Bcom successful business paper 1

45
What it takes to be Successful in Business An in- depth analysis Valerie Henderson

description

Paper for the assignment alternative for Spring 2013 Business Communications class

Transcript of Bcom successful business paper 1

Page 1: Bcom successful business paper 1

An in- depth analysis

Page 2: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

Success in the business realm can mean a certain level of social status that is reached

or the achievement of a personal goal. To be successful in business there are many

“items” that one must acquire. Education gives a businessperson the background to

become successful. Experience that you gain, how you build your resumé,, how you

preform your interview with, the mentor you chose to follow, and the quality of work that

you leave as your business imprint are all “items” that a person need to acquire to become

successful.

“The whole object of education is…to develop the mind,” Sherwood Anderson. As

children education is one of the first things that we are exposed to on a daily basis outside

of our immediately family. Education helps an individual create real life skills that are

applicable to real life situations, learning is a continuous exercise that will not cease in a

human’s lifetime, and education gives a person the confidence and know- how to be able

to go in to the “real world” and become that successful person.

Even throughout the carious levels of education, we as students are always learning

life- applicable skills. Beginning in day care and preschool the manifestation are being

further developed in person-to-person conduct.

Productive Parenting is a trusted group composed of the founders (Emily Rempe &

Susan Dineen), activity contributors, and advisory board members who are primarily

early childhood experts. Productive parenting compiled a list of 45 valuable life skills

that children develop in their first educational experience.

1

Page 3: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

Concept development listening, problem solving, and trust are all qualities children

develop at this age and must retain and fine-tune to eventually become successful in

business. Concept development is expanding on something a child already knows so that

the general idea can be introduced. This is important in business because at one point in

time everything tangible was a concept in a mind that needed to be developed into a

vision.

Listening is not just being able to understand words but also the language that is being

spoken and how (sounds, rhythm, and pitch) the language is being spoken. Listening is a

skill that many adults claim to have mastered but in reality are only performing only one-

third of what listening actually entails. If a person in a business cannot listen to others it

will be very difficult for them to thrive in everyday life let alone a professional

environment.

Problem Solving is acquired at a very early stage and is the ability to find a solution

to a mental or physical question. Many times employers will have pre-employment

screening, which is a generalized questionnaire to ensure the applicant is competent of

the minimal job duties. The higher up the “professional ladder” one is situated the larger

the problems and the more people will be affected by the results of their problem solving

skills.

2

Page 4: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

Trust, by definition trust is the belief that people you will be in contact with will be

reliable. Trust is what some people may consider the most important skill whether that is

personal or professional. To be successful in business one will need both aspects to trust

others in their environment. A boss will have someone, he trusts and views as possibly

successful with perform tasks that will prove whether or not the employee can be trusted,

it is crucial that for professional progress people be trusted at work. Also, you must gain

the trust of your customers and stockholders. In business, there are partners and other

various “relationships” that must maintain a high level of trust. Children learn that they

must trust people at an early age. Trust takes time and effort to build but only seconds to

destroy.

Using language to communicate and learn from others is an important life skill and

valuable to learn if someone plans on being successful in business. Language is the basis

of all communication and is the primary instrument of thought. When children are able

to communicate they are able to talk about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. In

the business world the smallest ideas and thoughts could have the potential to bring in

gross revenue of the upwards of millions depending on what type of company a person

works. Using language to communicate involves understanding and using language and

symbols in a meaningful way. It allows the members of a conversation to consider

purpose and context. Exploring, comprehending, and responding to thoughts and ideas

and experiences can help budding adolescents create their personality. Language and

communication is important for four main reasons. The first reason is to understand the

relationship of language to personal identity and the formation of interpersonal

3

Page 5: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

relationships and the extension of experiences. Also it is important for a successful

businessperson to reflect on thoughts, actions and contributions to society, which allows

them to be able to communicate in multiple contexts. Recognizing the importance of

communication as the basis for further learning and understanding communication, as

both content and context for conceptual understanding of values can be the basis in which

a successful businessperson makes their ethical decisions. The most important skill that is

learned based off of communication is establishing relationships with family members,

peers, and friends. When relationships with these groups of people are made in business

there will be a need for the understanding of how cooperate in group settings for one to

become successful.

