Archive for the ‘Resume & Interviewing’ Category

Given the fact that only 25% of new hires (and fewer women than men) attempt to negotiate the terms of an employment offer, you might find this blog offers a new perspective on the culmination of a job search process.

When you receive a job offer, you are typically in a position to negotiate. The hiring process is costly in human resources and dollars. Once an organization has made their decision in favor of a candidate, they are not eager to go back to the drawing board.

While salary is by far the primary and most common factor discussed in any job negotiation, it is not necessarily the most important. The following are additional considerations to consider as part of your next employment negotiation:

Is the employment offer in writing? If not, request a written offer before you begin your negotiations so you can be clear on the details of the agreement. If there are any negotiated changes, make sure the final agreement is written as well.

Are the terms of your appointment clearly stated including: a start date, job description, person to whom you will report, and how and when you will be evaluated?

Have the working conditions been described to you? If not, you may want to inquire about hours you’re expected to work, travel required, work-life balance and your specific workspace.

How does this position and organization align with your priorities, interests and skills and what you had envisioned for yourself?

Are the salary and benefits commensurate with your experience and that of the marketplace? If you are not clear about this, check out any of the online “http://jobstar.org/index.php” salary surveys as well as inquire about similar positions in your geographic area.

You may also want to include in your benefits negotiations: more vacation and or personal time, increased flexibility in your schedule including a provision for working from home, funded professional development opportunities, health care packaging and retirement accounts.

In order to pull your thoughts together and prepare a counter-offer, you’ll need a day or two to carefully review your offer. Most employers expect that the candidate will need a little time to make a decision and there’s no harm in asking for what you need.

You don’t have to be a candidate for President to know that putting your best foot forward is key to success in the current marketplace. Whether you’re a business owner, an employee, or in the midst of a job search, you need to take advantage of any opportunity to promote your service, your product or yourself!

While it may be easy for you to imagine plugging the next best idea or snazzy gizmo, it could make you break into a cold sweat to override humility with tooting your own horn. Keep in mind that confident communication, supported by concise examples of success is different from boasting or being arrogant.

In the end, it will be your ability to recognize and communicate all of the ways you, your product, or your service add value to the marketplace that will justify a raise or promotion or land your next client or customer.

So, in preparation for the inevitable challenge of your next performance appraisal, job interview or client pitch, consider the following five tips so you can be ready to enthusiastically portray yourself or your business:

Know the value that you uniquely bring to the marketplace, or to your company or organization. Think in terms of outcomes and results you’ve realized and be prepared with concise examples. These are your “deliverables” and you should write them down since they’ll become the foundation of presenting yourself

Create and practice your “elevator speech”. While this may not be a comfortable exercise, it is essential to effective self-promotion. Keep in mind that people first want to know what you can do for them, not how well qualified you are or the name of your business. Be aware of key opportunities to share this information and do it.

Begin your “speech” with a line that will get someone’s attention. It should be short, action-oriented and indicate a result.

Practice makes perfect. Your elevator speech should roll off your tongue and seem like you really believe it, even if you are nervous in the beginning. Repeat it in front of a mirror, to friends and finally…

Look for places and opportunities to share your self-introduction with strangers. Recognize that this process will become easier over time as you engage people in conversation about you and your work and how it might relate to them.

Even if you’re not planning a career or job change in the near future, you’d be wise to give your resume an annual review as the New Year begins. Highlighting your most recent accomplishments and documenting your skills can help you rethink your roles and responsibilities and assess how you’ve approached your work.

If you are not part of a well-executed performance review program, you can easily discount, forget or dismiss the important tasks you completed during the year. As a result, you might take for granted your contributions and end up doubting your marketable skills and demonstrated talents.

Refreshing your resume not only can improve your awareness of your accomplishments, it can also increase the likelihood of your making a transition when you’re ready.

Some people feel overwhelmed and discouraged about the idea of a job change before they’ve even begun to explore possibilities. Often, it’s the task of refining their resume that stalls their process.

Having a template that works for you is a first step. While you can find resume wizards on most word processing programs, consider creating your own template to best present your background and relevant skills. My favorite resume format is the “http://www.quintcareers.com/functional_resume.html” modified functional, that allows you to outline your accomplishments in categories of skills.

Once you decide to take on the task of tweaking your resume or revamping it entirely, set a timeframe for completion and stick to it. Keep in mind that most resumes have about 30 seconds to make an impression—so the more concise and clear the better.

I was recently asked to review résumés for a position requiring a high level of education and experience. Given the nature of the position, my expectations were high and I imagined résumés and cover letters that were crisp and polished. Instead, I was faced with documents that were too long and too wordy with glaring oversights.

One set of documents included a cumbersome nine-page cover letter accompanied by a four-page résumé. Apparently, this applicant hadn’t heard that résumés have only 30 seconds to make an impression. At that rate, this applicant could be dismissed before the reviewer gets beyond page two.

Another résumé was submitted without a cover letter. To makes matters worse, the introduction to the résumé read like a sales pitch and did not include the applicant’s name! This person missed a key opportunity in a cover letter to cite specific skills and background information relevant to the job.

Even though reference letters were not requested in this phase of the application process, one person included several letters with her documents. That was not a bad idea, except for the fact that the letters spoke to her appropriateness for a totally different position. One letter was years old and the copy was so poor it was difficult to read.

