We’ve recently heard a lot of talk about not sending thank you notes as hiring decisions are made quickly and notes take too long to be received. While our view is still that sending a handwritten thank you note communicates the sincerest interest and makes the best impression we also think an e-mail thank you may also be appropriate. Read this insightful article and decide for yourself.
The era of the thank you note after a job interview is over.
Well, not the actual “thank you,” just the delivery system.
It’s critically important that you thank the interviewer for the opportunity, but it’s also critically important that you get it to him within 24 hours. And a handwritten, snail-mailed note just won’t do that. Send an email.
Many people still extol the virtues of the handwritten thank you note as a way to demonstrate your good manners and set yourself apart in the interview process. But while that’s nice, it’s not necessarily effective. A well-written thank you note already demonstrates your good manners and excellent communications skills. You don’t need to put a stamp on it to do that.
But there’s something else that comes into play here: As a recruiter, I know that many hiring decisions are made quickly. You can’t wait to send your thank you just in case this window of opportunity is one that will close quickly.
What should you make sure you include in your message?
In your thank you email, you should talk about how much you appreciated the opportunity to meet with them, how much you enjoyed learning more about the organization, how you think your x, y, and z skills will really help their company with a, b, and c issues, and how you’re looking forward to talking with them further about this process.
If you meet with 4 people, you need to send 4 thank you emails.
But here’s one note of caution: While I’m all for sending your note quickly, don’t go too far and try to send it with a text from your phone. There are too many opportunities for mistakes-and they have been made. Stick with your email-and spell check it.
Peggy McKee has over 15 years of experience in sales, sales management, sales recruiting, and career coaching. Her website, Career Confidential ( http://www.career-confidential.com ) is packed with job-landing tips and advice as well as the practical, powerful, innovative tools every job seeker needs to be successful.
Take time to visit different areas and look for NOW HIRING signs in retail and service spots!
Need to check community Web pages for community/local positions
Check Craigslist and other “free advertisement” websites
WHAT TO DO DURING APPLICATION PROCESS
Greet the initial person politely and ask to fill out an application
Bring your resume with you
Take your references and employment history (with dates), skill’s information, & education information with you to your potential application sites in a binder
Apply for a specific position as opposed to writing “open to anything”
List your most recent job/education first
Fill it out patiently and neatly, with no errors or spelling mistakes!
Don’t leave anything blank! Write “does not apply” or “N/A” (not applicable) if the question doesn’t pertain to you & FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!
Be honest! The employer can come back and hold anything dishonest against you which can lead to you not getting the job
Take your own pen! It will make you look more professional!
Double check every section of the application
Speak with a manager when you hand in your application. You can make your first impression a good one right away. If you’re lucky, you can even get an interview scheduled. Remain positive and personable.
Do a follow-up with any application you turn in. Let the employer know that you are interested in the job and that you are persistent enough to follow through with the application.
Here’s something interesting: the way you respond to specific situations tends to be the way you respond across the board.
This is nothing mysterious; it simply reveals some of our character traits underlying our behavior.
The goal here is to be aware of your behavior patterns during your career transition.
For example: if some of your friends you frequently hang out with make plans to get together without you, what is your first reaction? Do you feel rejected, do you get angry, or do you simply wonder what they’re up to and assume they were just about to ask you?
Your reaction to this kind of situation is likely the same you’ll have when you don’t hear back after applying somewhere.
(And, as an aside: there are SO many reasons you may not hear back after sending in your resume – especially in response to a job posting – that have NOTHING to do with you. )
Another example – a personal one this time:
I tend to want to be prepared and have my ducks in a row. Not very convenient when you’re running a business. So I’m trying my best to unlearn this trait. It’s also not handy if you’re in career transition as it may prevent you from taking action until you are “ready” – which, if you’re like me, you’ll never be!
Perfection is unattainable. Progress, on the other hand, is a fantastic goal.
A few other examples:
Are you someone who is always late? If so, you probably have a hard time getting to your interviews on time as well. Make sure to figure in extra time to avoid this major faux-pas!
