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18 Building Careers and Writing Résumés LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P7001012451000000000000000006425) List eight key steps to finding the ideal opportunity in today’s job market.

2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#P7001012451000000000000000006532) Explain the process of planning your résumé, including how to choose the best résumé organization.

3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000065C1) Describe the tasks involved in writing your résumé, and list the major sections of a traditional résumé.

4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#P700101245100000000000000000681E) Characterize the completing step for résumés, including the six most common formats in which you can produce a résumé.

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COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT Burning Glass

burning-glass.com (http://burning-glass.com)

Finding a job opening that matches your interests and qualifications—and then convincing employers you are the best person for the job—can be one of the most complicated, aggravating, and downright mystifying tasks you ever undertake.

If you eventually move into management or take the entrepreneurial plunge and build your own company, you’ll encounter this matchmaking challenge from the other side of the table. When a single job opening can attract dozens or hundreds of applicants, how can you sort through all the possibilities to identify the most promising candidates who warrant the time and expense of interviewing?

Burning Glass applies artificial intelligence to the challenges of matching employer needs with employee skill sets.

Tetra Images/Shutterstock

The challenge of matching the right people with the right jobs isn’t limited to employees and employers, either. It’s a vital issue for governments and educational institutions as well. Government bodies from the local up to the national level need to make workforce policy and investment decisions that reflect the real-world problems employees and employers encounter. And in the career-related facets of their broader educational missions, high schools, colleges, and universities need to understand what employers are looking for in order to provide the training and education that best prepare students for the job market.

In other words, matching people and job opportunities is one of society’s most important challenges, and doing it well or poorly has a tremendous impact on everyone’s financial well-being.

To a large degree, at every level this challenge is all about getting one’s hands on the right data and using them to make smart decisions. With more than 150 million employees in the Unites States alone, though, the total collection of this workforce data is massive.

To extract usable insights from this ocean of data, the Boston-based firm Burning Glass applies the power of artificial intelligence in a specialty known as job market analytics. In particular, it studies millions of job postings and career transitions to figure out what employers are looking for, what employees have to offer, and where gaps exist between the two sides. (Incidentally, when it studied the most important “baseline skills” across all professions, the company identified overall communication abilities as the most important skill and writing as the third-most important skill.)

Burning Glass integrates these job market insights into a variety of software tools that are used by employers, job seekers, colleges, and other parties involved in meeting the job-match challenge. In the human resources area, this software works in conjunction with applicant tracking systems, which you are sure to encounter at some point in your job search. Before a human being reads your résumé, it will likely be “read” by such a system, designed to help company recruiters find the most promising candidates and manage communication and data collection all the way through the recruiting, hiring, and orientation stages.

It’s difficult to fault the basic concept of an applicant tracking system. Software helps business professionals make all kinds of decisions, and most medium-sized and large companies get swamped with so many résumés that they have to rely on software to help recruiters manage the flow. However, the technology has developed a negative reputation in some quarters. Applicants express frustration that they can’t get past a “robot” and explain their qualifications to an actual human being. Employers get frustrated when people clog their systems by applying for jobs for which they are clearly not qualified or when applicants try to game the system by loading up their résumés with stacks of keywords they think the system is looking for. And employers sometimes complain they can’t find enough good applicants, even as good applicants are banging on the door but can’t get in. Overly aggressive filtering can be a problem with poorly configured systems or for employers who dial up the qualification requirements to the point that only a superhero could make it over the barrier.

Companies such as Burning Glass aim to make this process work better for everybody by moving beyond simple keyword searches and résumé cataloging. For example, Burning Glass’s technology analyzes how keywords are used in a résumé in order to separate candidates who describe themselves legitimately and naturally from those who are simply stuffing their résumés with keywords. The software is learning to read résumés the way human recruiters do, evaluating keywords in context to make informed judgments about the quality and currency of the skills someone has included. If the system is searching for candidates with database design experience, for instance, it can tell whether somebody took a class in the subject ten years or ago or is currently applying those skills in a professional capacity.

From an applicant’s perspective, the best way to “beat the robots” is to stop trying to beat them. Don’t try to trick the system by including every keyword you can find or try to improve your odds by blasting your application to hundreds of openings. Instead, take the time to read job descriptions carefully so you can concentrate on the ones where you fit best and so you can understand employers’ needs well enough that you can explain how your skills and experience align with those needs. Even though you may have to go through a machine to get to an actual human, using the same audience-focused skills and techniques you’ve

been practicing throughout this course is the best way to get there.1

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069C1)

18.1 Finding the Ideal Opportunity in Today’s Job Market

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

1 List eight key steps to finding the ideal opportunity in today’s job market. Software developers such as Burning Glass (profiled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up) play an important role in today’s job market, particularly with applicant tracking systems (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000068E6) , computer systems that help companies manage job applications and identify promising candidates.

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 a general job-search strategy with advice that applies to just about any career path you might want to pursue. As you craft your personal strategy, keep these three guidelines in mind:

If you haven’t already, read the Prologue, “Building a Career with Your Communication Skills,” before studying this chapter.

• Get organized. Your job search could last many months and involve multiple contacts with dozens of companies. You need to keep all the details straight to ensure that you don’t miss opportunities or make mistakes such as losing someone’s email address or 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. Particularly in today’s tough job market, you might not find the opportunity you’re looking 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

What’s your story? Thinking about where you’ve been and where you want to go will help focus your job search.

Writing or updating your résumé is a great opportunity to step back and think about where you’ve been and where you’d like to go. Do you like the path you’re on, or is it time for a change? Are you focused on a particular field, or do you need some time to explore?

You might find it helpful to think about the “story of you”—the things you are passionate about, your skills, your ability to help an organization reach its goals, the path you’ve been on so far, and the path you want to follow in the future (see Figure 18.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P700101245100000000000000000643B) on the next page). Think in terms of an image or a theme you’d like to project. Are you academically gifted? An effective leader? A well-rounded professional with wide-ranging talents? A creative 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 success by quality of hire, and you can take steps to be—and look like—a high-quality hire.

When you know your side of the hiring equation a little better, switch sides and look at it from an employer’s perspective. Recognize that companies take risks with every hiring decision—the risk that the person hired won’t meet expectations and the risk that a better 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

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069C3) Given this perspective, what steps can you take to present yourself as the low-risk, high-reward choice?

Follow the online conversations of professional recruiters to learn what their hot-button issues are.

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” on their professional conversations by reading periodicals such as Workforce Management and blogs such as Fistful of Talent and The HR Capitalist.

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. “Detailed research, including talking to our customers, is so rare it will almost guarantee

you get hired,” explains the recruiting manager at Alcon Laboratories.3

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069C5)

Table 18.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P700101245100000000000000000647B) on page 517 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#page_517) lists some of the many websites where you can learn more about companies and find job openings. Start with The Riley Guide, which offers advice for online job searches as well as links to hundreds of specialized websites that post openings in specific industries and professions. Your college’s career center placement office probably maintains an up-to-date list as well.

Figure 18.1 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.

Employers expect you to be familiar with important developments in their industries, so stay on top of business news.

To learn more about contemporary business topics, peruse leading business periodicals and newspapers with significant business sections (in some cases you may need to go through your library’s online databases to access back issues).

Thousands of bloggers, microbloggers, and podcasters offer news and commentary on the business world. AllTop is another good resource for finding people who write about topics that interest 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 particular field, including essential keywords to use in your résumé.

MOBILE APP

The Indeed.com (http://Indeed.com) mobile app lets you search for jobs and apply for them from your phone.

Take advantage of job-search apps as well, including those offered by job-posting websites and major employers. You can use them to learn more about the company as well as specific jobs. See “Job-Search Strategies: Maximize Your Mobile (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P70010124510000000000000000064DD) ” for more tips on using a smartphone in your job search.

TABLE 18.1 Selected Job-Search Websites

Website* (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P70010124510000000000000000064D0) URL

Riley Guide www.rileyguide.com (http://www.rileyguide.com)

CollegeRecruiter.com (http://CollegeRecruiter.com) www.collegerecruiter.com (http://www.collegerecruiter.com)

Monster www.monster.com (http://www.monster.com)

MonsterCollege college.monster.com (http://college.monster.com)

CareerBuilder www.careerbuilder.com (http://www.careerbuilder.com)

Jobster www.jobster.com (http://www.jobster.com)

USAJOBS www.usajobs.gov (http://www.usajobs.gov)

IMDiversity imdiversity.com (http://imdiversity.com)

Dice.com (http://Dice.com) www.dice.com (http://www.dice.com)

Website* (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P70010124510000000000000000064D0) URL

TopTechJobs toptechjobs.com (http://toptechjobs.com)

Internship Programs internshipprograms.com (http://internshipprograms.com)

SimplyHired Indeed

www.simplyhired.com (http://www.simplyhired.com)

www.indeed.com (http://www.indeed.com)

* (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#rP70010124510000000000000000064D0) 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 10 May 2016.

TRANSLATING YOUR GENERAL POTENTIAL INTO A SPECIFIC SOLUTION FOR EACH EMPLOYER

An essential task in your job search is presenting your skills and accomplishments in a way that is relevant to the employer’s business challenges.

An important aspect of the employer’s quality-of-hire challenge is trying to determine how well a candidate’s attributes and experience will translate into the demands of a specific position. Customizing your résumé to each job opening is an important step in showing employers that you will be a good fit. As you can see from the sample résumés in Figures 18.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000066CC) through 18.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000067AB) on pages 529 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#page_529) –531 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#page_531) , customizing your résumé is not difficult if you have done your research. In fact, from your initial contact all the way through the interviewing process you will have opportunities to impress recruiters by explaining how your general potential translates to the specific needs of the position.

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 might 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.

Don’t hesitate to contact interesting companies even if they haven’t advertised job openings to the public yet; they might be looking for somebody just like you.

To maximize your chances, take the initiative and seek opportunities. Identify the companies you want to work for and focus your efforts on them. Get in touch with their human resources departments (or individual managers, if possible), describe what you can offer the company, and ask to be considered if any

opportunities come up.4

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069C7) Reach out to company representatives on social networks. Your message might appear right when a company is busy looking for someone but hasn’t yet advertised the opening to the outside world. And be sure to take advantage of the growing number of career-related mobile apps (see Figure 18.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P70010124510000000000000000064FB) on page 519 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#page_519) ).

DIGITAL + SOCIAL + MOBILE: TODAY’S COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT

Job-Search Strategies: Maximize Your Mobile

The mobile business communication revolution is changing the way employers recruit new talent and the way job candidates look for opportunities. Many companies have optimized their careers websites for mobile access, and some have even developed mobile apps that offer everything from background information on what it’s like to work there to application forms that you can fill out right on your phone.

However, don’t be too quick to abandon a job application or an investigation into an employer just because the firm doesn’t have a careers app or a mobile- friendly job site. Creating apps and mobile-friendly websites takes time and money, and many employers are still in the process of optimizing their online career materials for mobile devices. In a recent survey, 40 percent of mobile users said they would abandon a nonmobile job application—a distressingly high number in a slow job market. Don’t miss a great opportunity just because an employer hasn’t caught up to your mobile habits.

In addition to researching companies and applying for openings, integrating a mobile device into your job-search strategy can help with networking and staying on top of your active job 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 opportunities pass you by.

Think of ways to use your mobile device to enhance your personal brand and your online portfolio. If you want to work in retail, for example, you could take photos of particularly good or particularly bad merchandizing displays and post them with commentary on your social media accounts. Employers doing background research on you on will see these posts and recognize you as a candidate who is invested in his or her career and the industry as a whole. Many of the tools you can use to build your personal brand are available as mobile apps, including blogging platforms, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Dozens of apps are available to help with various aspects of your job search. Résumé creation apps let you quickly modify your résumé if you come across a good opportunity. Business card scanning apps make it easy to keep digital copies of business cards, so you’ll never lose important contact information. Note- taking apps are a great way to plan for interviews and record your postinterview notes. Use your phone’s scheduling capability to make sure you never miss an interviewing or a filing deadline. Polish your interviewing skills with your phone’s audio- and video-recording features or a practice-interview app. If an employer wants to interview you via Cisco WebEx or another online meeting system, those apps are available for your phone or tablet as well.

You’ve been paying a lot for your mobile service—now make that mobile work for you by helping you land a great job.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. Would it be a good idea to present your online portfolio on your smartphone during a job interview? Why or why not? 2. Is it wise for applicants to shun a company that doesn’t have a mobile-friendly careers website or a career app? Why or why not?

Sources: David Cohen, “Social Recruiting Goes Mobile,” AllFacebook blog, 23 December 2013, allfacebook.com (http://allfacebook.com) ; Ryan Rancatore, “The 33 Best iPhone Apps for Personal Branding,” Personal Branding 101 blog, 27 December 2009, personal_branding101.com (http://personal_branding101.com) ; Jule Gamache, “The Rise of Mobile Job Search,” Come Recommended blog, 12 June 2013, comerecommended.com (http://comerecommended.com) .

BUILDING YOUR NETWORK

Start thinking like a networker now; your classmates could turn out to be some of your most important business contacts.

Networking (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000068F2) is the process of making informal connections with mutually beneficial business contacts. Networking takes place wherever and whenever people talk: at industry functions, at social gatherings, at alumni reunions—and all over the Internet, from LinkedIn and Twitter to Facebook and Google+. 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 thousands of applications and the risk of hiring complete strangers, most companies prefer to ask their employees for recommendations first.5

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069C9) The more people who know you, the better chance you have of being recommended for one of these hidden job openings.

Put your network in place before you need it.

Start building your network now, before you need it. Your classmates could end up being some of your most valuable contacts, if not right away, then possibly later in your career. Then branch out by identifying people with similar interests in your target professions, industries, and companies. 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.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069CB) 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. Just make sure you are respectful of people, and don’t take up much of their time.7

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069CD)

Figure 18.2 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.

Courtesy of Glassdoor.

MOBILE APP

Stay in touch with your professional network with the LinkedIn mobile app.

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.8

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069CF) 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.

Remember that networking is about people helping each other, not just about other people helping you. Pay close attention to networking etiquette: Try to learn something about the people you want to connect with, don’t overwhelm others with too many messages or requests, be succinct in all your communication efforts, don’t give out other people’s names and contact information without their permission to do so, never email your résumé to complete strangers, and

remember to say thank you every time someone helps you.9

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069D1)

Networking is a mutually beneficial activity, so look for opportunities to help others in some way.

To become a valued network member, you need to be able to help others in some way. You may not have any influential contacts yet, but because you’re researching industries 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.

THE ART OF PROFESSIONALISM

Striving to Excel

Pros are good at what they do, and they never stop improving. No matter what your job might be at any given time—even if it is far from where you aspire to be—strive to perform at the highest possible level. Not only do you have an ethical obligation to give your employer and your customers your best effort, but

excelling at each level in your career is also the best way to keep climbing up to new positions of responsibility. Plus, being good at what you do delivers a sense of satisfaction that is hard to beat.

In many jobs and in many industries, performing at a high level requires a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. The nature of the work often changes as markets and technologies evolve, and expectations of quality tend to increase over time as well. View this constant change as a positive thing, as a way to avoid stagnation and boredom.

Striving to excel can be a challenge when there is a mismatch between the job’s requirements and your skills and knowledge. If you are underqualified for a job, you need to identify your weaknesses quickly and come up with a plan to address them. A supportive manager will help you identify these areas and encourage improvement through training or mentoring. Don’t wait for a boss to tell you your work is subpar, however. If you know you’re floundering, ask for help.

If you are overqualified for a job, it’s easy to slip into a rut and eventually underperform simply because you aren’t being challenged. However, current and future bosses aren’t going to judge you on how well you performed relative to your needs and expectations; they’re going to judge you on how well you performed relative to the job’s requirements. Work with your boss to find ways to make your job more challenging if possible, or start looking for a better job if necessary, but be sure to maintain your level of performance until you can bring your responsibilities and talents into closer alignment.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. Should you ever try to sell yourself into a job for which you are not yet 100 percent qualified? Explain your answer. 2. Do you agree that you have an ethical obligation to excel at your job? Why or why not?

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. Also,

many employers now contact people in a candidate’s public network for background information, even if the candidate doesn’t list those people as references.10

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069D3)

SEEKING CAREER COUNSELING

Don’t overlook the many resources available through your college’s career center.

Your college’s career center probably offers a wide variety of services, including individual counseling, job fairs, on-campus interviews, and job listings. Counselors can advise on career planning and provide workshops on job-search techniques, résumé preparation, job readiness training, interview techniques,

self-marketing, and more.11

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069D5) You can also find career-planning advice online. Many of the websites listed in Table 18.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P700101245100000000000000000647B) offer articles and online tests to help you choose a career path, identify essential skills, and prepare to enter the job market.

AVOIDING MISTAKES

Don’t let a silly mistake knock you out of contention for a great job.

While you’re making all these positive moves to show employers you will be a quality hire, take care to avoid the simple blunders that can torpedo a job search, such as not catching mistakes in your résumé, misspelling the name of a manager you’re writing to, showing up late for an interview, tweeting something unprofessional, failing to complete application forms correctly, asking for information that you can easily find yourself on a company’s website, or making any other error that could flag you as someone who is careless or disrespectful. Assume that every employer will conduct an online search on you. 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 reject your résumé.

18.2 Planning Your Résumé

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

2 Explain the process of planning your résumé, including how to choose the best résumé organization. Although you will create many messages during your career search, your résumé (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000068F5) —a structured, written summary of your education, employment background, and job qualifications—will be the most important document in this process. You will be able to use it directly in many instances, adapt it to a variety of uses such an e-portfolio or a social media résumé, and reuse pieces of it in social networking profiles and online application forms. Even if you apply to a company that doesn’t want to see résumés from applicants, the process of developing your résumé will prepare you for interviewing and preemployment testing.

Developing a résumé is one of those projects that benefits from multiple planning, writing, and completing sessions spread out over several days or weeks. You are trying to summarize a complex subject (yourself!) and present a compelling story to strangers in a brief document. Follow the three-step writing process (see Figure 18.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#P7001012451000000000000000006539) ) and give yourself plenty of time.

Before you dive in to your résumé, be aware that you will find a wide range of opinions about résumés, regarding everything from appropriate length, content, design, distribution 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.12

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069D7) 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.

You will see lots of ideas and even some conflicting advice about résumés; use what you know about effective business communication to decide what is right for your résumés.

When you hear conflicting advice or see trendy concepts that you might be tempted to try, remember the most important question in business communication: What is the most effective way to adapt your message to the individual needs of each member of your audience? An approach that is wildly successful with one company or in one industry could be a complete disaster in another industry. To forge your own successful path 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 communication you are learning in this course.

Figure 18.3 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.

ANALYZING YOUR PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE

Once you view your résumé as a persuasive business message, it’s easier to decide what should and shouldn’t be in it.

Planning an effective résumé starts with understanding its true function—as a brief, persuasive business message intended to stimulate an employer’s interest in meeting you and learning more about you (see Table 18.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#P7001012451000000000000000006564) ). In other words,

the purpose of a résumé is not to get you a job but rather to get you an interview.13

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069D9)

Thanks to Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media, you can often learn valuable details about individual managers at your target employers.

As you conduct your research on various professions, industries, companies, and individual managers, you will have a better perspective on your target readers and their information needs. Learn as much as you can about the individuals who may be reading your résumé. Many professionals and managers are bloggers, Twitter users, and LinkedIn members, for example, so you can learn more about them online even if you’ve never met them. Any bit of information can help you craft a more effective message.

By the way, if employers ask to see your “CV,” they’re referring to your curriculum vitae, the term used instead of résumé in academic professions and in many countries outside the United States. Résumés and CVs are essentially the same, although CVs can be much more detailed and include personal information that is not included in a résumé.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE

Converting your résumé to a CV

If you need to convert your U.S.-style résumé to the curriculum vitae format used in many other countries (and in many academic positions in the United States), this website will tell you everything you need to know. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

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 532 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#page_532) discusses your options.

ORGANIZING YOUR RÉSUMÉ AROUND YOUR STRENGTHS

Although there are a number of ways to organize a résumé, most are some variation of chronological, functional, or a combination of the two. The right choice depends on your background and your goals.

TABLE 18.2 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 computer looking for keywords first—and if it doesn’t contain the right keywords, a human being may never see it.

Fallacy Fact

The more good information you present about yourself in your résumé, the better, so stuff your résumé with every positive detail.

Recruiters don’t need that much information about you at the initial screening stage, and they probably won’t read it.

The Chronological Résumé

The chronological résumé is the most common approach, but it might not be right for you at this stage in your career.

In a chronological résumé (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000068E9) , the work experience section dominates and is placed immediately after your contact information and introductory statement (see Figure 18.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000067AB) on page 531 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#page_531) for an example). The chronological approach is the most common way to organize a résumé, and many employers prefer this format because it presents your professional history in a clear, easy-to-follow

arrangement.14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069DB) If you’re just graduating from college and have limited professional experience, you can vary this chronological approach by putting your educational qualifications before your experience.

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 positions 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

The functional résumé is often considered by people with limited or spotty employment history, but many employers are suspicious of this format.

