Business Communication Today, 13th Ed.
Chapter 18. Building Careers and Writing Resumes
Emily Liou (photo, left) answers the following Ask a Credible Career Coach question: "I’ve only been at my current job for a few months, but I know for certain that it’s just not right for me.
"Follow these tips to approach resumes like a psychologist, so you don't sell yourself short.
"But for us little guys — the companies who hire dozens instead of hundreds; the start ups looking to change the world with team members who are equal parts talented and passionate; the tribes where each new person immediately sends ripples through the culture — we read every cover letter, and make our interview decisions based on them.
"As soon as something goes wrong in our lives, we as humans tend to fall into negative thinking patterns.
"Let's face it - almost everyone has irrelevant jobs on their work history.
"Are job seekers who are currently employed more desirable candidates?
"Most of the time finding a new job is about who you know and your networking strategies.
"As Cathy Benko and Molly Anderson predicted in their 2010 book, we’ve gone from a corporate ladder to a Corporate Lattice, in which professionals’ career progress may only sometimes be linear — and often, may instead appear diagonal or horizontal.
"While the classic refrain focuses on how jobs will be lost to the robots, it’s not all doom and gloom for the human race explains Jason Hill, financial services expert at PA Consulting.
25 TED speakers answer the question.
According to David Jensen, "As an advanced-degree holder in the sciences, you don’t have to be on the job market to feel beat down.
"While most workers still have one, companies and recruiters are putting less emphasis on résumés when searching for job candidates.
"If you have a skill that’s in demand, chances are you’ve received more than one job offer.
"These stats will help you bring your recruiting strategy into the 21st century.
According to Oliver Staley (photo, left), "Resumes are a poor proxy for a human being.
"Building relationships at work takes time and patience, but it’s crucial to your career.
"I’ve read a lot of cover letters in my career — thousands of them, maybe even tens of thousands.
"My career fantasies," writes Erin McDermott Peterson, "consisted of me getting to just focus on recruiting all day—finding and interviewing people, making offers, and convincing them this was the right opportunity for them.
"Any time we interview someone, we wait to see whether they’ll write a thank you note or not.
"Great results are more than half the battle.
"Wondering how to get recruiters to notice your resume and application?
Lydia Bowers (photo, left) fields a question from a reader about changing careers at 60.
"Presumably, extroverts are more excited by going to mixers and events and meeting new people.
Lydia Bowers (photo, left) answers a reader's question at TheMuse.