Bryan Thorby
Publisher
Date: December 7, 2006
In This Issue:
Ebooks and Services
Thoughts of the Day
Article 1: Employer Evaluations
Article 2: THE PURPOSE OF YOUR RESUME
Article 3: Powerful Pens: A Sample Cover Letter for Your Needs
Disclaimer & Privacy Statement
I trust all is well with your career aspirations.
Sooner or later, everyone must face the daunting task of interviewing for a job. Whether it’s for just a job to keep your bills paid, or if it’s the dream job you’ve always wanted, there are many things that you have to remember before you can get that job that you so desire.
Most people assume that the most important part of a job interview is showing up well groomed, but there is more to it than that. Everything that you could ever want may be riding on your behavior at a job interview. The smallest thing can mean the difference between your having a new job, or you’re still pounding the pavement trying to score a new interview.
It is common knowledge that it is generally the smallest detail that causes people to fail a job interview. The fact that you can score an interview at all shows that you already have the right stuff for the job. However, scoring the interview is merely the first step in the journey that is to get you the job of your dreams.
To your Career Success,
Bryan
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'Make the most of yourself, and you will be loved.
You will also help the world.'
-- Wallace D. Wattles
'Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.'
-- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
'If you could only love enough, you could be the most
powerful person in the world.'
-- Emmett Fox
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Employer Evaluations
Employers are generally monitoring and evaluating you on three skill sets during an interview. Those three skill sets can easily be broken down into these sections:
Content Skills
These are the skills that are directly related to performing a specific job in your profession. You get these skills by learning your craft in an accredited school, through specialized training, work experience, attaining a degree, and internships. This shows an employer that you have acquired all of the knowledge that you will need to perform your job efficiently.
If you do not have this type of skill available, you can simply express that you are looking into specialized training, and/or would be willing to start. It may not be exactly what the employer is looking for, but it shows that you show initiative.
Functional Skills
These are the skills that reflect your ability to work with others, and how you incorporate data. This is where an employer decides whether or not you are a team player. You can display this skill by displaying your past employment record and accomplishments that are directly job related.
Generally an employer will get an idea of your ability to work with others depending on your reasons for leaving previous jobs, whether or not you were fired before etc. If you have been fired before, don’t lie about it, and do not act bitter about it when discussing the reason, this will not benefit you in the end. Be forthcoming and sincere. Express that it was a learning experience for you and tell them what you learned from it. It reflects well on your temperament.
Adaptive Skills
This is a general show of your personality and temperament. It also covers your self-management skills. During your interview, the employer will be evaluating you on your general ability to get along with him/her. Your general personality traits are monitored during this time.
When faced with a difficult question, you do not want to get defensive or angry. Just take a few seconds to think about what you should say rather than say something you will regret. If you must, simply explain that you are little nervous so that you can buy a few extra seconds to answer.
You want to appear at ease, (or as much so as you can) during your interview. You want the employer to think that you anticipated everything that he/she is going to say. Even if you are terrified at your replies, do not let them see you sweat.
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THE PURPOSE OF YOUR RESUME
Your resume is an important tool that communicates all about YOU. When it does the job right, you win an interview.
Your resume doesn't simply provide a prospective employer with your work history. It speaks loud and clear that you have the credentials needed to be a complete success in this new position or career.
Your resume will attract immediate attention. The reader will want to pick it up and read it top to bottom. Interest will be stimulated. An interview will be arranged.
Your resume will contain:
> Your contact information, i.e. name, address, phone, email address, website address.
> A defined job objective.
> A work history.
> Educational history.
> Affiliations.
> References.
Your resume will be written using professional grade printing and paper.
RESUME PRESENTATION IS KEY
An employer can have hundreds of boring resumes to pour through. This means when something catches the eye, it must really pop out!
Your resume must impress within the first important seconds or it will not impress at all. Employers will quickly scan all resumes and then grab for those that catch their eye best.
To write a really effective resume, you will use powerful statements that will impress. This is very important, but you do not want to oversell! There is a very fine line here and you will learn all about it.
Above all, you will make honest statements about yourself. They will be strong statements and 100% true, or they will not be effective at all.
Just as you would sell any product that you believe strongly in, you will learn to sell the product that is you! Once you have learned to do this, you will find that you will get a better response from a prospective employer than other prospects do and even those with better credentials. It is all in how you market your product!