A functional résumé (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000068EF) , sometimes called a skills résumé, emphasizes your skills and capabilities, identifying employers and academic experience in subordinate sections. This arrangement stresses individual areas of competence rather than job history. The functional approach has three benefits: (1) Without having to read through job descriptions, employers can get an idea of what you can do for them; (2) you can emphasize previous job experience 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 suspicious of it.15

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069DD) 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 combination résumé instead.

The Combination Résumé

If you don’t have a lot of work history to show, consider a combination résumé to highlight your skills while still providing a chronological history of your employment.

A combination résumé (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000068EC) meshes the skills focus of the functional format with the job history focus of the chronological format. Figures 18.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000066CC) (page 529 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#page_529) ) and 18.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P700101245100000000000000000673B) (page 530 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#page_530) ) show examples of combination résumés. The chief advantage of this format is that it allows you to highlight your capabilities and education when you don’t have a long or steady employment history, without raising concerns that you might be hiding something about 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 effective 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 careers or other issues that could be a concern for employers. Here are some common issues and suggestions for handling them in

a résumé:16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069DF)

• 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. Also, if past job positions were eliminated as a result of layoffs or mergers, find a subtle way to convey that information (if not in your résumé, then in your cover letter). Reasonable employers 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. • Inexperience. Mention related volunteer work and membership in professional groups. List relevant course work and internships. • Overqualification. Tone down your résumé, focusing exclusively on the experience and skills that relate to the position. • Long-term employment with one company. Itemize each position held at the firm to show growth within the organization and increasing

responsibilities along the way. • Job termination for cause. Be honest with interviewers and address their concerns with proof, such as recommendations and examples of completed

projects. • Criminal record. You don’t necessarily need to disclose a criminal record or time spent incarcerated on your résumé, but you may be asked about it on

job application forms. Laws regarding what employers may ask (and whether they can conduct a criminal background check) vary by state and profession, but if you are asked and the question applies to you, you are legally bound to answer truthfully. Use the interview process to explain any

mitigating circumstances and to emphasize your rehabilitation and commitment to being a law-abiding, trustworthy employee.17

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069E1)

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY READING THIS ARTICLE

Smart strategies to explain gaps in your work history

Get three key pieces of advice if you have been or were out of work for a period of time. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

18.3 Writing Your Résumé

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

3 Describe the tasks involved in writing your résumé, and list the major sections of a traditional résumé.

If you’re uncomfortable writing your own résumé, you might try to trade with a classmate and write each other’s résumé.

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 accomplished writers, can find it difficult to write their own résumés. If you get stuck, imagine you are somebody else, writing a résumé for this person called you. By “being your own client” in this sense, you might find the words and ideas flow more easily. You can also find a classmate or friend who is writing a résumé and swap projects for a while. Working on each other’s résumés might speed up the process for both of you.

KEEPING YOUR RÉSUMÉ HONEST

Estimates vary, but one comprehensive study uncovered lies about work history in more than 40 percent of the résumés tested.18

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069E3) And dishonest applicants are getting bolder all the time—going so far as to buy fake diplomas online, pay a computer hacker to insert their names into prestigious universities’

graduation records, and sign up for services that offer phony employment verification or phony references.19

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069E5) “It’s becoming common to cheat,” observes Professor George Gollin of the University of Illinois, Urbana, mentioning the 200,000 fake college degrees sold every year as one

example.20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069E8)

Résumé fraud has reached epidemic proportions, but employers are fighting back with more rigorous screening techniques.

Applicants with integrity know they don’t need to stoop to lying. If you are tempted to stretch the truth, bear in mind that professional recruiters have seen all sorts of fraud by job applicants, and frustrated employers are working aggressively to uncover the truth. Nearly all employers do some form of background

checking, from contacting references and verifying employment to checking criminal records and sending résumés through verification services.21

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069EA) Employers are also

beginning to craft certain interview questions specifically to uncover dishonest résumé entries.22

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069EC)

Most companies that find lies on résumés refuse to hire the offending applicants, even if that means withdrawing formal job offers.23

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069EE) And if you do sneak past these filters and get hired, you’ll probably be exposed on the job when you can’t live up to your own résumé. Given the networked nature of today’s job market, lying on a résumé could haunt you for years—and you could be forced to keep lying throughout your career to hide the misrepresentations on your

original résumé.24 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069F0)

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY READING THIS ARTICLE

Tempted to twist the truth on your resume?

Lying on a résumé can have legal ramifications. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

ADAPTING YOUR RÉSUMÉ TO YOUR AUDIENCE

Translate your past accomplishments into a compelling picture of what you can do for employers in the future.

The importance of adapting your résumé to your target readers’ needs and interests cannot be overstated. In a competitive job market, the more you seem like a good fit—a quality hire—the better your chances of securing interviews. Address your readers’ business concerns by showing how your capabilities meet the demands and expectations of the position and the organization as a whole.

For example, an in-house public relations (PR) department and an independent PR agency perform many of the same tasks, but the outside agency must also sell its services to multiple clients. Consequently, it needs employees who are skilled at attracting and keeping paying customers in addition to being skilled at PR. If you are applying for both in-house and agency PR jobs, you need to adapt your résumé for each of these audiences.

An essential step in adapting your résumé is using the same terminology as the employer uses to describe job responsibilities and professional accomplishments. In Figures 18.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000066CC)

through 18.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000067AB) starting on page 529 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#page_529) , you can see how the sample résumés do this, incorporating key terms and phrases from the job postings.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY EXPLORING THIS INTERACTIVE WEBSITE

See how well your résumé matches a target job description

Increase your chances of getting past a company’s résumé filters by comparing your résumé with the wording of a target job description. Go to real- timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

Military service and other specialized experiences may need to be “translated” into terms more readily understandable by your target readers.

If you are applying for business positions after military service or moving from one industry to another, you may need to “translate” your experience into the language of your target employers. For instance, military experience can help you develop many skills that are valuable in business, but military terminology can sound like a foreign language to people who aren’t familiar with it. Isolate the important general concepts and present them in the business language your target employers use.

COMPOSING YOUR RÉSUMÉ

Draft your résumé using short, crisp phrases built around strong verbs and nouns.

Write your résumé using a simple and direct style. Use short, crisp phrases instead of whole sentences and focus on what your reader needs to know. Avoid using the word I, which can sound both self-involved and repetitious by the time you outline all your skills and accomplishments. Instead, start your phrases with

strong action verbs such as these:25

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069F2)

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

For example, you might say, “Created a campus organization for students interested in entrepreneurship” or “Managed a fast-food restaurant and four employees.” Whenever you can, quantify the results so that your claims don’t come across as empty puffery. Don’t just say that you’re a team player or detail

oriented—show that you are by offering concrete proof.26

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069F4) Here are some examples of phrasing accomplishments using active statements that show results:

Instead of This Write Active Statements That Show Results

Responsible for developing a new filing system Developed a new filing system that reduced paperwork by 50 percent I was in charge of customer complaints and all ordering problems Handled all customer complaints and resolved all product order discrepancies I won a trip to Europe for opening the most new customer accounts in my department

Generated the highest number of new customer accounts in my department

Member of special campus task force to resolve student problems with existing cafeteria assignments

Assisted in implementing new campus dining program that balances student wishes with cafeteria capacity

Providing specific supporting evidence is vital, but make sure you don’t go overboard with details.27

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069F6) Carefully select the most compelling evidence so that your message is clear and immediate.

Include relevant keywords in your introductory statement, work history, and education sections.

In addition to clear writing with specific examples, the particular words and phrases used throughout your résumé are critically important. The majority of résumés are now subjected to 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. (Although most experts used to advise including a separate keyword summary as a standalone list, the

trend nowadays is to incorporate your keywords into your introductory statement and other sections of your résumé.)28

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069F8)

Identifying these keywords requires some research, but you can uncover many of them while you are looking into 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 a computer’s attention are usually nouns that describe the specific skills, attributes, and experiences an employer is looking for in a candidate. Keywords can include the business and technical

terms associated with a specific profession, industry-specific jargon, names or types of products or systems used in a profession, job titles, and college degrees.29

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069FA)

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE

Find the keywords that will light up your résumé

This list of tips and tools will help you find the right keywords to customize your résumé for every opportunity. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

Name and Contact Information

Be sure to provide complete and accurate contact information; mistakes in this section of the résumé are surprisingly common.

Your name and contact information constitute the heading of your résumé; include the following:

• Name • 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)

Use a professional-sounding email address for business correspondence, such as [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If the only email address you have is through your current employer, get a free personal email address from one of the many services that offer them. It’s not fair to your current employer to use company resources for a job search, and doing so sends a bad signal to potential employers. Also, if your personal email address is anything like [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) , get a new email address for your business correspondence.

Introductory Statement

You have three options for a brief introductory statement that follows your name and contact information:30

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You can choose to open with a career objective, a qualifications summary, or a career summary.

• Career objective. A career objective identifies either a specific job you want to land or 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.

If you have a reasonably focused skill set but don’t yet have a long career history, a qualifications summary is probably the best type of introductory statement for you.

• Qualifications summary. A qualifications summary offers a brief view of your key qualifications. The goal is to let a reader know within a few seconds what you can deliver. You can title this section generically as “Qualifications Summary” or “Summary of Qualifications,” or, if you have one dominant qualification, you can use that as the title. Consider using a qualifications summary if you have one or more 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 “theme,” such as multimedia design or statistical analysis, you can craft a qualifications 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 18.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000067AB) on page 531 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#page_531) for an example). A career summary can be particularly useful for managers who have demonstrated the ability to manage increasingly larger and more complicated business operations—a key consideration when companies look to hire upper-level executives.

MOBILE APP

Need a simple résumé in a hurry? Resume App Pro and Resume Builder Pro let you build one right on your phone.

Whichever option you choose, make sure it includes many of the 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, your education is probably your strongest selling point.

If you’re still in college or have recently graduated, education is probably your strongest selling point. Present your educational background in depth, choosing facts that support your professional theme. Give this section a heading such as “Education,” “Technical Training,” 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 graduation (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 course work, 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 quality of your grades. If you don’t show your GPA on your résumé—and there’s no rule saying 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 responsibilities, identify the skills and knowledge that you can apply to a future job.

This section can be called “Work Experience,” “Professional Experience,” or “Work and Volunteer Experience,” if you have limited work experience and want to bolster that with volunteer experience. Like the education section, the work experience section should focus 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.

Devote the most space to the jobs that are most recent or most closely related to your target position. If you were personally responsible for something significant, be sure to mention it. Facts about your skills and accomplishments are the most important information you can give a prospective employer, so quantify them whenever possible.

Devote the most space to jobs that are related to your target 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.31

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P70010124510000000000000000069FE)

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 willingness to keep working.

Activities and Achievements

Include personal accomplishments only if they suggest special skills or qualities that are relevant to the jobs you’re seeking.

This optional section can be used to highlight activities and achievements outside of a work or educational context—but only if they make you a more attractive job candidate. For example, traveling, studying, or working abroad and fluency in multiple languages could weigh heavily in your favor with employers who do business internationally.

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 for 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, indicating involvement in athletics or other organized student activities lets employers know that you don’t spend all your free time hanging around your apartment playing video games. Also consider mentioning publications, projects, and other accomplishments that required relevant business skills.

Personal Data and References

When applying to U.S. companies, your résumé should not include any personal data such as age, marital status, physical description, or Social Security number.

In nearly all instances your résumé should not include any personal data beyond the information described in the previous sections. When applying to U.S. companies, never include any of the following: physical characteristics, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religious or political affiliations, race, national origin, salary history, reasons for leaving jobs, names of previous supervisors, names of references, Social Security number, or student ID number.

However, be aware that standards can vary in other countries. For example, some international employers might require you to include your citizenship,

nationality, or marital status.32

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A00)

Prepare a list of references but don’t include them on your résumé.

The availability of references is assumed, so you don’t need to put “References available upon request” at the end of your résumé. However, be sure to have a list of several references ready when you begin applying for jobs. Prepare your reference sheet with your name and contact information at the top. For a finished look, use 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 18.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000066CC) through 18.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000067AB) show how a job applicant can put these guidelines to work in three job-search scenarios:

• Scenario 1: Positioning yourself for an ideal opportunity (when you’ve found a job opening that aligns closely with your career goals and your academic and professional credentials)

Figure 18.4 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.43

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A16)

• Scenario 2: Positioning yourself for an available opportunity (when you can’t find a job in your chosen field and need to adapt to whatever opportunities are available)

• Scenario 3: Positioning yourself for more responsibility (after you have some experience in your field and want to apply for positions of greater responsibility)

Figure 18.5 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.44 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A18)

Figure 18.6 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 18.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000066CC) and 18.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P700101245100000000000000000643B) and is now ready

for a bigger challenge.45

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A1A) (For an application message that could accompany this résumé, see Figure 19.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A99) on page 549 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#page_549) .)

18.4 Completing Your Résumé

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

4 Characterize the completing step for résumés, including the six most common formats in which you can produce a résumé. Completing your résumé involves revising it for optimum quality, producing it in the various forms and media you’ll need, and proofreading it for any errors before distributing it or publishing it online.

REVISING YOUR RÉSUMÉ

Revise your résumé until it is as short and clear as possible.

Revising your résumé for clarity and conciseness is essential. Recruiters and hiring managers want to find key pieces of information about you, including your top skills, your current job, and your education, in a matter of seconds. Many are overwhelmed with résumés, and if they have to work to find or decode this information, chances are they’ll toss yours aside and move on to the next one in the pile. Remember the fundamental purpose of the résumé—to get you an interview, not to get you a job. Weed out details and irrelevant information until your résumé is tight, clear, and focused.

If your employment history is brief, keep your résumé to one page.

The ideal length of your résumé depends on the depth of your experience and the level of the positions for which you are applying. As a general guideline, if you have fewer than five years of professional experience, keep your conventional résumé to one page. For online résumé formats, you can always provide links to

additional information. If you have more experience and are applying for a higher-level position, you may need to prepare a somewhat longer résumé.33

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A02) For highly technical positions, longer résumés are often the norm as well because the qualifications for such jobs can require more description.

PRODUCING YOUR RÉSUMÉ

Effective résumé designs are clear, clean, and professional.

No matter how many media and formats you eventually choose for producing your résumé, a clean, professional-looking design is a must. Recruiters and hiring managers typically 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

Don’t pick a résumé style just because it’s trendy or different; make sure it works for your specific needs.

You’ll find a wide range of résumé designs in use today, from text-only documents that follow a conventional layout to full-color infographics with unique designs. As with every type of business message, keep your audience, your goals, and your resources in mind. Don’t choose a style just because it seems trendy or flashy or different. For example, you can find many eye-catching infographic résumés online, but many of those are created by graphic designers applying for visual 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 18.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000066CC) through 18.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000067AB) use a classic, conservative design that will serve you well for most business opportunities. Notice how they feature simplicity, 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.

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Does your résumé shout “I’m unprofessional”?

Avoid the mistakes discussed here to come across as a polished pro. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

With any résumé design, make sure that readers can find essential information in a matter of seconds.

You can certainly enhance your résumé beyond this style, but do so carefully and always with an eye on what will help the reader and avoid confusing an applicant tracking system. Make subheadings easy to find and easy to read. Avoid big blocks of text, and use lists to itemize your most important qualifications. Above all, don’t make the reader work to find the key points of story. Your résumé should be a high-efficiency information delivery system, not a treasure hunt. Simple formatting and clean design are essential for dealing with an applicant tracking system because complicated formats can confuse the system. If you want a

more “designed” résumé to hand out during networking events or for other uses, you can always create a second version.34

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A04)

Depending on the companies you apply to, you might want to produce your résumé in as many as six formats (all are explained in the following sections):

Be prepared to produce versions of your résumé in multiple formats.

• Printed traditional résumé • Printed scannable résumé • Digital 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-posting website expects, and provide your résumé in that specific format.

Considering Photos, Videos, Presentations, and Infographics

Do not include or enclose a photo in résumés that you send to employers or post on job websites.

As you produce your résumé in various formats, you will encounter the question of whether to include a photograph of yourself on or with your résumé. For print or digital documents that you will be submitting to employers or job websites, the safest advice is to avoid photos. 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.35

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A06) 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.

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Make friends with the résumé robots

Follow these tips to make sure your résumé doesn’t get snagged in an applicant tracking system. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

In addition to the six main résumé formats, some applicants create PowerPoint or Prezi presentations, videos, or infographics to supplement a conventional résumé. Two key advantages of a presentation supplement are 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 digital résumés, and many recruiters refuse to watch them.36

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A08) 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 applicant videos

and provides a way to upload videos on its job application webpage.37

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A0A) Research the preferences of the companies on your target list before you decide to invest time and money in a video résumé or supplement.

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 while you might stand out with an infographic, you might also get tossed out if you try to use an infographic in place of a conventional résumé. In virtually every situation, an infographic should complement a conventional résumé, not replace it. In addition, successful infographics require graphical design skills that many job seekers don’t have.

Producing a Traditional 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 interviewers 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 tangible evidence of your attention to professionalism and detail.38

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A0C) When printing a résumé, choose a heavier, higher-quality paper designed specifically for résumés and other important documents. White or slightly off-white is the best color choice. Avoid papers with borders or backgrounds.

Use high-quality paper when printing your résumé.

Printing a Scannable Résumé

Some employers still prefer résumés in scannable format, but most now want online submissions.

You might encounter a company that prefers scannable résumés, a type of printed résumé that is specially formatted to be compatible with optical scanning systems that convert printed documents to digital text. These systems were once quite common, but their use has been declining rapidly as more employers

prefer email submissions or website application forms.39

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A0E) If you need to produce a scannable résumé, search online for “formatting a scannable résumé” to get detailed instructions.

Creating a Plain-Text File of Your Résumé

A plain-text version of your résumé is simply a computer file without any of the formatting that you typically apply using word-processing software.

A plain-text file (sometimes known as an ASCII text file) is a digital version of your résumé that has no font formatting, no bullet symbols, no colors, no lines or boxes, and no other special formatting. The plain-text version can be used in two ways. First, you can include it in the body of an email message, for employers who want email delivery but don’t want file attachments. Second, you can copy and paste the sections into the application forms on an employer’s website.

Make sure you verify the plain-text file that you create with your word processor; it might need a few manual adjustments using a text editor such as NotePad.

A plain-text version is easy to create with your word processor. Start with the file you used to create your résumé, use the “Save As” choice to save it as “plain text” or whichever similarly labeled option your software has, and verify the result using a basic text editor (such as Microsoft Notepad). If necessary, reformat the page manually, moving text and inserting space as needed. For simplicity’s sake, align headings with the left margin, rather than trying to center them manually.

Creating a Word File of Your Résumé

Some employers and websites want your résumé in Microsoft Word format; make sure your computer is thoroughly scanned for viruses first, however.

In some cases an employer or job-posting website will want you to upload a Microsoft Word file or attach it to an email message. (Although there are certainly other word-processing software programs available, Microsoft Word is the de facto standard in business these days.) This method of transferring information preserves the design and layout of your résumé and saves you the trouble of creating a plain-text version. However, before you submit a Word file to anyone, make sure your computer is free of viruses. Infecting a potential employer’s computer will not make a good first impression.

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, 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 you create a file type that is less vulnerable to viruses than word-processer files.

Creating an Online or Social Media Résumé

You have many options for creating an online résumé, from college-hosted e-portfolios to multimedia résumés on commercials websites.

A variety of online résumé formats, variously referred to as e-portfolios, interactive résumés, or social media résumés, provide the opportunity to create a dynamic, multimedia presentation of your qualifications. You can expand on the information contained in your basic résumé with links to projects, publications, screencasts, online videos, course lists, blogs, social networking profiles, and other elements that give employers a more complete picture of who you are and what you can offer.

You have a number of options for hosting an online résumé. Start with your college’s career center; many such centers offer hosting for e-portfolios, for example, where you can showcase your academic achievements. You can also chose one of the commercial résumé hosting services, such as LinkedIn. In addition to being free (for basic services, at least), these sites provide easy-to-use tools for creating your online profile. You can also use them to peruse examples of various résumés, from students just about to enter the workforce full time all the way up to corporate CEOs.

Regardless of the approach you take to creating an online résumé, keep these helpful tips in mind:

• Remember that your online presence is a career management tool. The way you are portrayed online can work for you or against you, and it’s up to you to create a positive impression.

• Take advantage of social networking. Use whatever tools are available to direct people to your online résumé, such as including your URL in your Twitter profile.

• During the application process, don’t expect or ask employers to retrieve a résumé from a website. Submit your résumé using whatever method and medium each employer prefers. If employers then want to know more about you, they will likely do a web search on you and find your site, or you can refer them to your site in your résumé or application materials.

PROOFREADING YOUR RÉSUMÉ

Your résumé can’t be “pretty good” or “almost perfect”—it needs to be perfect, so proofread it thoroughly and ask several other people to verify it, too.

Employers view your résumé as a concrete example of your attention to quality and detail. Your résumé doesn’t need to be good or pretty good—it needs to be perfect. Although it may not seem fair, just one or two errors in a job application package are enough to doom a candidate’s chances. A human reader will likely

view errors as signs of carelessness, and an applicant tracking system can be programmed to automatically reject résumés with spelling errors.40

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A10)

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.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

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Don’t let these mistakes cost you an interview

Make sure you don’t commit these nine costly blunders. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

DISTRIBUTING YOUR RÉSUMÉ

When distributing your résumé, pay close attention to the specific instructions provided by every employer, job website, or other recipient.

