Career-Related.Com    Meeting your career related needs

Bryan Thorby
Publisher

Date:     February 15, 2007

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In This Issue:

Ebooks and Services

Thoughts of the Day

Article 1:   Winning Them Over: Successful Interviewing
         

Article 2:   Resume Writing: Rules and Rumors
         

Article 3:   Cover Letter Blunders & Pitfalls
         

Disclaimer & Privacy Statement

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How are you today? Fit and well I hope. You would think that sending in your resume would give you fair and serious consideration for a job vacancy - right! ??? Well, in the real world, a number of factors may complicate the process. Consider these: Did your resume arrive on time? Was your cover letter appealing enough to have them look at your resume? Is your resume reader friendly? Does your resume look professional? Things that appear minor to us can have a major influence on whether you get selected for the interview process or not. So make sure you do the best you possibly can. Enjoy todays article selection. To Your Career Success, Bryan

EBOOKS and SERVICES

Ebooks on some Career options and Career Related subjects - Writing Resumes - Job Interview Skills. - Work Place Warrior - The Ultimate Guide To Finding The Perfect Job and Earning The Salary You Want - Your Guide To Setting Goals Successfully - How to Start Your Own Coaching and Consulting Business - How To Start Your Own Retail Business - How to Become a Chef - How to establish Your own mobile car detailing business. - Balance Your Life - The Complete Guide to Managing Work and Family - A How To Guide To Finding And Receiving Scholarships - What Is An E Degree: Making Sense Of Online Education Options career-related.com/ebooks FabJob Career Guides The Instant Job Search System. How to Get a Job Fast How To Get Work With The Federal Government Ultimate Guide to Job Interview Answers Jobs by Fax FREE ebook - 6 Secret Keys to Career Success. FREE ebook - Top 10 Secrets of the ... Worlds Greatest Cover Letters Online Degree information and Resources Click Here for Online Degree information

THOUGHTS of the DAY

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. -- Mark Twain "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." -- Michelangelo