Cooperation is an essential skill acquired by children that is applicable in any

workplace, as without it nothing would ever get done with out tons of arguments from

every individual with different opinions. Employees need to collaborate and work

together so that they are able to decide how to approach a task and to ensure that

everyone knows what their role is. It is essential that there must be compromise and

cooperation, because otherwise everything else would descend into chaos and an

uncontrollable argument, with everyone trying to get their point across, shouting

increasingly louder to be heard. Cooperation allows a workplace and or business to

function much more effectively, as everyone can be focused on working together to

achieve the same goal.

4

Page 6: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

The size of a company no matter how big or small a company is, without any form of

cooperation it is unlikely to survive. A successful company requires all of its employees

to know what their roles are and trust that those roles, which have been delegated, are

completed in a sufficient and timely matter. There has to be communication and a sense

of togetherness between different sections of the company, because if they all try to work

with out speaking or coordinating then problems will probably arise. Without

communication and cooperation on important matters, confusion can spring up and will

happen, making it difficult for everyone working for that particular company to continue

producing high -quality work.

Cooperation can be difficult to reach within a company, especially with those higher up

the “company ladder”, where competition is common. Personalities tend to get in the

way of cooperation, as everyone wants to make their impression more outstanding than

others on the company and be rewarded for showing creativity. If the company is going

to expand, increase its profits, launch a new product and make a name for itself, there

will have to be a degree of cooperation. Without cooperation, no decisions would ever be

seriously made, which would result in the company ending in a failing fireball.

Even those lower down the chain of command in the office have to find a way to

cooperate, though, since without cooperation, nobody would take on their share of the

workload, which would lead to arguments and nothing much being accomplished.

Whether in an office, factory or shop, employees have to be able to cooperate with one

another so that whatever the tasks they have are; they are completed to a high standard

5

Page 7: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

and on time. Those at the top of a company need to be able to cooperate with those at the

bottom and vice-versa, as everyone ought to be working towards the same objectives.

98% of the people that are successful in business must continue their education through

junior high and in to the very social realm of high school. High school is usually one

extreme or the other for teenagers as far as self- confidence and social interaction.

However, the things that remain constant in high school are life skills that are fine- tuned.

Critical thinking and creative thinking are both skills that become apparent during the

early adolescents stages of a child but, by the time students enter high school the classes

that they are allowed to take are being to become more diverse and more based on “What

Interests The Student?”

Creative thinking is simply the ability to create ideas in your mind that may or may not

be actually possibly creative thinking is normally assumed to be a branch from the

imagination that appears in young children. Most educators believe that if a child is very

imaginative during their younger years than it is safe to say that they will be a great

creative thinker. Creative thinking allows for people to go through anticipation, problem

solving, opportunity identification, problem avoidance, and reaction. When girls are little

they imagine their wedding and most women 9 times out of 10 will take from that

imagination they have been dreaming of all of their life some real world aspects and

actually infuse them into her big day, this is a type of creative thinking. Anticipation is

also something that girls and boys creative think about when children grow up they

imagine what they can or want to be. Many times their ideas are quite far fetched but

6

Page 8: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

there are those who go through with their ideas and plan their whole lives around them.

Such as Michael Jordan, he wanted to be a basketball player when he grew up and it is

safe to say that he could just be a good basketball player, but Michael Jordan wanted to

be the best and now a person cannot mention basketball with out needing to throw his

name into the conversation. From a business perspective a person who is able to think

creatively will most likely be able to identify opportunities easier then someone who is

not as creative. These past weeks have been filled with the NCAA tournament and all the

other tournaments for basketball players. Adidas decided to creatively take advantage of

another person’s downfall, when Kevin Ware gruesomely broke his leg in front of

America watching Adidas jumped at the chance to capitalize. Not even the next day they

had in their online stores and all around the tournament shirts that had Kevin Ware’s

number and the phrase “Rise to the Occasion.” Mr. Ware received nothing from this but

Adidas did rise to the occasion. When growing up there was an art teacher named Mrs.