Do you get curt with service staff in restaurants and other places? When going on interviews; be mindful of how you treat receptionists and assistants at these companies as they are often asked about their impressions of the candidates! (And what were you thinking in the first place; show some respect for your fellow citizens; regardless of their socio-economic position!)
Are you used to outsourcing everything but your sleep and your love life? If so, chances are you think you can outsource your job transition to professionals and assistants. As much as I am a believer in – and practitioner of – outsourcing, I need to tell you that there’s a place and a time for everything. Your career transition needs hands-on involvement from you.
Do you like to “stick with what works?” Are you someone who keeps buying the same brand products forever, who goes to the same vacation place year after year, and lives by “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke?” Great! But listen up: the past few years have seen more changes in the arena of recruitment, hiring, and job searching than in the all the years prior since the introduction of the electronic typewriter. So ditch the 2 spaces after periods (a left-over thing from the typewriter days), and, more importantly, get up to speed with career transitions a la 2010. It’s truly a different world out there!
So if you got some great career management advice in the 90s or even the early 2000s that made sense to you and that worked back then; realize that what ain’t updated may very well cost you opportunities today.
Are you a proud person who doesn’t need anyone and who likes to “make it on your own?” Respect! You probably don’t ask for help easily (or at all!) and you love to help others. Just make sure not to translate this too rigidly to the careers arena. There are people – and I have a dear friend in particular who is very stubborn about this; you know who you are! – who won’t even accept connections to get more information and possibly leads. I’m not talking about insider information that can land you in jail. I’m talking about plain and simple networking. The stuff that lands about 80% of the people their next jobs. Vital in today’s economy and job market.
It reminds me of that joke about some guy sitting at his roof trying to survive a flood. A boat with rescuers comes to get him, but he sends them away, because “god will rescue him.” Yeah…god just sent that boat with rescuers his way – but he turned it down…same principle applies here.
There are plenty other examples but I’d love to hear yours! How does your “MO” affect your job or career transition?
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CAREEREALISM Expert, Ilona (“rhymes with Fiona”) Vanderwoude’s passion is helping modern-day “Renaissance Personalities” – those with highly diverse skills and interests – create exciting lives and careers. As a Career Designer, she guides her clients in crafting unusual life and career plans, helps them fit a million passions into one lifetime, and provides the tactical support to actually make it happen. Ilona founded CareerBranches in 2001, is a nationally published author, and holds elite resume-writing and coaching credentials (she’s one of 28 Master Resume Writers worldwide).
The bottom line is that she shows her clients how to branch out and live the life they didn’t think was possible for them. Connect with Ilona via LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter.
The photo for this article is provided by Shutterstock.
“You get it right the next time that’s not the same thing. Gonna have to make the first time last.” – Billy Joel
You know how it is. You put in all this work to get to “The Interview”. You spend countless hours updating your resume, calling contacts, browsing job search engines and dealing with recruiters. Finally the big day, all of your work pays off and you get your interview. Are you ready? Unless you are interviewing for an entry level job (and sometimes not even then), hiring managers just don’t have the patience to sit through a “bad” interview with someone who is not prepared. Of course, there are degrees of “bad”. Like the time that I was interviewing someone and they could not stay awake. Every time I started talking, he started nodding off. Now I know I’m not the most interesting guy, but sleeping? So what’s the point? You need to put in lots of time before interviewing. Know the company, try to find out as much as you can about the interviewer, make sure you’ve studied the job description and can easily compare it to your experience. Today’s post is about getting the information you need to “ace” the interview.
How To Master Telephone Interviews – Telephone interviews have become more popular over the last few years and have almost become a standard “first” before the “in person” interview. The skills required for a telephone interview certainly overlap with the “in person” interview, but there are a number of things you may need to do differently. This article, provided by Worktree.com, provides important points on the What, When and How of telephone interviews. There are advantages to a telephone interview, you can have materials available that would not be possible in an “in person” interview. This article covers what to have and what to do.
Preparing for a Job Interview (like your future depends on it) – Another great article, Top-sales-jobs.com does and excellent job of listing the important aspects of a job interview – questions, mock interviews, interview answers, attire and more. The best part of the post (in addition to the content) is that each sub-topic title has an additional link to more in depth information on that particular topic (just click the subtitle).
