So you finally get an interview!!! Now you are asking yourself: “What the hell do I tell these people?” Great question!!
The first thing we have to do in an interview situation is research. How can you tell someone how you fit their company’s needs without knowing anything about them? It’s a tough nut to crack if don’t have experience in that industry.
Use the web to find news articles about that industry or try www.hoovers.com or www.wikipedia.com for company history, description, annual sales, and size.
This will give you an overview of the company. Hiring managers do take offense when you don’t lift a finger to find out something about their world. They have spent 10 minutes reading about your life post high school and also took roughly an hour out of their time to speak to you. So, be courteous and research this place that supports her or his family!!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Interview Follow Up - Thank You Letter with Objectives
Next Steps...
It is so awkward when you reach the end of the interview and there is dead air moment. To counter this awkwardness, keep the energy up and ask about next steps.
Ask if there is anything you can provide the manager after the interview. Now this doesn’t have to be just references, this could be samples of work, references, or even a plan of action.
Write a Thank You letter
To even make this happen, you need to get a business card from the hiring manager. And while you are at it, get the contact information of the person who contacted you originally for the job. Whether it’s the office manager, an HR person, or whoever made the connection so you could have the interview. It’s important to follow up these folks also to share your enthusiasm about the potential position.
When you leave the interview, take note on what were the important questions that the manager asked and also the problems that needed to be solved. These are the things that need to be addressed in the letter. Please, please, please do not use phrases like; “I really believe the culture and the environment are a true fit for me.” STOP making the Thank You letter a Thank I letter.
First, address the fact the manager took time out of their day to speak with you. Show some admiration for what they do!
Second, address what you found interesting about the team or company.
Third, address what you could do to make a positive impact at the company. Do not use generic filler language!
Create specific tasks based off you conversation with the manager.
Good luck and GO GET ‘EM!!
It is so awkward when you reach the end of the interview and there is dead air moment. To counter this awkwardness, keep the energy up and ask about next steps.
Ask if there is anything you can provide the manager after the interview. Now this doesn’t have to be just references, this could be samples of work, references, or even a plan of action.
Write a Thank You letter
To even make this happen, you need to get a business card from the hiring manager. And while you are at it, get the contact information of the person who contacted you originally for the job. Whether it’s the office manager, an HR person, or whoever made the connection so you could have the interview. It’s important to follow up these folks also to share your enthusiasm about the potential position.
When you leave the interview, take note on what were the important questions that the manager asked and also the problems that needed to be solved. These are the things that need to be addressed in the letter. Please, please, please do not use phrases like; “I really believe the culture and the environment are a true fit for me.” STOP making the Thank You letter a Thank I letter.
First, address the fact the manager took time out of their day to speak with you. Show some admiration for what they do!
Second, address what you found interesting about the team or company.
Third, address what you could do to make a positive impact at the company. Do not use generic filler language!
Create specific tasks based off you conversation with the manager.
Good luck and GO GET ‘EM!!
Questions to Ask During an Interview
Questions to Ask During an Interview
By asking a few key questions, you can gain knowledge of the job, what you need to do to be considered successful, and what the hot buttons are for this manager to hire you.
Here are some basic questions to ask:
-How can I make a positive impact on your team in the first month?
-What would you expect me to accomplish in the first 3 months on the job?
-What do you think will be the most unique and challenging thing for me to learn or understand?
Simple and easy questions. These will make you look smart and show the employer that you have a sense of enthusiasm and are looking to succeed. By the way they answer these questions; you will be able to gauge how to relate your background.
So how do you relate your wonderful story to them? Well, it’s in detail with a sense of haste. We don’t have time for the extended jam session of your life. But the hiring manager is looking to see what experience you have that is relative to the open position. Guide this story to hit on the major points they mentioned when you ask your intriguing questions.
For those who don’t have much of a professional work history, look at your daily functions with value. Many entry level candidates devalue their everyday chores and tasks. When asked about your work experience or skills, you blank out and tell them that you haven’t worked and spent time concentrating on your schooling. That’s it. Tell them how you approach your class work and your social life. Even if the manager is in their 60s they wouldn’t mind hearing how it was back in the college days. Keep the scenarios serious and on track with what the duties of the potential position will be, this will give you a fighting chance.
By asking a few key questions, you can gain knowledge of the job, what you need to do to be considered successful, and what the hot buttons are for this manager to hire you.
Here are some basic questions to ask:
-How can I make a positive impact on your team in the first month?
-What would you expect me to accomplish in the first 3 months on the job?
-What do you think will be the most unique and challenging thing for me to learn or understand?
Simple and easy questions. These will make you look smart and show the employer that you have a sense of enthusiasm and are looking to succeed. By the way they answer these questions; you will be able to gauge how to relate your background.
So how do you relate your wonderful story to them? Well, it’s in detail with a sense of haste. We don’t have time for the extended jam session of your life. But the hiring manager is looking to see what experience you have that is relative to the open position. Guide this story to hit on the major points they mentioned when you ask your intriguing questions.
For those who don’t have much of a professional work history, look at your daily functions with value. Many entry level candidates devalue their everyday chores and tasks. When asked about your work experience or skills, you blank out and tell them that you haven’t worked and spent time concentrating on your schooling. That’s it. Tell them how you approach your class work and your social life. Even if the manager is in their 60s they wouldn’t mind hearing how it was back in the college days. Keep the scenarios serious and on track with what the duties of the potential position will be, this will give you a fighting chance.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Making Your Resume (YOU) Easier to Find
Making Your Resume (YOU) Easier to Find
Do you have your resume posted online and never hear a peep from potential employers?