Martin, Mrs. Martin taught her art students how to avoid problems by using creative

thinking. There was a child one day who was painting and this child knocked over her

paint on to her clean white sheet of paper. The child yelled for the teacher to come quick

and Mrs. Martin ran over because of how distraught this young girl was, the teacher

looked down at the paper and turned the blue pile of paint into a river. The girl smiled

and asked the teacher what she had done and Mrs. Martin said, “Make your mistakes a

happy one.” Creative thinking is an applied skill that is learned through trial and error

but there is actually a creative thinking process.

7

Page 9: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

To think creatively one must first determine their goal. The goal does not have to be

an exact goal but rather a generally direction that the outcome must head. Sometimes

during the creative thinking process it is very possible that the “thinker” may take a step

back and re-evaluate what direction their idea is headed in. The second step is actually

the thinking portion. Creative thinking requires many ideas that circle around the

presumed goal. The thought behind having many ideas up front is that you can save on

back tracking later. The more ideas that are present the more information is available for

a complete solution to reveal itself. The third step is to prioritize what exactly is

important. The fourth step is making a plan of action and setting the course in which

your creative boat will sail. This step is where the multitude of ideas comes in to play so

that in this step a person will not have to back track for lack of information of ideas. The

fifth and final step is like all processes; assess and review the results. Creative writing

leads to critical thinking and though this is a life skill that is needed it might not always

be positive.

Humans are critical by nature just plain and simple. People that are viewing another

person’s creative thinking may not have a suggestion for the “thinker” to correct their

process but they will definitely step up and let the “thinker” know that what they did was

not up to their liking. This typical human thought process and action actually defers the

whole process of creative thinking and depending on how detrimental the criticism is will

actually completely halt creative thinking in some “thinkers” lives. Critical thinking is

thinking logically with clarity and precision, using an approach that is accurate, and

focusing on information that is relevant.

8

Page 10: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

Business critical thinking is the capacity to make timely, effective and well-reasoned

decisions. It is absolutely essential for executive leadership and managerial success.

Strong critical thinking at every organizational level results in accurate problem

identification and sensible problem resolution. That translates into better customer

service, greater productivity, and a healthier bottom line. Whether working in teams or

individually, employees who are willing and able to analyze, interpret, explain, infer and

evaluate information, proposals, ideas, plans and options are vital assets to their

organizations. Without these talented people at every level, businesses fail.

Over the years the lack of critical thinking and not using an accurate approach has

destroyed companies; on the other hand the implementation of critical thinking combined

with an accurate approach has made companies and people who they are today. In the

1970’s Schlitz was the 2nd best beer in America and they decided that they were going to

take competition with Budweiser. Robert Uhlein Jr., who was the head of Schlitz brewing

at the time, decided that he would cut cost in the ingredients and shorten the brewing

process from 40 days to 15 days. Barley was replaced with corn syrup and the product hit

the shelves. Schlitz had founded its company off of the premises that it was the most

carefully brewed beer in the world and that quote was used as their slogan. When the

reinvented product was released the initial profit did well because people were so excited

to taste the beer; contraire to the initial expectations consumers found that the beer was

not the same tasting beer they had originally fell in love with. By 1981 the company was

shut down and 10 million cans of beer had to be recalled. Mr. Uhlein did not take into

9

Page 11: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

account the information that was relevant in making his business decision. Had he

stopped and thought with clarity he would have obviously seen their slogan explains what

type of product people are anticipating and that second rate ingredients were not going to

cut it.

Now sometimes when business think critical there are positive business outcomes in

1981 Universal Studios was filming a new box office hit and was looking for permission

to us M&Ms in their production. Mars declined the offer. Hershey decided that their

new product called Reese’s Pieces would be a wonderful substitution and it was also a

way to get their new product out. The impact of this decision was phenomenal, the film

that was being filmed was E.T. and the Reese’s Pieces were needed so that Elliot, the boy

who befriends the alien, to lure E.T. in to his house to safety. Hershey released a

statement saying that without the movie deal the advertising of that magnitude would

have cost them $15-20 million (Ramsey, 2009).

