Faculty encourage students to create LinkedIn profiles and to use LinkedIn for job searches, but often realize that as soon as the profile is created, many students abandon LinkedIn. The project changed the approach to incorporate a series of assignments in which students not only revised an existing profile but then were required to develop a…

This study compares the beliefs and practices of Mexican university students with conventions of resume writing in English. Due to the nonexistence of a single definitive source on resume writing and the differences between conventions in English-speaking countries and in Mexico, students may make incorrect assumptions. Forty up-to-date, credible…

We explore the use of text message reminders to improve student performance. The effectiveness of text messaging reminders is examined by comparing two large sections of a course where students focused on personal branding. One section received deadline reminders by email, while the other section received opt-in text reminders. The results of the…

A personal brand is an individual's reputation and unique image, which can be a crucial differentiator in today's hypercompetitive job market. This article's two main objectives are: to present an evidence-based approach to developing the self-awareness component of a personal brand, and to analyze the impact of the assignment on student learning…

Few, if any, marketing students are adequately prepared to conduct a thorough job search that will lead them to enjoyable, meaningful employment upon graduation. We present a method we have used in several classes that helps demystify the job search process for students. Using our approach, students have been able to discover their career passions…

Although the resume and cover letter genre is widely discussed in both popular and scholarly publications, discussion thus far has failed to acknowledge that the process of creating a resume and cover letter has the potential for encouraging students' reflective and reflexive capacities. This article suggests that business communication educators…

Getting students to network with one another can be one of the biggest challenges in college courses, despite being a highly important function of higher education. Networking can, in fact, lead to that first job or to professional advancement, and technology can improve the success of individual and institutional efforts. This article describes…

Informational interviews are valuable tools for improving writing, editing, and interviewing skills, and they are also extremely valuable in improving the soft skills that are valued by employers, such as confidence, adaptability, the ability to set and keep deadlines, the ability to manage risk, and so on. These soft skills, this article argues,…

Outlines an assignment for teaching job search skills, including writing a cover letter, resume, and interview follow-up letter. Proposes that the instructor act as interviewer, video tape each interview, and analyze each student's performance. (JAD)

Describes one teacher's three-step process for teaching introductory-level business writing students how to tap the Internet's job search resources. (SR)

Describes an assignment in which students write a business report on a company they would like to work for, thus providing motivation while they learn the technical aspects of writing a business report. (SR)

This paper describes an assignment that gives students the ability to improve written and verbal communication abilities, which they will be using throughout their lives, by enhancing communication skills and competencies in a class setting. It is a two-part assignment that begins with a discussion on how to produce a successful cover letter and…

Describes a number of Internet-based assignments incorporated into a written business communications course, including e-mail, home pages, hypertext documents, an Internet-based unit, an electronic job hunting unit, and "PowerPoint" slides. (SR)

Describes an assignment required in the job search process unit of a business-communication course that uses online helpers for students to write a self-analysis that helps them to know about themselves and to know about the direction of their careers when preparing for an interview and job-related documents. (SR)

Describes an assignment for a business communication class in which students use a "company research" worksheet to gather information on a company that they would like to work for in the future. (SR)