The Executive Summary (excerpt)

Purpose of the Proposal

This document will acquaint the reader with 3 principle topics by

■Showing what the San Diego State University (SDSU) Suntrakker project is

■Showing that the team-oriented, inerdepartmental diciplines at SDSU possesses the tenacity and knowhow to build and race a solar-powered vehical in the World solar Challenge Race in Austrailia next year;

■Define and articulate how this business team expect to promote and generate the neccesary support; funds, and materials from the student body, alumni, community and local businesses to sieze and executive this opportunity;

Project Profile

The Suntrakker Solar Car project was conceived by a small group of San Diego State university engineering students motivated by the successof of the General

motors “Sunrayce,” committed itself to designing and building a superior solar-powered vehicle to compete in the world Solar Challenge.

From modest Beginnings, the Suntrakker project quickly revolved into a cross-disciplinary educational effort encompassing students from many colleges of San Diego State University. The project has provides students participants and volunteers with valuable real life experiences and has brought them together in an effort that benefits not only the students and the university but also the environment.

Sponsors of this project are not only contributing to the successful achievment of the overall Suntrakker project but will also enhance their goodwill, advertising, and name promotion by association with the project. In addition, the Suntrakker offers a unique opportunity for the companies who can donate parts and accessories to showcase their name and test field their products in public in this highly publicized international contest.

References

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2.Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill, Business in Action, 5th ed. (Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011), 241–242.

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.com, 10 June 2009, http://money.cnn.com.

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26January 2004, 48.

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.yahoo.com.

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.msnbc.com.

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.dacc.edu/career; Career Counseling, Sarah Lawrence College website, accessed 23 March 2008, www.slc.edu/occ/ index.php; Cheryl L. Noll, “Collaborating with the Career Planning and Placement Center in the Job-Search Project,” Business Communication Quarterly 58, no. 3 (1995): 53–55.

382 Unit 5: Employment Messages and Job Interviews

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.wsj.com.

13.Randall S. Hansen and Katharine Hansen, “What Résumé Format Is Best for You?” QuintCareers.com, accessed 7 August 2010, www.quintcareers.com.

14.Hansen and Hansen, “What Résumé Format Is Best

for You?”

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.monster.com; Susan Vaughn, “Answer the Hard Questions Before Asked,” Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2001, W1–W2.

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and Fraud,” Compensation & Benefits for Law Offices, June 2006, 1.

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21.Cari Tuna and Keith J. Winstein, “Economy Promises to Fuel Résumé Fraud,” Wall Street Journal, 17 November 2008, http://online.wsj.com; Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, “Getting Wise to Lies,” Time, 1 May 2006, 59; “Resume Fraud Gets Slicker and Easier”; Employment Research Services website, accessed 18 March 2004, www.erscheck.com.

22.“How to Ferret Out Instances of Résumé Padding and Fraud.”

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23June 2005, 13.

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a Résumé,” accessed 9 August 2010, www.rockportinstitute

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30.Anthony Balderrama, “Resume Blunders That Will Keep You from Getting Hired,” CNN.com, 19 March 2008, www.cnn.com; Michelle Dumas, “5 Resume Writing Myths,” Distinctive Documents blog, 17 July 2007, http:// blog.distinctiveweb.com; Kim Isaacs, “Resume Dilemma: Recent Graduate,” Monster.com, accessed 26 March 2008, http://career-advice.monster.com.

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Business Communication Quarterly 67, no. 2 (June 2004): 198–205.

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MyBCommLab®

ImproveYour Grade!

Over 10 million students improved their results using the Pearson MyLabs.

Visit mybcommlab.com for simulations, tutorials, and end-of- chapter problems.

After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1Explain the purposes of application letters and describe how to apply the AIDA organizational approach to them.

2Describe the typical sequence of job interviews, the major types

of interviews, and the attributes employers look for during an interview.

3List six tasks you need to complete to prepare for a successful job interview.

Communication

Matters . . .

Photo courtesy of Robert Half International

Staffing expert Max Messmer appreciates the stress that interviewees feel but encourages them to focus on portraying their value to the company.

4 Explain how to succeed in all three stages of an interview.

5Identify the most common employment messages that follow an interview and explain when you would use each one.

“Avoid becoming so focused on saying the ‘right thing’ that you don’t give an accurate portrayal of your skills and interests. . . . The hiring manager is trying to get to know you, so do your best

to provide a glimpse into what type of employee you’ll be.”

