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Lecture Notes
Chapter 4: Résumés, Interviews, and Negotiation
Learning Objectives
4.1. Identify the six stages of the job-seeking process
4.2. Explain the important role of exploring and researching in the job-seeking process
4.3. Develop a customized résumé and cover letter
4.4. Discuss examples of how to interview and negotiate successfully
4.5. Apply the KEYS approach to conduct yourself with professional excellence throughout the
job-seeking process
Chapter Summary
Chapter 4 identifies the six stages of the job-seeking process. It also explains the important role
of exploring and researching in the job-seeking process. The chapter then describes how to
customize a résumé and cover letter. In addition, it discusses examples of how to interview and
negotiate successfully. Finally, it applies the KEYS approach to professional excellence
outlining how to conduct yourself professionally throughout the job-seeking process.
Chapter Outline
I. The Job-Seeking Process
A. Job-Seeking Process
1. Exploring
2. Researching
3. Applying
4. Interviewing
5. Following up
6. Accepting
II. Stage One: Exploring
A. Self-Exploration
1. The first step in the KEYS approach is to know yourself.
2. Begin with self-exploration.
B. Career Exploration
1. Career exploration requires you to research opportunities in your major that
correspond with your goals and priorities.
2. Shadowing someone in a job field may help.
3. Seeking an internship will allow you to develop a clearer understanding of a
career choice.
III. Stage Two: Researching
A. Researching Openings
1. Start with the university career-planning center.
2. Job fairs are held on campuses and in the community.
3. Some organizations still use classified/help wanted ads.
4. The Internet has become an excellent tool for locating employment
opportunities.
5. Word of mouth is a useful tool to find a job.
6. State employment service, sometimes called Job Service, operates in
coordination with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training
Administration to help job seekers.
7. Private employment agencies, or headhunters, can assist in the job search.
8. Professional associations can provide you with a place to network and find job
openings.
B. Researching Potential Employers
1. Before applying, research the position and the company.
2. Research will help you be audience centered in developing your résumé and
cover letter.
IV. Stage Three: Applying
A. Developing Résumés
1. A résumé provides a picture of who you are as an employee by highlighting
your skill set.
a. Develop a generic résumé that you can use as a starting point.
b. Customized résumé is written for each position.
2. Chronological
a. Lists the various elements of the résumé in reverse chronological order
with your most recent experience first.
b. Useful for new graduates or those with limited experience.
3. Functional (Skill Based)
a. Emphasize skills and attributes that can be applied to a variety of
employment situations.
b. Useful for candidates without direct employment-related experience.
4. Combination
a. Combines the elements from the chronological and functional that work
best for that candidate.
5. Contact information
a. Include your name, address, phone number, and email address.
6. Objective
a. Include a one- or two-sentence declarative statement about your career
goals.
b. Résumés have moved away from the objective to a summary of skills
and traits.
7. Education
a. Include the name of any college or university from which you have
graduated or that you are currently attending.
b. List the name of your degree and your major.
8. Experience
a. Likely label this section as employment experience.
b. Relevant experience, not just employment experience, is more
beneficial in this section.
9. Skills
a. May be incorporated in your résumé under your experiences or in a
separate category.
10. Employment Experience
a. Prominently display that experience and your job duties.
11. Awards and Hobbies
a. Awards and honors should only be included if relevant and will
strengthen your position as a candidate.
b. Hobbies and interests should not be included.
12. References
a. Should not be listed on a résumé.
b. You can make a note at the bottom of the page.
B. Customizing Résumés
1. Reviewing Your Audience
a. Systematically go through the generic résumé, identifying the
information that is most relevant to this position.
b. Delete all the information that is not relevant to the position.
c. Your first audience may be an employee in the human resources (HR)
department.
d. Once you have determined which information will be included in this
customized résumé, go back and customize the language.
2. Creating Visual Appeal
a. Create a balance between text and white space. Too much white space
indicates a lack of qualifications.
b. The font you select for the text of the résumé should be 12 point.
c. Decide on a heading system and keep it consistent.
d. Laser print them onto 8½- by 11-inch bond paper.
