Rhetorical Analysis of Fast-Growth Businesses’ Job Advertisements: Implications for Job Search

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly Sep 2017

Rhetorical Analysis of Fast-Growth Businesses’ Job Advertisements: Implications for Job Search

Craig L. Engstrom ; James T. Petre ; Elizabeth A. Petre

Abstract

This article presents findings from a rhetorical analysis of job advertisements posted by the fastest growing companies in the United States ( Inc. 5000 rankings). The analysis suggests that companies rely on standard rhetorical figures and share similar rhetorical visions of novelty that likely effect their organizational culture, paradoxically make them homogeneous, and potentially oversell positions that require prosaic job duties. Suggestions to authors of job advertisements include writing with fewer clichés and metaphors, since they tend to reify ageist stereotypes. Suggestions for job seekers include doing rhetorical analyses of advertisements and writing résumés so they comply with job advertisements’ creative rhetorical styles.

Journal: Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Published: 2017-09-01
DOI: 10.1177/2329490617723117
CompPile: Search in CompPile ↗
Topics: multilingual writers voice and style

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

Lawal (2025)

Metaphor in U.K. Bank Chairman Letter to Shareholders

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Mathis et al. (2023)

Perpetuating Perceptions: Understanding the “Chaining” of a Common Training Nar…

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Knight (2018)

Accessibility and Disability: Absent Keywords in Business and Professional Comm…

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly

Cites in this index (1)

Porter (2009)

Recovering Delivery for Digital Rhetoric

Computers and Composition

Also cites 27 works outside this index ↓

10.1177/1080569908330383

↗
10.1080/00335637209383138

↗
10.1080/00335638209383599

↗
10.1080/00335638709383799

↗
10.1080/00335638309383643

↗
10.4135/9781452204536.n4

↗
10.1177/1080569912475207

↗
10.1057/bm.2012.21

↗
10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199764129.001.0001

↗
10.2753/JOA0091-3367350108

↗
10.1177/108056999706000117

↗
10.1111/j.1460-2466.1998.tb02770.x

↗
10.1177/0893318908318430

↗
10.1177/0893318908318513

↗
10.1016/j.orgdyn.2014.08.003

↗
10.1086/226550

↗
10.1177/1469540513493206

↗
10.1177/0170840614546149

↗
10.1108/09534811211213973

↗
10.1177/108056999505800115

↗
10.1177/108056999505800302

↗
10.1177/1080569912459267

↗
10.1177/1080569909334015

↗
10.1177/1080569904265300

↗
10.2307/356588

↗
10.1177/1080569911413809

↗
10.1007/s10902-008-9087-4

↗

CrossRef global citation count: 10 View in citation network →