How you distribute your résumé depends on the number of employers you target and their preferences for receiving résumés. Employers usually list their requirements on their websites, so verify this information and follow it carefully. Beyond that, here are some general distribution tips:

• Mailing printed résumés. Take some care with the packaging. Spend a few extra cents to mail these 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 application form.

Don’t post a résumé on any public website unless you understand its privacy and security policies.

• Posting your résumé on job websites. You can post your résumé on general-purpose job websites such as Monster and CareerBuilder, on more specialized job boards that address specific professions, or with staffing services such as Volt. Roughly 100,000 job boards are now online, so you’ll need

to spend some time looking for sites that specialize in your target industries, regions, or professions.41

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A12) Before you upload your résumé to any site, however, learn about its privacy protection. Some sites allow you to specify levels of confidentiality, such as letting employers search your qualifications without seeing your personal contact information or preventing your current employer from seeing your résumé. Don’t post your résumé to any website that doesn’t give you the option of restricting the display of your contact information. Only employers that are

registered clients of the service should be able to see your contact information.42

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000068e0#P7001012451000000000000000006A14)

For a quick summary of the steps to take when planning, writing, and completing your résumé, refer to “Checklist: Writing an Effective Résumé (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#P70010124510000000000000000068A4) .” For the latest information on résumé writing and distribution, visit real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Chapter 18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000063f6#P70010124510000000000000000063F6) .

CHECKLIST Writing an Effective Résumé

A. Plan your résumé. • Analyze your purpose and audience carefully to make sure your message meets employers’ needs. • Gather pertinent information about your target companies. • Select the required media types by researching the preferences of each employer. • Organize your résumé around your strengths, choosing the chronological, functional, or combination structure. (Be careful about using the

functional structure.) B. Write your résumé.

• Keep your résumé honest. • Adapt your résumé to your audience to highlight the qualifications each employer is looking for. • Choose a career objective, qualifications summary, or career summary as your introductory statement—and make it concise, concrete, and

reader-focused. • Use powerful language to convey your name and contact information, introductory statement, education, work experience, skills, work or

school accomplishments, and activities and achievements. C. Complete your résumé.

• Revise your résumé until it is clear, concise, compelling—and perfect. • Produce your résumé in all the formats you might need: traditional printed résumé, scannable, plain-text file, Microsoft Word file, PDF, or

online. • Proofread your résumé to make sure it is absolutely perfect. • Distribute your résumé using the means that each employer prefers.

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT Burning Glass

You work as a recruiter in the human resources department at Burning Glass’s Boston headquarters, where part of your responsibility involves using the applicant tracking system to identify promising job candidates. Solve these challenges by using what you’ve learned about presenting oneself effectively on a résumé.

INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: One of today’s tasks is selecting candidates to be interviewed for a management trainee position. This position involves significant interaction with other departments, so communication skills are vital. The applicant tracking system has turned up two candidates with almost identical qualifications. You have time to interview only one of them, however. Based on the way the two candidates described their education, which one would you invite in for an interview—and why?

1. Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA, 2011–2015. Received BA degree with a major in Business Administration and a minor in Finance. Graduated with a 3.65 grade point average. Played varsity football and basketball. Worked 15 hours per week in the library. Coordinated the local student chapter of the American Management Association. Member of Alpha Phi Alpha social fraternity.

2. I attended Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, for two years and then transferred to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where I completed my studies. My major was economics, but I also took many business management courses, including employee motivation, small-business administration, history of business start-ups, and organizational behavior. I selected courses based on the professors’ reputations for excellence, and I received mostly As and Bs. Unlike many other college students, I viewed the acquisition of knowledge—rather than career preparation—as my primary goal. I believe I have received a well-rounded education that has prepared me to approach management situations as problem-solving exercises.

TEAM CHALLENGE: To find candidates for an accounting associate position (a job typically filled by college graduates rather than more experienced professionals), you searched the applicant tracking system and found the following rather unconventional résumé. With one or two other students, decide whether you should (1) invite this candidate for an interview; (2) reject the application without further analysis; (3) review the candidate’s web-based e-portfolio, then make a decision about inviting him in for an interview; or (4) compare the candidate’s qualifications relative to those of other applicants and invite him in for an interview only if you cannot find several qualified applicants. Explain your choice.

Darius Jaidee 809 N. Perkins Rd, Stillwater, OK 74075

Phone: (405) 369-0098 Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Career Objective: To build a successful career in financial management Summary of Qualifications: As a student at the University of Oklahoma, Stillwater, completed a wide variety of assignments that demonstrate skills related to accounting and management. For example:

Planning Skills: As president of the university’s foreign affairs forum, organized six lectures and workshops featuring 36 speakers from 16 foreign countries within a nine-month period. Identified and recruited the speakers, handled their travel arrangements, and scheduled the facilities. Communication Skills: Wrote more than 25 essays and term papers on various academic topics, including at least 10 dealing with business and finance. As a senior, wrote a 20-page analysis of financial trends in the petroleum industry, interviewing five high-ranking executives in accounting and finance positions at ConocoPhillip’s refinery in Ponca City, Oklahoma, and company headquarters in Houston, Texas. Accounting and Computer Skills: Competent in all areas of Microsoft Office, including Excel spreadsheets and Access databases. Assisted with bookkeeping activities in parents’ small business, including the conversion from paper-based to computer-based accounting (Peachtree software). Have taken courses in accounting, financial planning, database design, web design, and computer networking. For more information, including employment history, please access my e-portfolio at http://dariusjaidee.com (http://dariusjaidee.com) .

Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS

applicant tracking systems Computer systems that capture and store incoming résumés and help recruiters find good prospects for current openings

chronological résumé Format that emphasizes work experience, with past jobs shown in reverse chronological order; the most common résumé format

combination résumé Format that includes the best features of the chronological and functional approaches

functional résumé Format that emphasizes skills and capabilities while identifying employers and academic experience in subordinate sections; many recruiters view this format with suspicion

networking The process of making connections with mutually beneficial business contacts

résumé A structured, written summary of a person’s education, employment background, and job qualifications

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1 List eight key steps to finding the ideal opportunity in today’s job market. The eight steps discussed in this chapter are (1) writing the story of you, which involves describing where you have been in your career so far and where you would like to go in the future; (2) learning to think like an employer so you can present yourself as a quality hire; (3) researching industries and companies of interest to identify promising opportunities and to learn the language of hiring managers; (4) translating your general potential into a specific solution for each employer so that you look like a good fit for each opening; (5) taking the initiative to approach interesting companies even if they haven’t yet posted any job openings; (6) building your network so you and your connections can help each other in the job-search process; (7) seeking career counseling if appropriate; and (8) avoiding the easily avoidable mistakes that can ruin your chances of getting a job.

2 Explain the process of planning your résumé, including how to choose the best résumé organization. Planning a résumé starts with recognizing what it is: a persuasive message designed to get you job interviews. Gathering the necessary information involves learning about target industries, professions, companies, and specific positions, as well as gathering information about yourself. Choosing the best résumé organization depends on your background and your goals. A chronological résumé helps employers easily locate necessary information, highlights your professional growth and career progress, and emphasizes continuity and stability. If you can use the chronological format, you should because it is the approach employers tend to prefer. A functional résumé helps employers easily see what you can do for them, allows you to emphasize earlier job experience, and lets you downplay any lengthy periods of unemployment or a lack of career progress. However, many employers are suspicious of functional résumés for this very reason. The combination approach uses the best features of the other two and is often the best choice for recent graduates.

3 Describe the tasks involved in writing your résumé, and list the major sections of a traditional résumé. Adapting to the audience is crucial because readers are looking to see how well you understand their businesses and can present a solution to their talent needs. The major sections to consider including in your résumé are (1) your name and contact information; (2) an introductory statement, which can be a career objective, a qualifications summary, or a career summary; (3) your education; (4) your work experience; and (5) activities and achievements that are professionally relevant. Most résumés do not need to include any personal data.

4 Characterize the completing step for résumés, including the six most common formats in which you can produce a résumé. Quality is paramount with résumés, so the tasks of revising and proofing are particularly important. The six common résumé formats are traditional printed résumé, scannable résumé, electronic plain-text file, Microsoft Word file, PDF, and online résumé (which might be called a personal webpage, an e-portfolio, or a social media résumé).

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

Test Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

18-1. What does quality of hire mean? [LO-1]

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P7001012451000000000000000006423)

18-2. Why is it important to have an organized approach to finding a new job? [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P7001012451000000000000000006423)

18-3. Why is it important to contribute to any networks you belong to, in addition to looking for assistance for your own career? [LO-1]

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P7001012451000000000000000006423)

18-4. What is the purpose of a résumé? [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#P7001012451000000000000000006530)

18-5. Why are some employers suspicious of the functional résumé? [LO-2]

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#P7001012451000000000000000006530)

18-6. What are keywords? [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000065BF)

18-7. Should you include personal data on a résumé? Explain your answer. [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000065BF)

18-8. What is a plain-text résumé? [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#P700101245100000000000000000681C)

Apply Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

18-9. How can you “think like an employer” if you have no professional business experience? [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P7001012451000000000000000006423)

18-10. If you were a team leader at a summer camp for children with special needs, should you include this in your employment history if you are applying for work that is unrelated? Explain your answer. [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000065BF)

18-11. Can you use a qualifications summary if you don’t yet have extensive professional experience in your desired career? Why or why not? [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000065BF)

18-12. Some people don’t have a clear career path when they enter the job market. If you’re in this situation, how would your uncertainty affect the way you write your résumé? [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000065BF)

18-13. Between your sophomore and junior years, you quit school for a year to earn the money to finish college. You worked as a loan-processing assistant in a finance company, checking references on loan applications, typing, and filing. Your manager made a lot of the fact that he had never attended college. He seemed to resent you for pursuing your education, but he never criticized your work, so you thought you were doing okay. After you’d been working there for six months, he fired you, saying that you’d failed to be thorough enough in your credit checks. You were actually glad to leave, and you found another job right away at a bank, doing similar duties. Now that you’ve graduated from college, you’re writing your résumé. Will you include the finance company job in your work history? Explain. [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000065BF)

Practice Your Skills Message For Analysis

Read the following résumé information and then (1) analyze the strengths or weaknesses of the information and (2) revise the résumé so that it follows the guidelines presented in this chapter.

18-14. Message 18.A: Writing a Résumé [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000065BF)

Sylvia Manchester 765 Belle Fleur Blvd. New Orleans, LA 70113 (504) 312-9504 [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

PERSONAL: Single, excellent health, 5’7”, 136 lbs.; hobbies include cooking, dancing, and reading.

JOB OBJECTIVE: To obtain a responsible position in marketing or sales with a good company.

EDUCATION: BA degree in biology, University of Louisiana, 1998. Graduated with a 3.0 average. Member of the varsity cheerleading squad. President of Panhellenic League. Homecoming queen.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Fisher Scientific Instruments, 2015 to now, field sales representative. Responsible for calling on customers and explaining the features of Fisher’s line of laboratory instruments. Also responsible for writing sales letters, attending trade shows, and preparing weekly sales reports.

Fisher Scientific Instruments, 2011–2014, customer service representative. Was responsible for handling incoming phone calls from customers who had questions about delivery, quality, or operation of Fisher’s line of laboratory instruments. Also handled miscellaneous correspondence with customers.

Medical Electronics, Inc., 2008–2011, administrative assistant to the vice president of marketing. In addition to handling typical secretarial chores for the vice president of marketing, I was in charge of compiling the monthly sales reports, using figures provided by members of the field sales force. I also was given responsibility for doing various market research activities.

New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2005–2008, summers, tour guide. During the summers of my college years, I led tours of New Orleans for tourists visiting the city. My duties included greeting conventioneers and their spouses at hotels, explaining the history and features of the city during an all-day sightseeing tour, and answering questions about New Orleans and its attractions. During my fourth summer with the bureau, I was asked to help train the new tour guides. I prepared a handbook that provided interesting facts about the various tourist attractions, as well as answers to the most commonly asked tourist questions. The Bureau was so impressed with the handbook they had it printed up so that it could be given as a gift to visitors.

University of Louisiana, 2005–2008, part-time clerk in admissions office. While I was a student in college, I worked 15 hours a week in the admissions office. My duties included filing, processing applications, and handling correspondence with high school students and administrators.

Exercises

Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

18-15. Career Management: Researching Career Opportunities [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P7001012451000000000000000006423) Based on the preferences you identified in your career self-assessment (see page xl (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000000e90#page_xl) in the Prologue) and the academic, professional, and personal qualities you have to offer, perform an online search for a career that matches your interests (starting with the websites listed in Table 18.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P700101245100000000000000000647B) ). Draft a brief report for your instructor, indicating how the career you select and the job openings you find match your strengths and preferences. 18-16. Message Strategies: Writing a Résumé [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000065BF)

Change the following statements to make them more effective for a résumé by using action verbs.

a. Have some experience with database design. b. Assigned to a project to analyze the cost accounting methods for a large manufacturer. c. I was part of a team that developed a new inventory control system. d. Am responsible for preparing the quarterly department budget. e. Was a manager of a department with seven employees working for me. f. Was responsible for developing a spreadsheet to analyze monthly sales by department. g. Put in place a new program for ordering supplies.

18-17. Completing a Résumé [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#P700101245100000000000000000681C) Using your revised version of the résumé in Message for Analysis 18.A, create a plain-text file that Sylvia Manchester could use to include in email messages. 18-18. Completing a Résumé [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#P700101245100000000000000000681C)

Imagine you are applying for work in a field that involves speaking in front of an audience, such as sales, consulting, management, or training. Using material you created for any of the exercises or cases in Chapter 17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000005fef#P7001012451000000000000000005FEF) , record a two- to three-minute video demonstration of your speaking and presentation skills. Record yourself speaking to an audience, if one can be arranged.

Expand Your Skills Critique the Professionals

Locate an example of an online résumé (a sample or an actual résumé). Analyze the résumé following the guidelines presented in this chapter. Using whatever medium your instructor requests, write a brief analysis (no more than one page) of the résumé’s strengths and weaknesses, citing specific elements from the résumé and support from the chapter. If you are analyzing a real résumé, do not include any personally identifiable data, such as the person’s name, email address, or phone number, in your report.

Sharpen Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thill’s Business Communication Web Search, at websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) , is a unique research tool designed specifically for business communication research. Use the Web Search function to find a website, video, article, podcast, or presentation that offers advice on creating effective online résumés. Write a brief email message to your instructor or a post for your class blog, describing the item that you found and summarizing the career skills information you learned from it.

Cases

For all cases, feel free to use your creativity to make up any details you need in order to craft effective messages.

CAREER SKILLS/EMAIL SKILLS

18-19. Career Planning: Researching Career Opportunities [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P7001012451000000000000000006423) Knowing the jargon and “hot-button” issues in a particular profession or industry can give you a big advantage when it comes to writing your résumé and participating in job interviews. You can fine-tune your résumé for both human readers and applicant tracking systems, sound more confident and informed in interviews, and present yourself as a professional individual with an inquiring mind.

Your task: Imagine a specific job category in a company that has an informative, comprehensive website (to facilitate the research you’ll need to do). This doesn’t have to be a current job opening, but a position you know exists or is likely to exist in this company, such as a business systems analyst at Apple or a brand manager at Unilever.

Explore the company’s website and other online sources to find the following: (1) a brief description of what this job entails, with enough detail that you could describe it to a fellow student; (2) some of the terminology used in the profession or industry, both formal terms that might serve as keywords on your résumé and informal terms and phrases that insiders are likely to use in publications and conversations; (3) an ongoing online conversation among people in this profession, such as a LinkedIn Group, a popular industry or professional blog that seems to get quite a few comments, or an industry or professional publication that attracts a lot of comments; and (4) at least one significant issue that will affect people in this profession or companies in this

industry over the next few years. For example, if your chosen profession involves accounting in a publicly traded corporation, upcoming changes in international financial reporting standards would be a significant issue. Similarly, for a company in the consumer electronics industry, the recycling and disposal of e-waste is an issue. Write a brief email message summarizing your findings and explaining how you could use this information on your résumé and during job interviews.

CAREER SKILLS/EMAIL SKILLS

18-20. Career Management: Researching Career Opportunities [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P7001012451000000000000000006423) Perhaps you won’t be able to land your ultimate dream job right out of college, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start planning right now to make that dream come true.

Your task: Using online job-search tools, find a job that sounds just about perfect for you, even if you’re not yet qualified for it. It might even be something that would take 10 or 20 years to reach. Don’t settle for something that’s not quite right—find a job that is so “you” and so exciting that you would jump out of bed every morning, eager to go to work (such jobs really do exist!). Start with the job description you found online and then supplement it with additional research so that you get a good picture of what this job and career path are all about. Compile a list of all the qualifications you would need to have a reasonable chance of landing such a job. Now compare this list with your current résumé. Write a brief email message to your instructor that identifies all the areas in which you would need to improve your skills, work experience, education, and other qualifications in order to land your dream job.

CAREER SKILLS/TEAM SKILLS

18-21. Planning a Résumé [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#P7001012451000000000000000006530) If you haven’t begun your professional career yet or you are pursuing a career change, the employment history section on your résumé can sometimes be a challenge to write. A brainstorming session with your wise and creative classmates could help.

Your task: In a team assigned by your instructor, help each other evaluate your employment histories and figure out the best way to present your work backgrounds on a résumé. First, each member of the team should compile his or her work history, including freelance projects and volunteer work if relevant, and share this information with the team. After allowing some time for everyone to review each other’s information, meet as a team (in person if you can, or online otherwise). Discuss each person’s history, pointing out strong spots and weak spots, and then brainstorm the best way to present each person’s employment history.

Note: If there are aspects of your employment history you would rather not share with your teammates, substitute a reasonably similar experience of the same duration.

CAREER SKILLS/TEAM SKILLS

18-22. Writing a Résumé [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000065BF) The introductory statement of a résumé requires some careful thought, both in deciding which of the three types of introductory statement (see page 526 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#page_526) ) to use and what information to include in it. Getting another person’s perspective on this communication challenge can be helpful. In this activity, in fact, someone else is going to write your introductory statement for you, and you will return the favor.

Your task: Pair off with a classmate. Provide each other with the basic facts about your qualifications, work history, education, and career objectives. Then meet in person or online for an informal interview, in which you ask each other questions to flesh out the information you have on each other. Assume that each of you has chosen to use a qualifications summary for your résumé. Now, write each other’s qualifications summary, then trade them for review. As you read what your partner wrote about you, ask yourself whether this feels true to what you believe about yourself and your career aspirations. Do you think it introduces you effectively to potential employers? What might you change about it?

PRESENTATION SKILLS/PORTFOLIO BUILDER

18-23. Message Strategies: Completing a Résumé [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#P700101245100000000000000000681C) Creating presentations and other multimedia supplements can be a great way to expand on the brief overview that a résumé provides.

Your task: Starting with any version of a résumé you’ve created for yourself, create a PowerPoint presentation that expands on your résumé information to give potential employers a more complete picture of what you can contribute. Include samples of your work, testimonials from current or past employers and colleagues, videos of speeches you’ve made, and anything else that tells the story of the professional “you.” If you have a specific job or type of job in mind, focus your presentation on that. Otherwise, present a more general picture that shows why you would be a great employee for any company to consider. Be sure to review the information from Chapters 16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000005bd7#P7001012451000000000000000005BD7) and 17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000005fef#P7001012451000000000000000005FEF) about creating professional-quality presentations.

CAREER SKILLS/VIDEO SKILLS

18-24. Message Strategies: Completing a Résumé [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#P700101245100000000000000000681C) In the right circumstances, brief videos can be an effective complement to a traditional job-search communication package.

Your task: Find a job opening that interests you (something you are at least partially qualified for at this stage of your career) and produce a two- minute video profile of yourself, highlighting the skills mentioned in the job description. For tips on producing effective video, visit www.indie-film- making.com (http://www.indie-film-making.com) .

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following Assisted-graded writing questions:

18-25. How does writing “the story of you” help you prepare a résumé and other communication pieces during your job search? [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P7001012451000000000000000006423)

18-26. Explain the difference between a qualifications summary and a career summary. [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000065BF)

Endnotes

1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000063f6#rP70010124510000000000000000069C1) . Scott Bittle, “Graphic: What’s the Most Important Baseline Skill? It Depends,” Burning Glass, 19 November 2015, burning-glass.com (http://burning-glass.com) ; “About Us,” Burning Glass, accessed 17 May 2016, burning-glass.com (http://burning-glass.com) ; James Hu, “8 Things You Need To Know About Applicant Tracking Systems,” Jobscan blog, 19 July 2014, www.jobscan.co (http://www.jobscan.co) ; Rob Nightingale, “How to Get Your Resume Past the Applicant Tracking System,” MakeUseOf, 12 November 2015, www.makeuseof.com (http://www.makeuseof.com) ; Lisa Vaas, “Resume, Meet Technology: Making Your Resume Format Machine-Friendly,” Ladders, accessed 17 May 2016, www.theladders.com (http://www.theladders.com) ; Russ Banham, “2016 Trends In Applicant Tracking Systems,” HR Today, 2 February 2016, www.hrtoday.com (http://www.hrtoday.com) ; Hannah Morgan, “5 Things You Need to Know About Applicant Tracking Systems,” Career Sherpa, 10 February 2016, careersherpa.net (http://careersherpa.net) .