C. Developing Electronic and Scannable Résumés and Online Applications
1. Many organizations request that résumés be submitted via an online
application.
2. Electronic and scannable résumés must closely follow the style and
formatting required.
D. Developing Cover Letters
1. Cover letters accompany your résumé and serve to introduce you as a potential
employer, highlight your résumé, and demonstrate your writing skills.
2. State your interest in a specific position, highlight why you are qualified for the
position, and make specific reference to the required skills and qualifications
noted in the job posting.
3. No more than one page.
4. Use the same formatting as the résumé.
V. Stage Four: Interviewing
A. Before the Interview
1. Preparing Your Message
a. Have a clear understanding of the information you plan to present.
b. Review your résumé and cover letter.
c. Make a list based on important points you learned while doing your
research.
2. Anticipating Questions
a. Begin by imagining yourself as the interviewer.
b. Check out some resources that include sample interview questions.
c. Behavioral questions explore how you have handled past situations
and ask you to respond to hypothetical situations.
d. Traditional questions include some of the old standards.
3. Scripting Answers
a. The information you present during the interview should be the same
information you practiced prior to the interview.
b. Three-part formula of directly answering the question, backing up your
answer with a specific example, and then connecting your answer back to
this company and/or position.
4. Practicing Answers
a. Take part in mock interviews with the help of family and/or friends to
run through questions with you.
b. Telephone interviews are often used during the early screening phases
of the interview process.
c. When being interviewed via videoconference, try to imagine that the
camera is the person and respond accordingly.
d. An interview may be a face-to-face interview, a one-on-one interview,
a series of one-on-one interviews, panel interviews, and interviews with
multiple interviewees.
5. Preparing Your Appearance
a. Preparing for the interview begins and ends with purchasing a suit.
b. Both men and women should choose dark-colored standard business
suit attire.
c. Wear a white shirt, and men should choose a conservative tie.
d. Professional bag
e. No cell phones
f. Conservative appearance
6. Reducing Nervousness
a. Being at your best mentally and physically reduces nervousness.
b. If you must travel, scout the location.
B. During the Interview
1. Leave a good first impression.
a. Arrive 10 minutes early.
b. Treat everyone the same.
c. Monitor your nonverbal communication.
d. Be a good listener.
e. Remain positive about your qualifications, experiences, former
employers, and the organization.
2. Illegal Questions
a. There are illegal questions that might be asked during an interview.
b. Employers may not consider race, color, religion, sex, national origin,
disability, or age when hiring or promoting employees.
c. No matter how you handle an illegal question during an interview, make
note of what occurs.
d. Report this behavior to someone higher in the organization.
3. Salary Questions
a. Never bring up salary prior to being offered the position.
b. Research the appropriate pay for the position you are seeking.
c. Give a range starting with the employer’s probable salary and ending
with a little above what you are willing to accept.
VI. Stage Five: Following Up
A. Thank You
1. At the end of the interview, be certain to thank your interviewer verbally.
2. Send a formal thank-you note by sending a handwritten thank-you card.
3. If you have been communicating with the interviewer via email, then you can
send the thank-you message through email.
4. Be sure to send any additional information requested by the interviewer in a
timely manner.
VII. Stage Six: Negotiating
A. Negotiation
1. A negotiation is a discussion between two or more parties to reach an
agreement that concludes some matter.
2. Act with professional excellence.
3. Maintain a polite, collegial, and collaborative tone.
4. Let the employer make the first offer.
5. Research your value based on education, length of experience, certifications,
and management responsibility.
6. A common mistake is to not negotiate for things other than salary.
7. You can make a counter offer that is based on your research.
8. Once you have received the final offer, step back and reflect.
VIII. KEYS to Excellence in the Job-Seeking Process
A. Know Yourself
1. Describe yourself as an asset to an employer.
B. Evaluate the Professional Context
1. Understand what an employer is specifically looking for and research the
character and context of the organization.
C. Your Communication Interaction
1. Compile your intelligent and relevant questions to bolster your interview
credentials.
D. Step Back and Reflect
1. How were your questions received?
