Exploring Students’ Written Discourse in Resumes: Unveiling Insights for Enhancing Social Intelligence

¹ Institute of Social Transformation and Regional Development, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia.
² Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, 86400 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia.
³ Centre for Language Learning, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia.

^* Corresponding author: azwani@uthm.edu.my

Abstract

Social intelligence empowers individuals not only to comprehend and interpret written discourse but also to respond effectively and appropriately. In the context of job applications, the ability to demonstrate the presence of social intelligence through documents such as resumes can significantly persuade recruiters’ interest. However, many future graduates are not concerned about producing impactful resumes. The way a job advertisement is presented can affect how a resume is crafted. This paper explores how future graduates interpret job advertisements and shape their resumes. One postgraduate student from a technical university in Malaysia participated in this study. This study employed think-aloud protocols to examine the cognitive processes behind the resume composition. The data from the think-aloud and the language used in the advertisements and resumes were analyzed through thematic and discourse analysis, respectively. The results generated from the analysis were mapped against the social intelligence dimensions to determine the presence of social intelligence. The key finding highlights that social intelligence plays an important role in helping future graduates understand and interpret job advertisements to enable them to produce impactful resumes. The study raises the relevance of social intelligence for future professionals.