Bus English Chapter 9

THE JOB SEARCH

1. Building a Network of Contacts

 Broaden your circle of friends: More friends mean more people who can share job news,
opportunities, or advice. Sometimes a friend may know someone who is hiring.
 Know your professors: Professors can recommend you for jobs, internships, and
scholarships. They also know many professionals and can help you make connections.
 Meet businesspeople: Join seminars, job fairs, workshops, or university events. Talking to
professionals helps you understand what companies want.
 Work with community organizations: Volunteering helps you learn teamwork and
leadership. You also meet people who may help you find future job openings.
2. Obtaining an internship: An internship gives practical experience before getting a full-time job.
It helps you understand how real workplaces function. During an internship, you learn office
communication, time management, and teamwork. It also gives you something strong to write
on your CV and increases your chances of getting hired.

3. Identifying Appropriate Jobs

a. Analyzing Yourself

 Education: Think about your degree, major subjects, and any extra courses you
completed. This helps you understand what types of jobs match your academic
background.
 Personal qualities: Identify your strengths—such as communication, problem-solving,
leadership, or patience. These qualities help decide if you are fit for customer service,
management, technical jobs, etc.
 Work experience: Any job, part-time work, workshop, project, or volunteering counts.
Experience shows employers that you have practical skills.
 Special qualifications: Skills like computer knowledge, Excel, graphic design, coding,
language skills, or any technical certification. These extra skills make you more competitive
than others.
b. Analyzing Outside Factors: Look at the job market to understand what opportunities exist.
Check which industries are growing (like IT, banking, marketing). See what skills companies want
so you can prepare yourself. Also consider job location, salary range, company reputation, and
job stability.
Finding Your Employer
1. Career Centers: (university career offices) help students find jobs.
They provide job listings, internship information, CV guidance, and interview practice.
Many companies send job vacancies directly to career centers.
2. Network of Personal Contacts: These include friends, family, teachers, seniors, and
professionals you know. Many jobs are found through personal recommendations.
Talking to people increases your chance of hearing about hidden job opportunities.
3. Classified Advertisements: These are job ads found in newspapers, magazines, and job
sections. Companies post their vacancy details, required qualifications, and how to apply.
This is a traditional but still useful way to find jobs.
4. Online Sources: Websites like job portals, company websites, and LinkedIn list thousands
of jobs. You can easily search by location, job type, salary, and skills.
Online sources are fast and updated regularly.
5. Employment Agencies: These are organizations that help job seekers find jobs.
Some agencies match candidates with companies based on skills and experience.
They often handle screening, tests, and interviews for the employer.
6. Personal Search Agents: These are tools or services that search for jobs on your behalf.
You set your preferences (job type, salary, location), and they send job alerts.
Some websites and apps offer automated job-matching features.
7. Webpage Profiles: Creating a professional online profile (e.g., LinkedIn) helps employers
find you. A complete profile with skills, experience, and achievements increases your
visibility. Many recruiters search online for candidates before hiring.
8. Prospecting: Prospecting means directly contacting companies even if they haven’t
posted a job. You send your CV or visit the company to ask if they have openings.
This shows initiative and sometimes leads to opportunities before others know about
them.

CONSTRUCTING THE RÉSUMÉ

 Choose the print or digital format: Decide whether your résumé will be printed (paper
copy) or digital (PDF, Word file). Digital résumés are used for online applications, while
printed versions are used in interviews or career fairs. Make sure the format is clean, easy
to read, and professional.
 Select and order the parts to fit the particular job: Choose which sections to include
based on the job you are applying for. Common résumé parts: contact information,
objective, education, skills, experience, achievements. Arrange these sections in the order
that highlights your strengths for that specific job. For example, if the job values
experience, put experience first; if it values education, put education first.
1. Selecting the Background Facts: This step is about choosing the most relevant information for
your résumé. Include details that match the job you are applying for, such as education, job
experience, skills, achievements, and certifications. Avoid unnecessary information that does not
add value.

2. Arranging the Facts into Groups: After selecting the information, organize it into proper groups
so the résumé looks neat and clear. Put academic details under Education, job roles under Work
Experience, and abilities under Skills. Grouping makes the résumé easier for employers to scan.

