Business Communication

Business Communication Lecturer: Gareth Jones Class 15: CV’s

Today: Language point to note • In UK English • Curriculum Vitae (CV) • In American English • Résumé • In Chinese • 简历 Business Communication (BUS-100)

Today • CV’s • A different kind of Sales message • YOU are the product • Objective: Sell yourself of course! Business Communication (BUS-100)

Today • CV’s • What is a CV? • Preparing your CV • Type of CVs • What to include/omit Business Communication (BUS-100)

Today • Making your own CV • Sections to include • How to write each section • Print and e- CV’s • Editing and finishing your CV Business Communication (BUS-100)

What is a CV • Structured written summary of … • Experiences • Skills • Education and activities • … that make you qualified for a job • Think of it like a sales message. Business Communication (BUS-100)

CV’s Contain • Features i.e. what you have done • Benefits i.e. how you can help a company, government, school, etc. Business Communication (BUS-100)

Sample CV Business Communication (BUS-100)

3 Step Writing Process • Like any message in business, a good CV needs: • Planning • Writing • Completing Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Analyse your audience • Think about what makes you interesting and qualified for a job • Think about things you have that your audience wants Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Gathering • Think about everything you have done in your whole life. • Requires lots of brainstorming Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Every job (dates, duties, accomplishments) • All Education (degrees, courses, dates, awards) • Other (clubs, volunteer work, presentations, dates, etc.) Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Collect all this info before making your CV. • Remember specific things that you did in jobs, school, clubs, etc. Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Adapt your CV • Have a different CV for each job, scholarship, program you are applying to • Why? Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • Generic CV = General CV • Targeted CV = Adapted to different jobs Business Communication (BUS-100)

Planning • The biggest mistake job seekers make is submitting a generic CV • You must think about what your audience wants and adapt it to them Business Communication (BUS-100)

Myths Vs. Facts • The purpose of a CV is to list all your skills and accomplishments • The purpose of a CV is to get employer interest and generate a job interview Business Communication (BUS-100)

Myths Vs. Facts • A good CV will get you the job you want • A good CV will only get you an interview Business Communication (BUS-100)

Myths Vs. Facts • Your CV will be read carefully by an interested employer • Your CV probably has less than a minute to make an impression Business Communication (BUS-100)

Myths Vs. Facts • The more information you present in your CV the better • Too much information may make the reader bored Business Communication (BUS-100)

Writing • Organise your CV around your strengths • Select a format/style that will focus on your strengths and deemphasise your weaknesses Business Communication (BUS-100)

3 Types of CV • Chronological • Functional • Combination Business Communication (BUS-100)

Chronological CV • Organised in order of when things happened • List most recent position first, then follow in that order Business Communication (BUS-100)

Chronological CV • Pros • Employers are familiar with this style • Highlights career growth • Highlights stability • Straightforward Business Communication (BUS-100)

Chronological CV • Good for people: • With long careers • With a strong career path • Who want to continue current career Business Communication (BUS-100)

Chronological CV • Bad for people: • With little experience • Looking to switch careers • Who have just finished or are in School or University Business Communication (BUS-100)

Functional CV • Emphasises skills and accomplishments by splitting them into groups Business Communication (BUS-100)

Functional CV • Pros: • Emphasise earlier job experience • Deemphasise lack of career progress or unemployment • Highlight your skills instead of your experience Business Communication (BUS-100)

Functional CV • Cons: • Employers are not used to it • May seem like you are trying to hide something Business Communication (BUS-100)

Functional CV • Good for: • Students/young people • People entering the job market • People looking to switch careers Business Communication (BUS-100)

Combination CV • Combines the best parts of the chronological and functional CV Business Communication (BUS-100)

Combination CV • Pros: • It is more open ended • You may adapt it a lot easier Business Communication (BUS-100)

Combination CV • Cons: • Is can be too long • Can be repetitive if you must list things twice Business Communication (BUS-100)

Conclusion • Students at HAUT and anyone looking for their first job want to use a type of combination CV called an: • Entry Level CV Business Communication (BUS-100)

What to Include • There are rules regarding what to include and what not to include in your CV. • For this class, we will use western guidelines Business Communication (BUS-100)

What to Include • Name and address (necessary) • Employer must know who you are and how to reach you Business Communication (BUS-100)

What to Include • Name – Biggest thing on the CV • Full Address – May need current & permanent • Phone Number – With country code • Email –Make it professional • Website – If you have a personal one to share Business Communication (BUS-100)

What to Include • Objective (Optional) • Experts disagree whether or not to include an objective • It is up to you to make this decision Business Communication (BUS-100)

What to Include • What does an objective do? • Clarifies the purpose of your CV • Presents a clear statement of your goals • When should I use an objective? • Include it on the resume when it is very targeted • Specific type of position • Specific the skills you offer to meet that position Business Communication (BUS-100)

What to Include • Summary of qualifications (Optional) • Like the executive summary of your CV • Like a business report, it may be the only thing that people read • If you include one, make it strong, direct, and convincing Business Communication (BUS-100)

What to Include • Education (Necessary) • Especially for current students, this may be the strongest part of your CV. • Include related courses, grades, awards and an expected graduation date and result (if known) Business Communication (BUS-100)

What to Include • Work experience (if you have any) • You may include related and unrelated work experience • List the name of your company, job title, and dates • Include accomplishments, key skills used and responsibilities Business Communication (BUS-100)

What to Include • Skills/Accomplishments (if you have any) • Anything you have done or can do that will increase your qualifications • Languages, computer skills, etc. Business Communication (BUS-100)

What to Include • Activities (if you have any) • Anything you did in your free time that might make you better suited for the job • Teams, clubs, organisations, dancing, singing etc. (not I spend 5 hours on online gaming each day) Business Communication (BUS-100)

Business Communication