CHAPTER REVIEW AND ACTIVITIES

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

The purposes of an application letter are to introduce your résumé, persuade an employer to read it, and request an interview. With the AIDA model, get attention in the opening paragraph by showing how your work skills could benefit the organization, by explaining how your qualifications fit the job, or by demonstrating an understanding of the organization’s needs. Build interest and desire by showing how you can meet the job requirements and, near the end of this section, be sure to refer your reader to your résumé. Finally, motivate action by making your request easy to fulfill and by including all necessary contact information.

2 OBJECTIVE Describe the typical sequence of

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

The typical sequence of interviews involves three stages. During the screening stage, employers filter out unqualified applicants and identify promising candidates. During the selection stage, the pool of applicants is narrowed through a variety of structured and unstructured interviewing methods. In the final stage, employers select the candidates who will receive offers and, if necessary, promote the benefits of joining the company.

Interviews can be distinguished by the way they are structured (structured or unstructured interviews), the number of people involved (one-on-one, panel, or group interviews), and the purpose of the interview (behavioral, situational, working, or stress interviews). The behavioral interview, probably the most common in terms of purpose, requires candidates to use their own experiences and attributes to craft answers. The situational interview is similar, but instead of using incidents from the candidate’s past, it explores how the candidate would respond to hypothetical situations in the future.

Employers look for two things during an employment interview. First, they seek evidence that an applicant is qualified for the position. Second, they seek reassurance that an

applicant will be a good fit with the “personality” of the organization and the position.

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

To prepare for a successful job interview, (1) complete the research you started when planning your résumé, (2) think ahead about questions you’ll need to answer and questions you’ll want to ask, (3) boost your confidence by focusing on your strengths and preparing thoroughly, (4) polish your interviewing style, (5) present a professional image with businesslike clothing and good grooming, and (6) arrive on time and ready to begin.

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

All employment interviews have three stages. The warm-up stage is the most important because first impressions greatly influence an interviewer’s decision. The question-and-an- swer stage, during which you will answer and ask questions, is the longest. The close is your final opportunity to promote your value to the organization and counter any misconceptions the interviewer may have.

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

Following an interview, send a thank-you message to show appreciation, emphasize your strengths, and politely ask for a decision. Send an inquiry if you haven’t received the interviewer’s decision by the date promised or within one or two weeks of the interview—especially if you’ve received a job offer from another firm. You can request a time extension if you need more time to consider an offer. Send a letter of acceptance after receiving a job offer you want to take. Send a letter declining a job offer when you want to refuse an offer tactfully. Finally, if you are currently employed, send a letter of resignation after you have accepted the offer of another job.

406 Unit 5: Employment Messages and Job Interviews

Test Your Knowledge

To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

1. What information or questions can you use when writing a follow-up message after submitting a résumé? [LO-1]

2.What should your objective be for an interview during the selection stage? [LO-2]

3. How does a structured interview differ from an openended interview? [LO-2]

4. What are the three stages of every interview, and which is the most important? [LO-4]

Apply Your Knowledge

To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

1.How can you distinguish yourself from other candidates in a screening interview and still keep your responses short and to the point? Explain. [LO-2]

2.If you lack one important qualification for a job but have made it past the initial screening stage, how should

you prepare to handle this issue during the next round of interviews? Explain your answer. [LO-3]

3. What is an interviewer likely to conclude about you if you don’t have any questions to ask during the interview? [LO-3]

4. Why is it important to distinguish unethical or illegal interview questions from acceptable questions? Explain. [LO-4]

Practice Your Skills

Activities

Active links for all websites in this chapter can be found on MyBCommLab; see your User Guide for instructions on accessing the content for this chapter. Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

1.Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-1]

Revise this message so that it follows this chapter’s guidelines.

I’m writing to let you know about my availability for the brand manager job you advertised. As you can see from my enclosed résumé, my background is perfect for the position. Even though I don’t have any real job experience, my grades have been outstanding considering that I went to a top-ranked business school.

