Cover Letters: To Send or Not to Send, This is the Question | Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

I have discussed this topic in the past, and I see that it is still one of the most frequently asked and hotly debated questions on Linked-In. So I think it is worth revisiting, exploring both sides of the questions. Then you can be the final judge of what to do in your job search.

CONSENSUS:
The only thing that people on all sides of the great cover letter debate agree upon is when a recruiter, employer or job posting requests that you include a cover letter along with your resume that you do so; and you must follow their directions to a tee including sending a detailed salary history if requested.

PRO:
What I observed in evaluating the importance of a cover letter is, just like in politics, the pro and con opinions seem to follow defined lines. In participating in and following up with fellow contributors on these discussions I found that recruiters generally share a point of view that a cover letter is helpful to them and I recommend that you send one to them.

As a recruiter I rarely read cover letters. When I did it was only after reading the resume first, unless I asked for one for a particular assignment, and I will say I rejected more people based on their cover letter than I was swayed to change my original opinion. However I do know many recruiters, especially in high level search and certain industries who feel a cover letter is a required part of the resume submittal process.

So my opinion is that a cover letter should be sent to a recruiter since you need to sell them on accepting you as a candidate and working with you on the current assignment as well as on future assignments. Just make sure your cover letter is on-target, polished and professional.

I also found that corporate people who screen resumes in smaller companies and for companies that don’t hire on a regular basis, or in high volume rely more on cover letters to differentiate between candidates. I think this is because they have not developed the skills to judge candidates on the basis of their resume and social media.

So I would recommend you send one to them as well, but if you do not it is not a major faux pas.

CON:
Many of you will be dealing with recruiters on the corporate side who are working on high volume searches where they receive up to 300 resumes per job, and they generally work on multiple internal assignments with different departments and decision makers. These people do not have the time or inclination to read or receive a cover letter. To them it is another piece of useless clutter on their desk or inbox.

For them I suggest it is best to use the time and effort you put into a cover letter into tweaking and customizing your resume for the specific job you are applying for. The odds of reading your cover letter and sending it up the line are slim. But on the downside the people who do take the time to read your cover letter will scrutinize it so you better be carful how it is written. I have also found most of these recruiters/screeners dislike being sold, have a low tolerance for repetitiveness, and are prone to look for and question discrepancies in your resume and cover letter. So if you have a choice you can get away without a cover letter and it will not have a negative impact on your candidacy.

Now my personal opinion is if a cover letter is not specifically required it can do more harm than good. Most people I know are average to poor resume writers who learn through trial and error; and they are even worse at writing a cover letter. So if resume and cover letter writing is not your forte I suggest you not write one. If you feel a need to do so remember your cover letter will be judged on spelling, grammar, content, style and how well it sells you against other candidates. I think if your resume is a powerful document you should rely on it and save your sales pitch for a personal interview.

CONCLUSION:
I believe the best approach in most cases is the middle ground, which is to send a simple letter of introduction along with your resume. Do not try and sell yourself. Just explain what job you are applying for, that the resume will show why you are a good fit, and offer include contact information and availability for an interview.

Again I would appreciate if you all weigh in on this discussion and leave a comment here or send one to me directly.

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Author:

Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.

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Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Take a break from your job search « Courting Your Career

Taking a break from your job search gives you a chance to evaluate the effectiveness of your current strategy and catch your breath.

Are things going well? Are you having limited success? Is there anything you would like to do differently?

Before reinventing the wheel trying to guess what went wrong, take some time to reflect on any feedback you’ve received from recruiters. Usually, you’ll be lucky to get a rejection letter from most companies, so don’t expect many employers to be forthcoming with constructive criticism on your interview. It’s nothing personal; they just get swamped with tons of job candidates and don’t have time to communicate with everyone.

When following up on rejections, don’t ask for feedback about why you weren’t selected for “that” position. Most recruiters will shy away from getting into specifics either because of company policies or a subconscious fear of a possible confrontation. Instead, ask them if they would be willing to share any “general” feedback that would help improve your candidacy. It’s unlikely they’ll give you anything of substance, but it’s definitely worth a shot. The worst they can say is no.

