In today’s job market, are cover letters still necessary? We say yes.
Cover letters are where you do your own personal marketing. It is through the cover letter that you can show the hiring manager your strengths, your attention to detail and ability to follow instructions, your interest in the opportunity (versus desperation for any job), and your enthusiasm and communication skills. As yet another tool to differentiate yourself from the competition, why wouldn’t you take advantage? Just make sure you are effective in doing so…here are a few tips on how: • Avoid using form letters. Cover letters that appear generic do little to separate you from the crowd and make you appear lazy and uninterested. Make sure to customize each letter, and if you’re using a template from another letter, triple check that the “variables” like salutation and company name match up. • State the position to which you are applying and make sure to adjust this for each posting. • Match your skills and experience to those noted in the job posting. Use specific examples from your background to provide evidence. Don’t make the hiring manager “work” to figure out your qualifications. • Be brief yet specific. With hiring managers spending less than 20 seconds on each letter, you want to supply the necessary information in as little space as possible. Three to four paragraphs is sufficient. • Refrain from asking for a specific salary or making other work-related demands. The purpose of your letter is to explain what you can do for the company, not vice versa. • Check for errors. As the first document seen by a prospective employer, it must be very well written and free of spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors. Always ask a trusted friend or colleague to review the document before sending it out. The number one factor to keep in mind when deciding on whether or not to include a cover letter is to follow instructions. Though most industries and most companies seem to prefer a cover letter, there are some situations where it is not required. At the very least, include a short paragraph of three to five sentences describing how you learned of the position and why your qualifications are a perfect fit.
Less than 5% of executive applications for posted positions get consideration from employers and recruiters. This is not because candidates lack required credentials, but due to the fact that the vast majority of executive resumes look and sound alike.
Most applications are either rejected or ignored because they never answer this key question – WHY YOU? Without a prior history with employers, you are asking them for a lot - to grant you interviews, hire you, and pay you a high salary. Therefore, your message needs to be exceptional and impactful, without sounding like a recycled commercial.
In this job market, employers are more cautious about recruitment. They also have a larger pool of applicants to choose from. The main way, at least initially, for employers to determine the best fit is from executive resumes. Therefore, having a powerful, action-focused message is no longer an option for a serious job seeker. You can either present yourself as an average, mass-market applicant or convey that you are a stronger candidate who is offering superior value. By effectively communicating your real and unique strengths, you can significantly boost employer response.
HERE’S HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR MESSAGE:
Aim to position yourself as a specialized generalist, i.e. someone with a well-rounded general background but also with one or two specific areas of expertise that distinctly make you more attractive than others in your peer group. Promote yourself a value-added candidate.
Instead of merely describing your previous duties and responsibilities, give special attention in your resume to factors that will give your candidacy a notably higher appeal. For instance, if you are a CIO, explain how you can bridge business and technology within an organization.
Translate your executive experience into potential financial benefits employers can expect to receive. Clearly convey – on paper and in interviews - how you can help new employers make and save money. Give illustrations of prior successes but most importantly, expand on the likely gains these can bring to companies.
By enhancing the quality of your executive message, you improve your first impression. This is essential for staying ahead and getting the opportunities you deserve.
Getting a job offer in this environment can feel like a victory. But all job offers are not equal, and especially in the recession, it pays to do your homework before accepting. Here are three tips for doing the right research before you say yes:
1. Know the company's financial situation. Don't assume that just because the company is making an offer, there isn't trouble ahead. Find out as much as you can about the company's financial stability and market position.
2. Assess your cultural fit. Yes, the hiring manager should be doing this, but you are the one who will suffer most if there is a mismatch between the company culture and your working style.
3. Don't rely on the job description. Ask specific questions about what you will be doing, who you will be working with, and what the expectations are for your role.
Today's Management Tip was adapted from "Managing Yourself: Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change" by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average job search as of November 2009 took 28.5 weeks -- more than 7 months. That's the longest since record keeping began in 1948.
But there is good news: People are still finding jobs, often faster than average.
How are they doing it?
From what I can see, talking to and counseling hundreds of people in 2009, successful job seekers do three things that can get you hired faster in 2010 .
1. Start with clarity
Here's the best predictor of job-search duration: To the extent that you can clearly describe your target job title and a shortlist of 10-20 ideal employers, you will find work fast.
To the extent that you can't, you won't.
Think of it like this. If you walked into a bank and asked for a loan, they'd ask you a series of questions: How much do you need? What is it for? How will you pay it back?
If you can't clearly tell the bank what you want, they can't help you.
And if you can't clearly tell networking contacts and potential employers what you want, they can't help you, either.