Chairman and CEO, Robert Half International1

Max Messmer’s observation about employment interviewing highlights an important point that is too easy to forget during the often-stressful process of looking for a job: An interview should be approached as a business conversation in which both parties get to know each other better. Don’t view it as a test in which you try to guess the “right” answers or as an interrogation in which you have to defend your background and skills. Treat interviews as opportunities to share information. After all, you need to determine which company is the right employer for you, just as companies need to determine whether you are the right employee for them. You’ll learn more this way, and you’ll lower the stress level, too.

This chapter will give you a foundation for successful interviewing, along with tips on writing effective application letters and other important employment-related messages.

1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Explain the purposes of application letters, and describe how to apply the AIDA organizational approach to them.

Submitting Your Résumé

Your résumé (see Chapter 13) is the centerpiece of your job search package, but it needs support from several other employment messages, including application letters, job-inquiry letters, application forms, and follow-up notes.

Writing Application Letters

Always accompany your résumé with an application letter (printed or email) that motivates the recipient to read the résumé.

As with proposals, the best approach for an application letter depends on whether your application is solicited or unsolicited.

The opening paragraph of your application letter needs to clearly convey the reason you’re writing and give the recipient a compelling reason to keep reading.

Whenever you mail, email, hand-deliver, or upload your résumé, you should include an application letter, also known as a cover letter, to let readers know what you’re sending, why you’re sending it, and how they can benefit from reading it. (Even though this message is often not a printed letter anymore, many professionals still refer to it as a letter.) Take the same care with your application letter that you took with your résumé. A poorly written application letter can prompt employers to skip over your résumé, even if you are a good fit for a job.2 Staffing specialist Abby Kohut calls the application letter “a writing-skills evaluation in disguise” and emphasizes that even a single error can get you bounced from contention.3

The best approach for an application letter depends on whether you are applying for an identified job opening or are prospecting—taking the initiative to write to companies even though they haven’t announced a job opening that is right for you.4 In many ways, the difference between the two is like the difference between solicited and unsolicited proposals (see page 263). Figure 14.1 shows an application message written in response to a posted job opening. The writer knows exactly what qualifications the organization is seeking and can “echo” those attributes back in his letter.

Writing a prospecting letter is more challenging because you don’t have the clear target you have with a solicited letter, and the message is unexpected. You will need to do more research to identify the qualities that a company would probably seek for the position you hope to occupy (see Figure 14.2 on page 386). Also, search for news items that involve the company, its customers, the profession, or the individual manager to whom you are writing. Using this information in your application letter helps you establish common ground with your reader—and it shows that you are tuned in to what is going on in the industry.

For either type of letter, follow these tips to be more effective:5

■If the name of an individual manager is findable, address your letter to that person. Search LinkedIn, the company’s website, industry directories, Twitter, and anything else you can think of to locate an appropriate name. Ask the people in your network if they know a name. If you can’t find a name, addressing your letter to “Dear Hiring Manager” is perfectly acceptable.

■Clearly identify the opportunity you are applying for or expressing interest in.

■Show that you understand the company and its marketplace.

■Never volunteer salary history or requirements unless an employer has asked for this information.

■Keep it short—no more than three or four brief paragraphs. Remember that all you are trying to do at this point is move the conversation forward one step.

■Show some personality, while maintaining a business-appropriate tone. The letter gives you the opportunity to balance the facts-only tone of your résumé.

■Project confidence without being arrogant.

■Don’t just repeat information from your résumé; use the conversational tone of the letter to convey additional professional and personal qualities and your reasons for wanting this particular job.

Because application letters are persuasive messages, the AIDA approach you learned in Chapter 9 is ideal, as the following sections explain.

Getting Attention

The opening paragraph of your application letter must accomplish two essential tasks: (1) explaining why you are writing and (2) giving the recipient a reason to keep reading by

Sea-Air Global Transport has an immediate opening for a supply chain pricing analyst in our Tacoma,WA, headquarters.This challenging position requires excellent communication skills in a variety of media, a polished customer service presence both in person and over the phone, and proven aptitude in statistical analysis and business mathematics.

The minimum educational requirement for this position is a bachelors degree or equivalent, preferably in business, statistical methods, or applied mathematics. Experience in customer service is highly desirable, and experience in transportation or logistics is a major plus.

Click here to learn more about Sea-Air or click here to explore the attractive compensation and benefits packages we offer all employees.

Smith’s application letter echoes the language of the job posting.

Figure 14.1 Solicited Application Message

In this response to an online job posting, Dalton Smith highlights his qualifications while mirroring the requirements specified in the posting. Following the AIDA model, he grabs attention immediately by letting the reader know that he is familiar with the company and the global transportation business.

demonstrating that you have some immediate potential for meeting the company’s needs. Consider this opening:

With the recent slowdown in corporate purchasing, I can certainly appreciate the challenge of new fleet sales in this business environment. With my high energy level and 16 months of new-car sales experience, I believe I can produce the results you listed as vital in the job posting on your website.

