Chapter 3: Pursuing Employment Opportunities
Jordan Smith
Today, both job seekers and recruiters have more ways than ever to connect. Though the traditional means of in-person networking are still necessary, online networking has become a norm. As in the world of dating, technology can certainly help connect people according to compatible interests and preferences; from there, however, the relationship depends entirely on how things go in person. This chapter examines the spectrum of job search tools and techniques available to the modern job seeker. It provides guidance on how you can prepare a résumé and cover letter that will increase your chances of getting an interview and hence a job.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Identify and assess individual skills, strengths, and experiences to identify career and professional development goals
- Research the job market to identify career opportunities and requirements
- Prepare a targeted resume and cover letter
This chapter is adapted from two open educational resources:
Professional Communications: A Common Approach to Work-place Writing by Jordan Smith, Melissa Ashman, eCampusOntario, Brian Dunphy, and Andrew Stracuzzi.
Be the Boss of Your Career: A Complete Guide for Students & Grads by Lindsay Bortot and Employment Support Centre, Algonquin College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
Adaptations included editing tone, images, removing content to align the chapter with BCOM210 course learning objectives, revising examples for an FHSU student population, and adding some original exercises to align with course objectives.
AI Insights in this chapter were written through a collaborative process between Dr. Rose Helens-Hart, a professor of business communication, and AI writing applications, specifically Gemini and ChatGPT. Her approach involved extensive, iterative prompt-based conversations with these AI applications, during which she explored and refined various topics related to AI’s use in business communication. While the AI tools offered valuable suggestions and generated initial content, the final versions of AI Insights reflect a significant amount of human research, drafting, editing, and revision on her part to ensure accuracy, clarity, and relevance to the field.