I did many things during my undergraduate years to prepare me for this job:

■Earned a 3.4 out of a 4.0 with a 3.8 in my business courses

■Elected representative to the student governing association

■Selected to receive the Lamar Franklin Award

■Worked to earn a portion of my tuition

I am sending my résumé to all the top firms, but I like yours better than any of the rest. Your reputation is tops in the industry, and I want to be associated with a business that can pridefully say it’s the best.

If you wish for me to come in for an interview, I can come on a Friday afternoon or anytime on weekends when I don’t have classes. Again, thanks for considering me for your brand manager position.

2.Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-1]

Revise this message so that it follows this chapter’s guidelines.

Did you receive my résumé? I sent it to you at least two months ago and haven’t heard anything. I know you keep résumés on file, but I just want to be sure that you keep me in mind. I heard you are hiring health-care managers and certainly would like to be considered for one of those positions.

Since I last wrote you, I’ve worked in a variety of positions that have helped prepare me for management. To wit, I’ve become lunch manager at the restaurant where I work, which involved a raise in pay. I now manage a waitstaff of 12 girls and take the lunch receipts to the bank every day.

Of course, I’d much rather be working at a real job, and that’s why I’m writing again. Is there anything else you would like to know about me or my background? I would really like to know more about your company. Is there any literature you could send me? If so, I would really appreciate it.

I think one reason I haven’t been hired yet is that I don’t want to leave Atlanta. So I hope when you think of me, it’s for a position that wouldn’t require moving. Thanks again for considering my application.

3.Career Management: Preparing for Interviews [LO-2]

Google yourself, Bing yourself, scour your social networking profiles, review your Twitter messages, and explore every other possible online source you can think of that might have something about you. If you find anything potentially embarrassing, remove it if possible. Write a summary of your search-and-destroy mission (you can skip any embarrassing details in your report to your instructor!).

4.Career Management: Researching Target Employers [LO-3] Select a large company (one on which you can easily find information) where you might like to work. Use online sources to gather some preliminary research on the company; don’t limit your search to the company’s own website.

a.What did you learn about this organization that would help you during an interview there?

b.What Internet sources did you use to obtain this information?

c.Armed with this information, what aspects of your background do you think might appeal to this company’s recruiters?

d.If you choose to apply for a job with this company, what keywords would you include on your résumé? Why?

5.Career Management: Interviewing [LO-3] Prepare written answers to 10 of the questions listed in Table 14.3 on page 395.

6. Career Management: Interviewing [LO-3] Write a short email to your instructor, discussing what you believe are your greatest strengths and weaknesses from an employment perspective. Next, explain how these strengths and weaknesses would be viewed by interviewers evaluating your qualifications.

7. Career Management: Interviewing; Collaboration: Team Projects [LO-4], Chapter 2 Divide the class into two groups. Half the class will be recruiters for a large chain of national department stores, looking to fill 15 manager-trainee positions. The other half of the class will be candidates for the job. The company is specifically looking for candidates who demonstrate these three qualities: initiative, dependability, and willingness to assume responsibility.

a.Have each recruiter select and interview an applicant for 10 minutes.

b.Have all the recruiters discuss how they assessed the applicant in each of the three desired qualities. What questions did they ask or what did they use as an indicator to determine whether the candidate possessed the quality?

c.Have all the applicants discuss what they said to convince the recruiters that they possessed each of the three desired qualities.

8.Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-5]

Revise this message so that it follows this chapter’s guidelines.

Thank you for the really marvelous opportunity to meet you and your colleagues at Starret Engine Company. I really enjoyed touring your facilities and talking with all the people there. You have quite a crew! Some of the other companies I have visited have been so rigid and uptight that I can’t imagine how I would fit in. It’s a relief to run into a group of people who seem to enjoy their work as much as all of you do.

I know that you must be looking at many other candidates for this job, and I know that some of them will probably be more experienced than I am. But I do want to emphasize that my two-year hitch in the Navy involved a good deal of engineering work. I don’t think I mentioned all my shipboard responsibilities during the interview.

Please give me a call within the next week to let me know your decision. You can usually find me at my dormitory in the evening after dinner (phone: 877-9080).

9.Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-5]

Revise this message so that it follows this chapter’s guidelines.

I have recently received a very attractive job offer from

one way or another, I would like to consider any offer that your firm may extend. I was quite impressed with your company during my recent interview, and I am still very interested in a career there.

