Business Communication Chapter 15 Homework A collection of digitized materials that can be accessed at a website; provides viewers with a snapshot of a candidate’s talents, accomplishments, and technical skills

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Instructor Manual

Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234;

Chapter 15: The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters in the Digital Age

Table of Contents

Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter …………………………………………………………………………. 2

Cengage Supplements …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2

Chapter Objectives ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2

Complete List of Chapter Activities and Assessments ……………………………………………………… 3

Key Terms ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4

What’s New in This Chapter ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Chapter Outline …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6

Discussion Questions …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17

Additional Activities and Assignments …………………………………………………………………………… 20

Additional Resources ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 23

Cengage Video Resources ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 23

Appendix …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 24

Generic Rubrics ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24

Standard Writing Rubric ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 24

Standard Discussion Rubric ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 25

Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter

The purpose of this chapter is to explore job searching, résumé writing, and cover

messages in a digital age job market that is more competitive than ever before. First, we

cover how technology is altering today’s job searching. Next, we unveil search strategies for

Cengage Supplements

The following product-level supplements provide additional information that may help you

in preparing your course. They are available in the Instructor Resource Center.

• Transition Guide (provides information about what’s new from edition to edition)

• Educator’s Guide (describes assets in the platform with a detailed breakdown of

activities by chapter with seat time)

Chapter Objectives

The following objectives are addressed in this chapter:

15-1 Describe how technology is altering the four major steps in a job search.

15-2 List search strategies that explore the open job market.

Complete List of Chapter Activities and Assessments

For additional guidance, refer to the Teaching Online Guide.

Chapter

Objective

PPT

Slide

Activity/Assessment

Duration

Certification Standard

15-1

Pair Activity in PPT

60 min

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Theory application

15-3

Knowledge Check Activity in PPT

BUSPROG: Ethics

DISC: Theory application

15-4

Writing Improvement Activity in

PPT

60 min

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Theory application

15-5

Group Discussion Activity in PPT

45 min

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Theory application

15-6

Writing Improvement Activity in

PPT

45 min

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Theory application

15-1–15–

Grammar and Mechanics Quiz in

PPT

30 min

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Standard English

N/A

Grammar and Mechanics Pre-

Course Diagnostic*

60 min

BUSPROG: Communication

N/A

Grammar and Mechanics

Tutorials*

N/A

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Standard English

N/A

Grammar and Mechanics Check-

Up Activities*

N/A

BUSPROG: Communication

DISC: Standard English

N/A

Learn It: Chapter 15 The Job

Search, Résumés, and Cover

Letters in the Digital Age

min

N/A

15-1–15–

N/A

Assignment: Chapter 15 The Job

Search, Résumés, and Cover

Letters in the Digital Age

20 min

N/A

15-1–15–

N/A

Video Presentation: Using Social

Media in the Job Search (Chapter

15 The Job Search, Résumés, and

Cover Letters in the Digital Age)

15 min

N/A

15-1–15–

N/A

Practice Quiz: Chapter 15 The Job

Search, Résumés, and Cover

Letters in the Digital Age

25–30

min

N/A

Chapters

N/A

Writing Assignment: Writing a

Cover Letter (Unit 05

Employment Communication)***

N/A

** This activity appears at the beginning of Unit 5.

*** This activity appears at the end of Unit 5.

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Key Terms

Applicant tracking system (ATS): Technology used by companies to post openings, select

résumés, rank candidates, and generate interview requests.

Career e-portfolio: A collection of digitized materials that can be accessed at a website;

provides viewers with a snapshot of a candidate’s talents, accomplishments, and technical

skills.

Networking: Using person-to-person contacts during a job search.

Open job market: Jobs that are advertised or listed.

PDF (portable document format): An acronym that stands for Portable Document

Format; a format that creates a document that looks exactly like the original and is difficult

to alter.

Plain-text format: An electronic résumé format containing only standard keyboard

characters and no special formatting (bold, italics, or underlining) that is suitable for e-

mailing or uploading to online submission forms.

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What’s New in This Chapter

The following elements are improvements in this chapter from the previous edition:

• For one of the most important chapters in the book, researched hundreds of

current articles, blogs, and videos to detect the latest trends, technologies, and

practices affecting the job search, résumé writing, and cover messages.

• Presented strategies and practices to help job hunters in both the open job market

and the hidden job market.

• Revisited LinkedIn recognizing its pros and cons but stressing its importance in any

job search.

• Redesigned the four-step job search plan to clarify and streamline the process for

easier comprehension.

• Updated all résumé models and cover messages with particular emphasis on

documents illustrating typical experience and qualifications of new graduates.

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Chapter Outline

In the outline below, each element includes references (in parentheses) to related content.

“CH.##” refers to the chapter objective; “PPT Slide #” refers to the slide number in the

PowerPoint deck for this chapter (provided in the PowerPoints section of the Instructor Resource

Center); and, as applicable for each discipline, accreditation or certification standards (DISC).

Introduce the chapter and review learning objectives for Chapter 15. (PPT Slide 2).