About.com Interview Answers - Another great article from About.com. An interesting set of potential interview questions and the answers they recommend.
MSN Careers – Interview Tips – MSN, in conjunction with Careerbuilder, have compiled a very impressive list of interview questions, what to do, what not to do and the list goes on. Definitely worth a review, although leave yourself plenty of time.
Monster Career Advice – Interviews - Another good article (rated 4.5 stars out of 5). The article gives advice on how to approach the interview. A very interesting read and approach.
Historically, having a significant gap in your professional employment has been viewed as a draw back or potential red flag on your professional resume.
However, given that a May Gallup poll showed that 19% of the American population is underemployed (either not working or working part-time instead of full-time), there are many, many job seekers out there wondering how to handle this resume issue. The good news is that there are ways to present gaps in employment that minimize their impact on your resume.
Fill the gap.
Hiring managers receive dozens of applications for every job they post these days. They know as well as anyone how tough the current job market is. Because of this, employers are far less likely to stigmatize a job seeker who shows a recent gap in their employment history—the key is to fill that gap with something that shows that you care about your career.
Take educational or professional enrichment courses.
One simple way to keep yourself sharp as a professional is to take a class while you’re looking for work. Depending on your financial situation and available time, there are many options for professional development. Many universities offer continuing education classes in subjects like writing grants or preparing taxes. There are also online training programs for licensed professions such as real estate sales. If finances are a concern, you can take affordable classes through your local parks and recreation department or library system.
Become a consultant for those in your network.
Working less than full time doesn’t mean you automatically forget all the expertise you’ve gained from working in your field. Using your network to obtain consulting gigs not only allows you to earn some income, but it gives you recent experience to discuss on your resume and in interviews.
Pick up freelance work.
I know a copy editor who has been unemployed for 15 months now. He’s been working as a freelancer over the Internet while he’s been searching for a full-time position. Given the current economic conditions, he knows that it’s a logical alternative to doing nothing at all. And should this year-long gap even come up at an interview, he knows that his freelancing experience will not only provide a reasonable explanation but also show the potential employer his initiative and ability to persevere under adverse conditions.
Dedicate your time as a volunteer.
Volunteering is particularly helpful to those who are hoping their next job will be in a field different from their last one. If you don’t have professional experience in something like marketing, volunteer to promote a fund-raiser for a local nonprofit—they’d love the help, and you instantly possess some marketing experience.
If you’re currently paying your bills by working a job for which you’re overqualified, it’s OK to mention it when applying for a new position. Employers appreciate the honesty. “I’m waiting tables right now while I look for full-time work,” is a statement that shows you’re flexible, humble, and willing to get your hands dirty when it’s needed! It also shows your commitment to doing what it takes which is a great asset as an employee and employers will take notice.
Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that win interviews. For a free resume analysis visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com/ or for a free phone consultation call 1.800.991.5187.
‘JT & Dale Talk Jobs’ is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com.
Dear J.T. & Dale: I recently went through a series of interviews and thought I had the job till I got a voice mail stating that while I was wonderful, the department had decided to go with someone they’d “worked with previously.” She also said that perhaps I was a little overqualified. OK, I’m out of college less than a year — how could I be overqualified? During the interviews, I did stress I like to work hard and feel a sense of accomplishment. Did I overdo it? — Michelle
Dale: “Overqualified” is nothing but a weak, generic excuse. I’m so frustrated by managers relying on such a lame excuse that here’s a new formula: Anyone who rejects an employee for being overqualified is underqualified to be a manager. Great bosses hire the best people they can find, and are good enough managers to know that they can keep them engaged and involved and, as the economy improves, help them move up.
J.T.: A bit of an overstatement, perhaps, but Michelle, just so you know, one of the reasons companies start worrying about “overqualified” candidates is because of bad experiences — they’ve chosen candidates with too-good qualifications, only to have those people leave them shortly thereafter. The result becomes a fixation on hiring someone who’ll be satisfied with what he or she has got.