WOW THE EMPLOYER
First of all, who are you writing this resume for? Your prospective employer will be the one who oversees the day to day operations of the company you want to join.
They make the hiring decisions and they are entirely invested in ensuring that you are the right one for the job. This person will care about whether or not you can do a good job for that company and so this is the one you are writing your resume for.
You want to be sure that you are the right candidate for the job. You want to be sure you know everything there is to know about this company. You want to understand exactly, which qualities are needed to be the right candidate for this job.
You want to be sure you are not a good candidate for this job, but that you are the best candidate for this job.
Time to start writing
This is the time to put pen to paper and to lay out clearly what your prospective employer is looking for in an ideal candidate. You need to be able to solidify what it is that you bring to the table, even before you begin.
Jot down every fine point about your training and experience, your unique characteristics, special talents, even your attitude -- everything that shows you most qualified for the job you seek.
If you are new to the job market, be creative and draw on your upbringing, life exposure and anything that can account for your unique experience and qualities.
You will begin to be able to connect the dots during this process. Simple statements will turn into sentences and sentences into paragraphs. Keep this information in a safe place. You will use it later to be incorporated into your finished product.
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Powerful Pens: A Sample Cover Letter for Your Needs
By Jimmy Sweeney
Whether you are applying for a job or for funding, whether you are presenting business papers or an artist’s portfolio, you cannot expect the recipient to know your purpose for applying or showing such things immediately. In all these cases and more, you need a suitable, polite, and persuasive cover letter.
What is a cover letter? It is your chance to make a first impression – it may also be your only chance to make any impression at all. In fact, a cover letter can make or break an application, so it has to be written briefly, correctly, and neatly. Depending on your needs, it has to contain all the essential information about you and your goals in as few sentences as possible.
What does a cover letter look like?
All letters begin with an address. Do your research immediately by knowing the complete name of the person interested in your materials. Is this person a man or a woman? How should this person be addressed? Make sure that you do not begin your letter with a simple “Dear Madam” or “Dear Sir”; and never begin your letter with “To Whom it May Concern!” This actually does the opposite: it shows no concern on your part, and the company will most likely show no concern for you as a result. Include the contact person’s name and position in your heading, then make the address.
All letters contain a body – and this body has to be brief and full of information, all on one page. To write this section well, you have to know your goals. Are you applying for a job? Do you know the duties you have to undertake? Are you presenting an artist’s portfolio? What is that portfolio for? Let the goals guide you, and your letter body will surely be written well.
When writing the body of your letter, introduce yourself in one sentence. State your career goals in the next sentence if you are applying for a job, or the goals of your letter if you are looking for funding. State your interest in the job or company in the next sentence. If you are looking to make a deal with a company to ensure it commercial exposure, then state so in one sentence.
Maintain an air of politeness and strength in the letter. This straightforward tone will grab attention easily.
All cover letters need to show that you are reachable. Provide all your contact information. If you will not be reachable at certain numbers during certain times of the day, then state so. The company has to know that you care about it, so it cannot be troubled by trivialities like looking for you all over town.
All letters end with a closing address. Be brief, polite, but forward looking in your conclusion. Endings such as “I look forward to your quick, positive response” can end a letter on a good note. Be sure to thank the contact person for their time – after all, the contact person can have very little of it, and the least you can do is to thank them for spending it on you!
Sign your name and give that cover letter a personal touch. Be sure that it is neat and presentable as well. First impressions count!
Are you applying for a job by presenting your credentials, or by showing off your portfolio? Are you looking for funding for your research project, or are you soliciting products to give away at your next company outing? Get to writing that cover letter and make your supplementary materials all the more attractive. You will have that job, funding, and whatever you need in no time at all.
Jimmy Sweeney is the President of CareerJimmy and author of "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Visit him at: http://www.amazing-cover-letters.com for your "instant" cover letters today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Sweeney
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DISCLAIMER & PRIVACY STATEMENT |
I accept no responsibility whatsoever for the content,
profitability or legality of any published articles or
advertisements contained within the
Career Related Tips ezine.
And, although all of the articles have been selected for
their content, the publishing of such articles within
this newsletter does NOT constitute a recommendation of
the products or services mentioned or advertised within
those articles.
Be responsible! Always do your own Due Diligence before
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