against a visually quiet background that doesn’t compete with your image.
●● Don’t wear dark glasses.
●● Dress appropriately for target jobs in your chosen profession.

Headline Summary
●● Express who you are or aspire to be as a professional. ●● Capture where you are and where you are going—in terms of
●● Include keywords that target employers are likely to be how you can contribute to a company.
searching for. ●● Imagine you are talking to a hiring manager in a company you
●● Focus on your most valuable attributes to make best use of want to work for; use a personal, conversational voice.
the limited space available. ●● Include top-level highlights of your job experience, education,
skills, accomplishments, target industry, and career direction.
●● Use keywords from target job descriptions.

Experience Recommendations
●● Start with the material from your résumé. ●● Ask for recommendations from people you know on LinkedIn.
●● Make sure the basic details of your employment (years, job titles, ●● As your network expands you’ll have more people to ask.
company names) match your résumé. ●● A great way to get recommendations is to give them to the peo-
●● Expand beyond those basics as appropriate, including linking to ple in your network.
photos and videos of work-related accomplishments.

Skills Education
●● List your top skills and areas of expertise. ●● Make sure your educational listing is complete.
●● As you expand your network, endorse the skills of people you know. ●● Include relevant military or company training and independent
●● Many users will endorse your skills in return. coursework.
●● Verify that it matches the information on your conventional résumé.

Accomplishments Volunteering
●● Explore all the categories available to find opportunities to ●● Add volunteer work you’ve done, particularly activities that
­highlight academic successes, leadership qualities, creative ­developed professional skills such as project management or
­thinking, industry certifications, and so on. team leadership.
●● Note that you need to manually add these categories to your
profile.
●● If you don’t have extensive work history, use this section to
­feature academic projects and awards.

Figure 13.7 Quick Tips for a Compelling LinkedIn Profile

Follow these tips to get started on building or expanding your LinkedIn profile.
Source: Bernard Marr, “How to Create a Killer LinkedIn Profile That Will Get You Noticed,” LinkedIn, 2 June 2015, [Link]; “How to Build the Perfect LinkedIn Profile,”
Link Humans, accessed 28 April 2017, [Link]; Laura Shin, “How to Create the Ideal LinkedIn Profile,” Forbes, 20 October 2014, [Link]; Carly Okyle, “18
Tips to Create Your Perfect LinkedIn Profile,” Entrepreneur, 4 April 2016, Lindsay Kolowich, “How to Craft the Perfect LinkedIn Profile: A Comprehensive Guide,” HubSpot,
25 January 2016, [Link]; Quentin Fottrell, “How Job Recruiters Screen You on LinkedIn,” MarketWatch, 16 June 2016, [Link]; Alison Doyle, “9
Simple Tips to Make a Better LinkedIn Profile,” The Balance, 19 February 2017, [Link]; Ed Han, “How to Write a Good LinkedIn Summary with Examples,”
The Balance, 16 March 2017, [Link].

The Future of Communication:

Gamification
The fact that millions of people spend billions of hours playing games on computers and
mobile devices is not lost on companies looking for ways to enhance communication with
employees and customers. Whether they feature skill, chance, or compelling story lines,
successful games try to engage users intellectually and emotionally—just as successful
business communicators try to do.
Gamification is the addition of game-playing aspects to an activity or a process
with the goal of increasing user engagement. For example, Bunchball’s Nitro software
applies gamification concepts to a number of business communication platforms. On a
 CH AP T E R 1 3 Building Careers and Writing Résumés 385

customer-service system, the software rewards employees for increasing their productiv-
ity, meeting their service commitments to customers, and sharing knowledge with their
colleagues. On several collaboration and brainstorming systems, gamification encourages
people to make more connections, share ideas, and boost their influence within a com-
munity. Employee orientation systems can use game concepts to help new hires learn their
way around the organization.
Gamification is also a key strategy for many companies trying to improve customer
loyalty. Badgeville’s Reputation Mechanics system boosts the profile of knowledgeable
customers who share expertise on social media sites and other online forums. By reward-
ing their product champions (see page 235) this way, companies encourage them to keep
contributing their expertise, thereby helping other customers be successful and satisfied.
Incidentally, if you are in the Millennial generation—those born between about 1981
and 1995—you’re a special target of gamification in the workplace and the marketplace,
given your generation’s enthusiasm for video games. Don’t be surprised to find more
gamified apps and systems on the job and everywhere you turn as a consumer.36

WHAT’S YOUR PREDICTION?

Research the current state of gamification and its use in business. Is the technology reaching
acceptance as a mainstream approach to improving business processes? How is it affecting
the practice of business communication? As a professional and consumer, how do you feel
about being invited (or in some cases, required) to participate in gamification techniques?

Chapter Review and Activities

7. Seek career counseling for advice and fresh insights.

MyLab Business Communication 8. Avoid mistakes that limit your chances.
Go to [Link]/mylab/business-communication
to complete the problems marked with this icon . Objective 2: Explain the process of planning your résumé,
including how to choose the best résumé organization.
Recognize that a résumé is a persuasive message designed to
get you job interviews.
Learning Objectives: Check Allow plenty of time to plan, write, revise, and produce your
Your Progress résumé—it’s not something you should try to knock out in a
single session.
Objective 1: List eight key steps to finding the ideal opportu- Gather the materials you need:
nity in today’s job market. ●● Information about target industries, professions, companies,

Follow these eight steps: and specific positions

●● Information about your employment history, education, vol-
1. Write the story of you, which involves describing where you unteer work, awards, and achievements
have been in your career so far and where you would like to
go in the future. Choosing the best résumé organization depends on your back-
2. Learn to think like an employer so you can present yourself ground and your goals:
as a quality hire. ●● A chronological résumé helps employers easily locate necessary

3. Research industries and companies of interest to identify information, highlights your professional growth and career
promising opportunities and to learn the language of hiring progress, and emphasizes continuity and stability. Use this for-
managers. mat if you can, because employers tend to prefer this approach.
4. Translate your general potential into a specific solution for ●● A functional résumé highlights your skills without drawing

each employer. attention to the specific details of your work history. How-
5. Take the initiative to approach interesting companies even if ever, many employers are suspicious of functional résumés
they haven’t yet posted any job openings. for this very reason.
6. Build your network so you and your connections can help ●● The combination approach uses the best features of the other

each other in the job search process. two and is often the best choice for recent graduates.