Dr. Shu Ching Yang and Dr. Wen Chaun Lin are both published authors who

collaborate in March of 2004 for the Journal of Instructional Psychology to perform a

study on high school students based on their critical and creative thinking. The present

study, anchored in Sternberg's theory of mental self-government and Jung's theory of

personality types, serves to lend partial support to the evidence of the relationships of

thinking styles to personality types. It was found that the two constructs from the two

theories strongly related as significant relationships were identified between particular

thinking styles and certain personality traits. This indicates that the genesis of thinking

10

Page 12: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

styles may partially be explained by the nature of the relationship between thinking styles

and personality types. This study could actually be of great use when a person is trying

to hire successful business people if their personal does not show creative or critical

thinking aspects its very assumable that they will also preform as a bland worker maybe

they’ll complete their tasks but the innovativeness will be minimal (Yang & Lin, 2004).

When students have surpassed the primary and secondary education levels they then

continue to college. Dr. Jeanny Liu and Dr. Deborah Olson are both Associate Professors

with in the College of Business and Public Administration at University of La Verne, and

they had a case study over the different skills that teachers are beginning to implement in

the collegiate levels to better prepare them for real world scenarios. In recent years,

students have shown that they have an extreme issues with translating the textbook

concepts into real- world applications that can allow them to grow and mature in the

professional realm. Dr. Liu and Dr. Olson decided that they would implement the

Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) which is an established approach that includes

holistic and integrative learning approaches that help the student learn and retain what

they have learned for the years to come. They noted that the common forms of

experiential learning include case studies, computer simulations, and service learning

projects, travel study courses, internships, and real- life consulting projects.

The to doctors ranked the approaches based on increasing levels of cognitive

complexity which is where the student can asses how complex the problems they are

facing are, these problems are based on the course goals. For instance, in Dr. Liu’s

11

Page 13: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

Principles of Marketing the course goals are to develop an awareness of the product to

customer/consumer. Her course also showed them by hands on simulation experience

how to develop efficient strategies to market good and how to implement current

technologies into a business that might not necessarily have them. Every course that the

two Doctors created had the primary goal of facilitating student development. The real

world skill that was focused upon were the ability to ask clear and meaningful questions,

this skill can be developed and refined during the types of programs these teachers have

implemented. They felt that in order for their students to be effective that they would be

given real scenarios that caused them to interact with business leaders. The students were

required to prepare for their meetings by developing list of questions that they may have

about the business. The students also had to do a plethora of background research so that

they would not be going into these executive meetings blind. Dr. Olson feels that it is

important that professors encourage students to ask and reflect questions based on the

course goals.

There were several contributions to students’ development included, the ability to

retract information directly from the source via business leaders that enabled the students

to understand that in the real world data will not just be handed to them and that it will

require research. When new information emerges that information will need to be joined

with the information that the leaders of the business already know. After the meetings

with the executives the students were given constructive feedback in “real time” which

basically means that in the actual meetings the leaders told them the students which ideas

12

Page 14: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

could be used for profit or adjustments and the ones that could not or would not be used

how they can change.

Education is the framework to which students can be able to go out into the real world

and be successful in business. Just because a person doesn’t have all of the previous

mentioned qualities that are attained from newborn through college experiences does not

mean that the will not be successful however if too many of these items are lacking it will

be very hard for them to assimilate into the professional world. Not only does education

open you up to real life and simulated experiences it will give you the tools that you need

to actually go out and get a job.

There are many types of experiences and aspiring businessperson may encounter on the

path to become successfully employed at the job of their dream. The different types of

experiences other than employment that a person may encounter are volunteer

opportunities, internships, and job shadowing. Volunteer opportunities can be a

multitude of different experiences but one thing that remains the same is that the person

is doing work on behalf of other people’s benefits’ and for no pay. Volunteer work is

important from a business perspective because it shows what type of person you are to

potential employers. Employers want people who are going to do the right thing

naturally. If you are constantly giving back to the community it shows that you honestly

feel that making the community a better place is of great importance to you. Employers

will feel that someone who cares about the community and the environment that

surrounds them will be someone who is most likely trustworthy and respectful of the

13

Page 15: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

integrity and policies set in place by the business. Volunteer work also can allow an

individual to seek other routes of their intended field that they might not have noticed

were a viable option before. Because volunteer work is relatively risk- free there is not

much that can happen if you decide that what you are doing doesn’t interest you (Ellis,

2009). Volunteering can lead you to a paying job--by providing contacts, references, and

something tangible to show on your resume. For new graduates, volunteering can place

you a notch above your fellow students who may only be able to show prospective

employers that they studied in the classroom and held minimum-wage summer jobs.

