Creating Effective Job Documents

Writing 465

Fall 2000

Where are the jobs?

In last 10 years, 50% in organizations of a hundred employees or fewer

In last 5 years, 50% in organizations of 50 employees or fewer

In last 10 years, 73% of layoffs in organizations of 1000 or larger

--Source: The Wall Street Journal

Where to find jobs?

#1 in all industry sectors: networking (church, job, professors, neighbors, organizations, chat rooms)

Where the industry advertises its jobs (trade publications, organizations, Internet)

Where the general public gets at jobs (newspaper, want ads, signs in stores, etc.)

What works?

Insider approach to hiring person (not HR Department)

Response to stimulus rather than waiting for ad

Personal interview

Internship/co-op

Connection

What doesn’t work?

To whom it may concern

Broadcast resume distribution

"I don’t know if you’re hiring or not, but…"

Responding to advertised jobs

Rhetorical Analysis

Audience Analysis

Situational Analysis

What does this mean for your job documents?

Organizations are leaner and meaner, so more employees have to multi-task

They value employees with multiple skill sets

They especially value employees who can think "outside the box"

Good communication skills are a real plus

In terms of job letters,

In terms of resumes,

Advertise the quality of work you can perform

Customize (organization, phrasing) to fit the opening

Emphasize your strongest qualifications

Take advantage of technology

Create desire for an interview

Avoid

Ignoring your audience

Shooting yourself in the foot

Slavishly following templates

Screwing up through technology

Doing stuff "because somebody told me I should x….."