If you possess the required qualifications but haven’t been selected for an interview, go back and take a look at your resume and correspondence. Check for any typos, make sure your resume accurately reflects your experience, and have one of your friends read it to determine whether your email or letter of interest is well written and concise.

Applying for openings, preparing for interviews, and dealing with rejection can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s critically important to do something fun and enjoyable at least once a week while you’re job searching. Keep your spirits up by renting a funny movie, hanging out with friends, or treating yourself to your favorite meal.

Although it might seem counterproductive, taking periodic breaks from your job search will give you a chance to gain valuable insight into what seems to be working well and what isn’t. It also will give you a chance to recharge your batteries–a must if you’re going to be successful in landing an offer.

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How to Best Answer Phone Interview Questions | EmploymentDigest.net

Are you currently in the process of trying to find a new job? If so, then you will definitely want to prepare yourself for job interviews with potential employers. The whole concept of participating in a job interview may seem a bit overwhelming and stressful to you. However, there is no need to worry though as there is lots of information available to assist you.

Nowadays, before conducting an actual in office job interview, many employers like to first have their job candidates participate in some phone interview questions as a way of pre-screening them. If they like what they hear on the phone, the employer will then often invite that job candidate to come into their office for an interview. On the other hand, if the phone interview does not go so well, the potential employer most likely will not invite the job candidate to go any further in the job interview process. Therefore, handling yourself well during the initial phone interview questions is crucial in order to increase your chances of actually getting hired.

One of the best ways to ensure that your phone interview goes well is to prepare yourself ahead of time as much as possible. I would highly encourage you to do some research online and read as much as you can on tips for how to do well with phone interview questions. You should base your online research around not only how to do well at phone interviews but also around how to do well at both face to face interviews as well as group interviews. The reason for this is that you may very well have to undertake not just one type of interview for a potential employer, but you might have to do a combination of different types of interviews.

While you can never know for sure exactly what kind of interview questions your potential employers will ask you during your initial phone call, there are certain questions that are commonly asked during job interviews. Three of the most frequently asked job interview questions are, ‘What are your strengths?’ ‘What are your weaknesses?’ And ‘Why do you want to work for us?’ Of course, there are a wide variety of other questions the interviewer might potentially ask you. However, the three questions I stated above are almost always asked during job interviews, and so you should really spend some time prior to your phone interview thinking about the best way to answer those particular questions.

 Damien Clarke is the Managing Director of Red Rock Adventure Products and encourages job hunters to become familiar and confident with answering phone interview questions.

via employmentdigest.net

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10 Common-Sense Interview Tips Too Many People Flub - Careers Articles

When we refer to something as being "common sense," we usually mean that it is something we think everyone should know. Often, though, it turns out that what may seem like common sense to one person isn't always so to someone else. For example: Veterinarians spend their days around animals, so they might consider it common knowledge that cats sleep about 18 hours per day; hence the reason your vet seems so amused when you bring Muffin in for a checkup, concerned about her inability to stay awake.

Similarly, because human-resources professionals constantly screen and interview candidates, what may seem like a common-sense interview tip to them might not have crossed a job seeker's mind. Following are "common-sense" interview tips straight from the experts' mouths.

1. Be presentable

Wear a suit that fits, and don't cut corners when it comes to ironing or dry-cleaning, says Monique Honaman, CEO of leadership development company ISHR Group. "I knew one guy who was in such a rush the day of his interview that he only ironed the front of his shirt. Later, during the course of his interview day, it was hot and he was encouraged to remove his jacket and get more comfortable and it was clear that he had cut corners and only ironed the front! He was very embarrassed," Honaman says.

Also, while you should always wear deodorant, try to avoid perfumes and colognes. You never know who will be allergic or just downright averse to your scent. "A hiring manager once told me a story of how he didn't select an incredibly well-qualified candidate for a role because she wore the same perfume as his ex-wife," says Danielle Beauparlant Moser, a career coach with Blended Learning Team. "He said she walked in the room and his only thought was how to get her out of his office as quickly as possible."