2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#rP70010124510000000000000000069C3) . Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill, Business in Action, 8th ed. (Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2017), 256.

3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#rP70010124510000000000000000069C5) . Anne Fisher, “How to Get Hired by a ‘Best’ Company,” Fortune, 4 February 2008, 96.

4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#rP70010124510000000000000000069C7) . Eve Tahmincioglu, “Revamping Your Job-Search Strategy,” MSNBC.com (http://MSNBC.com) , 28 February 2010, www.msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.com) .

5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#rP70010124510000000000000000069C9) . Jessica Dickler, “The Hidden Job Market,” CNNMoney.com (http://CNNMoney.com) , 10 June 2009, money.cnn.com (http://money.cnn.com) .

6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#rP70010124510000000000000000069CB) . Tara Weiss, “Twitter to Find a Job,” Forbes, 7 April 2009, www.forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com) .

7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#rP70010124510000000000000000069CD) . Miriam Saltpeter, “Using Facebook Groups for Job Hunting,” Keppie Careers blog, 13 November 2008, www.keppiecareers.com (http://www.keppiecareers.com) .

8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#rP70010124510000000000000000069CF) . Anne Fisher, “Greener Pastures in a New Field,” Fortune, 26 January 2004, 48.

9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#rP70010124510000000000000000069D1) . Liz Ryan, “Etiquette for Online Outreach,” Yahoo! Hotjobs website, accessed 26 March 2008, hotjobs.yahoo.com (http://hotjobs.yahoo.com) .

10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#rP70010124510000000000000000069D3) . Eve Tahmincioglu, “Employers Digging Deep on Prospective Workers,” MSNBC.com (http://MSNBC.com) , 26 October 2009, www.msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.com) .

11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#rP70010124510000000000000000069D5) . Career and Employment Services, Danville Area Community College website, accessed 9 June 2016, www.dacc.edu/career (http://www.dacc.edu/career) ; Career Services Programs for Students, Sarah Lawrence College website, accessed 9 June 2016, www.sarahlawrence.edu (http://www.sarahlawrence.edu) ; Cheryl L. Noll, “Collaborating with the Career Planning and Placement Center in the Job-Search Project,” Business Communication Quarterly 58, no. 3 (1995): 53–55.

12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#rP70010124510000000000000000069D7) . Rachel Emma Silverman, “No More Résumés, Say Some Firms,” Wall Street Journal, 24 January 2012, online.wsj.com (http://online.wsj.com) .

13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#rP70010124510000000000000000069D9) . Randall S. Hansen and Katharine Hansen, “What Résumé Format Is Best for You?” QuintCareers.com (http://QuintCareers.com) , accessed 7 August 2010, www.quintcareers.com (http://www.quintcareers.com) .

14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#rP70010124510000000000000000069DB) . Hansen and Hansen, “What Résumé Format Is Best for You?”

15 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#rP70010124510000000000000000069DD) . Katharine Hansen, “Should You Consider a Functional Format for Your Resume?” QuintCareers.com (http://QuintCareers.com) , accessed 7 August 2010, www.quintcareers.com (http://www.quintcareers.com) .

16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#rP70010124510000000000000000069DF) . Kim Isaacs, “Resume Dilemma: Criminal Record,” Monster.com (http://Monster.com) , accessed 23 May 2006, www.monster.com (http://www.monster.com) ; Kim Isaacs, “Resume Dilemma: Employment Gaps and Job-Hopping,” Monster.com (http://Monster.com) , accessed 23 May 2006, www.monster.com (http://www.monster.com) ; Susan Vaughn, “Answer the Hard Questions Before Asked,” Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2001, W1–W2.

17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000652e#rP70010124510000000000000000069E1) . John Steven Niznik, “Landing a Job with a Criminal Record,” About.com (http://About.com) , accessed 12 December 2006, jobsearchtech.about.com (http://jobsearchtech.about.com) .

18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069E3) . “How to Ferret Out Instances of Résumé Padding and Fraud,” Compensation & Benefits for Law Offices, June 2006, 1.

19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069E5) . “Resume Fraud Gets Slicker and Easier,” CNN.com (http://CNN.com) , accessed 11 March 2004, www.cnn.com (http://www.cnn.com) .

20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069E8) . “Resume Fraud Still Major Problem HR Needs to Address,” HR Focus, July 2012, 13–15.

21 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069EA) . Cari Tuna and Keith J. Winstein, “Economy Promises to Fuel Résumé Fraud,” Wall Street Journal, 17 November 2008, online.wsj.com (http://online.wsj.com) ; Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, “Getting Wise to Lies,” Time, 1 May 2006, 59; “Resume Fraud Gets Slicker and Easier”; Employment Research Services website, accessed 18 March 2004, www.erscheck.com (http://www.erscheck.com) .

22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069EC) . “How to Ferret Out Instances of Résumé Padding and Fraud.”

23 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069EE) . Jacqueline Durett, “Redoing Your Résumé? Leave Off the Lies,” Training, December 2006, 9; “Employers Turn Their Fire on Untruthful CVs,” Supply Management, 23 June 2005, 13.

24 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069F0) . Cynthia E. Conn, “Integrating Writing Skills and Ethics Training in Business Communication Pedagogy: A Résumé Case Study Exemplar,” Business Communication Quarterly, June 2008, 138–151; Marilyn Moats Kennedy, “Don’t Get Burned by Résumé Inflation,” Marketing News, 15 April 2007, 37–38.

25 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069F2) . Rockport Institute, “How to Write a Masterpiece of a Résumé,” accessed 9 August 2010, www.rockportinstitute.com (http://www.rockportinstitute.com) .

26 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069F4) . Lora Morsch, “25 Words That Hurt Your Resume,” CNN.com (http://CNN.com) , 20 January 2006, www.cnn.com (http://www.cnn.com) .

27 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069F6) . Liz Ryan, “The Reengineered Résumé,” BusinessWeek, 3 December 2007, SC12.

28 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069F8) . Katharine Hansen, “Tapping the Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resume’s Effectiveness,” QuintCareers.com (http://QuintCareers.com) , accessed 7 August 2010, www.quintcareers.com (http://www.quintcareers.com) .

29 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069FA) . Hansen, “Tapping the Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resume’s Effectiveness.”

30 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069FC) . Anthony Balderrama, “Resume Blunders That Will Keep You from Getting Hired,” CNN.com (http://CNN.com) , 19 March 2008, www.cnn.com (http://www.cnn.com) ; Michelle Dumas, “5 Resume Writing Myths,” Distinctive Documents blog, 17 July 2007, blog.distinctiveweb.com (http://blog.distinctiveweb.com) ; Kim Isaacs, “Resume Dilemma: Recent Graduate,” Monster.com (http://Monster.com) , accessed 26 March 2008, career-advice.monster.com (http://career- advice.monster.com) .

31 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP70010124510000000000000000069FE) . Karl L. Smart, “Articulating Skills in the Job Search,” Business Communication Quarterly 67, no. 2 (June 2004): 198–205.

32 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP7001012451000000000000000006A00) . “When to Include Personal Data,” ResumeEdge.com (http://ResumeEdge.com) , accessed 25 March 2008, www.resumeedge.com (http://www.resumeedge.com) .

33 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#rP7001012451000000000000000006A02) . “Résumé Length: What It Should Be and Why It Matters to Recruiters,” HR Focus, June 2007, 9.

34 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#rP7001012451000000000000000006A04) . Lisa Rangel, “The Easy How-To Guide to Formatting Resumes for Applicant Tracking Systems,” LinkedIn, accessed 9 June 2016, www.linked.com (http://www.linked.com) .

35 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#rP7001012451000000000000000006A06) . Lisa Vaas, “13 Ways Your Resume Can Say ‘I’m Unprofessional,’” Ladders, accessed 10 May 2016, www.theladders.com (http://www.theladders.com) ; John Hazard, “Resume Tips: No Pictures, Please and No PDFs,” Career-Line.com (http://Career-Line.com) , 26 May 2009, www.career-line.com (http://www.career-line.com) ; “25 Things You Should Never Include on a Resume,” HR World website, 18 December 2007, www.hrworld.com (http://www.hrworld.com) .

36 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#rP7001012451000000000000000006A08) . Caroline M. L. Potter, “Video Resumes: Let the Applicant Beware,” Monster, accessed 10 May 2016, www.monster.com (http://www.monster.com) ; John Sullivan, “Résumés: Paper, Please,” Workforce Management, 22 October 2007, 50; “Video Résumés Offer Both Pros and Cons During Recruiting,” HR Focus, July 2007, 8.

37 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#rP7001012451000000000000000006A0A) . Jobs page, Zappos website, accessed 24 March 2011, about.zappos.com/jobs (http://about.zappos.com/jobs) .

38 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#rP7001012451000000000000000006A0C) . Rachel Louise Ensign, “Is the Paper Résumé Dead?” Wall Street Journal, 24 January 2012, online.wsj.com (http://online.wsj.com) .

39 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#rP7001012451000000000000000006A0E) . Nancy M. Schullery, Linda Ickes, and Stephen E. Schullery, “Employer Preferences for Résumés and Cover Letters,” Business Communication Quarterly, June 2009, 163–176.

40 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#rP7001012451000000000000000006A10) . Nightingale, “How to Get Your Resume Past the Applicant Tracking System”; “10 Reasons Why You Are Not Getting Any Interviews,” Miami Times, 7–13 November 2007, 6D.

41 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#rP7001012451000000000000000006A12) . Deborah Silver, “Niche Sites Gain Monster-Sized Following,” Workforce Management, March 2011, 10–11.

42 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006819#rP7001012451000000000000000006A14) . “Protect Yourself from Identity Theft When Hunting for a Job Online,” Office Pro, May 2007, 6.

43 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP7001012451000000000000000006A16) . Job description keywords and key phrases quoted or adapted in part from “Associate Market Analyst” job opening posted on the LivingSocial website, accessed 9 July 2012, corporate.livingsocial.com (http://corporate.livingsocial.com) .

44 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP7001012451000000000000000006A18) . Job description keywords and key phrases quoted or adapted in part from “Seller Support Associate” job opening posted on the Amazon website, accessed 12 July 2012, us-amazon.icims.com/jobs (http://us-amazon.icims.com/jobs) .

45 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#rP7001012451000000000000000006A1A) . Job description keywords and key phrases quoted or adapted in part from “Senior Strategy Analyst” job opening posted on the Nordstrom website, accessed 17 July 2012, careers.nordstrom.com (http://careers.nordstrom.com) .

19 Applying and Interviewing for Employment LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A4E) Explain the purposes of application letters, and describe how to apply the AIDA organizational approach to them.

2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#P7001012451000000000000000006B39) Describe the typical sequence of job interviews, the major types of interviews, and the attributes employers look for during an interview.

3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006BC6) List six tasks you need to complete to prepare for a successful job interview.

4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#P7001012451000000000000000006D7F) Explain how to succeed in all three stages of an interview.

5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#P7001012451000000000000000006E38) Identify the most common employment messages that follow an interview and explain when you would use each one.

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More than 10 million students improved their results using Pearson MyLabs. Visit mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for simulations, tutorials, and end-of- chapter problems.

COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT VMWare

www.vmware.com (http://www.vmware.com)

Innovative businesspeople are always on the lookout for better ways to work and for any developments in the business environment that can give their companies a competitive edge. Back in 2009, James Malloy, a recruiting manager at VMWare, picked up on the early buzz surrounding social recruiting and wanted to know whether his company might benefit from the growth of LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social platforms.

Social networking wasn’t a new technology at that point, but most companies were still feeling their way through this new world and trying to figure out whether or how to use all these new tools. In addition, corporate recruiters already had well-established systems for finding, evaluating, and recruiting new talent, and few companies knew whether social media could add value to such a vital business process.

Moreover, even though social media were taking off with consumers and many consumer-oriented companies, VMWare is about as far from the front lines of consumer activity as a company can get. Its specialty is virtualization, a software technique that lets a single computer act like multiple independent machines. Virtualization is a critical technology behind cloud computing and much of today’s information technology (IT) infrastructure, but it’s not exactly the sort of trendy topic that blows up on Twitter or prompts a million “you have to see this” shares on Facebook.

James Malloy’s hunch that social media might benefit VMWare’s employee recruiting set off a revolution in how the company finds, evaluates, and recruits top talent.

Kristoffer Tripplaar/Alamy Stock Photo

However, Malloy was intrigued by social recruiting and decided to conduct a low-risk experiment on Facebook to test its potential. He set up a page and began posting job openings to it—and the effort caught on quickly as interested candidates found the openings. Importantly, the Facebook presence brought VMWare in touch with talented people it hadn’t been in contact with before.

Technology companies compete fiercely with one another to attract the best software designers and other specialists, so anything that gives recruiters an advantage is going to get attention. Malloy’s simple Facebook experiment was so successful that VMWare’s top management decided to realign its entire recruiting strategy around social networking.

Recruiting isn’t the only aspect of company operations that adopted social media with gusto. The company is social through and through, with hundreds of official social media accounts and groups focused on specific technical or business issues, including nearly a hundred Twitter accounts. Four of those accounts are dedicated to careers and recruiting, including @VMWareU, the account for the VMWare University Recruiting Team. Through this account, the company announces job openings targeted at recent graduates, internship opportunities, and news of interest to potential employees.

The company’s social recruiting strategy goes far beyond simple announcements, however. Molloy and his colleagues use these channels to build relationships with potential hires, to share videos and other media that showcase the VMWare corporate culture, and to brand VMWare as an exciting, supportive place to work. The social recruiting effort has been so successful that the company continues to expand it. Moving forward, it is focusing on expanding its use of mobile

recruiting apps and in helping employees become effective “brand advocates” for the company in their own social networks.1

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007044)

19.1 Submitting Your Résumé

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

1 Explain the purposes of application letters, and describe how to apply the AIDA organizational approach to them. VMWare’s experience with social recruiting (profiled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up) gives you an idea of the investment that leading companies put into the recruiting process in order to find and land the best employees. To find and land the best job, you need to approach the process with a similar level of preparation. Your résumé (see Chapter 18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000063f6#P70010124510000000000000000063F6) ) is the centerpiece of your job-search package, but it usually requires support from several other employment messages, including application letters, job-inquiry letters, application forms, and follow-up notes.

WRITING APPLICATION LETTERS

Adapt your application letter to each job opening and situation.

Whenever you mail, email, hand-deliver, or upload your résumé, you should include an application letter (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000006F05) , also known as a cover letter, to let readers know what you’re sending, why you’re sending it, and how they can benefit from reading it. (Even though this message is often not a printed letter anymore, many professionals still refer to it as a letter.) Take the same care with your application letter that you took with your résumé. A poorly

written application letter can prompt employers to skip over your résumé, even if you are a good fit for a job.2

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007046) Staffing specialist

Abby Kohut calls the application letter “a writing-skills evaluation in disguise” and emphasizes that even a single error can get you bounced from contention.3

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007048)

As with proposals, the best approach for an application letter depends on whether your application is solicited or unsolicited.

The best approach for an application letter depends on whether you are applying for an identified job opening or are prospecting—taking the initiative to write to

companies even though they haven’t announced a job opening that is right for you.4

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000704A) In many ways, the difference between the two is like the difference between solicited and unsolicited proposals (see page 404 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000053dc#page_404) ).

Figure 19.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A5C) shows an application message written in response to a posted job opening. The writer knows exactly what qualifications the organization is seeking and can “echo” those attributes back in his letter.

Writing a prospecting letter is more challenging because you don’t have the clear target you have with a solicited letter, and the message is unexpected. You will need to do more research to identify the qualities that a company would probably seek for the position you hope to occupy (see Figure 19.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A6D) on page 548 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#page_548) ). Also, search for news items that involve the company, its customers, the profession, or the individual manager to whom you are writing. Using this information in your application letter helps you establish common ground with your reader—and it shows that you are tuned in to what is going on in the industry.

Figure 19.1 Solicited Application Message

In this response to an online job posting, Dalton Smith highlights his qualifications while mirroring the requirements specified in the posting. Following the AIDA model (see page 334 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000487c#page_334) ), he grabs attention immediately by letting the reader know he is familiar with the company and the global transportation business.

For either type of letter, follow these tips to be more effective:5

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000704C)

• Resist the temptation to stand out with gimmicky application letters; impress with knowledge and professionalism instead. • If the name of an individual manager is findable, address your letter to that person. (And if it is findable, make sure you find it, because other applicants

will.) Search LinkedIn, the company’s website, industry directories, Twitter, and anything else you can think of to locate an appropriate name. Ask the people in your network if they know a name. If you can’t find a name, addressing your letter to “Dear Hiring Manager” is perfectly acceptable.

Figure 19.2 Unsolicited Application Letter

Demonstrating knowledge of the employer’s needs and presenting your qualifications accordingly are essential steps in an unsolicited application letter.

• Clearly identify the opportunity you are applying for or expressing interest in. • Show that you understand the company and its marketplace. • Never volunteer salary history or requirements unless an employer has asked for this information. • Keep it short—no more than three or four brief paragraphs. Remember that all you are trying to do at this point is move the conversation forward one

step. • Show some personality while maintaining a business-appropriate tone. The letter gives you the opportunity to balance the facts-only tone of your

résumé. • Project confidence without being arrogant. • Don’t just repeat information from your résumé; use the conversational tone of the letter to convey additional professional and personal qualities and

the reasons that you’re a good candidate for this particular job (see Figure 19.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A99) ).

Because application letters are persuasive messages, the AIDA approach you learned in Chapter 12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004853#P7001012451000000000000000004853) is ideal, as the following sections explain.

Figure 19.3 Complementing Your Résumé With an Application Message

When writing a letter or email message to accompany your résumé, use the opportunity to complement the information already contained in your résumé. Highlight how your qualifications match the needs of the position, without repeating the information from your résumé. Here is a message that could accompany the résumé in Figure 18.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#P70010124510000000000000000067AB) on page 531 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000065bb#page_531) .

Getting Attention

The opening paragraph of your application letter needs to clearly convey the reason you’re writing and give the recipient a compelling reason to keep reading.

The opening paragraph of your application letter must accomplish two essential tasks: (1) explain why you are writing and (2) give the recipient a reason to keep reading by demonstrating that you have some immediate potential for meeting the company’s needs. Consider this opening:

With the recent slowdown in corporate purchasing, I can certainly appreciate the challenge of new fleet sales in this business environment. With my high energy level and 16 months of new-car sales experience, I believe I can produce the results you listed as vital in the job posting on your website.

This applicant does a smooth job of echoing the company’s stated needs while highlighting his personal qualifications and providing evidence that he understands the broader market. He balances his relative lack of experience with enthusiasm and knowledge of the industry. Table 19.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006AB5) suggests some other ways you can spark interest and grab attention in your opening paragraph.

Building Interest and Increasing Desire

Use the middle section of your application letter to expand on your opening and present a more complete picture of your strengths.

The middle section of your letter presents your strongest selling points in terms of their potential benefit to the organization, thereby building interest in you and creating a desire to interview you. Be specific and back up your assertions with convincing evidence:

Poor: I completed three college courses in business communication, earning an A in each course, and have worked for the past year at Imperial Construction.

Improved: Using the skills gained from three semesters of college training in business communication, I developed a collection system for Imperial Construction that reduced annual bad-debt losses by 25 percent.

TABLE 19.1 Tips for Getting Attention in Application Letters

Tip Example

Tip Example

Unsolicited Application Letters

Show how your strongest skills will benefit the organization.

If you need a regional sales specialist who consistently meets sales targets while fostering strong customer relationships, please consider my qualifications.

Describe your understanding of the job’s requirements and show how well your qualifications fit them.

Your annual report stated that improving manufacturing efficiency is one of the company’s top priorities for next year. Through my postgraduate research in systems engineering and consulting work for several companies in the industry, I’ve developed reliable methods for quickly identifying ways to cut production time while reducing resource use.

Mention the name of a person known to and highly regarded by the reader.

When Janice McHugh of your franchise sales division spoke to our business communication class last week, she said you often need promising new marketing graduates at this time of year.

Refer to publicized company activities, achievements, changes, or new procedures.

Today’s issue of the Detroit News reports that you may need the expertise of computer programmers versed in robotics when your Lansing tire plant automates this spring.

Use a question to demonstrate your understanding of the organization’s needs.

Can your fast-growing market research division use an interviewer with two years of field survey experience, a B.A. in public relations, and a real desire to succeed? If so, please consider me for the position.

Use a catchphrase opening if the job requires ingenuity and imagination.

Haut monde—whether referring to French, Italian, or Arab clients, it still means “high society.” As an interior designer for your Beverly Hills showroom, not only could I serve and sell to your distinguished clientele, but I could also do it in all these languages. I speak, read, and write them fluently.

Solicited Application Letters

Identify where you discovered the job opening; describe what you have to offer.

Your job posting on Monster.com (http://Monster.com) for a cruise-line social director caught my eye. My eight years of experience as a social director in the travel industry would equip me to serve your new Caribbean cruise division well.

In a solicited letter, be sure to discuss each major requirement listed in the job posting. If you are deficient in any of these requirements, stress other solid selling points to help strengthen your overall presentation. Don’t restrict your message to just core job duties, either. Also highlight personal characteristics that apply to the targeted position, such as your ability to work hard or handle responsibility:

While attending college full-time, I worked part-time during the school year and up to 60 hours a week each summer in order to be totally self-supporting while in college. I can offer your organization the same level of effort and perseverance.

