Building Careers and Writing Rsums

Todays Dynamic Workplace

Career Stability
Lifetime Employment Job-Hopping Small Businesses Independent Contractors

What Todays Employers Require

Flexibility
Life-Long Learning Teamwork Skills Strong Work Records

What Todays Employers Require

Leadership Capabilities
Diversified Skills Varied Experiences Multicultural Awareness

Adapting to the Market

What You Want

What You Can Offer

Your Workplace Value

What Do You Want?

Type of Occupation General Career Goals Nature of the Job Size of Company Specific Compensation Type of Operation Corporate Culture

Location

Facilities

What Can You Offer?

Personal achievements Educational preparation Work experience Extracurricular activities Personal characteristics

Increasing Your Value

Employment Portfolio
Interim Assignments Workplace Skills Life-Long Learning

The Employment Search

1 2
3

Build Toward Career

Prepare Rsum

Understand Interview Process

Prepare for Interview

Take the Interview

Follow Up and Accept Offer

Employers Approach to Recruiting Process

Most Preferred Least Preferred

Look Inside the Company

Networking and Personal References

Employment Agency or Search Firm

Unsolicited Rsums

Newspaper Want Ads

Organizing Your Approach

Track Business News

Monitor Specific Firms Build a Network

Seek Counseling

Three-Step Rsum Process

Step 1 Planning
Analyze Situation

Step 2 Writing
Analyze Audience

Step 3 Completing
Revise

Gather Information
Select the Medium

Adapt to Audience
Control the Style

Produce
Proofread

Get Organized

Draft the Message

Distribute

Planning Your Rsum

Analyze Audience/Purpose
Gather Information Choose the Best Medium Organize Content

Red Flags for Employers

Frequent job changes
Gaps in work history Level of experience Long-term with one company For-cause job termination Criminal or arrest record

Writing Your Rsum

Respect the Rsum Take Your Time Review Good Models Minimize Frustration

Keep the Rsum Honest

Workplace References Background Checks Credit Histories

Adapting to the Audience

Consider the employers perspective
Build on past accomplishments

Stress your future potential

Translate skills and experience Clarify educational achievements

Composing Your Rsum

Name and Address Career Objective or Summary Academic Credentials

Employment History

Activities and Achievements

Relevant Personal Data

Completing Your Rsum

Revising
Producing Proofreading

Common Rsum Problems

Too long Too short Hard to read Wordy Too slick Amateurish Poorly produced Boastful Gimmicky Carelessly written

Proofreading Your Rsum

Headings and lists
Grammar and punctuation Spelling and word choice Paper and digital formats