ARTICLE #1

Winning Them Over: Successful Interviewing By Barbara Lee You have won them over with your resume and cover letter, and landed an interview. Now, how are you going to stand out from the rest of the interviewees and get the job offer? This article will provide you with some tips and common do’s and don’ts to prepare you for that winning interview. The first point to remember about interviewing is that it is the best opportunity for you to sell yourself. Whether in person or over the phone, you will be asked questions about your education and training, work experience, and strengths and weaknesses. You will need to know how to effectively discuss your capabilities and limitations. You will also need to impress upon the interviewer that you understand the job requirements and you will make a significant contribution to the organization when they hire you. Make sure you present yourself in a positive way and discuss all of your abilities (not your disabilities) since it is your skills and qualifications a future employer needs to know about in order to identify you as “the” candidate. So, how can you do all of that and do it well? By being prepared! Review your resume and the job description or job posting and have them both fresh in your mind. Be prepared to answer questions about your work experience, skills and achievements. Practice your responses ahead of time. If you can, arrange a practice interview with a friend or career counselor to become comfortable with your answers. Equally as important as knowing your resume is researching the prospective employer or organization. When you set up the interview, ask for information about the company and the job, study the company’s website, learn about the corporate culture and develop some thoughtful questions that you can, in turn, ask during the interview. Employers will be impressed by your interest and enthusiasm. If you need an accommodation for the interview, bring it up at the time the interview is scheduled. For example, if you use a wheelchair it would be appropriate to ask if the building or office is wheelchair accessible. This gives the employer a chance to select the best meeting location. Initially you may be asked to take a phone interview, instead of a face-to-face interview. Human resource representatives find a phone interview to be a great way to save time and select the top candidates for the in person interview. Prepare for a phone interview the same way you would prepare for a face-to-face one. Remember this is their first meeting with you; therefore, you need to give it the same careful and professional consideration as you would when you prepare for a meeting in person. Be sure to have all the important information in front of you: your resume, cover letter, company literature and other information you find important to present at the meeting. Make sure that you are in a quiet area, with a good phone (we recommend a land line vs. a cell phone) and no interruptions. If you are hearing impaired and use TTY or the relay, let the interviewer know this ahead of time. The employer can then prepare accordingly. Dress as if you were going to a regular interview to help you get into the right mood. Most importantly be prepared for a type of conversation that you may have never had on the phone before! Keep in mind that whether it is a phone or a traditional face-to-face interview, it can be stressful, so here are some common do’s and don’ts to follow when you are preparing for an interview: · Look your best! Plan ahead of time what you will be wearing; don’t leave it until the last minute. · Never be late! Always arrive about 15 minutes early. Before the day of your interview, do a practice run to the company so you will know exactly how to get there and where to park and enter the building. · Take extra copies of your resume, references and letters of recommendation to give to the interviewer if they are requested. Also, bring your portfolio, if appropriate. · Smile and be polite. Relax. · Be prepared to shake hands with your interviewer and remember, not too hard but not too soft, either! · Be honest, be positive and be yourself! · Speak clearly and concisely. · Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. · Ask questions about the company and show an interest in what they do. · If at the end of the interview you are still interested in the job and think it is a good match for you, tell them! · Ask when you might expect to hear back from them in regards to next steps in the process. Finally, thank the interviewer for their time and always follow-up with a thank you letter. This can be pivotal in getting the job offer. The most common way of sending thank you letters is via email, but if you want to stand out from the crowd, write a handwritten one. The word from human resource representatives is that they like that personal touch and they will definitely not forget it. If you don’t get a job immediately don’t give up! Each interview is a learning experience that can help lead you to the job that is right for you. After each interview, think about how you may be able to respond differently in future interviews. One day soon you will win them over and get that job offer! Barbara Lee brings a wealth of experience to her role as Employment Specialist at Resource Partnership, a non-profit organization that assists individuals with varying abilities and disabilities find and experience success at all levels of employment and in a wide range of industries and occupations. In addition to job placement of people with disabilities, Barbara’s background includes fifteen years of experience working for a human services organization providing a variety of functions such as information and referral, and conference planning and execution. Barbara is currently delivering job placement assistance services to individuals with disabilities in the MetroWest area. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Lee http://EzineArticles.com/?Winning-Them-Over:-Successful-Interviewing&id=448905

ARTICLE #2

Resume Writing: Rules and Rumors By Hallie Crawford It seems like there are endless “rules” floating around about the right and wrong way to write a professional resume. You probably remember receiving well-meaning advice like this at some point or other in your career: "Always list your career history in chronological order." "Make sure you print on cream or grey parchment paper instead of plain white so you'll get noticed in the pile of resumes." "Don't make even the tiniest mistake or your resume will get thrown into the trash!" What other resume writing rumors have you been exposed to over the course of your career? Do you feel they're justified, or do you think it is all a bunch of hype? The fact is, each career opportunity is unique, as is each employer. Something that appeals to one hiring manager may actually be a turnoff to another. You can’t know what those things might be until the day of your interview... so, there’s no sense in worrying about them or in trying to please everyone. From a career coaching perspective, think about this: If we're always so consumed with doing the right thing according to others, then we're going to forget to do the things that feel right to us as individuals. But if we're being ourselves, thinking for ourselves and not stressing about process and procedure, that's when we're most likely to attract the attention of employers who want exactly what we have to offer. So if you're feeling anxious about writing your resume, don't sweat it! Two things that will get you noticed "in the pile" are if you tackle your career effort with confidence, and approach things in your own style. And it's worth pointing out that "in your own style" does not mean unprofessional. It simply means having common sense about the things that any hiring manager would want to read on a resume, while also giving yourself the freedom to be who you are. Here's a great tip for writing your resume. Put yourself directly into the employer's shoes. If you were running a business or managing a department, what types of qualities would you be interested in seeing in your future employees? Think about the position that needs to be filled. What skills and strengths might a supervisor equate with "the ideal candidate?" Do you possess those qualities? Perfect! Talk about that in your career resume and cover letter. Let them know exactly why you are the best person for the job. Does it matter if you print your resume in black ink, as opposed to gray or blue? Does every graphic designer's resume need to look like a magazine ad, with graphics and Madison Avenue copy? Will it hurt your chances for employment if you order your resume by professional achievements and skills instead of chronologically? The answer is no, no, and no. Yes, resumes typically follow a few standard recognizable formats, but you aren't locked into one way of creating yours. Be smart, and include what's expected... but when it comes to the little things, relax and use your best judgment for the particular job and field in question. In short: don't believe all the resume hype! Copyright 2006 Hallie Crawford and Authentically Speaking. All rights reserved. About the Author: Discover the Essential Components to a Satisfying Career Today Want free tips, tools and expert advice on finding a career you’re passionate about? Visit Certified Career Coach Hallie Crawford, and sign up for Hallie's monthly e-newsletter, Creating Your Own Path, right now. Bookmark her career tips blog for recommendations on resume writers, online career tests and more career resources. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hallie_Crawford http://EzineArticles.com/?Resume-Writing:-Rules-and-Rumors&id=454137

