Business Communication

PREPARING RÐ"‰SUMÐ"‰S

After choosing the organisation in which you would like to work, the next step is to advertise yourself to them through the means of a rÐ"©sumÐ"©. It is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview. Technically, a rÐ"©sumÐ"© is another specialised persuasive business message that people are continuously having problems writing. The success of finding a suitable job entirely depends on how carefully you plan, write and complete your rÐ"©sumÐ"©.

A rÐ"©sumÐ"© needs to tell the story of you, who you are, what you have accomplished and what you can contribute to any organisation. A great rÐ"©sumÐ"© has two (2) main sections according to the article written at Rockport Institute. They are:

 Abilities, Qualities and Achievements (Cover page)

 The Evidence Section (Curriculum Vitae)

According to the C. L. BovÐ"©e and J. V. Thill (text book writers) writing a rÐ"©sumÐ"© does not have to be long and tedious if you follow the three step writing process:

PLAN WRITE COMPLETE

 Analyse the Situation

 Gather Information

 Select the Right Medium

 Organise the Information  Adapt Your Audience

 Compose the Message  Revise the Message

 Produce the Message

 Proofread the Message

 Distribute the Message

STEP 1: Planning

The chosen article states that a rÐ"©sumÐ"© should be targeted to one's goals. One should have a clear picture of what their job goals are, together with their ideal position. Furthermore, one should figure out what key skills, area of expertise or body of experience the employer will be looking for in an interviewee. To support the information given above, the text book highlights the necessity to analyse your purpose and your audience by taking the time to learn what you can about the individual(s) who may be reading your rÐ"©sumÐ"©. It also mention that by gathering pertinent information about oneself can be beneficial when the time comes to begin the composing of the rÐ"©sumÐ"©, not that every detail of information will be included.

The article emphasizes the importance of highlighting strengths and de-emphasizing weakness, which is also discussed in detail by the BovÐ"©e and Thill. Choose an organisational model that draws attention to your strengths and downplays your weaknesses. There are three (3) types of models:

 Chronological rÐ"©sumÐ"©: work experience is placed immediately after the name, address and optional objective. It is mainly used if someone has strong employment history. This approach is the most common one used by individuals.

 Functional rÐ"©sumÐ"©: emphasises your skills and capabilities while recognizing employers and academic experience in a subordinate section. It is often used by persons with little employment history or academic qualifications.

 Combination rÐ"©sumÐ"©: it is combination of both the chronological and functional rÐ"©sumÐ"©. This type is recommended to UWI final year students.

STEP 2: Writing

According to the Rockport Institute, backing up what you say in your rÐ"©sumÐ"© is imperative. This is where honesty comes into central play. BovÐ"©e and Thill noted that keeping your rÐ"©sumÐ"© honest is representing who you really are thus leading you towards jobs that are truly right for you. In keeping with the honesty, nothing is wrong with pumping things up in your rÐ"©sumÐ"© as you portray who you are and what you do at your best or in the best light. When it comes to the composing of the rÐ"©sumÐ"© there are a few key points emphasised by both the article and the text book. The use of power words or power language at the beginning of a sentence is needed to avoid repetitive phasing. The article and the text states that writing should be concise and to the point using short, crisp and direct phases instead of whole sentence, keeping in mind to focus on what the reader needs to know. Avoiding the use of the words "I", "He" and "She" is important because they tend to sound self-involved and repetitious.

Listed below is a typical format for writing a rÐ"©sumÐ"©, using the chronological order, basically the order in which information should be written on the paper:

Name and Contact Information: According to BovÐ"©e and Thill, the first thing the employer needs to know is who you are and where you can be reached, which is mandatory. The article notes that this section includes your name, physical address (permanent and temporary), telephone number(s) and email address (professional sounding). When writing personal data make sure and exclude any mention of race, religion, family status or any other information that might encourage discrimination, whether its intentional or not.

Career Objective: The article states that a rÐ"©sumÐ"© needs an initial focus to help the reader understand immediately what your profession is and what you can do. The text book clearly states to be sure that the objective is to the point with a specific aim, which is to generate immediate interest. With some careful writing you can phrase your career objectives in terms that can highlight the reader's needs.

Work Experience, Skills and Accomplishments: The Rockport Institute noted that jobs should be listed in a reverse chronological order, focusing on the most recent and relevant jobs. When you describe past job responsibilities,