It’s so frustrating! You may feel as if no one finds value in your hard work. Well, I have good news. Employers do want to speak to you! They just don’t how to find you. So let’s make it easy for them.
Here is why it is so hard for them to find your resume. Have you ever “Googled” something? Have you ever tried to look up a website for something that you but you didn’t know the actual web address or company name, but you knew how to describe it? Do you always get the right website on your first try? Well, the same thing happens when a potential employer is searching for you.
Here are tactics to improve your resume “searchability” and in return visibility.
1. Key Phrases
In order to up your odds of being seen, you need to adjust your resume not just to have keywords, but key phrases. Go to www.indeed.com (a job board listing) and type the exact title for your past position. Don’t worry about setting a location in the search. Now, read the top 10 job postings from that search. Do you see anything common? Does that common phrasing pertain to what you accomplished at your last position? If so, adjust your resume to match that phrasing. Even be careful to match the tense of the phrase.
Examples of searchable phrases
Payroll Administrator: “process payroll”, “new hires”, “taxes and deductions”
Test the effectiveness of your “key phrases” by searching for them on www.indeed.com.
2. Past Titles and Alternate Titles
Wow! In the past five years as a recuiter, I have seen job titles really hurt folks chances of getting a new job. The miscommunication of what your title was versus your job function could possible keep you from getting an interview for months.
To address this, revisit the drill from “Key Phrases” above. Take key phrases from your job experience and search for them on www.indeed.com. Do you see a common title? Does that title fit what you did at your last role?
In order to display that you took on the other job title, try working the title into bullet points within your resume.
Example of listing alternate titles:
Vice President of Sales (Sales Manager, Outside Sales Representative)
-Served as the sales manager for a team of 4 inside sales representatives.
-Maintained role as a top producing Outside Sales Representative while providing direction to a team of sales trainees and seasoned account managers.
Office Manager (Payroll Administrator, HR Generalist)
-Assumed the role of a HR Generalist and Payroll Administrator.
-Successfully learned how to run weekly payroll for a staff of 30 employees
-In lieu of a company HR Generalist, I took ownership of new hire paperwork and benefits administration.
3. Tools of the Trade
In every industry there are specific tools to accomplish job functions. Don’t take what tools you use for granted. For a Payroll Administrator, this could be listing the software used to actually process the paychecks (ADP or PayChex).
You might underestimate the skills you learned that are specific to your industry. Employers search for this little details. And sometimes that is all they search for!
If you can not remember the name of the “system” from your last Accounts Payable position or the “diagnostics tool” from the last mechanic role you had, call an old colleague and find out. Get that exact tool listed on your resume.
www.rooooar.com Let Them Hear You!
Do you have your resume posted online and never hear a peep from potential employers?
It’s so frustrating! You may feel as if no one finds value in your hard work. Well, I have good news. Employers do want to speak to you! They just don’t how to find you. So let’s make it easy for them.
Here is why it is so hard for them to find your resume. Have you ever “Googled” something? Have you ever tried to look up a website for something that you but you didn’t know the actual web address or company name, but you knew how to describe it? Do you always get the right website on your first try? Well, the same thing happens when a potential employer is searching for you.
Here are tactics to improve your resume “searchability” and in return visibility.
1. Key Phrases
In order to up your odds of being seen, you need to adjust your resume not just to have keywords, but key phrases. Go to www.indeed.com (a job board listing) and type the exact title for your past position. Don’t worry about setting a location in the search. Now, read the top 10 job postings from that search. Do you see anything common? Does that common phrasing pertain to what you accomplished at your last position? If so, adjust your resume to match that phrasing. Even be careful to match the tense of the phrase.
Examples of searchable phrases
Payroll Administrator: “process payroll”, “new hires”, “taxes and deductions”
Test the effectiveness of your “key phrases” by searching for them on www.indeed.com.
2. Past Titles and Alternate Titles
Wow! In the past five years as a recuiter, I have seen job titles really hurt folks chances of getting a new job. The miscommunication of what your title was versus your job function could possible keep you from getting an interview for months.
To address this, revisit the drill from “Key Phrases” above. Take key phrases from your job experience and search for them on www.indeed.com. Do you see a common title? Does that title fit what you did at your last role?
In order to display that you took on the other job title, try working the title into bullet points within your resume.
Example of listing alternate titles:
Vice President of Sales (Sales Manager, Outside Sales Representative)
-Served as the sales manager for a team of 4 inside sales representatives.
-Maintained role as a top producing Outside Sales Representative while providing direction to a team of sales trainees and seasoned account managers.
Office Manager (Payroll Administrator, HR Generalist)
-Assumed the role of a HR Generalist and Payroll Administrator.
-Successfully learned how to run weekly payroll for a staff of 30 employees
-In lieu of a company HR Generalist, I took ownership of new hire paperwork and benefits administration.
3. Tools of the Trade
In every industry there are specific tools to accomplish job functions. Don’t take what tools you use for granted. For a Payroll Administrator, this could be listing the software used to actually process the paychecks (ADP or PayChex).
You might underestimate the skills you learned that are specific to your industry. Employers search for this little details. And sometimes that is all they search for!
If you can not remember the name of the “system” from your last Accounts Payable position or the “diagnostics tool” from the last mechanic role you had, call an old colleague and find out. Get that exact tool listed on your resume.
www.rooooar.com Let Them Hear You!
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