The opening paragraph identifies the specific job for which he is applying.

In this discussion of his skills, he echoes the qualifications stated in the job posting.

In the close, he politely asks for an interview in a way that emphasizes yet another job-related skill.

Identify where you discovered the job opening; describe what you have to offer.

Your ad in the April issue of Travel & Leisure for a cruise-line social director caught my eye. My eight years of experience as a social director in the travel industry would allow me to serve your new Caribbean cruise division well.

This applicant does a smooth job of echoing the company’s stated needs while highlighting his personal qualifications and providing evidence that he understands the broader market. He balances his relative lack of experience with enthusiasm and knowledge of the industry. Table 14.1 suggests some other ways you can spark interest and grab attention in your opening paragraph.

Building Interest and Increasing Desire

The middle section of your letter presents your strongest selling points in terms of their potential benefit to the organization, thereby building interest in you and creating a desire to interview you. Be specific and back up your assertions with convincing evidence:

Poor: I completed three college courses in business communication, earning an A in each course, and have worked for the past year at Imperial Construction.

Improved: Using the skills gained from three semesters of college training in business communication, I developed a collection system for Imperial Construction that reduced annual bad-debt losses by 25 percent.

In a solicited letter, be sure to discuss each major requirement listed in the job posting. If you are deficient in any of these requirements, stress other solid selling points to help strengthen your overall presentation. Don’t restrict your message to just core job duties, either. Also highlight personal characteristics that apply to the targeted position, such as your ability to work hard or handle responsibility:

Use the middle section of your application letter to expand on your opening and present a more complete picture of your strengths.

Don’t bring up salary in your application letter unless the recipient has asked you to include your salary requirements.

Mention your salary requirements only if the organization has asked you to state them. If you don’t know the salary that’s appropriate for the position and someone with your qualifications, you can find typical salary ranges at the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, www

.bls.gov, or a number of commercial websites. If you do state a target salary, tie it to the value you would offer:

For the past two years, I have been helping a company similar to yours organize its database marketing efforts. I would therefore like to receive a salary in the same range (the mid-60s) for helping your company set up a more efficient customer database.

Toward the end of this section, refer the reader to your résumé by citing a specific fact or general point covered there:

As you can see in the attached résumé, I’ve been working part-time with a local publisher since my sophomore year. During that time, I’ve used client interactions as an opportunity to build strong customer service skills.

In the final paragraph of your application letter, respectfully ask for specific action and make it easy for the reader to respond.

Motivating Action

The final paragraph of your application letter has two important functions: to ask the reader for a specific action (usually an interview) and to facilitate a reply. Offer to come to the employer’s office at a convenient time or, if the firm is some distance away, to meet with its nearest representative or arrange a telephone or Skype interview. Include your email address and phone number, as well as the best times to reach you:

After you have reviewed my qualifications, could we discuss the possibility of putting my marketing skills to work for your company? I am available at (360) 555-7845 from 2 PM to 10 PM Monday to Friday or by email at john.wagner462@ gmail.com.

Think creatively about a follow-up letter; show that you’ve continued to add to your skills or that you’ve learned more about the company or the industry.

Following Up After Submitting a Résumé

Deciding if, when, and how to follow up after submitting your résumé and application letter is one of the trickiest parts of a job search. First and foremost, keep in mind that employers

continue to evaluate your communication efforts and professionalism during this phase, so don’t say or do anything to leave a negative impression. Second, adhere to whatever instructions the employer has provided. If a job posting says “no calls,” for example, don’t call. Third, if the job posting lists a close date, don’t call or write before then, because the company is still collecting applications and will not have made a decision about inviting people for interviews. Wait a week or so after the close date. If no close date is given and you have no other information to suggest a timeline, you can generally contact the company starting a week or two after submitting your résumé.6

When you follow up by email or telephone, you can share an additional piece of information that links your qualifications to the position (keep an eye out for late-breaking news about the company, too) and ask a question about the hiring process as a way to gather some information about your status. Good questions to ask include:7

■Has a hiring decision been made yet?

■Can you tell me what to expect next in terms of the hiring process?

■What is the company’s timeframe for filling this position?

■Could I follow up in another week if you haven’t had the chance to contact me yet?

■Can I provide any additional information regarding my qualifications for the position?

Whatever the circumstances, a follow-up message can demonstrate that you’re sincerely interested in working for the organization, persistent in pursuing your goals, and committed to upgrading your skills.

If you don’t land a job at your dream company on the first attempt, don’t give up. You can apply again if a new opening appears, or you can send an updated résumé with a new