2. Stop "networking" and start being helpful
Hands up -- who loves networking? I thought so.
Like eating your broccoli, most people see networking as a necessary evil.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
You can make better connections that lead to better job leads -- and have a good time doing it -- by helping other people.
Fred Stuck, from northern New Jersey, was hired last month for an IT position after networking effectively. Did he "work the room" at networking events or spring a "30-second elevator pitch" on friends and family?
No. He simply tried to be helpful.
"When a recruiter contacted me, I would say, 'Send me the full job description,' even if I wasn't really interested in the job," says Stuck.
He then offered to help the recruiter find candidates by forwarding the job description to friends and colleagues who looked like a good fit.
Stuck did more.
After being contacted by a recruiter, he asked to connect with them on LinkedIn, where many recruiters update their status with jobs they're trying to fill. "I saw one update that said, 'I'm looking for a Linux Systems Administrator.' I knew someone and asked if they were in the job market. They said, 'Yes,' so I forwarded their LinkedIn profile to the recruiter. That person didn't get the job, but they did get an interview."
Meanwhile, Stuck was hired from a networking contact he made at a prior employer, in a job search that took only about half as long as the national average. He got what he wanted while helping others get what they wanted.
(my take is; keep networking and networking but keep in mind that it is not just you getting help from those you meet but helping each other. I think networking is especially critical if you are looking for a position different that you have been in for the last few years)
3. Go beyond email
Finally, let's look at how most job seekers communicate with employers and networking contacts. It's probably how you communicate, too.
It's email.
And I submit that email is the root of most employment struggles.
Yes, email it convenient. But is it effective?
Put another way, if you had to get a message to someone across town by 5:00 tonight or face certain death, would you email it and then update your Facebook profile until dinner?
No. You might email that message, yes, but here's what else you would do, in this order:
pick up the phone, call, and ask if they got it;
fax the message, call, and ask if they got it;
get in your car and hand-deliver the message yourself.
So. If you wouldn't trust your life to email, why trust your career . which provides the money you need to live your life?
If you make one resolution in 2010 make it this: Stop relying on email and online applications to find a job, and start doing whatever it takes to make personal contact at companies you want to work for.
To prove this non-email approach works, here are three mini-case studies from the Guerrilla Job Search files .
1) Jeff Donaldson, former Chrysler program manager, hired in November 2009. He got his winning job lead from a letter he mailed to networking contacts. Time to hire: 45 days.
2) Gail Neal, sales rep, hired in November 2009, after mailing her resume and cover letter in a thank-you note to an employer she learned of by meeting a LinkedIn contact offline. Time to hire: 52 days.
3) Mary Berman, marketing executive assistant, also hired in November 2009, after mailing her resume and cover letter in a box, with a coffee cup, asking to meet the employer for coffee. Time to hire: 53 days.
Now. What do the three success traits in this article -- clear goals, helping others, going beyond email -- have in common?
With so few jobs currently available and so many people currently hoping to fill those jobs, standing out in an interview is of utmost importance. While jobs themselves are scarce, job advice is overly abundant. And with an influx of information comes an influx of confusion. What career counsel do you take, and what do you ignore?
There are a number of common misconceptions related to interview best practices, experts say. Kera Greene of the Career Counselors Consortium and executive coach Barbara Frankel offer tips below that can help you stand out from other interview subjects, avoid frequent pitfalls, and secure the job.
Myth #1: Be prepared with a list of questions to ask at the close of the interview.
There is some truth in this common piece of advice: You should always be prepared, and that usually includes developing questions related to the job. The myth here is that you must wait until it is "your turn" to speak.
By waiting until the interviewer asks you if you have any questions, "it becomes an interrogation instead of a conversation," says Greene.
Greene recommends that you think of an interview as a sales call. You are the product and you are selling yourself to the employer. "You can't be passive in a sales call or you aren't going to sell your product."
Frankel mimics Greene's comments. "It's a two-way street," she says. "I recommend asking a follow-up question at the tail end of your responses."
For example, Frankel says, if the interviewer says, "Tell me about yourself," you first respond to that question and complete your response with a question like, "Can you tell me more about the position?" The interview should be a dialogue.
Myth #2: Do not show weakness in an interview.
The reality is that it is OK to have flaws. In fact, almost every interviewer will ask you to name one. Typically job seekers are told to either avoid this question by providing a "good flaw." One such "good flaw" which is often recommends is: "I am too committed to my work." But, these kinds of responses will only hurt you.
"Every recruiter can see through that," Greene says of faux flaws.
Recruiters conduct interviews all day, every day. They've seen it all and can see through candidates who dodge questions. "They prefer to hire someone who is honest than someone who is obviously lying," Greene says.
