chapter 13 business communication

• Employment rules


  • Nobody owes you a job
  • You have to fight to get a job
  • You have to fight to keep a job
  • You may quit anytime you want to
  • Your employers may fire you anytime they want to
  • You have to work hard to make yourself stand out during the job search and in the workplace
• The employment search


  • Identify your interests and goals
  • What are you passionate about?
  • Do you enjoy working with people, data or things?
  • Do you need to be your own boss?
  • How important are salary, benefits, location, and so forth?
  • Would you rather work for a large or small company?
• Preparing for the job search

  • Evaluate your qualifications
  • What technology, language, and people skills can you offer?
  • Do you learn quickly?
  • Do you communicate well when speaking and writing?
  • What skill do you have that will make you stand out?
  • How can you demonstrate your skills?
• Conducting the job search

  1. Search for a job online

  2. Use social media

  3. Use company web sites

  4. Check newspaper ads

  5. Contact companies directly

  6. Ask instructors

  7. Attend job fairs

  8. Ask for advice from instructors

  9. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK!
• Goal of a customized resume


  To win an interview
• Writing a customized resume

  1. Decide on length

  2. Choose a resume style

  3. Arrange the parts
• Chronological resume


  • Focuses on job history with most recent positions listed first
• Functional resume


  • Focuses on skills
• Parts of a resume

  • Main Heading
  • Career Objective
  • Summary of Qualifications
  • Work Experience
  • Capabilities and Skills
  • Achievements
  • Awards
  • Activities
  • Education
• Heading


  • Full name on first line, make it stand out
  • Contact information including full address, phone number, personal professional sounding email address
• Career objective


  • Be specific about the type of job you are seeking
  • Focus on the employer's needs
  • Don't be self-serving
  • Don't downplay your talents
  • Be concise (no more than three lines)
• Weak career objective (too general)

  • A challenging position in the accounting field with opportunity for growth
• Improved career objective


  • An auditor position in an internal corporate accounting department where my accounting skills, computer experience, knowledge of GAAP, and attention to detail will help the company run efficiently and ensure that its records are kept accurately
• Weak career objective (too self-serving)


  • To obtain a meaningful and rewarding position that enables me to learn more about the graphic design field and allows for advancement
• Improved career objective


  • To obtain a position with advertising firm designing Web sites, publications, logos, and promotional displays for clients, where creativity, software knowledge, and proven communication skills can be used to build client base and expand operations
• Summary of qualifications


  • Include three to eight bulleted statements that prove you are the ideal candidate for the position
  • Mention experience, education, unique skills, awards, certifications, and other accomplishments you want to highlight
  • Include numbers wherever possible
  • Target qualifications the employer is seeking
• Summary of qualifications for college student with some experience

  • Over two years' experience in administrative positions, working with business documents and interacting with customers
  • Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, QuickBooks, and Publisher
  • Competent in Web research and using social media tools
  • Skilled in written and oral communication, Web design, computer software troubleshooting, and proofreading and editing business documents
  • Trained in Flash, Photoshop, and Web Studio
  • Experienced in planning all-day seminars and making travel arrangements
• Summary of qualifications for college student with related experience

  • Over three years' experience as a bank teller
  • Proven ability to interact professionally, efficiently, and pleasantly with customers
  • Reputation for accuracy and ability to work well under pressure
  • Speak Spanish fluently
  • Experience using Excel, Word, PowerPoint, accounting software, banking CRT, and the Internet
  • Member of First Federal Bank's Diversity Committee
  • Received First Federal Bank Certificate of Merit as an outstanding new employee
• Education


  • Start with your current or most recent school
  • Include college name, city, state, dates of attendance, major field of study, degree received
• GPA


  • Include only if it's impressive (over 3.3)
  • Can also use for major only: 3.6/4.0 in major
  • Don't list all courses, use maximum three related courses
• Education


  • Muffles Junior College, Orange Walk Town, Belize, August 2019 - May 2021 (expected date of graduation), Major: Business Management, Degree: Associates Degree, Major Courses: Business Communication, Principles of Marketing, Business Management, GPA: 3.6
  • Muffles High School, Orange Walk Town, Belize, August 2014 - June 2019, Degree: High School Diploma, GPA: 3.5
• Work experience


  • If your work experience is significant and relevant to the position sought, place this section before education
  • Describe your experience
  • List your previous jobs
  • Include non-technical skills
• Include your GPA


  Only if it's impressive (over a 3.3)
• Can also use for major only

  3.6/4.0 in major
• Don't list all courses you've taken
• Use maximum THREE RELATED COURSES
• Education


  • Muffles Junior College, Orange Walk Town, Belize
  • August 2019 – May 2021 (expected date of graduation)
  • Major: Business Management
  • Degree: Associates Degree
  • Major Courses: Business Communication, Principles of Marketing, Business Management
  • GPA: 3.6
• Education


  • Muffles High School, Orange Walk Town, Belize
  • August 2014 – June 2019
  • Degree: High School Diploma
  • GPA: 3.5
• Work Experience


  • Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., Orange Walk Branch
  • June 2008 – January 2013
  • Customer Service Representative
  • Duties: Attended to 20-25 customers daily, Answered 15 - 20 telephone calls daily, Met all monthly sales goals
• Work Experience


  • Developed customer service skills by successfully interacting with 40+ customers daily
  • Conducted research and wrote final study analyzing equipment needs of 100 small businesses
• Examples of Action Verbs

  • Accelerated
  • Enabled
  • Introduced
  • Reviewed
  • Achieved
  • Encouraged
  • Managed
  • Revitalized
  • Analyzed
  • Engineered
  • Organized
  • Screened
  • Collaborated
  • Established
  • Originated
  • Served
  • Conceptualized
  • Expanded
  • Overhauled
  • Spearheaded
  • Constructed
  • Expedited
  • Pioneered
  • Spurred
  • Converted
  • Facilitated
  • Reduced
  • Strengthened
  • Designed
  • Improved
  • Resolved
  • Targeted
  • Directed
  • Increased
  • Restructured
  • Transformed
• Work Experience


  • Organized holiday awards program for 1,200 attendees and 140 awardees
  • Praised by top management for enthusiastic teamwork and excellent communication skills
• Capabilities and Skills


  • Web, social media, software
  • Office equipment
  • Communication technology tools
  • Foreign languages, sign language
  • Exceptional aptitudes
• Awards, Honors, and Activities


  • Awards and honors that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, interpersonal skills
  • Scholarships, fellowships, dean's list
  • Recognitions, commendations, certificates
  • School, community, volunteer, professional activities
• References


  • Instructors/professors
  • Current or previous employers
  • Colleagues or subordinates
  • Other professional contacts
• Avoid personal pronouns
• Omit humor
• If printing, use quality paper and a quality printer
• Be completely honest
• Project professionalism and quality