I don’t mean to pressure you, but Warrington has asked for my decision within 10 days. Could you let me know by Tuesday whether you plan to offer me a position?

That would give me enough time to compare the two offers.

10.Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-5]

Revise this message so that it follows this chapter’s guidelines.

I’m writing to say that I must decline your job offer. Another company has made me a more generous offer, and I have decided to accept. However, if things don’t work out for me there, I will let you know. I sincerely appreciate your interest in me.

11.Message Strategies: Employment Messages, Communication Ethics: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas [LO-5], Chapter 1 You have decided to accept a new position with a competitor of your company. Write a letter of resignation to your supervisor, announcing your decision. In an email message to your instructor, address the following questions:

a.Will you notify your employer that you are joining a competing firm? Explain.

b.Will you use the direct or indirect approach? Explain.

c.Will you send your letter by email, send it by regular mail, or place it on your supervisor’s desk?

Expand Your Skills

Critique the Professionals

Visit LinkedIn Answers at www.linkedin.com/answers

(open a free LinkedIn account if required). In the Browse panel, click on Career and Education and then Job Search. Browse both Open Questions and Closed Questions to find three job search insights you didn’t know before. Using whatever medium your instructor requests, write a brief summary (no more than one page) of what you learned.

Sharpen Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thill’s Business Communication Web Search, at http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com, is a unique research tool designed specifically for business communication research. Use the Web Search function to find a website, video, PDF document, podcast, or presentation that offers advice on successful interviewing techniques. Write a brief email message to your instructor or a post for your class blog, describing the item that you found and summarizing the career skills information you learned from it.

408 Unit 5: Employment Messages and Job Interviews

CASES

WRITING APPLICATION LETTERS

EMAIL SKILLS

1. Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-1] Use one of the websites listed in Table 13.1 on page 357 to find a job opening in your target profession. If you haven’t narrowed down to one career field yet, chose a business job for which you will have at least some qualifications at the time of your graduation.

Your task Write an email message that would serve as your application letter if you were to apply for this job. Base your message on your actual qualifications for the position, and be sure to “echo” the requirements listed in the job description. Include the job description in your email message when you submit it to your instructor.

MICROBLOGGING SKILLS

2. Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-1] If you want to know whether job candidates can express themselves clearly on Twitter, why not test them as part of the application process? That’s exactly what the Minneapolis advertising agency Campbell Mithun does. Rather than having them using conventional application methods, the company asks intern candidates to tweet their applications in 13 messages.47

Your task Find a job opening on Twitter by searching on any of the following hashtags: #hiring, #joblisting, or #nowhiring.48 Next, write an “application letter” composed of 13 individual tweets (140 characters maximum). If your class is set up with private Twitter accounts, go ahead and send the tweets. Otherwise, email them to your instructor or post them on your class blog, as your instructor indicates.

EMAIL SKILLS

3. Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-1]

Finding job openings that align perfectly with your professional interests is wonderful, but it doesn’t always happen. Sometimes you have to widen your search and go after whatever opportunities happen to be available. Even when the opportunity is not ideal, however, you still need to approach the employer with enthusiasm and a focused, audience-centric message.

Your task Find a job opening for which you will be qualified when you graduate (or close to being qualified, for the purposes of this activity), but make it one that is outside your primary field of interest. Write an email application letter for this opening, making a compelling case that you are the right candidate for this job.

With information in hand, you increase the chance of finding the right opportunity (and avoiding bad choices), and you impress interviewers in multiple ways by demonstrating initiative, curiosity, research and analysis skills, an appreciation for the complex challenges of running a business, and willingness to work to achieve results.

Your task With a small team of classmates, use online job listings to identify an intriguing job opening that at least one member of the team would seriously consider pursuing as graduation approaches. (You’ll find it helpful if the career is related to at least one team member’s college major or on-the-job experience so that the team can benefit from some knowledge of the profession in question.) Next, research the company, its competitors, its markets, and this specific position to identify five questions that would (1) help the team member decide if this is a good opportunity and (2) show an interviewer that you’ve really done your homework. Go beyond the basic and obvious questions to identify current, specific, and complex issues that only deep research can uncover. For example, is the company facing significant technical, financial, legal, or regulatory challenges that threaten its ability to grow or perhaps even survive in the long term? Or is the market evolving in a way that positions this particular company for dramatic growth? In a post for your class blog, list your five questions, identify how you uncovered the issue, and explain why each is significant.