Saving the worst for last, I’ll say that one applicant tried to make an impression by using four different fonts, three ink colors and a variety of highlighting options on her résumé to get her point across. Instead of favorably impressing the reader, this résumé looked like a mishmash of words with too much going on to allow the reader to pull out relevant information. As if the aesthetics weren’t bad enough, the applicant went on to misname the organization to which she was applying!

No matter what the position or the level of education or training required, the following six points should be considered as you prepare your application documents:

Keep your résumé or CV (curriculum vita used for academic positions) to one or two pages. A CV could have an addendum to include additional pages for publications and professional presentations.

Always write a customized cover letter and address it to a specific person. Call the organization to find the name of the appropriate person if it is not included in the job posting. The cover letter should complement, not copy, your résumé. Use it to effectively highlight specific qualifications that match your background and expertise.

Note carefully the documents that are requested in the application process. Even if they are not required, you might include reference letters providing they are current, add to the professional look of your packet and specifically address your ability to fill the position.

Keep to one or two different font styles. Choose only one option such as bold, underline, capital letters or italics, per word or phrase to highlight it.

Review your documents carefully, especially if you are applying for several positions. Make sure you are citing the correct job, organization and requirements.

Don’t rush through the process and forget to sign your name!

Job applicants sometimes downplay the importance of a cover letter and merely write a few words referring to the job to which they are applying along with their enclosed resume. If you can believe it, some people don’t even bother to include a letter with their resume. Anyone applying for a job needs to seize all opportunities to identify their skills and relevant background and make a case for their candidacy for the prospective job.

It is said that a resume has about 30 seconds to make an impression one way or another. With so little time to thrill the prospective employer, even the best resume benefits from a complementary, well-crafted letter that further brings home the match between the applicant and the job.

But the answer is not to go overboard in the other direction by sending resumes and cover letters that are dense and lengthy—rule of thumb is one to two pages max for each, with a single page preferred. Here are some tips on what should be considered and included in an effective cover letter:

Address the letter to a specific person. If the hiring manager is not identified in the job posting, make a call to the company or organization to determine the name and title of the person heading up the hiring process for the desired position. Some ads state “no calls”. That is to dissuade people from the taking time of staff by calling with questions about the job itself. A quick inquiry as to the hiring person’s name should be acceptable.

Create a professional look to your materials by using the heading from your resume as the heading of your letter as well. Use a good quality resume paper rather than copy paper for all of your correspondence.

Always tailor your letter to the job description and address these three areas:

A brief intro about yourself, noting the position you are applying for and how you heard about it.

Specific reasons why you are a good candidate for the position, with examples of when/how you have demonstrated relevant skills as listed in the job description.

How you can be reached for an interview. You may also indicate that you will call to confirm receipt of your application. When you call also inquire about the timeframe for the hiring process.

Send a hard copy of your letter and resume by mail when you apply on line.

Writing an effective cover letter takes time and attention, but it will be well worth your effort when you receive the call for an interview.

I was asked a question during my first job interview after college that really threw me. To say that I was not prepared for the question is an understatement. The interviewer asked: “Tell me about your life”—a question that remains popular with interviewers today. Thinking back on my response, I still cringe when I recall the glazed look on the interviewer’s face as I rattled off hobbies and random experiences as a Girl Scout. I covered way too much irrelevant information, and by the time I brought her up to date with my life, I’d lost her interest—and the job.

So, here are a few tips that should improve your success during an interview:

1. Review the “http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/interviewquestion1/l/aa031201.htm” most commonly asked questions and prepare responses that are relevant to the position you are seeking. Be specific and concise. If you are concerned that you’ll forget your well-rehearsed lines, bring a portfolio with a few notes—key words beside interview questions that will jar your memory.
2. Keep the focus on what you have to offer, rather than on weaknesses or liabilities. Some job applicants have difficulty with the questions about weaknesses. It’s more typical for women to go on and on in response to this question, but men can also fall prey to it. Clearly, you do not want this to be a focus of the meeting, so keep any response short and not incriminating. There are people who advise answering with a trait/weakness that could be interpreted as a strength, like “I have the tendency to overwork.” Frankly, I’m not in favor of making a game of it by concocting this type of reply. Rather, I suggest responding in this way: “While everyone has weaknesses, I can honestly say that I can’t think of any that would hinder me from doing this job well.” Hopefully, the conversation will then shift to more positive topics.
3. Adopt a “can do”, upbeat mindset. Thinking about all of the bad things you fear will go wrong will only raise your anxiety. Furthermore, it’s not likely that you’ll suddenly get an incontrollable case of the hiccups or that you’ll forget the reasons your mother loves you, so spend your time before the interview focused on facts. I suggest to my clients that they come up with three adjectives that describe how they want to be during the interview. When ideas to the contrary pop into their minds before the interview, I ask them to take a couple of deep breaths and bring their thoughts back to these three words—like a mantra of sorts.
4. Prepare specific examples that back up your résumé as well as what you say you have to offer. For example, if you make a statement about the strengths or skills you have that are relevant to the position, give at least one example of a time when you demonstrated that strength or skill. Hone these “vignettes” to two minutes, or you’ll risk losing the attention of the interviewer. This strategy can be very effective and set you apart from other applicants who merely state they have a particular skill.