I. Technology Shapes Today’s Job Searching (15-1, PPT Slides 3–11,

DISC: Communication evolution)

a. Emerging trends in digital age job hunting include the following (Figure 15.1):

i. It’s all digital: Today’s candidates search job boards, apply online,

research employers, e-mail résumés, and develop personal online

brands.

b. Mobile technology dominates job searching:

i. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) automatically post openings, select

résumés, rank candidates, and generate interview requests.

c. Your best plan for completing a successful job search involves a four-step

process (Figure 15.2):

i. Analyzing yourself

d. A job search should open with self-analysis:

i. What are you passionate about? Can you turn this passion into a

career?

ii. Do you enjoy working with people, data, or things?

vi. How would you describe the perfect job, boss, and coworkers?

e. When taking stock of their qualifications, job applicants should ask

themselves these questions:

i. What technology skills can you present?

ii. Do you communicate well in speech and in writing? Do you know

f. To prepare for career opportunities, follow these tips:

i. Visit your campus career center.

ii. Search for career apps.

vii. Monitor the classified ads.

g. Pair Activity: 60 minutes total. Activity 15.4—Taking Stock of Your

Qualifications

Break class into pairs and have students complete the activity found at the

end of the chapter. Be sure to have students prepare these worksheets. They

may resist, but with your encouragement and insistence, they should do a

good job. Collect their sheets and give some kind of credit for completing the

work. This exercise should be one part of their total employment

communication score.

• Were there any sections that were more difficult to complete than

others?

• How will you improve your own inventory based upon this exercise?

II. Exploring the Open Job Market (15-2, PPT Slides 12–19, DISC: Communication

evolution; Application)

a. There are two distinct job markets:

i. The open job market consists of jobs that are advertised or publicly

listed.

b. Most job seekers begin in the open job market by visiting the big job boards.

i. Job boards can provide valuable information such as résumé,

interviewing, and salary tips.

c. The four top job sites are Indeed, CareerBuilder, Monster, and

CollegeRecruiter.

d. There are also many niche sites for specialized fields.

e. Visit company websites for the best leads.

i. Many companies only post openings to their own sites.

g. The challenge when posting job-search information online is to strike a

balance between supplying enough information and protecting yourself.

(Figure 15.3)

i. Use reputable, well-known sites and never pay to post a résumé.

ii. Don’t divulge personal data and use your city and state or region in

place of your home address.

h. Small Group Activity: 45 minutes total. Activity 15.7—Learning About Posting

a Résumé Online

Break class into groups of three to five students and have groups complete

the activity found at the end of the chapter. Many websites encourage the

posting of résumés. Some of the most reputable sites for posting are

LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Monster, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and CareerBuilder. Your

student investigators should learn that candidates have the option of making

tips regarding posting résumés online.

• What are the most reputable sites for posting?

• How can you protect your résumé while keeping it visible to

employers?

III. Unlocking the Hidden Job Market (15-3, PPT Slides 20–26, DISC: Communication

evolution; Theory application)

a. To establish a network, follow these three steps:

i. Step 1: Develop a contact list—Make a list of anyone who would be

willing to talk with you about finding a job.

search.

b. LinkedIn can be a valuable resource in finding a job. (Figure 15.5)

i. Develop an online presence at LinkedIn and update your profile

regularly.

ii. Search LinkedIn for companies that interest you and find employees

c. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are also increasingly important.

i. Showcase your skills and highlight your experience.

d. To build a personal brand, follow these tips (Figure 15.6):

i. Create a personal tagline that briefly describes what distinguishes

you.

e. Knowledge Check Activity: 15 minutes total. Test Your Workplace Etiquette

Have students check their workplace etiquette IQ by deciding whether the

statements are true or false and then discuss the answers with the class.

• You’re currently employed but have decided to move on. As you begin

the job search, you should share your decision only with coworkers

who can help you find another position and who promise to keep

your goal secret.

o False — Sharing your decision to search for another job with

• If you are keen on a specific job, you should apply to the same job

multiple times in the same week to guarantee that your name and

résumé keep popping up on the company’s radar.

o False — Hiring managers, recruiters, and human resources

• The safest way to avoid a cell phone blunder during a job interview is

to not take your phone with you at all. If you leave it locked in your

car, you will not be tempted to look at it. Remember that you may be

observed from the moment you walk into the building and being

glued to your phone could present a less-than-favorable impression.

o True — This seems extreme, but it is a recommendation that

Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters in the Digital Age

IV. Customizing Your Résumé (15-4, PPT Slides 27–41, DISC: Communication evolution;

Theory application; Rhetorical considerations; Personal, corporate, legal, ethical

responsibilities)

a. You have between 5 and 10 seconds to catch a recruiter’s eye.

d. A chronological résumé has the following characteristics (Model Documents

15.3, 15.4, and 15.6):

i. Lists work history job by job in reverse order

e. Another option is the functional résumé (Model Document 15.5):

i. Groups skills and accomplishments

f. Experts disagree on how long a résumé should be, but here are some

general guidelines to follow:

i. One page: Fewer than 10 years of experience; candidates making a

career change; individuals with only one or two employers

iii. Three or more pages: Senior-level managers and executives

g. Information should be organized into effective résumé categories:

i. Main heading

ii. Career objective or job title

iii. Summary of qualifications (optional)—presents a snapshot of your

most notable work experience, achievements, and skills (Model

Documents 15.3 and 15.5)

i. To perfect a résumé and keep it honest, follow these guidelines:

i. Condense information into as few headings as possible.

ii. Study other résumés for formatting ideas.

j. Once written, a résumé should go through a thorough proofreading process:

i. Proofread, proofread, proofread.

k. Writing Improvement Activity: 60 minutes total. Activity 15.1—Document

for Analysis: Poorly Written Résumé

Have students complete the activity found at the end of the chapter.

• Detailed feedback for this activity—including a revised résumé

sample—can be found in the Solutions Manual.

• Document weaknesses include:

o Begins with the title “Résumé,” which is unnecessary. Fails to

present the writer’s name so that it can be easily read by a

scanner.

o Fails to organize experience chronologically and with easily

recognizable job titles, dates of employment, and

accomplishments.

o Includes high school reference, which should be omitted.

o Does not emphasize computer skills.