ARTICLE #3

Cover Letter Blunders & Pitfalls By Heather Eagar As you sit down to write your cover letter, do you ever stop and think, “Who the heck is going to read this?” You may believe that just because employers get hundreds of resumes per job posting that they tend to skip the cover letter part. That is just not true. One Size Doesn’t Fit All You’ve written this awesome cover letter and it’s taken you quite a long time to create your masterpiece. You’re tired and spent from all your hard work. When it comes time to get your information together for the next job, you change the “To” section of the cover letter and the job title that you’re applying for. Boom – done! But hold on a second… What you just did is a major faux-pas. How is Employer #2 going to feel when it’s obvious you didn’t write your cover letter just for him? What if there was something in there that didn’t relate to that particular job at all? Before you throw up your hands in frustration, let me clarify: you do not need to completely re-write your entire cover letter for each and every one of the positions for which you apply. You just need to put forth a little extra effort to show the employers that they are not just one of many companies for which you are applying. Oops! Forgot to Change the Company’s Name? You’re applying to jobs online and you hit “Send” a split second before you realize you forgot to update the company’s name on your cover letter. It seems like it’s happened to everyone but it is a huge blunder that most likely takes you out of the running for that particular position. Not very encouraging, huh? The good part about it is that you’ll be extra careful applying for jobs from then on. Is there a way to recover from this error? You could always follow up with a hardcopy of your resume package. By then, the hiring manager probably would have already forgotten about your little mistake. You can also wait a few days and apply on line again. With so many resumes, employers probably aren’t going to remember your original submission. Not Highlighting Your most Important Achievements? Many job seekers believe that if they have their achievements on their resume, why should they repeat themselves in their cover letter? Simple – you need to do everything you can to make that employer want to read your resume. If your cover letter doesn’t provide them with enough ‘proof’ that you’re a great candidate for the position, then there is a chance they won’t even make it to your resume. Now I’m not saying that it’s best to repeat yourself verbatim. Be a little creative and reword those top three or four achievements or important requirements that you know the employer wants to see. These may be different with each job posting so customize appropriately. There are many ways to make your cover letter grab an employer’s attention. Treat it as being as important as your resume in getting interviews. After all, it’s your cover letter’s job to make the hiring manager want to read your resume. A great resume needs a cover letter to pave the way for the job that you really want. Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer who is now dedicated to providing job seekers with resources and products that promote job search success from beginning to end. Grab your free cover letter tips email course at http://www.CoverLettersMadeEasy.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Eagar http://EzineArticles.com/?Cover-Letter-Blunders-and-Pitfalls&id=447944

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 responding to any offer. I respect the privacy of my readers. I will NEVER supply or sell your personal information to any Third Party!

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