Building Careers and

Writing Résumés
Today’s Dynamic Workplace
Career Stability

Lifetime Employment

“Job-Hopping”

Small Businesses

Independent Contractors
 What Today’s
Employers Require
Flexibility

Life-Long Learning

Teamwork Skills

Strong Work Records

 What Today’s
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 Nature Specific
Occupation of the Job Compensation

General Size of Type of

Career Goals Company Operation

Corporate
Location Facilities
Culture
 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
Build Prepare
Prepare Understand
Understand
Toward
TowardCareer
Career Résumé
Résumé Interview
InterviewProcess
Process

4 5 6
Follow
FollowUpUp
Prepare
Prepare Take
Takethe
the and
andAccept
Accept
for
forInterview
Interview Interview
Interview Offer
Offer
 Employers’ Approach to
Recruiting Process
Most Least
Preferred Preferred

Networking Employment
Look Inside Unsolicited Newspaper
and Personal Agency or
the Company Résumés Want Ads
References Search Firm
Organizing Your Approach

Track Business News

Monitor Specific Firms

Build a Network

Seek Counseling
Three-Step Résumé Process
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
Planning Writing Completing

Analyze Situation Analyze Audience Revise

Gather Information Adapt to Audience Produce

Select the Medium Control the Style Proofread

Get Organized Draft the Message Distribute

Planning Your Résumé
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 Résumé

Respect
Respect the
the R
Réésum
suméé

Take
Take Your
Your Time
Time

Review
Review Good
Good Models
Models

Minimize
Minimize Frustration
Frustration
Keep the Résumé Honest

Workplace References
Workplace References

Background Checks
Background Checks

Credit Histories
Credit Histories
 Adapting to the Audience

• Consider the employer’s perspective

• Build on past accomplishments
• Stress your future potential
• Translate skills and experience
• Clarify educational achievements
Composing Your Résumé

Name
Nameand
and Career
Career Objective
Objective Academic
Academic
Address
Address or
or Summary
Summary Credentials
Credentials

Employment
Employment Activities
Activitiesand
and Relevant
Relevant
History
History Achievements
Achievements Personal
PersonalData
Data
Completing Your Résumé

Revising

Producing

Proofreading
 Common
Résumé Problems

• Too long • Amateurish

• Too short • Poorly produced
• Hard to read • Boastful
• Wordy • Gimmicky
• Too slick • Carelessly written
Proofreading Your Résumé
Headings and lists

Grammar and punctuation

Spelling and word choice

Paper and digital formats