Volunteer work will demonstrate that you have practical skills, can function in a work

environment, and care about your community.

Businesses and firms offer internships to students or recent graduates by a firm to

work an extended and/ or set period of time. Internships provide four features to the

recent or anticipated graduate; gain real-world experience, set yourself apart, continue

your learning, and test the water. Most employers looking for full-time candidates prefer

students who have had some real-world experience.  They look for candidates who have

worked in their industry or one that requires a similar skill set.  There are few ways to

gain real-world experience through the classroom an internship will supplement your

education with on-the-job experience. Setting yourself apart comes with the territory; to

be able to set yourself apart depends on the other candidates and the type of internship

that you will be working. When a student finishes their internship they are able to speak

more knowledgeably on the field that they have invested their time. Internships offer you

education enrichment as you apply the knowledge you gain in classes.  Also, most

14

Page 16: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

internships offer additional training and learning experiences.   Students may find that

they understand concepts taught in class much more easily after completing an internship.

Internships are great for employers as they offer a chance to evaluate potential full-time

candidates over a period of several weeks. The same luxury of evaluating an employer

over a span of time is afforded to interns.  Internships can be a great opportunity to

adjust career-planning goals.  There may be a great interest in the field in which you

interned, that you want to work in a similar position, or that you are entirely disinterested

in an industry and/or employer.

Job shadowing is becoming increasingly popular as an option for employers, college

students, and recent graduates. Job shadowing also helps with on the job learning, career

development, and leadership intervention to correct or fine tune mistakes that are being

made by management. Shadowing involves working with another employee who might

have a different job in hand, might have something to teach, or can help the person

shadowing him or her to learn new aspects related to the job, organization, certain

behaviors or competencies. Organizations have found that this is extremely helpful when

implementing this into their business practices. There are several different applications

that job shadowing can be used for such as new job training, career development,

developing expertise, and leadership development. During new job training the individual

may be asked to shadow the current person in their position for couple of days to months

to get a good idea of the new role and also understand the exactly what happens and

when it is supposed to happen without really taking up the responsibility. Career

development with multiple options available for somebody to grow in an organization,

15

Page 17: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

job shadowing can help to get a better sense of options available and the required

competencies for the same. An employee may shadow senior employees in various

positions/function to appreciate and get a fair idea about what it takes to build a career

there. Developing expertise is just transmitting knowledge from someone else’s prior

knowledge. Organizations use job shadowing as an effective tool for leadership

development. Aspiring leaders are given opportunities to share senior leaders and learn

from them. It effectively complements class- room learning and aspiring leaders get first

hand idea about what is takes to be a leader. Job Shadowing helps both parties to learn

and exchange ideas. It helps in networking, exploring opportunities, feed- backing, and

collaboration with different departments (St. Catherine's University, 2013).

Sometimes when a person job shadows that person that they may be viewing and

learning from can become their mentor. Even if the person doesn’t become their mentor

someone striving to become successful in business should really think long and hard

about finding a mentor in the field they wish to enter. A mentor is someone that has a

more profound knowledge in life or certain areas of life and is able to help someone

realize and utilize their full potential. Mentors can come at any time of the day or any

time in a person’s life that is why it is also good for your networking skills to be sharp.