TEAM SKILLS

5. Career Management: Interviewing [LO-4] Interviewing is a skill that can be improved through observation and practice.

Your task You and all other members of your class are to write letters of application for an entry-level or management-trainee position that requires an engaging personality and intelligence but a minimum of specialized education or experience. Sign your letter with a fictitious name that conceals your identity. Next, polish (or create) a résumé that accurately identifies you and your educational and professional accomplishments.

Now, three members of the class who volunteer as interviewers divide up all the anonymously written application letters. Then each interviewer selects a candidate who seems the most convincing in his or her letter. At this time, the selected candidates identify themselves and give the interviewers their résumés.

Each interviewer then interviews his or her chosen candidate in front of the class, seeking to understand how the items on the résumé qualify the candidate for the job. At the end of the interviews, the class decides who gets the job and discusses why this candidate was successful. Afterward, retrieve your letter, sign it with the right name, and submit it to the instructor for credit.

INTERVIEWING

BLOGGING SKILLS / TEAM SKILLS

4. Career Management: Researching Target Employers [LO-3] Research is a critical element of the job search process.

TEAM SKILLS

6. Career Management: Interviewing [LO-4] Select a company in an industry in which you might like to work and then identify an interesting position within the company. Study the company and prepare for an interview with that company.

Your task Working with a classmate, take turns interviewing each other for your chosen positions. Interviewers should take notes during the interview. When the interview is complete, critique each other’s performance. (Interviewers should critique how well candidates prepared for the interview and answered the questions; interviewees should critique the quality of the questions asked.) Write a follow-up letter thanking your interviewer and submit the letter to your instructor.

FOLLOWING UP AFTER AN INTERVIEW

LETTER WRITING SKILLS

7. Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-5] Because of a mix-up in your job application scheduling, you accidentally applied for your third-choice job before going after the one you really wanted. What you want to do is work in retail marketing with the upscale department store Neiman Marcus in Dallas; what you have been offered is a job with Longhorn Leather and Lumber, 65 miles away in the small town of Commerce, Texas.

You review your notes. Your Longhorn interview was three weeks ago with the human resources manager, R. P. Bronson, who has just written to offer you the position. The store’s address is 27 Sam Rayburn Drive, Commerce, TX 75428. Mr. Bronson notes that he can hold the position open for 10 days. You have an interview scheduled with Neiman Marcus next week, but it is unlikely that you will know the store’s decision within this 10-day period.

Your task Write to Mr. Bronson, requesting a reasonable delay in your consideration of his job offer.

LETTER WRITING SKILLS / EMAIL SKILLS

8. Message Strategies: Employment Messages [LO-5]

Fortunately for you, your interview with Neiman Marcus (see Case 7) went well, and you’ve just received a job offer from the company.

Your task Write a letter to R. P. Bronson at Longhorn Leather and Lumber, declining his job offer, and write an email message to Clarissa Bartle at Neiman Marcus, accepting her job offer. Make up any information you need when accepting the Neiman Marcus offer.

Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics,

and Usage

You can download the text of this assignment from http:// real-timeupdates.com/bce6; click on Student Assignments and then click on Chapter 14. Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage.

Level 1: Self-Assessment—Vocabulary

Review Sections 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3 in the Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage and then complete the following 15 items.

In items 1–7, indicate the correct word provided in parentheses.

1.Everyone (accept/except) Barbara King has registered for the company competition.

2.We need to find a new security (device/devise).

3.The Jennings are (loath/loathe) to admit that they are wrong.

4.The judge has ruled that this town cannot enforce such a local (ordinance/ordnance).

5.To stay on schedule, we must give (precedence/precedents) to the Marley project.

6.This month’s balance is greater (than/then) last month’s.

7.That decision lies with the director, (who’s/whose) in charge of this department.

