Whether class participants are students or already employed as business professionals, creating and updating an effective resume is a communication challenge. Mastering the art of clear communication on a resume may bring greater success in the business world for class participants. Ask students to bring their resumes to class. Collect all resumes and black out the names on them. Split students into small groups and pass out all resumes. Have each group examine a few resumes and then tell the class what the strengths and experience are for each candidate. Groups should also state what type of job they feel each candidate is seeking based on his resume. The exercise may help students realize what they are communicating with their resumes and determine whether they need to make changes to be clearer about what they have to offer to potential employers as well as for which types of jobs they are best suited. The instructor should provide resources and guidelines for students to use to improve their resumes.
Gaining confidence speaking in front of groups is something that many people struggle with. People carry this internal conflict into their jobs and it can hinder them from progressing in their careers. Generally, the only way to become more comfortable with making presentations in front of groups is by practicing. Have students use PowerPoint or another common presentation tool to create a series of three presentations about things they enjoy or are knowledgeable about. Give students definite parameters such as presentation duration, number of slides and suggested topics. Demonstrate an effective presentation for students first, and then allow each student to give at least three presentations in front of the class to gain practice with both public speaking as well as operating a computer and projector presentation. Provide pointers/remotes and all equipment that students would need to make a presentation in a business setting. After each presentation, ask students to provide gentle, positive but corrective remarks. Tell each student what he did well and what he can improve.
Gaining fluency in email communication is critical for success in the business world. Help students understand the impact that communicating by email can make by conducting an email exercise in your class. One week, hold class in a virtual environment so that students can experience the non-verbal elements of communication that are lost in non-face-to-face interactions. For at least part of the session, type in all capital letters or in improper grammar to show students how these bad habits come across to others. The next session together, talk with the students about how communication was different in a virtual environment. Ask them if they interpreted statements differently because they were typed as opposed to spoken. Emphasize the importance of using proper sentence structure and clearly explaining thought processes with email.