Don’t bring up salary in your application letter unless the recipient has asked you to include your salary requirements.

Mention your salary requirements only if the organization has asked you to state them. If you don’t know the salary appropriate for the position and someone with your qualifications, you can find typical salary ranges at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website, www.bls.gov (http://www.bls.gov) , or a number of commercial websites. If you do state a target salary, tie it to the value you would offer:

For the past two years, I have been helping a company similar to yours organize its database marketing efforts. I would therefore like to receive a salary in the same range (the mid-60s) for helping your company set up a more efficient customer database.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

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How much are you worth?

Find real-life salary ranges for a wide range of jobs. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

Toward the end of this section, refer the reader to your résumé by citing a specific fact or general point covered there:

As you can see in the attached résumé, I’ve been working part-time with a local publisher since my sophomore year. During that time, I’ve used client interactions as an opportunity to build strong customer service skills.

Motivating Action

In the final paragraph of your application letter, respectfully ask for specific action and make it easy for the reader to respond.

The final paragraph of your application letter has two important functions: to ask the reader for a specific action (usually an interview) and to facilitate a reply. Offer to come to the employer’s office at a convenient time or, if the firm is some distance away, to meet with its nearest representative or arrange a telephone or Skype interview. Include your email address and phone number, as well as the best times to reach you:

After you have reviewed my qualifications, could we discuss the possibility of putting my marketing skills to work for your company? I am available at (360) 555-7845 from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday or by email at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

After editing and proofreading your application letter, give it a final quality check by referring to “Checklist: Writing Application Letters (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006B02) .” Then send it along with your résumé promptly, especially if you are responding to an advertisement or online job posting.

CHECKLIST Writing Application Letters

• Take the same care with your application letter that you took with your résumé. • If you are prospecting using an unsolicited message, do deep research to identify the qualities the company likely wants. • For solicited messages in response to a posted job opening, word your message in a way that echoes the qualifications listed in the posting. • Open the letter by capturing the reader’s attention in a businesslike way. • Use specific language to clearly state your interests and objectives. • Build interest and desire in your potential contribution by presenting your key qualifications for the job. • Link your education, experience, and personal qualities to the job requirements. • Outline salary requirements only if the organization has requested that you provide them. • Request an interview at a time and place that is convenient for the reader. • Make it easy to comply with your request by providing your complete contact information and good times to reach you. • Adapt your style for cultural variations, if required.

FOLLOWING UP AFTER SUBMITTING A RÉSUMÉ

Think creatively about a follow-up message; show that you’ve continued to add to your skills or that you’ve learned more about the company or the industry.

Deciding if, when, and how to follow up after submitting your résumé and application letter is one of the trickiest parts of a job search. First and foremost, keep in mind that employers continue to evaluate your communication efforts and professionalism during this phase, so don’t say or do anything to leave a negative impression. Second, adhere to whatever instructions the employer has provided. If a job posting says “no calls,” for example, don’t call. Third, if the job posting lists a close date, don’t call or write before then because the company is still collecting applications and will not have made a decision about inviting people for interviews. Wait a week or so after the close date. If no close date is given and you have no other information to suggest a timeline, you can generally contact the

company starting a week or two after submitting your résumé.6

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000704E)

When you follow up by email or telephone, you can share an additional piece of information that links your qualifications to the position (keep an eye out for late- breaking news about the company, too) and ask a question about the hiring process as a way to gather some information about your status. Good questions to ask

include:7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007050)

• Has a hiring decision been made yet? • Can you tell me what to expect next in terms of the hiring process? • What is the company’s time frame for filling this position? • Could I follow up in another week if you haven’t had the chance to contact me yet? • Can I provide any additional information regarding my qualifications for the position?

Whatever the circumstances, a follow-up message can demonstrate that you’re sincerely interested in working for the organization, persistent in pursuing your goals, and committed to upgrading your skills.

If you don’t land a job at your dream company on the first attempt, don’t give up. You can apply again if a new opening appears, or you can send an updated résumé with a new unsolicited application letter that describes how you have gained additional experience, taken a relevant course, or otherwise improved your

skill set. Many leading employers take note of applicants who came close but didn’t quite make it and may extend offers when positions open up in the future.8

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007052)

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY EXPLORING THIS INTERACTIVE WEBSITE

Prepare for your next interview with these Pinterest pins

The Pinterest pinboard maintained by St. Edward’s University offers dozens of helpful resources. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

19.2 Understanding the Interviewing Process

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

2 Describe the typical sequence of job interviews, the major types of interviews, and the attributes employers look for during an interview. An employment interview (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000006F0D) is a meeting during which both you and the prospective employer ask questions and exchange information. The employer’s objective is to find the best talent to fill available job openings, and your objective is to find the right match for your goals and capabilities.

Start preparing early for your interviews—and be sure to consider a wide range of options.

As you get ready to begin interviewing, keep two vital points in mind. First, recognize that the process takes time. Start your preparation and research early; the best job offers usually go to the best-prepared candidates. Second, don’t limit your options by looking at only a few companies. By exploring a wide range of firms and positions, you might uncover great opportunities that you would not have found otherwise. You’ll increase the odds of getting more job offers, too.

THE TYPICAL SEQUENCE OF INTERVIEWS

Most employers interview an applicant multiple times before deciding to make a job offer. At the most selective companies, you might have a dozen or more

individual interviews across several stages.9

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007054) Depending on the

company and the position, the process may stretch out over many weeks, or it may be completed in a matter of days.10

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007056)

During the screening stage of interviews, use the limited time available to confirm your fit for the position.

Employers start with the screening stage, in which they filter out applicants who are unqualified or otherwise not a good fit for the position. Screening can take place on your school’s campus, at company offices, via telephone (including Skype or another Internet-based phone service), or through a computer-based screening system. Time is limited in screening interviews, so keep your answers short while providing a few key points that confirm your fit for the position. If

your screening interview will take place by phone, try to schedule it for a time when you can be focused and free from interruptions.11

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007058)

MOBILE APP

Add the Skype mobile app to your phone to be ready for video interviews.

During the selection stage, continue to show how your skills and attributes can help the company.

The next stage of interviews, the selection stage, helps the organization identify the top candidates from all those who qualify. During these interviews, show keen interest in the job, relate your skills and experience to the organization’s needs, listen attentively, and ask questions that show you’ve done your research.

During the final stage, the interviewer may try to sell you on working for the firm.

If the interviewers agree that you’re a good candidate, you may receive a job offer, either on the spot or a few days later by phone, mail, or email. In other instances you may be invited back for a final evaluation, often by a higher-ranking executive. The objective of the final stage is often to sell you on the advantages of joining the organization.

COMMON TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

Be prepared to encounter a variety of interviewing approaches. These can be distinguished by the way they are structured, the number of people involved, and the purpose of the interview.

Structured Versus Unstructured Interviews

A structured interview follows a set sequence of questions, allowing the interview team to compare answers from all candidates.

In a structured interview (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000006F25) , the interviewer (or a computer program) asks a series of questions in a predetermined order. Structured interviews help employers identify candidates who don’t meet basic job

criteria, and they allow the interview team to compare answers from multiple candidates.12

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000705A)

In an open-ended interview, the interviewer adapts the line of questioning based on your responses and questions.

In contrast, in an open-ended interview (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000006F15) , the interviewer adapts his or her line of questioning based on the answers you give and any questions you ask. Even though it may feel like a conversation, remember that it’s still an interview, so keep your answers focused and professional.

Panel and Group Interviews

In a panel interview, you meet with several interviewers at once; in a group interview, you and several other candidates meet with one or more interviewers at once.

Although one-on-one interviews are the most common format, some employers use panel or group interviews as well. In a panel interview (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000006F19) , you meet with

several interviewers at once.13

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000705C) Try to make a

connection with each person on the panel, and keep in mind that each person has a different perspective, so tailor your responses accordingly.14

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000705E) For example, an upper-level manager is likely to be interested in your overall business sense and strategic perspective, whereas a potential colleague might be more interested in your technical skills and ability to work in a team. In a group interview (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000006F11) , one or more

interviewers meet with several candidates simultaneously. A key purpose of a group interview is to observe how the candidates interact.15

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007060) Group interviews can be tricky because you want to stand out while coming across as a supportive team player. Be sure to treat your fellow candidates with respect, while looking for opportunities to demonstrate the depth of knowledge you have about the company and its needs.

Behavioral, Situational, Working, and Stress Interviews

In a behavioral interview, you are asked to describe how you handled situations from your past.

Interviewing techniques also vary based on the types of questions you are asked. Perhaps the most common type of interview these days is the behavioral interview (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000006F09) , in which

you are asked to relate specific incidents and experiences from your past.16

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007062) In contrast to generic questions that can often be answered with “canned” responses, behavioral questions require candidates to use their own experiences and attributes to

craft answers. Studies show that behavioral interviewing is a much better predictor of success on the job than traditional interview questions.17

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007064) To prepare for a behavioral interview, review your work or college experiences to recall several instances in which you demonstrated an important job-related attribute or dealt with a challenge such as uncooperative team members or heavy workloads. Get ready with responses that quickly summarize the situation, the actions you took,

and the outcome of those actions.18

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007066)

A situational interview (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000006F1D) is similar to a behavioral interview except that the questions focus on how you would handle various hypothetical situations on the job. The situations will likely relate closely to the job you’re applying for, so the more you know about the position, the better prepared you’ll be.

In situational interviews, you’re asked to explain how you would handle various hypothetical situations.

A working interview (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000006F29) is the most realistic type of interview: You actually perform a job-related activity during the interview. You may be asked to lead a brainstorming session, solve a business problem,

engage in role playing, or even make a presentation.19

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007068)

In a working interview, you perform actual work-related tasks.

The most unnerving type of interview is the stress interview (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000006F21) , during which you might be asked questions designed to unsettle you or might be subjected to long periods of silence, criticism, interruptions, and or even hostile reactions by the interviewer. The theory behind this approach is that you’ll reveal how well you handle stressful situations, although some experts find the technique of dubious

value.20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000706A) If you find yourself in a stress interview, recognize what is happening and collect your thoughts for a few seconds before you respond.

Stress interviews help recruiters see how you handle yourself under pressure.

You might encounter two or more types of interview questions within a single interview, so stay alert and try to understand the type of question you’re facing before you answer each one.

INTERVIEW MEDIA

Expect to use a variety of media when you interview, from in-person conversations to virtual meetings.

Expect to be interviewed through a variety of media. Employers trying to cut travel costs and the demands on staff time now interview candidates via telephone, email, instant messaging, virtual online systems, and videoconferencing, in addition to traditional face-to-face meetings.

Treat a telephone interview as seriously as you would an in-person interview.

To succeed at a telephone interview, make sure you treat it as seriously as an in-person interview. Be prepared with a copy of all the materials you have sent to the employer, including your résumé and any correspondence. In addition, prepare some note cards with key message points you’d like to make and questions you’d like to ask. And remember that you won’t be able to use a pleasant smile, a firm handshake, and other nonverbal signals to create a good impression. A

positive, alert tone of voice is therefore vital.21

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000706C)

When interviewing via email or IM, be sure to take a moment to review your responses before sending them.

Email and IM are also sometimes used in the screening stage. Although you have almost no opportunity to send and receive nonverbal signals with these formats, you do have the major advantage of being able to review and edit each response before you send it. Maintain a professional style in your responses, and be sure to

ask questions that demonstrate your knowledge of the company and the position.22

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000706E)

In a video interview, speak to the camera as though you are addressing the interviewer in person.

Many employers use video technology for both live and recorded interviews. For instance, the online clothing retailer Zappos uses video interviews on Skype to

select the top two or three finalists for each position and then invites those candidates for in-person interviews.23

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007070) Recruiters can also use mobile apps for interviews. With recorded video interviews, an online system asks a set of questions and records the respondent’s answers. Recruiters then

watch the videos as part of the screening process.24

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007072) Prepare for a video interview as you would for an in-person interview—including dressing and grooming—and take the extra steps needed to become familiar with the equipment and the process. If you’re interviewing from home, arrange your space so that the webcam doesn’t pick up anything distracting or embarrassing in the background. During any video interview, remember to sit up straight and focus on the camera.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY WATCHING THESE VIDEOS

Five TED talks that will help you prepare for interviews

MIT career advisor Lily Zhang hand-picked these talks for the insights they can give all job hunters. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

Online interviews can range from simple structured questionnaires and tests to sophisticated job simulations that are similar to working interviews (see Figure 19.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#P7001012451000000000000000006B8D) ). These simulations help identify good candidates, give applicants an idea of what the job is like, and reduce the risk of employment discrimination lawsuits because they

closely mimic actual job skills.25

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007074)

Figure 19.4 Job Task Simulations

Computer-based job simulations are an increasingly popular approach to testing job-related skills.

Courtesy of Shaker Consulting Group, Inc. Developer of the Virtual Job Tryout®

WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR IN AN INTERVIEW

Suitability for a specific job is judged on the basis of such factors as

• Academic preparation • Work experience • Job-related personality traits

Interviews give employers the chance to go beyond the basic data of your résumé to get to know you and to answer two essential questions. The first is whether you can handle the responsibilities of the position. Naturally, the more you know about the demands of the position, and the more you’ve thought about how your skills match those demands, the better you’ll be able to respond.

Compatibility with an organizational culture and a position is judged on such factors as personal background, attitudes, and communication style.

The second essential question is whether you will be a good fit with the organization and the target position. All good employers want people who are confident, dedicated, positive, curious, courteous, ethical, and willing to commit to something larger than their own individual goals. Companies also look for fit with their individual cultures. Just like people, companies have different “personalities.” Some are intense; others are more laid back. Some emphasize teamwork; others expect employees to forge their own way and even to compete with one another. Expectations also vary from job to job within a company and from industry to industry. An outgoing personality is essential for sales but less so for research, for instance.

PREEMPLOYMENT TESTING AND BACKGROUND CHECKS

Preemployment tests attempt to provide objective, quantitative information about a candidate’s skills, attitudes, and habits.

In an effort to improve the predictability of the selection process, many employers now conduct a variety of preemployment evaluations and investigations. Here

are types of assessments you are likely to encounter during your job search:26

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007076)

• Integrity tests. Integrity tests attempt to measure how truthful and trustworthy a candidate is likely to be.

• Personality tests. Personality tests are designed to gauge such aspects as attitudes toward work, interests, managerial potential, dependability, commitment, and motivation.

• Cognitive tests. Cognitive tests measure a variety of attributes involved in acquiring, processing, analyzing, using, and remembering information. Typical tests involve reading comprehension, mathematics, problem solving, and decision making.

• Language proficiency. You may be asked to take a reading or writing test. • Job knowledge and job-skills tests. These assessments measure the knowledge and skills required to succeed in a particular position. An accounting

candidate, for example, might be tested on accounting principles and legal matters (knowledge) and asked to create a simple balance sheet or income statement (skills).

• Substance tests. A majority of companies perform some level of drug and alcohol testing. Many employers believe such testing is necessary to maintain workplace safety, ensure productivity, and protect companies from lawsuits, but others view it as an invasion of employee privacy.

• Background checks. In addition to testing, most companies conduct some sort of background check, including reviewing your credit record, checking to see whether you have a criminal history, and verifying your education. Moreover, you should assume that every employer will conduct a general online search on you. To help prevent a background check from tripping you up, verify that your college transcripts are current, look for any mistakes or outdated information in your credit record, plug your name into multiple search engines to see whether anything embarrassing shows up, and scour your social network profiles and connections for potential problems.

MOBILE APP

The CareerBuilder app lets you search and apply for jobs from your phone or tablet.

Preemployment assessments are a complex and controversial aspect of workforce recruiting. For instance, even though personality testing is widely used, some

research suggests that commonly used tests are not a reliable predictor of job success.27

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007078) However, expect to see more innovation in this area and greater use of testing in general in the future as companies try to reduce the risks and costs of poor hiring decisions.

If you’re concerned about any preemployment test, ask the employer for more information or ask your college career center for advice. You can also get more information from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at www.eeoc.gov (http://www.eeoc.gov) .

19.3 Preparing for a Job Interview

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

3 List six tasks you need to complete to prepare for a successful job interview. Now that you’re armed with insights into the interviewing and assessment process, you’re ready to begin preparing for your interviews. Preparation will help you feel more confident and perform better under pressure, and preparation starts with learning about the organization.

LEARNING ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND YOUR INTERVIEWERS

Interviewers expect you to know some basic information about the company and its industry.

Employers expect serious candidates to demonstrate an understanding of the company’s operations, its markets, and its strategic and tactical challenges.28

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000707A) You’ve already done some initial research to identify companies of interest, but when you’re invited to an interview, it’s time to dig a little deeper (see Table 19.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006BD4) ). Making this effort demonstrates your interest in the company, and it identifies you as a business professional who knows the importance of investigation and analysis.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY READING THIS ARTICLE

The ultimate interview preparation checklist

Prepare for your next interview by following this advice. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

In addition to learning about the company and the job opening, try to find out as much as you can about the managers who will be interviewing you, if you can get their names. Search LinkedIn in particular. It’s also perfectly acceptable to ask your contact at the company for the names and titles of the people who will be

interviewing you.29 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000707C) Whatever information you can find, think about ways to use it during your interview. For example, if an interviewer lists membership in a particular professional organization, you might ask whether the organization is a good forum for people to learn about vital issues in the profession or industry. This question gives the interviewer an opportunity to talk about his or her own interests and experiences for a moment, which builds rapport and might reveal vital insights into the career path you are considering. Just make sure your questions are sincere and not uncomfortably personal.

TABLE 19.2 Investigating an Organization and a Job Opportunity

Where to Look and What You Can Learn

• Company website, blogs, and social media accounts: Overall information about the company, including key executives, products and services, locations and divisions, employee benefits, job descriptions

• Competitors’ websites, blogs, and social media accounts: Similar information from competitors, including the strengths these companies claim to have • Industry-related websites and blogs: Objective analysis and criticism of the company, its products, its reputation, and its management • Marketing materials (print and online): The company’s marketing strategy and customer communication style • Company publications (print and online): Key events, stories about employees, new products • Your social network contacts: Names and job titles of potential contacts within a company • Periodicals (newspapers and trade journals, both print and online): In-depth stories about the company and its strategies, products, successes, and

failures; you may find profiles of top executives • Career center at your college: Often provides a wide array of information about companies that hire graduates • Current and former employees: Insights into the work environment

Points to Learn About the Organization

• Full name • Location (headquarters and divisions, branches, subsidiaries, or other units) • Ownership (public or private; whether it is owned by another company) • Brief history • Products and services • Industry position (whether the company is a leader or a minor player; whether it is an innovator or more of a follower) • Key financial points (such as stock price and trends, if a public company) • Growth prospects (whether the company is investing in its future through research and development; whether it is in a thriving industry)

Points to Learn About the Position

• Title • Functions and responsibilities • Qualifications and expectations • Possible career paths • Salary range • Travel expectations and opportunities • Relocation expectations and opportunities

THINKING AHEAD ABOUT QUESTIONS

Planning ahead for the interviewer’s questions will help you handle them more confidently and successfully. In addition, you will want to prepare insightful questions of your own.

Planning for the Employer’s Questions

Many general interview questions are “stock” queries you can expect to hear again and again during your interviews. Get ready to face these six at the very least:

You can expect to face a number of common questions in your interviews, so be sure to prepare for them.

• What is the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Be prepared with a good example (that isn’t too personal), explaining why the decision was difficult, how you made the choice you made, and what you learned from the experience.

• What is your greatest weakness? This question seems to be a favorite of some interviewers, although it probably rarely yields useful information. One

good strategy is to mention a skill or attribute you haven’t had the opportunity to develop yet but would like to in your next position.30

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000707E) Another option is to discuss a past shortcoming you took steps to correct.

• Where do you want to be five years from now? This question tests (1) whether you’re merely using this job as a stopover until something better comes along and (2) whether you’ve given thought to your long-term goals. Your answer should reflect your desire to contribute to the employer’s long-

term goals, not just your own goals. Whether this question often yields useful information is also a matter of debate, but be prepared to answer it.31

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007080)

• What didn’t you like about previous jobs you’ve held? Answer this one carefully: The interviewer is trying to predict whether you’ll be an unhappy

or difficult employee.32

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007082) Describe something that you didn’t like in a way that puts you in a positive light, such as having limited opportunities to apply your skills or education. Avoid making negative comments about former employers or colleagues.

• Tell me something about yourself. One good strategy is to briefly share the “story of you” (see page 515 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#page_515) )—quickly summarizing where you have been and where you would like to go—in a way that aligns your interests with the company’s. Alternatively, you can focus on a specific skill you know is valuable to the company, share something business-relevant that you are passionate about, or offer a short summary of what colleagues or

customers think about you.33

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007084) Whatever tactic you choose, this is not the time to be shy or indecisive, so be ready with a confident, memorable answer.

• How do you spend your free time? This question can pop up late in an interview, after the interviewer has covered the major work-related questions

and wants to get a better idea of what sort of person you are.34

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007087) Prepare an answer that is honest and that puts you in a positive light, without revealing more than you are comfortable revealing or suggesting that you might not fit in the corporate culture. Sports, hobbies, reading, spending time with family, and volunteer work are all “safe” answers.