• 10 Job Interview Clothing Faux Pas

2. Don't be too early

While you should always arrive at your interview a few minutes early, try not get there more than 15 minutes before your scheduled interview time, advises Ben Yeargin, a manager at Spherion Staffing. "[Arriving early] will lead to anxiety on the candidate's part because they have to sit and wait for an extended period of time, and it will lead to frustration on the hiring manager's part because they will feel rushed with the project that they are trying to accomplish prior to the interview," he says.

If you find yourself getting to the building earlier than you thought, wait in your car or take a walk around the block until it's closer to your interview time.

• The Wrong Watch and Other Random Reasons You're Not Getting a Job

3. Know whom you're meeting with

"Know the name of the interviewer so that you can ask for that person at the receptionist's desk," advises Cheryl Palmer, president of Call to Career, an executive coaching firm. "It's embarrassing when the receptionist asks, 'Who are you here to see?' and you can't remember. Have this information either in your head or write yourself a note that you refer to prior to arriving in the waiting area," Palmer says.

• 10 Types of Interviewers

4. Remember: You are being interviewed as soon as you walk in the door

"Most people would never think of the receptionist as being an interviewer, but it's true," Palmer says. "It's fairly common that the receptionist will report back to the hiring manager how candidates behaved in the waiting area. Don't be remembered as the one who ate all the candy out of the candy dish or spoke disrespectfully to the receptionist."

• Five Interview Tricks That Will Give You a Competitive Edge

5. Make proper eye contact

"One of the most obvious mistakes interviewees make is with eye contact, and it costs a lot of people a lot of jobs," says Barry Maher, who owns a California-based career coaching firm. "Eye contact is simple," he says. "Any given eye contact should last about five seconds at a time. And if there's one interviewer, make eye contact with him or her about 40 to 60 percent of the time. More than 60 percent is intimidating. Less than 40 percent comes off as shifty and perhaps insincere, even dishonest."

• What Your Body Language Says About You

6. Eat before the interview, not during it

Duh? Not according to Yeargin, who has experienced interview-snacking firsthand. "I was in an interview, no more than 10 minutes into it, and I got called out for two minutes to answer a question," he says. "When I returned, the applicant was eating some sort of granola or other snack bar. Needless to say that individual did not get a job with my company." No matter what the candy bar ads have to say, your hunger can wait.

• Don't Let a Lunch Interview Devour You

7. Make sure that what you do eat beforehand does not involve onion or garlic

You want to be remembered for your professionalism and outstanding skills, not for what you ate for lunch. Advises Palmer, "Don't eat anything that has a strong odor before the interview."

8. Don't look at your watch

Block at least two hours of time for the interview, says Cindy Loftus, co-owner of Loftus O'Meara Staffing. Loftus also advises keeping your schedule relatively clear on the day of the interview, to avoid feeling the need to rush. "Don't create distractions to your interview," she says.

• Say What? Shocking Interview Stories

9. Tell the interviewer you are interested

Don't forget to tell the recruiter you want the job. "If you truly feel the position is a fit, let them know and tell them you would like to get to the next round of interviews, and be prepared to tell them why," Loftus says.

• Five Reasons to Send A Thank You Letter After an Interview

10. Get business cards from your interviewers -- and use them

"Ask for the business cards of all of the interviewers that you have met and make sure you take a second or two to read their card," Loftus says. This will not only be helpful in remembering each person you met with, but will make it easier to send proper thank-you notes and follow up e-mails, which should always be done within 24 hours of leaving the interview.

• Dos and Don'ts of Handling Business Cards

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Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Networking Groups: Knowing when it’s time to leave | JibberJobber Blog

I’m not talking about when it’s time to leave a networking event, I’m talking about permanently leaving a group you are in.

A few years ago I networked in a Yahoo Group (an excellent place to network).  This group was run by someone with a beautiful smile and a seemingly helpful persona, but I had a different experience than most.

My contributions to this Yahoo Group, with a lot of job seekers, were sincere and helpful.  When someone asked a question that I could (or should) answer, I spent a fair amount of time constructing a response that was encouraging and had enough meat that the person would be able to move on.