Choosing the right mentor is very important. If you try and make a mentor out of

someone that is not trying to help you in all ways that are possible it is likely that he or

she can discourage you from where you want to be professionally. However, if you get

someone who is invested into you more than on a professional level in the beginning it is

possible that they feel compromised when it comes to criticism or trying to correct

16

Page 18: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

mistakes that are being made. It is completely appropriate further down the line for you

and your mentor to have a bond because of course you will be gracious of all the things

they have taught. When looking for a mentor there are several routes to look; family and

friends are great mentors as long as they feel comfortable in their boundaries and can

correct things without feeling that the criticism is taking away from the personal

relationship, many times we do not even think twice about how many people we actually

know therefore looking in our extended families is very helpful, if you know someone

who is great at what they do it is possible that you feel impulsive to meet them and then a

complete stranger become your mentor. Choosing a mentor does not happen overnight

and it shouldn’t happen overnight unless you use a firm who specializes in mentors who

are paid for their knowledge (Inc., 2009).

Mentors are important for several reasons they can give you encouragement, reduce

mistakes, eliminate your weaknesses, they can bring out the best in you and expose your

strengths, and they shouldn’t be afraid to tell you the truth. The bond that you and your

mentor should be creating is a special bond to say the least especially since the success

you plan to have in business is directly correlated with them. The mentor you establish

should be able to encourage you to go the extra mile when you feel as if you cannot go

on. Your mentor should be able to help go through the negatives that you will certainly

face going through your first few years n the professional realm. A good mentor is also a

great motivator and they should be able to keep you on the correct path. Also, because a

mentor has been where you are at they see everything in a different perspective maybe

one that you have not thought about. In business or even in life, there are only two ways

17

Page 19: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

to gain wisdom: learn from your mistakes or learn from others’ failures. What is amazing

about having a mentor is that you do not need to fail to learn and gain wisdom. A good

mentor will show you that his failures are enough for you to avoid mistakes. However, it

takes a lot of introspection on your part to fully absorb the depth of failure. The toughest

part of mentoring is when a mentor attempts to cut off bad habits that could have negative

influence on your business. In fact, it is never an easy job telling people about their

weaknesses nor is it easy for someone to just surrender himself and admit his

weaknesses. In all cases, mentoring is not an easy job because people may become

offended and are likely not to like their mentors. Your friends will see who you are, a

product of your past, but your mentor sees a different you, a person that will become a

success. This is only possible, though, when you have fully removed your weaknesses

and have decided to step up to the challenge and become a success. This is the primary

goal of every mentor: to unravel your full potentials. Every person has a potential to

become the person he dreams to be, but it takes a lifetime to train somebody to unravel

someone’s potentials. A good mentor is the right person who can transform you to be the

best person in your field, in business and in life. He has the ability to unlock your talents

and skills and convert them into essential qualities necessary in life and in business. One

of the hardest aspects of mentoring is telling the truth because it may hurt the individual

that is being mentored. For the most part, we always want to hear good things, but a

mentor will tell you things that are not so pleasing to hear. If your friends are used to

telling you good things just to please you, your mentor will be honest with you and tell

you the reality of things. As a learner, it is important that a not-so-pleasing truth is better

18

Page 20: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

than a lifetime of regrets (Powell, 2010). Having a mentor looks great on your resumé as

well.

A resumé is in my personal opinion the second most important thing to education that

will prepare someone for being successful in business. Your resume is basically a

snapshot of your professional and educational experiences along with achievement and

personal contact information. A resume is a summary of your experiences and skills

relevant to the field of work you are entering. It highlights your accomplishments to

show a potential employer that you are qualified for the work you want. It is not a

biography of everything you have done. Its purpose is to get you an interview. A resume

can reflect more than just your paid work experience. Current students, in particular,

should consider including the details of your more important extracurricular, volunteer

and leadership experiences. According to Rockport Institute there are actually six other

reasons people may have a resume other than getting that one job they have been

dreaming of since they were a small child. “ To pass the employer's screening process

(requisite educational level, number years' experience, etc.), to give basic facts which

might favorably influence the employer (companies worked for, political affiliations,

racial minority, etc.). To provide contact information: an up-to-date address and a

telephone number (a telephone number which will always be answered during business

hours). To establish you as a professional person with high standards and excellent

writing skills, based on the fact that the resume is so well done (clear, well-organized,

well-written, well-designed, of the highest professional grades of printing and paper). For

persons in the art, advertising, marketing, or writing professions, the resume can serve as

19

Page 21: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

a sample of their skills. To have something to give to potential employers, your job-

hunting contacts and professional references, to provide background information, to give

out in "informational interviews" with the request for a critique (a concrete creative way

to cultivate the support of this new person), to send a contact as an excuse for follow-up

contact, and to keep in your briefcase to give to people you meet casually - as another

form of "business card." To use as a covering piece or addendum to another form of job

application, as part of a grant or contract proposal, as an accompaniment to graduate

school or other application and lastly, to put in an employer's personnel file. To help you

clarify your direction, qualifications, and strengths, boost your confidence, or to start the

process of committing to a job or career change (Lore, 2012).”

