1. Building Careers and
Writing Résumés
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2. Today’s Dynamic
Workplace
• Career stability
• “Job-hopping”
• Small businesses
• Independent contractors
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3. How Employers View the
Job Market
• Financial trade-offs
– Temporary workers
– Independent contractors
• Economic uncertainty
– Cheaper labor markets
– Global recruiting
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4. What Today’s
Employers Require
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Life-long learning
• Teamwork skills
• Strong work records
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5. What Today’s
Employers Require
• Leadership capabilities
• Diversified skills
• Varied experiences
• Multicultural and international
awareness
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6. Adapting to the Market
• What you want
• What you can offer
• Your workplace value
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7. What Do You Want?
Type of Nature Specific
Occupation of the Job Compensation
General Size of Type of
Career Goals Company Operation
Corporate
Location Facilities
Culture
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8. What Can You Offer?
• Personal achievements
• Educational preparation
• Work experience
• Extracurricular activities
• Personal characteristics
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9. Increasing Your Value
• Employment portfolio
• Interim assignments
• Workplace skills
• Life-long learning
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10. The Employment Search
• Build toward a career
• Prepare a résumé
• Understand the interview process
• Prepare for interview
• Take the interview
• Follow up and accept the offer
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11. Employer
Recruiting Practices
• Look inside the company
• Networking and personal references
• Employment agency or search firm
• Unsolicited résumés
• Newspaper want ads
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12. Organizing Your Approach
• Track business news
• Monitor specific firms
• Seek opportunities
• Respond to openings
• Build a network
• Seek counseling
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13. Three-Step Résumé
Process
• Planning
• Writing
• Completing
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14. Planning Your Résumé
• Audience and purpose
• Information needs
• The best medium
• Overall content
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15. What Employers Seek
• Results orientation
• Workplace achievements
• Versatility
• Signs of progress
• Standards of excellence
• Flexibility
• Communication skills
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16. Areas of Concern
• Frequent job changes
• Gaps in work history
• Level of experience
• Long-term with one company
• For-cause job termination
• Criminal or arrest record
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17. Organizing Your R ésumé
• Chronological
• Functional
• Combination
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18. Writing Your R ésumé
• Respect your résumé
• Take your time
• Review good models
• Minimize frustration
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19. Keep the R ésumé Honest
• Workplace references
• Background checks
• Credit histories
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20. Adapting to the Audience
• Consider the employer’s perspective
• Build on past accomplishments
• Stress your future potential
• Translate skills and experience
• Clarify educational achievements
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21. Composing Your R ésumé
• Name and address
• Career objective or summary
• Academic credentials
• Employment history
• Activities and achievements
• Relevant personal data
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22. Completing Your R ésumé
• Revising
• Producing
• proofreading
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23. Common Résumé
Problems
• Wrong length • Amateurish
• Hard to read • Boastful
• Wordy • Dishonest
• Too slick • Gimmicky
• Poorly reproduced • Carelessly written
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24. Producing Your R ésumé
• Printed traditional résumé
• Printed scannable résumé
• Electronic plain-text file
• MS Word file
• Online résumé
• Electronic PDF file
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25. Printing Your R ésumé
• Paper quality
• Overall length
• Formatting issues
• Objectives and key words
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26. Digital R ésumé Formats
• Plain-text file
• MS Word file
• Webpage version
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27. Proofreading Your R ésumé
• Headings and lists
• Grammar and punctuation
• Spelling and word choice
• Paper and digital formats
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28. Submitting Your R ésumé
• Postal mail
• E-mail or online
• Fax machine
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