At least half of my messages never made it to the group.  They were flat out rejected by the moderator, who sometimes would construct her own response that had a lot of similarities to my response.

One time, she responded saying that it was HER group, not the Jason Alba group…. by this time I was just about done having all of my free help and thoughts slapped down.

I didn’t want to leave the group for many reasons.  This was a large group that was very active and I got as much value as I put into the group (and I put a lot of value into the group).  I struggled with leaving for months, and finally I did.

I left the group.  I left the opportunity to be known, be helpful, keep my ear to the ground on issues, and get reactions to my ideas.

I was saddened to get to that point, but something unexpected happened.

When I left the group I became liberated. I was elated.  Seriously, I was so happy to be out of the control of the group owner, and not have to worry about my contributions being slapped down more than 50% of the time.

No one really knows why I left…  I STILL get emails from people that were on that group, wondering where I went.  I do wish I could contribute to that group… but being free has been so liberating.

I know some of you go to network events, or network online in certain groups, where you feel quite unappreciated. Perhaps what you bring to the table is undervalued and you are essentially treated poorly (perhaps even abused).

Here’s my advice: leave.

Move on.

Leave the group.

Don’t stay for the others… they’ll eventually figure it out for themselves.

There are two reasons to participate in networking:

• To Give…. of your time, ideas, encouragement, etc.
• To Get…. moral support, ideas, encouragement, etc.

If there comes a time when the management of the group, or event, thinks that you are a threat, it’s better to go somewhere else and do what you do best than to stay there.

You’ll know when it’s time… when the stress weighs on you and you wonder why they keep doing things a certain way (which is wrong) and you keep getting slapped down… it is time to move on.

And that’s okay.

via jibberjobber.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

10 Jobs that Pay $50 per Hour - Careers Articles

Want to a job that earns $50 per hour? Prepare to break open the books, attend classes and gain some serious know-how. That is the way to earn big bucks. The following is a list of 10 jobs in IT, health care, engineering, law and other fields that will get you earning six figures.

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01. Clinical Psychologist

Hourly pay: $50.29 - $102.00

If you find human behavior fascinating, and you'd like to earn a hefty income, consider a career as a clinical psychologist. You can work in a variety of settings, from a private practice in your home to a being part of a medical team at a hospital. Clinical psychologists help their patients deal with both mental disorders, like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, as well as shorter-term needs like processing the death of a loved one or a divorce. This job requires earning a Ph.D. and the competition to get into a doctoral program in psychology is fierce. The market is expected to grow for this job in the coming years, especially for psychologists with subspecialties in certain disorders or age groups.

• Clinical Psychologist Jobs

02. Attorney / Lawyer

Hourly pay: $51.33 - $102.00

Love 'em or hate 'em, they'll always have a job. From building a new office building to sorting out a will, lawyers are essential to all kinds of negotiations and business processes. As a lawyer, you can specialize in the area that most suits your strengths and interests, like justice for children or patent law for new technologies. To get working as a lawyer, you need to complete an undergraduate degree, three years of law school and pass a state bar exam.

• Legal Jobs

03. Senior Electrical Engineer

Hourly pay: $42.01 - $69.53

Who makes a DVD player show movies, a robot talk or your computer save those family photos? Electrical engineers do. They design, test and improve electronics of all kinds. Electrical engineers need to be good with the numbers, as well as creative, curious, and detail-oriented. As a senior engineer, years of experience and managerial skill are essential since you will be leading a team. To get into this line of work, you need to complete an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering, and can expect to take continuing education courses throughout your career. Demand for these engineers is expected to grow as our dependence on electronic devices does.

• Electrical Engineer Jobs

04. Optometrist

Hourly pay: $50.12 - $62.83

If you have your eyes on a healthy salary in a growing field, consider optometry. As the baby boomers age, this is yet another area of health care that is expected to grow. Optometrist test for eye sight problems and eye diseases and can prescribe certain medicines or refer patients to other doctors. This work requires completion of a four year degree at an accredited school of optometry. And, even if you're up for four years of school, acceptance into optometry school is highly competitive and may be a barrier. Earning and keeping up a license is also required.