Dale: Which is another way of saying they develop a fixation on high-level mediocrity.
J.T.: Well … more like “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” — just right.
Dale: So, Michelle, what can you do to be just right? You can search for a great boss who wants ambitious people, but the great ones are hard to find, and rarely use the traditional job market. Meanwhile, here’s what you do: In interviews, don’t just sell yourself on how terrific you are — by doing that, you can come across as cocky and overly ambitious. Instead, sell your skills as a team player, emphasizing ways in which you helped your previous managers and made them look good. And also emphasize that you’re eager to learn. What I’m about to say is corny but useful: Instead of coming across as a know-it-all, come across as a learn-it-all.
J.T.: And, during the interview, mention that you hope to find a company and manager to work with long term. If all goes well, you’ll find a great boss, and you’ll work together for many years, moving up together.
Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via e-mail, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019.
"We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology." - Carl Sagan
Most (if not all) job searches must leverage technology to be successful these days. Even the "low tech" methods require that you have a resume in Word, pdf or some other electronic version. But to be honest, successful job search requires technology these days. I've written a number of posts on this topic, but the technology changes and improves so often these days, it doesn't hurt to provide updates from time to time. Even CareerAlley is now "mobile ready" if you view it on your smartphone (or Blackberry) browser (take a look). Too much to cover in one article, so consider this volume 1 for now. So what's changed, new or not covered before?
Podcasts: Most of you are aware of podcasts and many of you watch (or listen) to podcasts in some way, shape or form. There are free podcasts you can leverage in your job search:
Secrets of the Job Hunt - Great topics (the link to the left will take you to the podcast in iTunes) complement the Secrets of the Job Hunt website. Depending on the topic, which range from job search strategies to advice for recent grads, each podcast runs 2 to 25 minutes or so. You can listen to these while sitting in front of your computer (a few are video podcasts) or while using your iPod, this is a great way to get valuable information to help in your job hunt. By the way, did I mention that these are free?
JobDig - Another podcast for job search, the link to the left will take you to the podcast in iTunes (JobDig offers other formats as well from their podcast page at JobDig Podcasts). These podcasts (also free) range from 4 to 10 minutes or so and complement the JobDig.com website. Topics range from job advice to job search tips. Also worth a listen.
The Savvy Jobseeker - One more for you (and yes, the link to the left takes you to the podcast in iTunes), The Savvy Jobseeker (website = savvyjobseeker.com) also provides free podcasts with topics that range from "Tips to landing a high-paying job" to "How to choose job references". Each of the podcasts range from 14 to 30 minutes or so.
Smartphones: This is not just about the iPhone anymore. There is now a long list of smartphones out there on just about every cellphone provider network. From Apps to web-browsers, you can leverage your smartphone to stay mobile in your job search. Three are listed below, just the tip of the iceberg. All have their pros and cons, so make sure you understand this before you make your choice.
Google Nexus One - At the writing of this article, Google's Nexus One is the latest entry in the smartphone category. Using Google's Android phone operating system and available on several carriers, the smartphone functionality that will help you in your job search: access to email on the fly, voicemail, job search apps (like CareerBuilder), social networking as well as productivity apps (to do lists, calendar, etc.).
Palm Pre - Another new entry into the smartphone category, Palm's Pre (and now the Pre Plus) is a good alternative for a smartphone, offering all of the essentials you will need to keep your job search mobile - web access, email access, social networking (including LinkedIn), productivity (to do and calendar) and apps. At the moment, only available on the Sprint Network (which boasts a 4G network).
Apple's iPhone - I could not cover this category without covering the iPhone (my personal favorite). With the exception of the AT&T network, which is passable at best, the iPhone still offers the best selection of apps specific to job search (from free to "paid" apps). Integrated email, visual voicemail, web-browser, productivity (to do lists, calendar, etc.).
Other Tech to consider:
Twitter - Yes, you can use Twitter for job search. There are countless Twitter members who offer leads, advice and more (CareerAlley is one!). You can follow those Twitter members that offer the best match for you job search needs. You can check Twitter on your computer or your smartphone.
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