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Prepare your answers to these tough interview questions

Use this advice to get ready for five questions you’re likely to encounter. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

Continue your preparation by planning a brief answer to each question in Table 19.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006C2F) .

TABLE 19.3 Twenty-Five Common Interview Questions

Questions About College

1. What courses in college did you like most? Least? Why? 2. Do you think your extracurricular activities in college were worth the time you spent on them? Why or why not? 3. When did you choose your college major? Did you ever change your major? If so, why? 4. Do you feel you did the best scholastic work you are capable of? 5. How has your college education prepared you for this position?

Questions About Employers and Jobs

6. Why did you leave your last job? 7. Why did you apply for this job opening? 8. Why did you choose your particular field of work? 9. What are the disadvantages of your chosen field?

10. What do you know about our company? 11. What do you think about how this industry operates today? 12. Why do you think you would like this particular type of job?

Questions About Work Experiences and Expectations

13. What was your biggest failure? 14. What is your biggest weakness? 15. Describe an experience in which you learned from one of your mistakes. 16. What motivates you? Why? 17. What do you think determines a person’s progress in a good organization? 18. What have you done that shows initiative and willingness to work? 19. Why should we hire you?

Questions About Work Habits

20. Do you prefer working with others or by yourself? 21. What type of boss do you prefer? 22. Have you ever had any difficulty getting along with colleagues or supervisors? With instructors? With other students? 23. What would you do if you were given an unrealistic deadline for a task or project? 24. How do you feel about overtime work? 25. How do you handle stress or pressure on the job?

Sources: “50 Most Common Interview Questions,” Glassdoor blog, 25 March 2016, www.glassdoor.com (http://www.glassdoor.com) ; Alison Green, “The 10 Most Common Job Interview Questions,” U.S. News & World Report, 27 April 2015, money.usnews.com (http://money.usnews.com) ; Carole Martin, “10 Most Common Interview Questions,” Monster, accessed 14 May 2016, www.monster.com (http://www.monster.com) .

As you prepare answers, look for ways to frame your responses as brief stories (30 to 90 seconds) rather than simple declarative answers.35

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007089) Cohesive stories tend to stick in the listener’s mind more effectively than disconnected facts and statements.

Look for ways to frame your responses as brief stories rather than as dry facts or statements.

Planning Questions of Your Own

Preparing questions of your own helps you understand the company and the position, and it sends an important signal that you are truly interested.

Remember that an interview is a two-way conversation: The questions you ask are just as important as the answers you provide. By asking insightful questions, you can demonstrate your understanding of the organization, steer the discussion into areas that allow you to present your qualifications to best advantage, and verify for yourself whether this is a good opportunity. Plus, interviewers expect you to ask questions, and they look negatively on candidates who don’t have any questions to ask. For good questions that you might use as a starting point, see Table 19.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006C81) .

BOOSTING YOUR CONFIDENCE

The best way to build your confidence is to prepare thoroughly and address shortcomings as best you can. In other words, take action.

Interviewing is stressful for everyone, so some nervousness is natural. However, you can take steps to feel more confident. Start by reminding yourself that you have value to offer the employer and that the employer already thinks highly enough of you to invite you to an interview.

If some aspect of your appearance or background makes you uneasy, correct it if possible or offset it by emphasizing positive traits such as warmth, wit, intelligence, or charm. Instead of dwelling on your weaknesses, focus on your strengths. Instead of worrying about how you will perform in the interview, focus on how you can help the organization succeed. As with public speaking, the more prepared you are, the more confident you’ll be.

POLISHING YOUR INTERVIEW STYLE

Staging mock interviews with a friend is one good way to hone your style.

TABLE 19.4 Ten Questions to Consider Asking an Interviewer

Question Reason for Asking

1. What are the job’s major responsibilities? A vague answer could mean that the responsibilities have not been clearly defined, which is almost guaranteed to cause frustration if you take the job.

2. What qualities do you want in the person who fills this position?

This will help you go beyond the job description to understand what the company really wants.

3. How do you measure success for someone in this position?

A vague or incomplete answer could mean that the expectations you will face are unrealistic or ill defined.

4. What is the first problem that needs the attention of the person you hire?

Not only will this help you prepare, but it can also signal whether you’re about to jump into a problematic situation.

5. How well do my qualifications align with the current and future needs of this position?

This gives you the opportunity to address any unspoken concerns the interviewer might have.

6. Why is this job now vacant? If the previous employee got promoted, that’s a good sign. If the person quit, that might not be such a good sign.

7. What makes your organization different from others in the industry?

The answer will help you assess whether the company has a clear strategy to succeed in its industry and whether top managers communicate this to lower-level employees.

8. How would you define your organization’s managerial philosophy?

You want to know whether the managerial philosophy is consistent with your own working values.

9. What is a typical workday like for you? The interviewer’s response can give you clues about daily life at the company.

10. What are the next steps in the selection process? What’s the best way to follow up with you?

Knowing where the company is in the hiring process will give you clues about following up after the interview and possibly give you hints about where you stand.

Sources: Jacquelyn Smith and Natalie Walters, “The 29 Smartest Questions to Ask at the End of Every Job Interview,” Business Insider, 28 January 2016, www.businessinsider.com (http://www.businessinsider.com) ; Heather Huhman, “5 Must-Ask Questions at Job Interviews,” Glassdoor blog, 7 February 2012, www.glassdoor.com (http://www.glassdoor.com) .

Competence and confidence are the foundation of your interviewing style, and you can enhance them by giving the interviewer an impression of poise, good manners, and good judgment. You can develop a smooth style by staging mock interviews with a friend or using an interview simulator on your phone or tablet (see Figure 19.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006CD4) ). Record these mock interviews so you can evaluate yourself. Your college’s career center may have computer-based systems for practicing interviews as well.

Figure 19.5 Interview Simulators

A number of mobile apps are available to help you practice and polish your interviewing skills.

Taken from InterviewSimulatorPro.com (http://InterviewSimulatorPro.com) © 2014 by Villatech Pty Ltd.

Evaluate the length and clarity of your answers, your nonverbal behavior, and the quality of your voice.

After each practice session, look for opportunities to improve. Have your mock interview partner critique your performance, or critique yourself if you’re able to record your practice interviews, using the list of warning signs shown in Table 19.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006CE2) . Pay close attention to the length of your planned answers as well. Interviewers want you to give complete answers, but they don’t want you to take up valuable time or test

their patience by chatting about minor or irrelevant details.36

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000708B)

In addition to reviewing your answers, evaluate your nonverbal behavior, including your posture, eye contact, facial expressions, and hand gestures and movements. Do you come across as alert and upbeat or passive and withdrawn? Pay close attention to your speaking voice as well. If you tend to speak in a monotone, for instance, practice speaking in a livelier style, with more inflection and emphasis. And watch out for “filler words” such as uh and um. Many people start sentences with a filler without being conscious of doing so. Train yourself to pause silently for a moment instead as you gather your thoughts and plan what to say.

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Details that can make or break a job interview

You can’t control every variable, but it helps to be aware of the sometimes surprising factors that can influence who gets hired and who doesn’t. Go to real- timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

PRESENTING A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE

Dress conservatively and be well groomed for every interview.

Clothing and grooming are important elements of preparation because they reveal something about a candidate’s personality, professionalism, and ability to sense the unspoken “rules” of a situation. Your research into various industries and professions should give you insight into expectations for business attire. If

you’re not sure what to wear, ask someone who works in the same industry or even visit the company at the end of the day and see what employees are wearing as they leave the office. You don’t need to spend a fortune on interview clothes, but your clothes must be clean, pressed, and appropriate. The following look will

serve you well in most interview situations:37

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000708D)

TABLE 19.5 Warning Signs: 25 Attributes Interviewers Don’t Like to See

1. Poor personal appearance 2. Overbearing, overaggressive, or conceited demeanor; a “superiority complex”; a know-it-all attitude 3. Inability to express ideas clearly; poor voice, diction, or grammar 4. Lack of knowledge or experience 5. Poor preparation for the interview 6. Lack of interest in the job 7. Lack of planning for career; lack of purpose or goals 8. Lack of enthusiasm; passive and indifferent demeanor 9. Lack of confidence and poise; appearance of being nervous and ill at ease

10. Insufficient evidence of achievement 11. Failure to participate in extracurricular activities 12. Overemphasis on money; interest only in the best offer 13. Poor scholastic record 14. Unwillingness to start at the bottom; expecting too much too soon 15. Tendency to make excuses 16. Evasive answers; hedging on unfavorable factors in record 17. Lack of tact 18. Lack of maturity 19. Lack of courtesy and common sense, including answering mobile phones, texting, or chewing gum during the interview 20. Being critical of past or present employers 21. Lack of social skills 22. Marked dislike for schoolwork 23. Lack of vitality 24. Failure to look interviewer in the eye 25. Limp, weak handshake

Sources: Donna Fuscaldo, “Seven Deadly Interview Sins,” Glassdoor blog, 4 April 2012, www.glassdoor.com (http://www.glassdoor.com) ; “Employers Reveal Outrageous and Common Mistakes Candidates Made in Job Interviews, According to New CareerBuilder Survey,” CareerBuilder, 12 January 2011, www.careerbuilder.com (http://www.careerbuilder.com) ; The Northwestern Endicott Report (Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Placement Center).

• Neat, “adult” hairstyle • For more formal environments, a conservative business suit (for women, that means no exposed midriffs, short skirts, or plunging necklines) in a dark

solid color or a subtle pattern such as pinstripes; white shirt and understated tie for men; coordinated blouse for women • For less formal environments, smart-looking “business casual,” including a pressed shirt or blouse and nice slacks or a skirt

COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES

Successfully Interviewing Across Borders

Interviewing for a job in another country can be one of the most exciting steps in your career. To succeed, you need to pay close attention to the important elements of the interviewing process, including personal appearance, an awareness of what interviewers are really trying to learn about you, and things you should learn about the organization you’re hoping to join.

Some countries and cultures place a much higher importance on dress and personal grooming than many employees in the United States are accustomed to; moreover, expectations of personal appearance can vary dramatically from country to country. Ask people who’ve been to the country before and observe local businesspeople when you arrive. Many people interpret inappropriate dress as more than a simple fashion mistake; they view it as an inability or unwillingness to understand another culture. Even if you are interviewing via Skype, as is often the case in the early rounds, make sure your on-screen appearance is appropriate.

For instance, the business image consultant Ashley Rothschild points out that you could get away with wearing a boldly colored suit in Italy but probably not in Japan. Business professionals tend to dress formally in Italy, but as a worldwide fashion leader, the country has a broad definition of what is appropriate business attire.

Smart recruiters always analyze both nonverbal signals and verbal messages to judge whether an applicant truly has the qualities necessary for a job. In international employment situations, you’ll probably be under even closer scrutiny. Recruiters abroad will want to know if you really have what it takes to succeed in unfamiliar social settings, how your family will handle the transition, and whether you can adapt your personal work style and habits enough to blend in with the hiring organization.

Remember to ask plenty of questions and do your research, both before and after the interview. Some employees view overseas postings as grand adventures, only to collide headfirst with the reality of what it’s like to live and work in a completely different culture. For instance, if you’ve grown accustomed to the independent work style you enjoy in your current job or in school, could you handle a more structured work environment with a hierarchical chain of command? Make sure to get a sense of the culture both within the company and within its social community before you commit to a job in another country.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. Explain how you could find out what is appropriate dress for a job interview in South Africa. 2. Would it be appropriate to ask an interviewer to describe the culture in his or her country? Explain your answer.

Sources: Sharon Ann Holgate, “Gaining an Edge in Overseas Interviews,” Science Careers, 4 August 2014; sciencecareers.sciencemag.org (http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org) ; Jean- Marc Hachey, “Interviewing for an International Job,” excerpt from The Canadian Guide to Working and Living Overseas, 3rd ed., accessed 23 February 2004, www.workingoverseas.com (http://www.workingoverseas.com) ; Rebecca Falkoff, “Dress to Impress the World: International Business Fashion,” Monster, accessed 23 February 2004, www.monster.com (http://www.monster.com) ; Mary Ellen Slater, “Navigating the Details of Landing an Overseas Job,” Washington Post, 11 November 2002, E4.

• Limited jewelry (men, especially, should wear very little jewelry) • No visible piercings other than one or two earrings (for women only) • No visible tattoos, although this expectation is changing in some industries • Stylish but professional-looking shoes (no extreme high heels or casual shoes) • Clean hands and nicely trimmed fingernails • Little or no perfume or cologne (some people are allergic and many people are put off by strong smells) • Subtle makeup (for women) • Exemplary personal hygiene

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Simple tips for a professional interview look

Not sure how to get the right look? Follow this advice. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

If you want to be taken seriously, dress and act seriously.

An interview is not the place to express your individuality or to let your inner rebel run wild. Send a clear signal that you understand the business world and know how to adapt to it. You won’t be taken seriously otherwise.

BEING READY WHEN YOU ARRIVE

Be ready to go the minute you arrive at the interviewing site; don’t fumble around for your résumé or your list of questions.

When you go to your interview, take a small notebook, a pen, a list of the questions you want to ask, several copies of your résumé (protected in a folder), an outline of what you have learned about the organization, and any past correspondence about the position. You may also want to take a small calendar, a transcript

of your college grades, a list of references, and a portfolio containing samples of your work, performance reviews, and certificates of achievement.38

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000708F) Think carefully if you plan to use a tablet computer or any other device for note taking or reference during an interview. You don’t want to waste any of the interviewer’s time fumbling with it. Also, turn off your mobile phone; in a recent survey of hiring professionals, answering calls or texting while in an interview was identified as the

most common mistake job candidates make during their interviews.39

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007091)

Be sure you know when and where the interview will be held. The worst way to start any interview is to be late. Verify the route and time required to get there,

even if that means traveling there ahead of time. Plan to arrive early, but don’t approach the reception desk until 5 minutes or so before your appointed time.40

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007093) Chances are the interviewer won’t be ready to receive you until the scheduled time.

If you have to wait for the interviewer, use this time to review the key messages about yourself you want to get across in the interview. Conduct yourself professionally while waiting. Show respect for everyone you encounter, and avoid chewing gum, eating, or drinking. Anything you do or say at this stage may get back to the interviewer, so make sure your best qualities show from the moment you enter the premises. To review the steps for planning a successful interview, see “Checklist: Planning for a Successful Job Interview (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006D62) .”

CHECKLIST Planning for a Successful Job Interview

• Learn about the organization, including its operations, markets, and challenges. • Learn as much as you can about the people who will be interviewing you, if you can find their names.

• Plan for the employer’s questions, including questions about tough decisions you’ve made, your perceived shortcomings, what you didn’t like about previous jobs, and your career plans.

• Plan questions of your own to find out whether this is really the job and the organization for you and to show that you’ve done your research. • Bolster your confidence by removing as many sources of apprehension as you can. • Polish your interview style by staging mock interviews. • Present a professional appearance with appropriate dress and grooming. • Be ready when you arrive and bring along a pen, paper, a list of questions, copies of your résumé, an outline of your research on the company, and

any correspondence you’ve had regarding the position. • Double-check the location and time of the interview and map out the route beforehand. • Relax and be flexible; the schedule and interview arrangements may change when you arrive.

19.4 Interviewing for Success

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

4 Explain how to succeed in all three stages of an interview. At this point, you have a good sense of the overall process and know how to prepare for your interviews. The next step is to get familiar with the three stages of every interview: the warm-up, the question-and-answer session, and the close.

THE WARM-UP

Of the three stages, the warm-up is the most important, even though it may account for only a small fraction of the time you spend in the interview. Studies

suggest that many interviewers make up their minds within the first 20 seconds of contact with a candidate.41

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007095) Don’t let your guard down if the interviewer engages in what feels like small talk; these exchanges are every bit as important as structured questions.

The first minute of the interview is crucial, so stay alert and be on your best business behavior.

Body language is crucial at this point. Stand or sit up straight, maintain regular but natural eye contact, and don’t fidget. When the interviewer extends a hand, respond with a firm but not overpowering handshake. Repeat the interviewer’s name when you’re introduced (“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Litton”). Wait until you’re asked to be seated or the interviewer has taken a seat. Let the interviewer start the discussion, and be ready to answer one or two substantial

questions right away. The following are some common openers:42

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007097)

Recognize that you could face substantial questions as soon as your interview starts, so make sure you are prepared and ready to go.

• Why do you want to work here? • What do you know about us? • Tell me a little about yourself.

THE QUESTION-AND-ANSWER STAGE

MOBILE APP

The Monster mobile app offers helpful tips to help you prepare for your next job interviews.

Questions and answers usually consume the greatest part of the interview. Depending on the type of interview, the interviewer will likely ask about your qualifications, discuss some of the points mentioned in your résumé, and ask about how you have handled particular situations in the past or would handle them in the future. You’ll also be asking questions of your own.

Answering and Asking Questions

Listen carefully to questions before you answer.

Let the interviewer lead the conversation and never answer a question before he or she has finished asking it. Not only is this type of interruption rude, but the last few words of the question might alter how you respond. As much as possible, avoid one-word yes or no answers. Use the opportunity to expand on a positive response or explain a negative response. If you’re asked a difficult question or the offbeat questions that companies such as Zappos and Google are known to use, pause before responding. Think through the implications of the question. For instance, the recruiter may know that you can’t answer a question and only wants to know how you’ll respond under pressure or whether you can construct a logical approach to solving a problem.

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Expert tips for successful phone interviews

Recruiting experts offer invaluable advice on nailing a phone interview. Go to real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Learn More in the Students section.

Whenever you’re asked if you have any questions, or whenever doing so naturally fits the flow of the conversation, ask a question from the list you’ve prepared. Probe for what the company is looking for in its new employees so that you can show how you meet the firm’s needs. Also try to zero in on any reservations the interviewer might have about you so that you can dispel them.

Listening to the Interviewer

Paying attention to both verbal and nonverbal messages can help you turn the question-and-answer stage to your advantage.

Paying attention when the interviewer speaks can be as important as giving good answers or asking good questions. Review the tips on listening offered in Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000015f4#P70010124510000000000000000015F4) . The interviewer’s facial expressions, eye movements, gestures, and posture may tell you the real meaning of what is being said. Be especially aware of how your answers are received. Does the interviewer nod in agreement or smile to show approval? If so, you’re making progress. If not, you might want to introduce another topic or modify your approach.

Handling Potentially Discriminatory Questions

Federal, state, and local laws prohibit employment discrimination based on a variety of factors, and well-trained interviewers know to avoid questions that could be used to discriminate in the hiring process.

A variety of federal, state, and local laws prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, age (at least if you’re between 40 and 70),

marital status, religion, national origin, or disability. Interview questions designed to elicit information on these topics are potentially illegal.43

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P7001012451000000000000000007099) Table 19.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#P7001012451000000000000000006DAE) compares some specific questions that employers are and are not allowed to ask during an employment interview.

Think about how you might respond if you were asked a potentially unlawful question.

If an interviewer asks a potentially unlawful question, consider your options carefully before you respond. You can answer the question as it was asked, you can

ask tactfully whether the question might be prohibited, you can simply refuse to answer it, or you can try to answer “the question behind the question.”44

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000709B) For example, if an interviewer inappropriately asks whether you are married or have strong family ties in the area, he or she might be trying to figure out if you’re willing to travel or relocate—both of which are acceptable questions. Only you can decide which is the right choice based on the situation.

Even if you do answer the question as it was asked, think hard before accepting a job offer from this company if you have alternatives. Was the off-limits question possibly accidental (it happens) and therefore not really a major concern? If you think it was intentional, would you want to work for an organization that condones illegal or discriminatory questions or that doesn’t train its employees to avoid them?

If you believe an interviewer’s questions to be unreasonable, unrelated to the job, or an attempt to discriminate, you have the option of filing a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or with the agency in your state that regulates fair employment practices.

THE CLOSE

Like the warm-up, the end of the interview is more important than its brief duration would indicate. These last few minutes are your final opportunity to emphasize your value to the organization and to correct any misconceptions the interviewer might have. Be aware that many interviewers will ask whether you have any more questions at this point, so save one or two from your list.

Concluding Gracefully

Conclude an interview with courtesy and enthusiasm.

TABLE 19.6 Acceptable Versus Potentially Discriminatory Interview Questions

Interviewers May Ask This . . . But Not This

What is your name? What was your maiden name?

Are you over 18? When were you born?

Did you graduate from high school? When did you graduate from high school?

[Questions about race are not allowed.] What is your race?

Interviewers May Ask This . . . But Not This

Can you perform [specific tasks]? Do you have physical or mental disabilities?

[Questions about alcohol use are not allowed.] Do you drink alcoholic beverages?

Are you currently using illegal drugs? Have you ever been addicted to drugs in the past?

Would you be able to meet the job’s requirement to frequently work weekends? Would working on weekends conflict with your religion?

Do you have the legal right to work in the United States? What country are you a citizen of?

Have you ever been convicted of a felony? Have you ever been arrested?

This job requires that you speak Spanish. Do you? What language did you speak in your home when you were growing up?