This year in Dr. Reginald Bell’s class one of the assignments that was given to the

students of his Business Communications class was to revamp their resumes. Many of the

students realized that their resumes they have presenting to companies probably looked

really crappy. The following information is based off of the in class information and

PowerPoint that was given to the students via eCourses. The first information that was

given to the students were to analyze, compose, and evaluate the resume that they already

have typed and see if it answers fundamental questions and points. The students were

asked to analyze their goals and the needs that potential employers may need from you.

Student were advised to compose targeted resumes and cover letters so that the two will

highlight your strengths and after you have composed you need to evaluate your

employment materials to ensure they are effective and professional. There are three types

of resumes that people can choose to base their resumes off of. A chronological resume

20

Page 22: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

is the most noticeable format that there is available and it is basically where work history

is in order starting with most recent. A functional resume is made to highlight someone

that has many skills that qualify but maybe lacks in job experience. A combined resume,

which is not as common, uses work experience, which is categorized by the skills that

you have attained. The format that you choose is a guideline for how the resume should

look but what’s more important is the content that lies within.

The beginning of any resume is the header section; in an effective header the

information should be easy to find and not cluttered. You name firstly should be larger

than the other text in the header but should not be half the size of your page. Your email

address should be on the header as well but the email you choose should be professional

not the email you choose when you were 13 and in love with a boy band or a supermodel.

A phone number with a greeting on the voicemail is also encouraged and you’re complete

mailing address. There are three types of summary statements. A summary statement in

general is a summary of why the potential employer should hire you and depending on

the type of resume format you have chose. There is an objective summary statement,

which is a general statement on what you can do and provide for the potential company.

When you introduce your summary based on qualification it is simply a very descriptive

of skills as opposed to the professional profile summary, which is an intricate description

of what work experience you have. Following your summary education experience, work

experiences, and skills attained will follow. Your potential employer will not spend days

and hours going over your resume that is why it is important for it to be clear and

concise. It is important to make sure you do not lie to your future employer so that they

21

Page 23: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

do not find out you’re a liar and so that they do not hire a person who is not qualified,

either way lying will catch up with you in reference to your resume. When an employer

feels that you are qualified he or she will then call you to come in for an interview.

When you are called for an interview most people become excited and then

feel that this is an incredible daunting hour of their life. Job interviews can make people

very nervous because they want the job and nobody likes to look bad in front of potential

employers. An interview is usually a meeting between a potential employee and a hiring

manager. The hiring manager will usually ask several questions pertaining to the

person’s resume, experience, and scenario questions that might happen in the job. There

are usually multiple people interviewing for the same job. The hiring managers job is to

narrow the perspective job seekers and pick the most qualified person. There are certain

things that a person can do to prepare for a job interview. A purpose will be successful in

a job interview if they prepare by analyzing what the job they want entails this can also

include researching the company and what they do and what products they offer to the

public. Many people are often great people and have wonderful resumes that are full of

work experience but they get caught up on the interview portion when it comes to first

impressions. There are many people who do not know how to dress. When dressing for

an interview it is important to understand what and what not to wear. Dressing for

success’ Allison Doyle wrote a guide on how to dress for an interview. Ms. Doyle states

that it is imperative that you dress your absolute best. Women’s interview attire consists

of Solid color, conservative suit, coordinated blouse, moderate shoes, limited jewelry,

neat, professional hairstyle, with tan hosiery, sparse make-up and perfume, and

22

Page 24: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

manicured nails. Bringing a portfolio or briefcase is recommended. It is suggested that