And for those of you who claim to be flaw-free, think again. "Everybody has weaknesses," Frankel states. But one is enough. According to Frankel, supply your interviewer with one genuine flaw, explain how you are working to correct it, and then move on to a new question.
Myth #3: Be sure to point out all of your strengths and skills to the employer.
Of course, you want the interviewer to know why you are a valuable candidate, but a laundry list of your skills isn't going to win you any points. Inevitably, in an interview, you will be asked about your skills. What can go wrong in this scenario?
"You don't want to list a litany of strengths," Frankel says.
"What is typical is that they will say: 'I'm a good communicator,' 'I have excellent interpersonal skills,' 'I am responsible,'" Greene explains. "You have to give accomplishments. I need to know what did you accomplish when using these skills."
Frankel recommends doing a little groundwork before your interview so that you are best equipped to answer this question. She tells her clients to find out what the prospective job role consists of. "What makes an interview powerful is to give an example related to their particular needs or challenges that you have demonstrated in the past."
Provide three strengths, with examples. You will get much further with a handful of real strengths than with an unconvincing list of traits.
Myth #4: Let the employer know your salary expectations.
One of the trickiest questions to answer in an interview relates to salary. Money talk can be uncomfortable, but it doesn't have to be. The fact is you don't even have to answer when asked about desired salary.
Greene suggests a similar response: "I prefer to discuss the compensation package after you've decided that I'm the best candidate and we can sit down and negotiate the package."
Myth #5: The employer determines whether or not you get the job.
While yes, the employer must be the one to offer you the position, interviewees have more control than they often realize. According to both Greene and Frankel, candidates have a larger say in the final hiring decision than they think.
"They should call the interviewer or hiring manager and say: 'I'd really like to be part of the company,'" says Greene. "It can't hurt you. It can only help."
"Acing the Interview" encourages all candidates to conclude their interviews with one question: "'Based on our interview, do you have any concerns about my ability to do the job?' -- If the answer is yes, ask the interviewer to be explicit. Deal forthrightly with each concern."
Monday, December 21, 2009
Nail the interview
It has not been easy, you have worked hard networking and connecting with people you have not talked to in years to help you find a job opening. Your resume and cover letter apparently were just the ticket to get the attention of the HR manager and make it thru the screening process. You successfully handled the phone interview and you finally get an interview for the job you want. You have researched the company’s website, and talked with people who have worked with them to anticipate questions that could be asked and have rehearsed your planned responses. How can you make sure this story turns out positively: 1) Show up 15 minutes early: if you’re much earlier than that, you can appear desperate and make the interviewer uncomfortable. Later than that, you’ll leave a bad impression and start the interview frazzled. 2) Dress appropriately: What is appropriate is a point of contention but my vote is dress up. The company may have a casual dress code and you might stand out in your suit but for one day it might make the difference. 3) Be polite to EVERYONE you meet: this including receptionists and the people you pass in the hall and on your plant tour It is the right thing to do and everyone talks about the new people. Your interviewer will be aware if someone is not impressed. I have heard of one company who gave a score card to the receptionist to evaluate each candidate. 4) Follow directions: if you’ve been asked to bring your resume, bring it. If you were told to fill out an application online, make sure it’s been done. Pre-interview work is also a part of the interview and gives the interviewer some insight into how you will complete tasks on the job. 5) Wow them by going above and beyond: people love seeing their name in print and you will score major bonus points by bringing a resume and cover letter packet addressed to the interviewer. Attempt to find out who you will be meeting with and make sure that you have one addressed to each person in the interview. Your attention to detail will impress immediately and show that you are excited about the opportunity. These tips will let you put your best foot forward and differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack. Once you have their attention, make sure to be friendly and positive regardless of how the interviewer behaves: you want them to only be able to say good things about you.
In the tech boom of the 1990s, people began to trade in their suits for business-casual khakis and sweaters; and business attire has continued to get more casual ever since. Dressing appropriately is critical to landing clients, impressing your boss, and making business interactions easier. Here are three reasons to consider going old school and wearing a suit: 1. Ease. There's no need to agonize over whether you're dressed up enough. Because a suit is at the top of the dress-code hierarchy, you can wear it worry free. 2. Professionalism. There is no doubt that wearing a suit makes you both look and feel professional. It can be a good way to raise someone's opinion of you — perhaps even your opinion of yourself. 3. Respect. Wearing a suit shows whomever you're meeting with that you value the meeting enough to dress up for it.
Today's Management Tip was adapted from "What Your Suit Says About You" by David Silverman.