3. Constructing the Headings: Use clear headings for each group of information. Headings guide
the reader and help them quickly find what they need. Common headings include Education,
Experience, Skills, Achievements, Personal Information, and References.

4. Including Contact Information: Place your contact details at the top so employers can reach
you easily. This includes your full name, phone number, email, and optionally your LinkedIn profile
or city. Make sure the information is accurate and up to date.

5. Including a Statement of Objective: The objective statement is a short sentence explaining

your career goal and how you plan to contribute to the organization. It should be specific and
related to the job.

6. Presenting the Information

 Work Experience: List the positions you have held, including internships and part-time
jobs. Mention the job title, company name, duration, and your key responsibilities or
achievements.
 Education: Include your degree, institution name, passing year, and CGPA if impressive.
Keep it clean and concise.
 Personal Information: Add only job-relevant personal information, such as languages,
interests, or nationality (if needed).
 References: References are people who can support your skills or experience. Add them
only if requested by the employer.
7. Organizing for Strength: Place the strongest and most relevant details at the top of each
section. Use numbers or results, when possible, to show your achievements clearly.
8. Writing Impersonally and Consistently: Write in a formal, professional tone without using “I,”
“me,” or personal language. Maintain consistent formatting, tense, bullet styles, and font
throughout your résumé.

9. Making the Form Attractive: A good résumé should look clean and visually pleasing. Use proper
spacing, bold headings, a simple font, and equal margins. Avoid too many colors, decorations, or
large paragraphs.
10. Contrasting Bad and Good Examples

 Weakness in Bad Arrangement and Incompleteness: A bad résumé is disorganized,

missing key sections, and difficult to read. It may mix different types of information
together and leave out important details.
 Strength through Good Arrangement and Completeness: A good résumé is well-
organized, complete, and highlights your strengths clearly. It uses proper headings,
balanced spacing, and includes all necessary information in a clear order.

Traditional Print Résumé

 Arrange information clearly: education, job experience, skills, and personal details (but
avoid religion, race, or sex).
 Put your name and contact details at the top, and use clear subheadings for each section.
 Add important items like your career objective and contact information.
 Make the résumé look neat and balanced— not too empty and not too crowded.
 Resume Format
Md. Arif Hossain
Phone: 01789-456321
Email: arif.hossain98@[Link]
LinkedIn: [Link]/in/arif-hossain
Location: Mohammadpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Objective
Dedicated and detail-oriented Business Graduate seeking the position of Marketing Executive,
where I can apply my analytical skills, creativity, and communication abilities to support strategic
marketing campaigns and contribute to brand growth.
Work Experience
Marketing Intern — Digital Heritage Media
June 2023 – December 2023
 Assisted in planning and executing social media campaigns that increased page
engagement by 32%.
 Monitored campaign insights and prepared weekly performance reports for the marketing
team.
 Collaborated with designers to create promotional content for Facebook and Instagram.
 Managed customer inquiries through online platforms, improving response rate by 40%.
Sales Assistant — Popular Electronics
January 2022 – October 2022
 Guided customers in product selection, resulting in a 15% increase in monthly sales.
 Maintained product display and updated stock lists to ensure smooth store operations.
 Handled customer complaints professionally, improving overall satisfaction levels.
Education
BBA in Marketing — Stamford University Bangladesh
Passing Year: 2023
CGPA: 3.58
Skills
 Technical Skills: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Canva, Basic Photoshop
 Soft Skills: Communication, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Creativity
 Marketing Skills: Social Media Management, Content Writing, Basic SEO, Customer
Engagement
Achievements
 Completed Meta Social Media Marketing Certification (2023)
 Awarded “Best Intern of the Month” at Digital Heritage Media (September 2023)
 Led a university marketing project that increased survey participation by 55%
Personal Information
 Father’s Name: Md. Rafique Hossain
 Date of Birth: 12 March 1998
 Nationality: Bangladeshi
 Religion: Islam
  Languages: Bangla (Native), English (Proficient)
 Interests: Photography, Content Creation, Traveling
References
Ms. Farhana Rahman
Senior Marketing Manager, Digital Heritage Media
Email: [Link]@[Link]
Phone: 01745-678912

Scannable Print Résumé

A scannable print résumé is a version of your résumé designed without complex formatting so
that automated scanners can read it accurately. It avoids fancy designs and focuses on clean, plain
text that software can process without errors.

