Posts tagged ‘Interview’
Send Thank You Notes
I don’t know how many times I’ve said it, but I’ll say it again.
Send a handwritten thank you note within 24 hours of your interview.
Over and over again, people tell me they never got a call back from an interview. When I ask if they send a thank you note and they shrug their shoulders, I know at least one reason they didn’t get a call back.
Don’t believe me?
Read these two articles that say what I’ve been saying all along: SEND THANK YOU NOTES! TO EVERYONE WITH WHICH YOU INTERVIEW!
http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2009/12/great-thoughts-on-thank-you-notes.html
http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/a-little-thank-you-goes-a-long-way/
Advice on making a job switch in a tough market
Read Amy Hoover’s latest article “Salary and Title Expectations” on her Talent Zoo “Career Oxygen” blog for some great advice on how to make a job switch in a tough market.
I have a lot of friends that have been out of school for about 2 years now that are ready to make a move to a second job, but aren’t sure about what to do in an unstable market. Hoover’s article explains what to expect from the process, including moves that can help or hurt your career in the long term.
Advice to college students
Earlier this month I visited an Integrated Communications Campaign class taught by my former boss at SLU. She asked me to talk to the class of college juniors and seniors… telling them about my college experience, job search and job. After telling my story (and probably boring the poor kids for 30 minutes), I offered a couple bits of advice:
If I could offer you some advice, I’d tell you to do something that you love. Something that you don’t mind getting there early to do or staying late. Don’t know what you want to do? You need to get out there! Intern. Job shadow. Go on informational interviews. Volunteer. You’ll learn best by doing.
When at all possible, work with people that you respect and will make you a better person. I have been extremely fortunate to work with people like this.
Your personal brand is important. Who you know and what you’ve done… that’s who you are. Network. And never burn bridges.
If you’re interested in getting into interactive marketing, do it. Our generation is naturally more tech savvy because we’ve grown up doing it. Read blogs. Check out web sites. Talk to people in the business.
Keep idea books. Bookmark web sites you like or articles that have good ideas in them. Part of what makes people successful in marketing is knowing what’s already been done… and how you can apply similar principles to your clients and innovate by improving on what’s already out there.
Then, to my surprise, I came across an article today: 10 job hunting tips for this year’s college graduates. In his blog post, Edward Boches, Chief Creative Officer of Mullen, offers some very similar tips for how to get hired in advertising right out of school.
Beating around the bush
Salary negotiation can be scary. And with the latest job market – where people are getting laid off left and right – it’s even scarier right now.
Lots of people are being passed up for raises. Companies are in “hiring freezes” and often times the higher people are paid, the quicker they are to let go of you. It’s hard to tip-toe around numbers when it comes time for a job offer.
If you ever wondered what to do when someone asks you your salary requirements, please read this article by Penelope Trunk.
She does a great job of providing alternate responses to the dreaded question of “How much?”
What to Wear to an Informal Interview
This weekend one of my best friends called with a dilemma. She’s going on an interview for an internship and was told not to wear a suit… Since the company she’s interviewing with has a casual-to-business-casual dress code, should she wear should wear a suit anyways? Some people suggested a pair of slacks and a basic button-down shirt.
She wanted to show that she had personality and style, but still be professional.
I recommended that she wear a pair of tailored dress pants with a modern blouse or sweater. Nothing too tight, distracting or inappropriate.
Top Interview Mistakes – Part 2
Continuing my series on the worst mistakes people make during interviews, here’s number #5 – Insufficient answers.
Did you know that 30 percent of hiring managers think that interviewees do not provide sufficient answers to questions during interviews? The best way to prevent insufficient answers in your own interviews is to prepare for difficult questions ahead of time.
Top Interview Mistakes – Part 1
Twenty-nine percent of hiring managers said that interviewees do not ask good questions during interviews. I am not surprised to hear that this is a top complaint. When I first started interviewing for jobs, I would sit fairly still during the entire one-way conversation. I’d spit off answers to the interviewer’s questions and smile politely. Once they were finished with the third degree, they would ask that dreaded question, “So, do you have any questions for me?”
Ahh! Of course not. Well, I had one, “So are you going to hire me?”
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3…
When you’re applying for a job, you can wax poetically about your near-Ivy League education, your selfless volunteer work and your relevant experience. But it all comes down to three crucial elements.
1. Why you’re applying for the job.
2. What you can do for the company.
3. What makes you different from everyone else applying.
Please, send Thank Yous
I know that stamps cost 42 cents. And yes we live in an electronic age…
Don’t care. Send a real thank you note. On paper. Handwritten.
It takes 30 seconds to send an e-mail. Log in. Type thanks. Hit send. The least you can do is get out a pen and sign your name. Oh, and spring for one of those 42 cent stamps before you ship it off.
You should plan on sending thank you notes to everyone with which you interview – whether it’s for a job opening or merely informational. In person OR on the phone. It’s 42 cents, seriously.
Keep your note short and simple and to the point:
Dear Friend,
Thank you for taking the time to talk with me yesterday. I really appreciate your advice and insights into the industry. I’ll keep you updated on how my job search goes. Best of luck finishing the Jones project!
Sincerely,
Colleen
See. There you go. It’s not too painful. Plus, you’ll stand out from the crowd. I get e-mails everyday. How often do I get real letters? Not often enough.
Want to be environmentally friendly? Send a thank you post card or use stationery made from recycled paper.
Resume Rehab by Colleen 