In items 8–15, correct any errors you find:

8.In this department, we see alot of mistakes like that.

9.In my judgement, you’ll need to redo the cover.

10.He decided to reveal the information, irregardless of the consequences.

11.Why not go along when it is so easy to accomodate his demands?

12.When you say that, do you mean to infer that I’m being unfair?

13.She says that she finds this sort of ceremony embarassing.

14.All we have to do is try and get along with him for a few more days.

15.A friendly handshake should always preceed negotiations.

Level 2: Workplace Applications

The following items may contain errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, abbreviation, number style, word division, and vocabulary. Rewrite each sentence, correcting all errors. If a sentence has no errors, write “Correct” for that number.

1.An entrepreneur and their business, are so closely tied together that a bank will want to see how they handle their personal affairs, before granting a small business line of credit.

2.The companys’ annual meeting will be held from 2–4 PM on May 3d in the Santa Fe room at the Marriott hotel.

3.Well over four hundred outstanding students from coast-to-coast, have realized their dreams of a college education thanks to the NASE Scholarship program.

4.If you’re home is you’re principle place of business you can deduct generally the cost of traveling from you’re home, to any business destination.

5.Companies like McLeod USA sprung into being in the 1990’s to provide cut rate phone services to smalland medium-size businesses in competition with the established baby bells.

6.Some question whether a ‘new economy’ exists and if so how it differs from the old economy?

7.When the music industry claimed by stealing intellectual property Napster were committing piracy - Napster argued that it was’nt doing anything illegal or un-ethical.

410 Unit 5: Employment Messages and Job Interviews

8.The World Bank plays an important roll in todays fast changing closely-meshed global economy.

9.When it comes to consumer rights the F.D.A., F.T.C., and Agriculture department are concerned not only with safety but also accurate information.

10.Fujitsu, a $50 billion company with 190,000 employees, dominates the Japanese computer industry.

11.The fortune 500 ranks not only corporations by size but also offers brief company descriptions; along with industry statistics, and additional measures of corporate performance.

12.Having bought 55 companies over the past decade, plans to make ten to 15 new acquisitions each year are being made by Cisco Systems.

13.In 1984 Michael Dell decided to sell P.C.’s direct and built to order, now everybody in the industry are trying to imitate Dells’ strategy.

14.Resulting in large cost savings for the company, American Express have reduced the number of field office’s from 85 to 7 by using virtual teams.

15.In Europe and Asia, people are using mobile phones to send text messages to other users; exchange email; read the morning news; surfing certain websites; and to make purchases such as movie tickets and charge it to they’re monthly phone bill.

Level 3: Document Critique

The following document may contain errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, abbreviation, number style, word division, and vocabulary. As your instructor indicates, photocopy this page and correct all errors using standard proofreading marks (see Appendix C) or download the document and make the corrections in your word processing software.

Morgan Mitras

2397 Glencrest ridge, Fort Worth, TEX 76119 (817/ 226-1804)

February 2 2013:

Norton Acctg. Group

Ms Nancy Remington, Human Resources

3778 Parkway North

Indianapolis, Indiana 46205

Dear Ms. Remington—

With your companys’ reputation for quality, customer service, employee empowerment, you’ll will want to hire someone who is not only accurrate and efficient but also self motivated and re- sults-oriented—someone who is able to make decisions as well as coperate with team members and clients. The ad you placed in the February 1st issue of The Wall Street Journal for someone to fill a financial management position really has me very excited and eager.

During my 3 years at Tandy corporation -see attached résumé- I’ve conducted internal auditing for accounts valued at $450 million dollars. Some of my many, countless accomplishments include

■Increasing both internal and client support for the auditing process

■I save the company over 2.5 million dollars when I discovered billing errors

■Suggest ways accounts receivable processes could be streamlined

In addition it might be that Norton Accounting may appreciate my ability to complete projects on time as well as keeping them under budget. One of my priorities is a position in which my expereince will be broaden: so any opportunity to travel would be welcomed by me!

I’ll be in your area during the weak of February 20; I’ll call your office on Feb. 8 to see whether we can arrange to meet. I hope you’ll give me a chance, please.

Sincerely,

Morgan Mitras,

Applicant