Sources: Dave Johnson, “Illegal Job Interview Questions,” CBS Money Watch, 27 February 2012, www.cbsnews.com (http://www.cbsnews.com) ; “5 Illegal Interview Questions and How to Dodge Them,” Forbes, 20 April 2012, www.forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com) ; Vivian Giang, “11 Common Interview Questions That Are Actually Illegal,” Business Insider, 5 July 2013, www.businessinsider.com (http://www.businessinsider.com) .

You can usually tell when the interviewer is trying to conclude the session. He or she may ask whether you have any more questions, check the time, summarize the discussion, or simply tell you that the allotted time for the interview is up. When you get the signal, be sure to thank the interviewer for the opportunity and express your interest in the organization. If you can do so comfortably, try to pin down what will happen next, but don’t press for an immediate decision.

If this is your second or third visit to the organization, the interview may end with an offer of employment. If you have other offers or need time to think about this offer, it’s perfectly acceptable to thank the interviewer for the offer and ask for some time to consider it. If no job offer is made, the interview team may not have reached a decision yet, but you may tactfully ask when you can expect to know the decision.

Discussing Salary

Research salary ranges in your job, industry, and geographic region before you try to negotiate salary.

If you receive an offer during the interview, you’ll naturally want to discuss salary. However, let the interviewer raise the subject. If asked your salary requirements during the interview or on a job application, you can say that your requirements are open or negotiable or that you would expect a competitive

compensation package.45

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000709D)

How far you can negotiate depends on several factors, including market demand for your skills, the strength of the job market, the company’s compensation policies, the company’s financial health, and any other job offers you may be considering. Remember that you’re negotiating a business deal, not asking for personal favors, so focus on the unique value you can bring to the job. The more information you have, the stronger your position will be.

Negotiating benefits may be one way to get more value from an employment package.

If salary isn’t negotiable, look at the overall compensation and benefits package. You may find flexibility in a signing bonus, profit sharing, retirement benefits,

health coverage, vacation time, and other valuable elements.46

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P700101245100000000000000000709F)

To review the important tips for successful interviews, see “Checklist: Making a Positive Impression in Job Interviews (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#P7001012451000000000000000006DFE) .”

INTERVIEW NOTES

Keeping a careful record of your job interviews is essential.

Maintain a notebook or simple database with information about each company, interviewers’ answers to your questions, contact information for each interviewer, the status of follow-up communication, and upcoming interview appointments. Carefully organized notes will help you decide which company is the right fit for you when it comes time to choose from among the job offers you receive.

For the latest information on interviewing strategies, visit real-timeupdates.com/bct14 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct14) and select Chapter 19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a1f#P7001012451000000000000000006A1F) .

CHECKLIST Making a Positive Impression in Job Interviews

A. Be ready to make a positive impression in the warm-up stage. • Be alert from the moment you arrive; even initial small talk is part of the interviewing process. • Greet the interviewer by name, with a smile and direct eye contact.

• Offer a firm (not crushing) handshake if the interviewer extends a hand. • Take a seat only after the interviewer invites you to sit or has taken his or her own seat. • Listen for clues about what the interviewer is trying to get you to reveal about yourself and your qualifications. • Exhibit positive body language, including standing up straight, walking with purpose, and sitting up straight.

B. Convey your value to the organization during the question-and-answer stage. • Let the interviewer lead the conversation. • Never answer a question before the interviewer finishes asking it. • Listen carefully to the interviewer and watch for nonverbal signals. • Don’t limit yourself to simple yes or no answers; expand on the answer to show your knowledge of the company (but don’t ramble on). • If you encounter a potentially discriminatory question, decide how you want to respond before you say anything. • When you have the opportunity, ask questions from the list you’ve prepared; remember that interviewers expect you to ask questions.

C. Close on a strong note. • Watch and listen for signs that the interview is about to end. • Quickly evaluate how well you’ve done and correct any misperceptions the interviewer might have. • If you receive an offer and aren’t ready to decide, it’s entirely appropriate to ask for time to think about it. • Don’t bring up salary but be prepared to discuss it if the interviewer raises the subject. • End with a warm smile and a handshake and thank the interviewer for meeting with you.

19.5 Following Up After the Interview

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

5 Identify the most common employment messages that follow an interview and explain when you would use each one. Staying in contact with a prospective employer after an interview shows that you really want the job and are determined to get it. Doing so also gives you another chance to demonstrate your communication skills and sense of business etiquette. Following up brings your name to the interviewer’s attention once again and reminds him or her that you’re actively looking and waiting for the decision.

Any time you hear from a company during the application or interview process, be sure to respond quickly. Companies flooded with résumés may move on to

another candidate if they don’t hear back from you within 24 hours.47

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P70010124510000000000000000070A1)

FOLLOW-UP MESSAGE

A follow-up message after an interview is more than a professional courtesy; it’s another chance to promote yourself to an employer.

Send a follow-up message within two days of the interview, even if you feel you have little chance of getting the job. These messages are often referred to as “thank-you notes,” but they give you an important opportunity to go beyond merely expressing your appreciation. You can use the message to reinforce the reasons you are a good choice for the position, modify any answers you gave during the interview if you realize you made a mistake or have changed your mind, and respond to any negatives that might have arisen in the interview (see Figure 19.6

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#P7001012451000000000000000006E42) ).48

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P70010124510000000000000000070A3) Email is usually acceptable for follow-up messages, unless the interviewer has asked you to use other media.

MESSAGE OF INQUIRY

Use the model for a direct request when you write an inquiry about a hiring decision.

If you’re not advised of the interviewer’s decision by the promised date or within two weeks, you might make an inquiry. A message of inquiry (which can be handled by email if the interviewer has given you his or her email address) is particularly appropriate if you’ve received a job offer from a second firm and don’t want to accept it before you have an answer from the first. The following message illustrates the general model for a direct request:

REQUEST FOR A TIME EXTENSION

If you receive a job offer while other interviews are still pending, you can ask the employer for a time extension. Open with a strong statement of your continued interest in the job, ask for more time to consider the offer, provide specific reasons for the request, and assure the reader that you will respond by a specific date (see Figure 19.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#P7001012451000000000000000006E6D) on page 568 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#page_568) ).

LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE

Use the model for positive messages when you write a letter of acceptance.

When you receive a job offer you want to accept, reply within five days. Begin by accepting the position and expressing thanks. Identify the job you’re accepting. In the next paragraph, cover any necessary details. Conclude by saying that you look forward to reporting for work. As always, a positive letter should convey your enthusiasm and eagerness to cooperate:

Figure 19.6 Follow-Up Message

Use the follow-up message after an interview to express continued interest in the opportunity, to correct or expand on any information you provided in the interview, and to thank the interviewer for his or her time.

Be aware that a job offer and a written acceptance of that offer can constitute a legally binding contract, for both you and the employer. Before you send an acceptance letter, be sure you want the job.

Written acceptance of a job offer can be considered a legally binding contract.

Figure 19.7 Request for a Time Extension

Needing more time to decide on a job offer is not uncommon, particularly for candidates with desirable credentials. However, make the request in a respectful and subtle way. The reader understands you are comparing opportunities and looking for the best offer, so you don’t need to belabor this point.

LETTER DECLINING A JOB OFFER

If you decide to decline a job offer, do so tactfully, using the model for negative messages.

After all your interviews, you may find that you need to write a letter declining a job offer. Use the techniques for negative messages (see Chapter 11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000004228#P7001012451000000000000000004228) ): Open warmly, state the reasons for refusing the offer, decline the offer explicitly, and close on a pleasant note that expresses gratitude. By taking the time to write a sincere, tactful letter, you leave the door open for future contact:

LETTER OF RESIGNATION

Letters of resignation should always be written in a gracious and professional style that avoids criticism of your employer or your colleagues.

If you get a job offer while employed, you can maintain good relations with your current employer by writing a thoughtful letter of resignation to your immediate supervisor. Follow the advice for negative messages and make the letter sound positive, regardless of how you feel. Say something favorable about the organization, the people you work with, or what you’ve learned on the job. Then state your intention to leave and give the date of your last day on the job. Be sure you give your current employer at least two weeks’ notice.

To verify the content and style of your follow-up messages, consult the tips in “Checklist: Writing Follow-Up Messages (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#P7001012451000000000000000006EB2) .”

CHECKLIST Writing Follow-Up Messages

A. Thank-you messages • Write a brief thank-you letter within two days of the interview. • Acknowledge the interviewer’s time and courtesy. • Restate the specific job you’re applying for. • Express your enthusiasm about the organization and the job. • Add any new facts that may help your chances. • Politely ask for a decision.

B. Messages of inquiry • If you haven’t heard from the interviewer by the promised date, write a brief message of inquiry. • Use the direct approach: main idea, necessary details, specific request.

C. Requests for a time extension • Request an extension if you have pending interviews and need time to decide about an offer. • Open on a friendly note. • Explain why you need more time and express continued interest in the company. • In the close, promise a quick decision if your request is denied and ask for a confirmation if your request is granted.

D. Letters of acceptance • Send this message within five days of receiving the offer. • State clearly that you accept the offer, identify the job you’re accepting, and confirm vital details such as salary and start date. • Make sure you want the job; an acceptance letter can be treated as a legally binding contract.

E. Letters declining a job offer • Use the indirect approach for negative messages. • Open on a warm and appreciative note and then explain why you are refusing the offer. • End on a sincere, positive note.

F. Letters of resignation • Send a letter of resignation to your current employer as soon as possible. • Begin with an appreciative buffer. • In the middle section, state your reasons for leaving and actually state that you are resigning. • Close cordially.

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT VMWare

You work as a recruiter in the human resources department at VMWare, and the company is currently expanding its roster of customer support professionals. Use what you’ve learned about interviewing to address these challenges.

INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: Customer support employees can get hit with some off-the-wall questions and requests from time to time, and you want to make sure the people you hire can handle these questions with grace and tact. Come up with three fairly outlandish questions you could use during interviews to see how candidates react. You’re not particularly interested in precise answers; you want to see how they handle the situation and how they go about solving odd challenges. For example, you might ask them to estimate how many mobile phone batteries will be thrown away in the next 10 years or to explain the concept of a human family to an alien from another planet.

TEAM CHALLENGE: Although VMWare operates in a highly technical industry, its customer support specialists need the same “soft” skills that every company must have to keep customers productive and happy. With your team, brainstorm the soft-skill attributes of an ideal customer service specialist, such as active listening and communicating with people who have different native languages. (Review Chapters 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000015f4#P70010124510000000000000000015F4) and 3 for ideas.) Next, write five interview questions that could help you judge how well candidates match this profile.

Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS

application letter Message that accompanies a résumé to let readers know what you’re sending, why you’re sending it, and how they can benefit from reading it

behavioral interview Interview in which you are asked to relate specific incidents and experiences from your past

employment interview Formal meeting during which a candidate and an employer ask questions and exchange information

group interview Interview in which one or more interviewers meet with several candidates simultaneously

open-ended interview Interview in which the interviewer adapts his or her line of questioning based on the answers given or questions asked by the interviewee

panel interview Interview in which the candidate meets with several interviewers at once

situational interview Similar to a behavioral interview, except the questions focus on how the candidate would handle various hypothetical situations on the job

stress interview Interview in which the candidate might be asked questions designed to unsettle him/her or is subjected to long periods of silence, criticism, interruptions, and/or hostile reactions by the interviewer

structured interview Interview in which the interviewer (or a computer) asks a series of prepared questions in a set order

working interview Interview in which the candidate performs a job-related activity

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1 Explain the purposes of application letters, and describe how to apply the AIDA organizational approach to them. The purposes of an application letter are to introduce your résumé, persuade an employer to read it, and request an interview. With the AIDA model, get attention in the opening paragraph by showing how your work skills could benefit the organization, by explaining how your qualifications fit the job, or by demonstrating an understanding of the organization’s needs. Build interest and desire by showing how you can meet the job requirements and, near the end of this section, be sure to refer your reader to your résumé. Finally, motivate action by making your request easy to fulfill and by including all necessary contact information.

2 escribe the typical sequence of job interviews, the major types of interviews, and the attributes employers look for during an interview. The typical sequence of interviews involves three stages. During the screening stage, employers filter out unqualified applicants and identify promising candidates. During the selection stage, the pool of applicants is narrowed through a variety of structured and unstructured interviewing methods. In the final stage, employers select the candidates who will receive offers and, if necessary, promote the benefits of joining the company.

Interviews can be distinguished by the way they are structured (structured or unstructured interviews), the number of people involved (one-on-one, panel, or group interviews), and the purpose of the interview (behavioral, situational, working, or stress interviews). The behavioral interview, probably the most common in terms of purpose, requires candidates to use their own experiences and attributes to craft answers. The situational interview is similar, but instead of using incidents from the candidate’s past, it explores how the candidate would respond to hypothetical situations in the future. In a working interview, you are asked to perform job-related tasks. Stress interviews are designed to see how well you perform under stress.

Employers look for two things during an employment interview. First, they seek evidence that an applicant is qualified for the position. Second, they seek reassurance that an applicant will be a good fit with the “personality” of the organization and the position.

3 List six tasks you need to complete to prepare for a successful job interview. To prepare for a successful job interview, (1) complete the research you started when planning your résumé, (2) think ahead about questions you’ll need to answer and questions you’ll want to ask, (3) boost your confidence by focusing on your strengths and preparing thoroughly, (4) polish your interviewing style, (5) present a professional image with businesslike clothing and good grooming, and (6) arrive on time and ready to begin.

4 Explain how to succeed in all three stages of an interview. All employment interviews have three stages. The warm-up stage is the most important because first impressions greatly influence an interviewer’s decision. Pay close attention to your body language and etiquette with everyone you encounter, and be ready to answer common openers such as “Tell me about yourself.” The question-and-answer stage, during which you will answer and ask questions, is the longest. Be prepared to answer the common interview questions, and find ways to work in questions of your own that you have prepared. Listen carefully to every question, view each question as an opportunity to expand on the information presented in your résumé, and be prepared to handle difficult or potentially discriminatory questions. The close is your final opportunity to promote your value to the organization and counter any misconceptions the interviewer may have. End with a warm smile and a firm handshake to leave the interviewer with a positive impression.

5 Identify the most common employment messages that follow an interview and explain when you would use each one. Following an interview, send a thank-you message to show appreciation, emphasize your strengths, and politely ask for a decision. Send an inquiry if you haven’t received the interviewer’s decision by the date promised or within one or two weeks of the interview—especially if you’ve received a job offer from another firm. You can request a time extension if you need more time to consider an offer. Send a letter of acceptance after receiving a job offer you want to take. Send a letter declining a job offer when you want to refuse an offer tactfully. Finally, if you are currently employed, send a letter of resignation after you have accepted the offer of another job.

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

Test Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

19-1. What two message elements can you use when writing a follow-up message after submitting a résumé? [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A4C)

19-2. How can you apply the AIDA model to an application letter? [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A4C)

19-3. What information or questions can you use when writing a follow-up message after submitting a résumé? [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A4C)

19-4. What should your objective be for an interview during the selection stage? [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#P7001012451000000000000000006B37)

19-5. Why do many employers now use situational or behavioral interviews? [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#P7001012451000000000000000006B37)

19-6. How does a structured interview differ from an open-ended interview? [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#P7001012451000000000000000006B37)

19-7. What are the three stages of every interview, and which is the most important? [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#P7001012451000000000000000006D7D)

19-8. How should you respond if an interviewer at a company where you want to work asks you a question that seems too personal or unethical? [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#P7001012451000000000000000006D7D)

Apply Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

19-9. If you lack one important qualification for a job but have made it past the initial screening stage, how should you prepare to handle this issue during the next round of interviews? Explain your answer. [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006BC4)

19-10. What is an interviewer likely to conclude about you if you don’t have any questions to ask during the interview? [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006BC4)

19-11. Why is it important to distinguish unethical or illegal interview questions from acceptable questions? Explain. [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#P7001012451000000000000000006D7D)

19-12. What should you do if your mind goes blank after an interviewer asks you a question? [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#P7001012451000000000000000006D7D)

Practice Your Skills Messages for Analysis

Read the following messages and then (1) analyze the strengths or weaknesses of each document and (2) revise each document so that it follows this chapter’s guidelines.

19-13. Message 19.A: Writing an Application Letter [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A4C)

I’m writing to let you know about my availability for the brand manager job you advertised. As you can see from my enclosed résumé, my background is perfect for the position. Even though I don’t have any real job experience, my grades have been outstanding, considering that I went to a top-ranked business school.

I did many things during my undergraduate years to prepare me for this job:

• Earned a 3.4 out of a 4.0, with a 3.8 in my business courses • Elected representative to the student governing association • Selected to receive the Lamar Franklin Award • Worked to earn a portion of my tuition

I am sending my résumé to all the top firms, but I like yours better than any of the rest. Your reputation is tops in the industry, and I want to be associated with a business that can pridefully say it’s the best.

If you wish for me to come in for an interview, I can come on a Friday afternoon or anytime on weekends when I don’t have classes. Again, thanks for considering me for your brand manager position.

19-14. Message 19.B: Writing Application Follow-Up Messages [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A4C)

Did you receive my résumé? I sent it to you at least two months ago and haven’t heard anything. I know you keep résumés on file, but I just want to be sure that you keep me in mind. I heard you are hiring health-care managers and certainly would like to be considered for one of those positions.

Since I last wrote you, I’ve worked in a variety of positions that have helped prepare me for management. To wit, I’ve become lunch manager at the restaurant where I work, which involved a raise in pay. I now manage a waitstaff of 12 girls and take the lunch receipts to the bank every day.

Of course, I’d much rather be working at a real job, and that’s why I’m writing again. Is there anything else you would like to know about me or my background? I would really like to know more about your company. Is there any literature you could send me? If so, I would really appreciate it.

I think one reason I haven’t been hired yet is that I don’t want to leave Atlanta. So I hope when you think of me, it’s for a position that wouldn’t require moving. Thanks again for considering my application.

19-15. Message 19.C: Thank-You Message [LO-5] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#P7001012451000000000000000006E36)

Thank you for the really marvelous opportunity to meet you and your colleagues at Starret Engine Company. I really enjoyed touring your facilities and talking with all the people there. You have quite a crew! Some of the other companies I have visited have been so rigid and uptight that I can’t imagine how I would fit in. It’s a relief to run into a group of people who seem to enjoy their work as much as all of you do.

I know that you must be looking at many other candidates for this job, and I know that some of them will probably be more experienced than I am. But I do want to emphasize that my two-year hitch in the Navy involved a good deal of engineering work. I don’t think I mentioned all my shipboard responsibilities during the interview.

Please give me a call within the next week to let me know your decision. You can usually find me at my dormitory in the evening after dinner (phone: 877-9080).

19-16. Message 19.D: Letter of Inquiry [LO-5] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#P7001012451000000000000000006E36)

I have recently received a very attractive job offer from the Warrington Company. But before I let them know one way or another, I would like to consider any offer that your firm may extend. I was quite impressed with your company during my recent interview, and I am still very interested in a career there.

I don’t mean to pressure you, but Warrington has asked for my decision within 10 days. Could you let me know by Tuesday whether you plan to offer me a position? That would give me enough time to compare the two offers.

19-17. Message 19.E: Letter Declining a Job Offer [LO-5] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#P7001012451000000000000000006E36)

I’m writing to say that I must decline your job offer. Another company has made me a more generous offer, and I have decided to accept. However, if things don’t work out for me there, I will let you know. I sincerely appreciate your interest in me.

Exercises

Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

19-18. Career Management: Preparing for Interviews [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006BC4)

Google yourself, Bing yourself, scour your social networking profiles, review your Twitter messages, and explore every other possible online source you can think of that might have something about you. If you find anything potentially embarrassing, remove it if possible. Write a summary of your search-and-destroy mission (you can skip any embarrassing details in your report to your instructor!).

Career Management: Researching Target Employers [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006BC4) Select a medium- sized or large company (one that you can easily find information on) where you might like to work. Use online sources to gather some preliminary research on the company; don’t limit your search to the company’s own website.

19-19. What did you learn about this organization that would help you during an interview there? 19-20. What online sources did you use to obtain this information? 19-21. Armed with this information, what aspects of your background do you think might appeal to this company’s recruiters? 19-22. Based on what you’ve learned about this company’s culture, what aspects of your personality should you try to highlight during an interview? 19-23. Career Management: Interviewing; Collaboration: Team Projects [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#P7001012451000000000000000006D7D) , Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p70010124510000000000000000015f4#P70010124510000000000000000015F4) Divide the class into two groups. Half the class will be recruiters for a large chain of national department stores, looking to fill manager trainee positions (there are 16 openings). The other half of the class will be candidates for the jobs. The company is specifically looking for candidates who demonstrate these three qualities: initiative, dependability, and willingness to assume responsibility.

• Have each recruiter select and interview an applicant for 10 minutes. • Have all the recruiters discuss how they assessed the applicant in each of the three desired qualities. What questions did they ask or what did

they use as an indicator to determine whether the candidate possessed the quality? • Have all the applicants discuss what they said to convince the recruiters that they possessed each of these qualities.

19-24. Career Management: Interviewing [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006BC4) Write a short email to your instructor, discussing what you believe are your greatest strengths and weaknesses from an employment perspective. Next, explain how these strengths and weaknesses would be viewed by interviewers evaluating your qualifications. 19-25. Career Management: Interviewing [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006BC4)

Prepare written answers to 10 of the questions listed in Table 19.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006C2F) .