men wear solid colored suits, white long sleeved button down shirt, conservative ties,

dark socks with professional shoes, limited jewelry, neat and professional hairstyles, and

light after shave is recommended. When walking into an interview it is important to give

off confidence but not cockiness. The potential employer wants to know that you can

handle what is given to you in aspect to your potential job but does not want to feel that

your attitude will not allow you to start from the bottom of the ladder. You should

always try to smile and keep a positive outlook during your interview. If what you are

hearing something that doesn’t sound good to you don’t frown and look disgruntled, just

keep a slight smile on your face until it is time for you to say something. Keeping eye

contact with your interviewer is very important, especially when one of you is speaking

to the other. If you are looking around the room or at the items on the interviewer’s desk,

you will appear uninterested. Just imagine what you would be thinking if you were

speaking to him and he was looking all over the room. You would probably think that

you already lost the interview. Body language also tells a lot about a person. People who

fidget a lot show lack of confidence, if you cross your arms it looks as if you are not open

to ideas or conversations, and lastly do not shrug your shoulders when asked a question

that you are unsure of. Take a second to think of your response. Shrugging your

shoulders gives the impression that you don’t know the answer. An interview is a great

way to show your potential employer what your resume cannot show. Landing an

interview in a good job can pave the way for you to be successful in business.

I would like to take the time out and point out that there are people in this world who

did not receive traditional education that I spoke of in the beginning of this paper. There

23

Page 25: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

have also been people who did not work their way up the ladder, and there are many

people who rose like a Phoenix out of their own ashes of defeat and became multi-

millionaires with an astonishing amount of success that happened during their business

life; those are the anomalies. Many people in the world wwill wait for things to be

handed to them because of how they think they should be treated and what they feel is

owed to them; there are also people who go out there and take what they want and work

hard for what they are deserved. To be successful in business it doesn’t happen over night

it starts within your self and make sure that the proper steps are done. Education, gaining

experience, your resume, your mentor, and your interview are all things that you can take

control of and make your destiny a successful one.

References

Alberta Education. (2007). Guiding Principles, Key Learning Skills, Curriculum Integration. Kindergarten- 3rd Grade. Alberta: Alberta Education.

24

Page 26: Bcom successful business paper 1

Henderson: What It Takes To Be Business Successful

Ellis, S. J. (2009). Volunteering to Explore Career Possibilities. Retrieved April 19, 2013, from Service Leader: Where the study and practice of volunteerism meet: http://www.serviceleader.org/volunteers/career

Inc. (2009). Leadership and Mentoring. Retrieved April 19, 2013, from Business Guides: http://www.inc.com/guides/how-to-find-a-business-mentor_pagen_2.html

Lore, N. A. (2012). Resume Help Guide. Retrieved April 19, 2013, from RockPort Institute: http://www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes

Olson, D., & Liu, J. (2008). Putting Business Students in the Shoes of an Executive: An Applied Learning Approach to Developing Decision Making Skills. InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching , 14-27.

Powell, A. (2010). Having a Mentor. Retrieved April 19, 2013, from Your Successful Coach: http://www.annettapowellonline.com/five-good-reasons-for-having-a-mentor

Ramsey, S. (2009). Increasing Critical Thinking in the Workplace. (T. Watson, Ed.) San Antonio, Texas, United States of America: Pearson.

Rempe, E., & Dineen, S. (2013). Skills Learned. Retrieved April 1, 2013, from Early Childhood SKills Activity Category: http://education.alberta.ca/media/656614/learning.pdf

St. Catherine's University. (2013). Job Shadow. Retrieved April 21, 2013, from Career Services: http://minerva.stkate.edu/careers.nsf/pages/shadow

Wilkinson, M. (2011, January 30). The Importance of cooperation in the workplace. Retrieved April 16, 2013, from Helium: Jobs & Other: http://www.helium.com/items/2079492-the-importance-of-cooperation-in-the-workplace

Yang, S. C., & Lin, W. C. (2004). The Relationship among Creative, Critical Thinking and Thinking Styles in Taiwan High School Students. Journal of Instructional Psychology , 31 (1), 33-45.

25