BUS303 MODULE 5 CASE/SLP: EMPLOYMENT COMMUNICATION

Module 5 – Case

EMPLOYMENT COMMUNICATION

In this assignment, you will read about, “skill gaps,” (the skills people have as opposed to the skills that employers need to fill available jobs), writing a resume and cover letter, find a job opening that looks interesting, and then write a resume and cover letter for that job. Start by reading the following scholarly articles in ProQuest and below. The readings explain how to write an effective resume and cover letter that includes your abilities to acquire new skills.

Read the case information about “skilling-up” below:

“Skill Up” to Land that Job”

News abounds about a “skill gap,” or the difference between the skills people have as opposed to the skills that employers need to fill available jobs. The job resource website Quintessential Careers offers this advice to help close an individual’s skill gap.

1. Look at certification or technical training programs as ways to acquire new skills. Professional associations or community colleges are excellent resources for building competencies.
2. Become an apprentice. Some professions such as electronics, plumbing, or machining offer paid apprenticeship programs.
3. Volunteer at a nonprofit. It’s a great way to gain knowledge about how to use databases, build websites, and learn accounting procedures that you can transfer to a paying position.
4. Freelance. Expand your skills on the Internet as a freelancer, a contractor, or a “micropreneur.”

Remember that old saying: Anything that’s worth having is worth fighting for. Be ready to fight to land that job.

Critical thinking and discussion: How can you leverage your current talents to earn money while you look for a job in your chosen field? Besides learning new skills at an unpaid position, what else can you gain from volunteering? Why is it important to constantly update your skills?

Hinton, S. (2011, Nov. 7). 4 ways

6 Resume Writing Tips for Business School Grads

Jada, A. G. (2012, 6 résumé writing tips for business school grads. U.S.News & World Report, , 1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1015365544?accountid=28844.http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/top-business-schools/2012/04/11/6-resume-writing-tips-for-business-school-grads.html

Resumes, applications, and cover letters

Khoo, V. (2012). How to… write winning cover letters and résumés. Charter, 83(5), 44-45. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1023445351?accountid=28844

Case Assignment

After reading the information about “skilling up,” go to an employment website (such as Monster.com, usajobs.gov, etc.) and find a job opening that interests you. Following the guidelines from the above readings, write a resume and a cover letter applying for the job. Hand in the job ad, the resume and the cover letter. Remember and apply what you’ve learned so far on persuasion and writing letters. Your resume and cover letter will be graded on how much and how well you apply ideas from the readings.

Submit your assignments by the module’s due date.

Assignment Expectations

You should submit a copy of your job advertisement, a well-written resume, and a well-written cover letter. These documents should apply what you have learned in the course.

You should also submit a well-written summary that discusses the following three questions: How can you leverage your current talents to earn money while you look for a job in your chosen field? Besides learning new skills at an unpaid position, what else can you gain from volunteering? Why is it important to constantly update your skills? Your essay should include an introduction and a conclusion, and also make use of the Background Info, utilizing correct citation and reference style.

 

 

Module 5 – SLP

EMPLOYMENT COMMUNICATION

Conduct an information interview.

The first step in this Session Long Project is to read the following:

Information Interviews

Informational Interviewing Tutorial. This is the best introduction to information interviews we could find on the web. It tells you everything you need to know to conduct one.

Informational Interviewing Tutorial. Accessed February 17, 2011, athttp://www.quintcareers.com/informational_interviewing.html

How to Build Your Network

This is an eye-opening article about career networking. It introduces some of the key concepts of social networks and shows how they apply to improving your professional network.

Uzzi, B. & Dunlap, S. (2005). How to build your network. Accessed February 17, 2011, athttp://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/uzzi/ftp/uzzi’s_research_papers/uzzi_dunlap%20hbr.pdf

Case study source: Schiavone, K. (2012, June 24). Foot-in-door syndrome? Los Angeles Times, p. B4.

Please read “After Interview” information below:

After Interview Actions are Crucial

Never underestimate the importance of following up after an interview. Beth Gilfeather is founder of Seven Step Recruiting in Boston and offers advice that can help seal the deal.

1. Compose an effective thank-you note. Emails are perfect because they can arrive quickly and are less likely to get lost. But if the potential employer is an old-fashioned type, a handwritten note may be the best choice. Make sure to send a note to each person you spoke with, and send it within 24-36 hours after the interview.
2. Don’t overdo the follow through (for assignment purposes, use this step only if it applies to you right now). If you haven’t heard anything about the job by the date you were told you would, wait one more week before you send an email. If no date was supplied, send a follow-up email one week after the interview. A delay does not always mean disinterest.
3. Keep up your pursuit even if you did not get the job. If you are truly interested in the organization, continue to look for openings by following it on social media.

Discussion: How can you be certain about names, titles, and email addresses of the people with whom you interview? How frequently should you contact a potential employer with emails or phone calls? What’s the line between being persistent and annoying?

Next:

Assume that you are building/reshaping your personal network after having read the Harvard Business Review’s, “How to Build Your Network” article by authors Uzzi Dunlap. Conduct an information interview. using the instructions in the above reading. Write a thank you note to the person you interviewed by following the 3 steps in the “After Interview Actions” article above. Try to identify an information broker or superconductor (explained in Uzzi & Dunlap article) and Conduct an information interview. with her or him. If you are interested in changing your job or advancing, this is a wonderful opportunity. If you aren’t interested in these, find someone in a career that you find interesting, explain to your interviewee that you are doing this for a class, and that you need to act as if you are interested in exploring his or her career. Write a paper describing:

1. The person’s name, position and organization
2. Why you chose this person to interview
3. Your interview questions
4. What happened in the interview
5. The names of at least two people you were referred to
6. The person’s reaction to your resume

Finally, on your personal letterhead (you can make up an address for privacy concerns), write a post-interview thank-you letter to the person you interviewed.

Summarize your interview and answer this question in your summary: “How frequently should you contact a potential employer with emails or phone calls?”

Submit your assignments by the module’s due date.

SLP Assignment Expectations

Conduct an information interview.  Write a thank you email to the interviewee.

Summarize your interview and answer the question, “How frequently should you contact a potential employer with emails or phone calls?” Your summary should make use of the Background Info, utilizing correct citation and reference style.

Submit the interview, the thank-you note, and the summary by the module’s due date.