Message Strategies: Employment Messages, Communication Ethics: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas [LO-5] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#P7001012451000000000000000006E36) , Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p700101245100000000000000000105b#P700101245100000000000000000105B) You have decided to accept a new position with a competitor of your company. Write a letter of resignation to your supervisor, announcing your decision.

19-26. Will you notify your employer that you are joining a competing firm? Explain. 19-27. Will you use the direct or the indirect approach? Explain. 19-28. Will you send your letter by email, send it by regular mail, or place it on your supervisor’s desk?

Expand Your Skills Critique the Professionals

Find an online video of a business professional being interviewed by a journalist. Using whatever medium your instructor requests, write a brief assessment (no more than one page) of the professional’s performance and any tips that you picked up that could you use in job interviews.

Sharpen Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thill’s Business Communication Web Search, at websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) , is a unique research tool designed specifically for business communication research. Use the Web Search function to find a website, video, article, podcast, or presentation that offers advice on successful interviewing techniques. Write a brief email message to your instructor or a post for your class blog describing the item that you found and summarizing the career skills information you learned from it.

Cases

For all cases, feel free to use your creativity to make up any details you need in order to craft effective messages.

Application Messages

VIDEO SKILLS

19-29. Media Skills: Video; Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A4C) , Chapter 9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000003806#P7001012451000000000000000003806) With its encouragement of video applications and abandonment of traditional job postings, Zappos might be starting a mini-trend toward a new style of employment application.

Your task: Identify a company where you would like to work and assume that it encourages candidates to submit video introductions. Plan, record, and produce a short video (no longer than three minutes) that you might submit to this employer. Don’t worry too much about fancy production quality, but make sure your content and presentation match the company’s style and brand image.

EMAIL SKILLS

19-30. Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A4C) Use one of the websites listed in Table 18.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#P700101245100000000000000000647B) on page 517 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006421#page_517) to find a job opening in your target profession. If you haven’t narrowed down to one career field yet, choose a business job for which you will have at least some qualifications at the time of your graduation.

Your task: Write an email message that would serve as your application letter if you were to apply for this job. Base your message on your actual qualifications for the position, and be sure to “echo” the requirements listed in the job description. Include the job description in your email message when you submit it to your instructor.

MICROBLOGGING SKILLS

19-31. Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A4C) If you want to know whether job candidates can express themselves clearly on Twitter, why not test them as part of the application process? That’s exactly what the Minneapolis advertising agency Campbell Mithun does. Rather than having them using conventional application methods, the company

asks intern candidates to tweet their applications in 13 messages.49

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P70010124510000000000000000070A5)

Your task: Find a job opening on Twitter by searching on any of the following hashtags: #hiring, #joblisting, or #nowhiring.50

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#P70010124510000000000000000070A7) Next, write an “application letter” composed of 13 individual tweets. If your class is set up with private Twitter accounts, go ahead and send the tweets. Otherwise, email them to your instructor or post them on your class blog, as your instructor indicates.

EMAIL SKILLS

19-32. Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A4C) Finding job openings that align perfectly with your professional interests is wonderful, but it doesn’t always happen. Sometimes you have to widen your search and go after whatever opportunities happen to be available. Even when the opportunity is not ideal, however, you still need to approach the employer with enthusiasm and a focused, audience-centric message.

Your task: Find a job opening for which you will be qualified when you graduate (or close to being qualified, for the purposes of this activity), but make it one that is outside your primary field of interest. Write an email application letter for this opening, making a compelling case that you are the right candidate for this job.

Interviewing

BLOGGING SKILLS/TEAM SKILLS

19-33. Career Management: Researching Target Employers [LO-3] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#P7001012451000000000000000006BC4) Research is a critical element of the job-search process. With information in hand, you increase the chance of finding the right opportunity (and avoiding bad choices), and you impress interviewers in multiple ways by demonstrating initiative, curiosity, research and analysis skills, an appreciation for the complex challenges of running a business, and willingness to work to achieve results.

Your task: With a small team of classmates, use online job listings to identify an intriguing job opening that at least one member of the team would seriously consider pursuing as graduation approaches. (You’ll find it helpful if the career is related to at least one team member’s college major or on-the- job experience so that the team can benefit from some knowledge of the profession in question.) Next, research the company, its competitors, its markets, and this specific position to identify five questions that would (1) help the team member decide whether this is a good opportunity and (2) show an interviewer that you’ve really done your homework. Go beyond the basic and obvious questions to identify current, specific, and complex issues that only deep research can uncover. For example, is the company facing significant technical, financial, legal, or regulatory challenges that threaten its ability to grow or perhaps even survive in the long term? Or is the market evolving in a way that positions this particular company for dramatic growth? In a post for your class blog, list your five questions, identify how you uncovered the issue, and explain why each is significant.

TEAM SKILLS

19-34. Career Management: Interviewing [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#P7001012451000000000000000006D7D) Interviewing is a skill that can be improved through observation and practice.

Your task: You and all other members of your class are to write letters of application for an entry-level or management-trainee position that requires an engaging personality and intelligence but a minimum of specialized education or experience. Sign your letter with a fictitious name that conceals your identity. Next, polish (or create) a résumé that accurately identifies you and your educational and professional accomplishments.

Now, three members of the class who volunteer as interviewers divide up all the anonymously written application letters. Then each interviewer selects a candidate who seems the most convincing in his or her letter. At this time, the selected candidates identify themselves and give the interviewers their résumés.

Each interviewer then interviews his or her chosen candidate in front of the class, seeking to understand how the items on the résumé qualify the candidate for the job. At the end of the interviews, the class decides who gets the job and discusses why this candidate was successful. Afterward, retrieve your letter, sign it with the right name, and submit it to the instructor for credit.

TEAM SKILLS

19-35. Career Management: Interviewing [LO-4] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#P7001012451000000000000000006D7D) Select a company in an industry in which you might like to work and then identify an interesting position within the company. Study the company and prepare for an interview with that company.

Your task: Working with a classmate, take turns interviewing each other for your chosen positions. Interviewers should take notes during the interview. When the interview is complete, critique each other’s performance. (Interviewers should critique how well candidates prepared for the interview and answered the questions; interviewees should critique the quality of the questions asked.) Write a follow-up letter thanking your interviewer and submit the letter to your instructor.

Following up After an Interview

LETTER-WRITING SKILLS

19-36. Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-5] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#P7001012451000000000000000006E36) Because of a mix-up in your job application scheduling, you accidentally applied for your third-choice job before going after the one you really wanted. What you want to do is work in retail marketing with the upscale department store Neiman Marcus in Dallas; what you have been offered is a job with Longhorn Leather and Lumber, 65 miles away in the small town of Commerce, Texas.

You review your notes. Your Longhorn interview was three weeks ago with the human resources manager, R. P. Bronson, who has just written to offer you the position. The store’s address is 27 Sam Rayburn Drive, Commerce, TX 75428. Mr. Bronson notes that he can hold the position open for 10 days. You have an interview scheduled with Neiman Marcus next week, but it is unlikely that you will know the store’s decision within this 10-day period.

Your task: Write to Mr. Bronson, requesting a reasonable delay in your consideration of his job offer.

LETTER-WRITING SKILLS/EMAIL SKILLS

19-37. Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-5] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#P7001012451000000000000000006E36) Fortunately for you, your interview with Neiman Marcus (see the previous case) went well, and you’ve just received a job offer from the company.

Your task: Write a letter to R. P. Bronson at Longhorn Leather and Lumber declining his job offer, and write an email message to Clarissa Bartle at Neiman Marcus accepting her job offer. Make up any information you need when accepting the Neiman Marcus offer.

LETTER-WRITING SKILLS

19-38. Message Strategies: Employment Messages (Letters of Resignation) [LO-5] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#P7001012451000000000000000006E36) Leaving a job is rarely stress free, but it’s particularly difficult when you are parting ways with a mentor who played an important role in advancing your career. A half-dozen years into your career, you have benefited greatly from the advice, encouragement, and professional connections offered by your mentor, who also happens to be your current boss. She seemed to believe in your potential from the beginning and went out of her way on numerous occasions to help you. You returned the favor by becoming a stellar employee who has made important contributions to the success of the department your boss leads.

Unfortunately, you find yourself at a career impasse. You believe you are ready to move into a management position, but your company is not growing enough to create many opportunities. Worse yet, you joined the firm during a period of rapid expansion, so there are many eager and qualified internal candidates at your career level interested in the few managerial jobs that do become available. You fear it may be years before you get the chance to move up in the company. Through your online networking activities, you found an opportunity with a firm in another industry and have decided to pursue it.

Your task: You have a close relationship with your boss, so you will announce your intention to leave the company in a private, one-on-one conversation. However, you also recognize the need to write a formal letter of resignation, which you will hand to your boss during this meeting. This letter is addressed to your boss, but as formal business correspondence that will become part of your personnel file, it should not be a “personal” letter. Making up whatever details you need, write a brief letter of resignation.

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following Assisted-graded writing questions:

19-39. How should your application letter work in conjunction with your résumé? [LO-1] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#P7001012451000000000000000006A4C)

19-40. How can you prepare for a situational or behavioral interview if you have no experience with the job for which you are interviewing? [LO-2] (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#P7001012451000000000000000006B37)

Endnotes

1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a1f#rP7001012451000000000000000007044) . Ladan Nikravan, “Socially Exceptional Recruiting,” Talent Management, 6 March 2015, www.talentmgt.com (http://www.talentmgt.com) ; VMWare website, accessed 9 May 2016, www.vmware.com (http://www.vmware.com) ; VMWare Careers profile on LinkedIn, accessed 9 May 2016, www.linkedin.com/company/vmware/careers (http://www.linkedin.com/company/vmware/careers) ; VMWare University Twitter account, accessed 9 May 2016, twitter.com/vmwareu (http://twitter.com/vmwareu) ; VMWare Community portal, accessed 9 May 2016, communities.vmware.com (http://communities.vmware.com) ; James Molloy profile on LinkedIn, accessed 9 May 2016, www.linkedin.com/in/jmolloy (http://www.linkedin.com/in/jmolloy) .

2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#rP7001012451000000000000000007046) . Matthew Rothenberg, “Manuscript vs. Machine,” Ladders, 15 December 2009, www.theladders.com (http://www.theladders.com) ; Joann Lublin, “Cover Letters Get You in the Door, So Be Sure Not to Dash Them Off,” Wall Street Journal, 6 April 2004, B1.

3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#rP7001012451000000000000000007048) . Lisa Vaas, “How to Write a Great Cover Letter,” Ladders, 20 November 2009, www.theladders.com (http://www.theladders.com) .

4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#rP700101245100000000000000000704A) . Allison Doyle, “Introduction to Cover Letters,” About.com (http://About.com) , accessed 13 August 2010, jobsearch.about.com (http://jobsearch.about.com) .

5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#rP700101245100000000000000000704C) . Alison Green, “Are You Making These 8 Mistakes on Your Cover Letter?” U.S. News & World Report, 18 July 2012, money.usnews.com (http://money.usnews.com) ; Doyle, “Introduction to Cover Letters”; Vaas, “How to Write a Great Cover Letter”; Toni Logan, “The Perfect Cover Story,” Kinko’s Impress 2 (2000): 32, 34.

6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#rP700101245100000000000000000704E) . Lisa Vaas, “How to Follow Up a Résumé Submission,” Ladders, 9 August 2010, www.theladders.com (http://www.theladders.com) .

7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#rP7001012451000000000000000007050) . Alison Doyle, “How to Follow Up After Submitting a Resume,” About.com (http://About.com) , accessed 13 August 2010, jobsearch.about.com (http://jobsearch.about.com) ; Vaas, “How to Follow Up a Résumé Submission.”

8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006a4a#rP7001012451000000000000000007052) . Anne Fisher, “How to Get Hired by a ‘Best’ Company,” Fortune, 4 February 2008, 96.

9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007054) . Fisher, “How to Get Hired by a ‘Best’ Company.”

10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007056) . Sarah E. Needleman, “Speed Interviewing Grows as Skills Shortage Looms; Strategy May Help Lock in Top Picks; Some Drawbacks,” Wall Street Journal, 6 November 2007, B15.

11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007058) . Scott Beagrie, “How to Handle a Telephone Job Interview,” Personnel Today, 26 June 2007, 29.

12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP700101245100000000000000000705A) . John Olmstead, “Predict Future Success with Structured Interviews,” Nursing Management, March 2007, 52–53.

13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP700101245100000000000000000705C) . Fisher, “How to Get Hired by a ‘Best’ Company,” 96.

14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP700101245100000000000000000705E) . Erinn R. Johnson, “Pressure Sessions,” Black Enterprise, October 2007, 72.

15 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007060) . “What’s a Group Interview?” About.com (http://About.com) Tech Careers, accessed 5 April 2008, jobsearchtech.about.com (http://jobsearchtech.about.com) .

16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007062) . Fisher, “How to Get Hired by a ‘Best’ Company.”

17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007064) . Katherine Hansen, “Behavioral Job Interviewing Strategies for Job-Seekers,” QuintCareers.com (http://QuintCareers.com) , accessed 13 August 2010, www.quintcareers.com (http://www.quintcareers.com) .

18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007066) . Hansen, “Behavioral Job Interviewing Strategies for Job-Seekers.”

19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007068) . Chris Pentilla, “Testing the Waters,” Entrepreneur, January 2004, www.entrepreneur.com (http://www.entrepreneur.com) ; Terry McKenna, “Behavior-Based Interviewing,” National Petroleum News, January 2004, 16; Nancy K. Austin, “Goodbye Gimmicks,” Incentive, May 1996, 241.

20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP700101245100000000000000000706A) . William Poundstone, “Beware the Interview Inquisition,” Harvard Business Review, May 2003, 18.

21 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP700101245100000000000000000706C) . Peter Vogt, “Mastering the Phone Interview,” Monster.com (http://Monster.com) , accessed 13 December 2006, www.monster.com (http://www.monster.com) ; Nina Segal, “The Global Interview: Tips for Successful, Unconventional Interview Techniques,” Monster.com (http://Monster.com) , accessed 13 December 2006, www.monster.com (http://www.monster.com) .

22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP700101245100000000000000000706E) . Segal, “The Global Interview.”

23 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007070) . Barbara Kiviat, “How Skype Is Changing the Job Interview,” Time, 20 October 2009, accessed 13 August 2010, www.time.com (http://www.time.com) .

24 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007072) . HireVue website, accessed 4 April 2008, www.hirevue.com (http://www.hirevue.com) ; in2View website, accessed 4 April 2008, www.in2view.biz (http://www.in2view.biz) ; Victoria Reitz, “Interview Without Leaving Home,” Machine Design, 1 April 2004, 66.

25 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007074) . Gina Ruiz, “Job Candidate Assessment Tests Go Virtual,” Workforce Management, January 2008, www.workforce.com (http://www.workforce.com) ; Connie Winkler, “Job Tryouts Go Virtual,” HR Magazine, September 2006, 131–134.

26 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007076) . U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “Employment Test and Selection Procedures,” EEOC website, accessed 24 July 2012, www.eeoc.gov (http://www.eeoc.gov) ; Jonathan Katz, “Rethinking Drug Testing,” Industry Week, March 2010, 16–18; Ashley Shadday, “Assessments 101: An Introduction to Candidate Testing,” Workforce Management, January 2010, www.workforce.com (http://www.workforce.com) ; Dino di Mattia, “Testing Methods and Effectiveness of Tests,” Supervision, August 2005, 4–5; David W. Arnold and John W. Jones, “Who the Devil’s Applying Now?” Security Management, March 2002, 85–88; Matthew J. Heller, “Digging Deeper,” Workforce Management, 3 March 2008, 35–39.

27 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006b35#rP7001012451000000000000000007078) . Frederick P. Morgeson, Michael A. Campion, Robert L. Dipboye, John R. Hollenbeck, Kevin Murphy, and Neil Schmitt, “Are We Getting Fooled Again? Coming to Terms with Limitations in the Use of Personality Tests in Personnel Selection,” Personnel Psychology 60, no. 4 (Winter 2007): 1029–1049.

28 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP700101245100000000000000000707A) . Austin, “Goodbye Gimmicks.”

29 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP700101245100000000000000000707C) . Hannah Morgan, “The Ultimate Interview Prep Checklist,” U.S. News & World Report, 23 April 2014, money.usnews.com (http://money.usnews.com) .

30 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP700101245100000000000000000707E) . Rachel Zupek, “How to Answer 10 Tough Interview Questions,” CNN.com (http://CNN.com) , 4 March 2009, www.cnn.com (http://www.cnn.com) ; Barbara Safani, “How to Answer Tough Interview Questions Authentically,” Ladders, 5 December 2009, www.theladders.com (http://www.theladders.com) .

31 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP7001012451000000000000000007080) . Nick Corcodilos, “How to Answer a Misguided Interview Question,” Seattle Times, 30 March 2008, www.seattletimes.com (http://www.seattletimes.com) .

32 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP7001012451000000000000000007082) . Katherine Spencer Lee, “Tackling Tough Interview Questions,” Certification Magazine, May 2005, 35.

33 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP7001012451000000000000000007084) . Scott Ginsberg, “10 Good Ways to ‘Tell Me About Yourself,’” Ladders, 26 June 2010, www.theladders.com (http://www.theladders.com) .

34 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP7001012451000000000000000007087) . Richard A. Moran, “The Number One Interview Trap Question,” Business Insider, 23 April 2014, www.businessinsider.com (http://www.businessinsider.com) .

35 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP7001012451000000000000000007089) . Joe Turner, “An Interview Strategy: Telling Stories,” Yahoo! HotJobs website, accessed 5 April 2008, hotjobs.yahoo.com (http://hotjobs.yahoo.com) .

36 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP700101245100000000000000000708B) . “A Word of Caution for Chatty Job Candidates,” Public Relations Tactics, January 2008, 4.

37 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP700101245100000000000000000708D) . Randall S. Hansen, “When Job-Hunting: Dress for Success,” QuintCareers.com (http://QuintCareers.com) , accessed 5 April 2008, www.quintcareers.com (http://www.quintcareers.com) ; Alison Doyle, “Dressing for Success,” About.com (http://About.com) , accessed 5 April 2008, jobsearch.about.com (http://jobsearch.about.com) .

38 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP700101245100000000000000000708F) . William S. Frank, “Job Interview: Pre-Flight Checklist,” Career Advisor, accessed 28 September 2005, careerplanning.about.com (http://careerplanning.about.com) .

39 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP7001012451000000000000000007091) . “Employers Reveal Outrageous and Common Mistakes Candidates Made in Job Interviews, According to New CareerBuilder Survey,” CareerBuilder.com (http://CareerBuilder.com) , accessed 24 March 2011, www.careerbuilder.com (http://www.careerbuilder.com) .

40 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006bc2#rP7001012451000000000000000007093) . Alison Green, “10 Surefire Ways to Annoy a Hiring Manager,” U.S. News & World Report, accessed 24 July 2012, money.usnews.com (http://money.usnews.com) .

41 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#rP7001012451000000000000000007095) . T. Shawn Taylor, “Most Managers Have No Idea How to Hire the Right Person for the Job,” Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2002, www.ebsco.com (http://www.ebsco.com) .

42 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#rP7001012451000000000000000007097) . “10 Minutes to Impress,” Journal of Accountancy, July 2007, 13.

43 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#rP7001012451000000000000000007099) . Steven Mitchell Sack, “The Working Woman’s Legal Survival Guide: Testing,” FindLaw.com (http://FindLaw.com) , accessed 22 February 2004, www.findlaw.com (http://www.findlaw.com) .

44 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#rP700101245100000000000000000709B) . Todd Anten, “How to Handle Illegal Interview Questions,” Yahoo! HotJobs website, accessed 7 August 2009, hotjobs.yahoo.com (http://hotjobs.yahoo.com) .

45 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#rP700101245100000000000000000709D) . “Negotiating Salary: An Introduction,” InformationWeek, accessed 22 February 2004, www.informationweek.com (http://www.informationweek.com) .

46 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006d7a#rP700101245100000000000000000709F) . “Negotiating Salary.”

47 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#rP70010124510000000000000000070A1) . Lisa Vaas, “Resume, Meet Technology: Making Your Resume Format Machine-Friendly,” Ladders, accessed 13 August 2010, www.theladders.com (http://www.theladders.com) .

48 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006e33#rP70010124510000000000000000070A3) . Alison Green, “How a Thank-You Note Can Boost Your Job Chances,” U.S. News & World Report, 27 June 2012, money.usnews.com (http://money.usnews.com) ; Joan S. Lublin, “Notes to Interviewers Should Go Beyond a Simple Thank You,” Wall Street Journal, 5 February 2008, B1.

49 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#rP70010124510000000000000000070A5) . Tiffany Hsu, “Extreme Interviewing: Odd Quizzes, Weird Mixers, Improve Pitches. Can You Get Past the Hiring Gatekeepers?” Los Angeles Times, 19 February 2012, B1.

50 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.18.1/sections/p7001012451000000000000000006eff#rP70010124510000000000000000070A7) . From Ritika Trikha, “The Best Tips for Tweeting Your Way to a Job,” U.S. News & World Report, 24 July 2012, money.usnews.com (http://money.usnews.com) .