 Include Keywords: Add clear job-related keywords from the job description—such as
skills, tools, and industry terms—so ATS can match your résumé. Example for marketing:
digital marketing, SEO, data analysis, content creation, campaign management.
 Choose Words Carefully: Use simple, standard terms that ATS can easily read. Avoid
unusual wording or unnecessary abbreviations. Use clear headings like Work Experience,
Education, Skills, and Communication for better scanning.
 Present the Information: Keep the layout plain and linear. Use left alignment, simple
headings, and bullet points starting with action verbs like managed, analyzed, or
developed. Avoid graphics, symbols, columns, and decorative fonts to ensure full
readability.

Digital Résumé
A digital résumé is designed to be shared electronically for online applications, email submissions,
or website uploads. It allows easy distribution and ensures your résumé can be read by both
humans and software systems.

 ASCII or Text Files: These are plain text files (.txt) without any formatting, graphics, or
special fonts. ASCII résumés are highly compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
because they contain only simple text, making them easy to scan and parse.
 Word Processor, RTF, and PDF Files: Résumés created in Word (.doc/.docx), Rich Text
Format (.rtf), or PDF (.pdf) retain formatting, fonts, and layout. They are widely accepted
by employers and are suitable for professional presentation while still being readable by
most ATS software.
 Multimedia HTM Files: HTML or web-based résumés can include interactive features,
hyperlinks, and multimedia elements like images or videos. They are useful for creative or
tech-focused roles where showcasing portfolios or online work is valuable, but care must
be taken to ensure ATS can still read the textual content.
WRITING THE COVER MESSAG
 Gaining Attention in the Opening: Start with the job title, show enthusiasm, and highlight
a key achievement to hook the reader. Example: “I am excited to apply for the Marketing
Executive role at XYZ Company, bringing two years of experience in digital campaigns that
increased engagement by 30%.”
 Organizing for Persuasion: Present your skills and achievements logically, focusing on the
value you bring rather than just listing qualifications. Example: Use short paragraphs or
bullet points for accomplishments like leading projects or improving results.
 Driving for Action in the Close: End with a call to action, expressing interest in an interview
and thanking the reader. Example: “I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my
skills can contribute to your team. Thank you for considering my application.”
 Contrasting Cover Messages: Weak messages are generic or repeat the résumé; strong
messages are personalized and highlight relevant achievements. Example: “As a
marketing professional with proven success in increasing social media engagement by
40%, I am eager to contribute my skills to XYZ Company’s campaigns.”

HANDLING THE INTERVIEW

 Investigating the Company: Before an interview, research the company thoroughly.
Understand its mission, products or services, culture, and recent achievements. Knowing
the company shows your interest, helps tailor your answers, and allows you to ask
informed questions. Example: Check the company website, social media, and news
articles to learn about current projects or initiatives.
 Making a Good Appearance: First impressions matter. Dress professionally and
appropriately for the company’s culture. Pay attention to grooming, posture, and body
language. A neat and confident appearance communicates seriousness and respect for
the interview process.
 Anticipating Questions and Preparing Answers: Prepare for common interview questions
such as your strengths, weaknesses, achievements, and why you want the job. Practice
clear and concise responses, and think of examples that demonstrate your skills and
experience. Preparation reduces stress and boosts confidence.
 Putting Yourself at Ease: It’s normal to feel nervous, but staying calm helps you perform
better. Take deep breaths, maintain a positive mindset, and remind yourself that the
interview is a conversation, not an interrogation. Confidence and relaxation help you
communicate effectively.
 Helping to Control the Dialogue: While answering questions, be polite but assertive.
Listen carefully, respond clearly, and steer the conversation toward your strengths and
experiences. Asking relevant questions at appropriate moments also shows engagement
and professionalism.