• Optometrist Jobs

05. Consultant, Business Process / Management

Hourly pay: $43.99 - $73.20

Here's a "behind the scenes" gig that makes a big difference in how decisions are made at a company, government department, university, hospital or any other organization. You provide a knowledge base that an organization doesn't already have and use it to help them solve a problem, like reworking their marketing strategy or streamlining their manufacturing process. And, you get paid well for your help. This work can often be project-oriented, short-term and highly demanding. The use of consultants is up in recent years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as businesses hustle to compete with as small of a payroll as possible.

• Business Jobs

06. Project Manager, Information Technology (IT)

Hourly pay: $44.85 - $73.77

In a world where technology can put a company on the fast track to success, workers who understand both technology and how to lead a team have a lot of work opportunities. Most IT project managers have an undergraduate degree in some area of computer science or math and employers often prefer that they have an MBA, as well. Project managers are often in line to become chief technology officers.

• IT Jobs

07. Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Lead

Hourly pay: $44.1 - $57.02

Do you tend to find and notice everything wrong with how your computer, a website or some other electronic device works? You might be able to put that knack to work. In fact, you might not even need an undergraduate degree to get hired if you're a natural. You need a logical mind and great attention to detail to get started in quality assurance. You can then lead a team of people whose job is to find errors in software or other systems before they are made available to the public. This line of work is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years as the demand for electronics grows.

• Quality Assurance Jobs

08. Consultant, Education/Training

Hourly pay: $39.15 - $78.63

Education and training consultant was named one of CNNMoney's "Best Jobs in America." Imagine flying to some major city, meeting with a company's top employees to train them on the latest technology or team building technique. For the right person, this could be a really fun job. Education consultants typically work for themselves so it's important to market yourself in order to find work. Job opportunities are expected to grow in the coming years.

• Education Jobs

09. Psychiatric Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP)

Hourly pay: $42.02 - $61.33

Nurses are in-demand and well-paid these days. But, which ones earn the most? Registered nurse practitioners with a specialty in psychiatric care can earn more per hour than most. They treat people with personality and mood disorders. These nurses have not only completed a bachelor's degree and nursing school, they have gone on to complete either a master's or Ph.D. and can work independently of a physician, prescribing therapies, certain medications and creating treatment plans.

• Nursing Jobs

10. Senior Mechanical Engineer

Hourly pay: $35.00 - $51.52

Mechanical engineering is a field with very broad work opportunities. You could lead a team of engineers who design refrigerators, gas turbines, elevators, escalators, robots and much, much more. This job requires at least an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering or a related field, with continued professional exams to keep up with changing technology. And, to become a senior engineer requires having many years of experience in a particular field and being able to effectively lead a team so that they are on task and productive.

• Mechanical Engineer Jobs

Source: All salary data provided by online salary database PayScale.com. Salaries listed are a range from the 50th to 90th percentile of hourly salaries for workers with 5-8 years of experience and include any bonuses, commissions or profit sharing.

Filed under: Highest-Paying Jobs

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Bridget Quigg is the web content editor for online salary database PayScale.com. Located in Seattle, Wash., Bridget specializes in writing and editing content for blogs, websites and feature articles.

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One Way Struggling New Grads Can Find Jobs - The Career Doctor Blog

Jerri writes:

I graduated college in December but am not having any success in landing a job in this economy. Any suggestions for what I can do?

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The Career Doctor responds:

Many factors go into a successful job search for new grads, whether in a good or bad economy, but one underused technique new grads can try to find jobs in a down market in informational interviewing.

Conduct informational interviews with people in your target companies. A subset of networking, information interviews will provide exposure to the field and contacts for your network. You may meet an employer while you’re informationally interviewing who would be willing to give an inexperienced person a chance. That’s especially important in this economy because a hiring manager might not ostensibly have an opening, but upon meeting you may be motivated to find a way to bring you into the organization.

At the very least, you’ll gain information that will help you develop a strategy for breaking into the field. You’ll find out exactly what you need to do to get your foot in the door.

via careerdoctor.org

Posted via email from AndyWergedal