Ways of Postponing a Job Offer Without Burning the Bridge

Read more ...

Ways of Postponing a Job Offer Without Burning the Bridge

What if you've been offered two jobs on the same day? Or if you've been told that you passed the interview in a company when you're still waiting for the results from some bigger company?

It's difficult when you find yourself caught in a career dilemma. Nobody wanted to accept the work out of sheer pressure of the moment and without weighing other opportunities. In this case, you wanted to delay your offer so as to see what other prospective employers have in store for you. But you're afraid that you might blow up the opportunity presented at the moment.

And this brings us to the question: is there any possible way of postponing a job offer without turning off the employer who proposed it? Actually there are. Take note of these very helpful bits of advice when it comes to being torn apart between certainty and opportunity:

1. Ask for time to decide

Tell the employers honestly that you want to carefully weigh options before you plunge into the work. Most people appreciate honesty when it comes to business relationships. You may not please them for asking that you want some time to think it over, but definitely you would earn their trust for saying so. Most people will understand the situation, and there's no offense for telling that you are on the deciding stage of choosing an employer. Guilt is unreasonable; you're still not committed to the company who asks you to work with them.

2. Go on a vacation

Ask if they can discuss the details of the job after some time of scheduled vacation. You'll be surprised on how much they'd be generous on giving you the time to think of the proposal. But of course, you won't have to lie. Pack your bags for real and breathe in some fresh air- you need that to finally decide if you really want to take the opportunity. You can't clearly determine your opportunities if you'll stay in the same old routine at home. It's one clean way of postponing a job offer because you won't make them feel like you're doubtful on working with them. It's about time that you take a breather before you finally soak yourself into tiring corporate duties.

3. Request for a copy of some employment information or company data

Inquire about the company. Show your genuine interest by asking for a copy of some press release about them, a brochure, or even a copy of your employment terms and benefits package. In that way, you don't only have the materials to find out how good are your employers, you also have the time to think about it while they're processing the documents. Another plus factor is that you'll make them feel that you are sincerely considering working with them by asking the details of their business.

4. Say Thank You

That's the secret sauce. Express your gratefulness for being chosen as their employee. Companies love to feel that they are being valued and appreciated. If you find it hard to say that you're still weighing options from other businesses, at least make them see that you are honored to be picked out from the hundreds of applicants out there. Postponing a job offer doesn't always necessarily mean that you have to ruin your professional relationship with the company. Sometimes it's about keeping the ties and being thankful even if you are still not accepting the post.

Melinda Edwards works as a career consultant and has been invited in many forums and events on human resource management. She is also a time management expert who effectively performs her roles both as a career woman and a mother.

Read more ...

A Compelling Cover Letter Is the Bridge to a Job

As the spoof actor playing "Enter the Dragon's" Bruce Lee said to the guard dog, "again...but this time...with feeling."

2011 will be a great year for job seekers as businesses hire for expansion and to replace baby boomers calling it a day. For all the arguments that companies have adjusted to working with less employees and have become more efficient - let's be clear - they will need to rehire as their businesses grow again. And after a couple of tough years, 2011 will be the start of a good recovery.

But to take part in this recovery, you must be prepared and have all your tools ready.

By tools, most job hunters tend to think resume and the need to start "networking." But the one tool that could be most helpful tend not to get thought of.

They always seem to relegate a cover letter to an afterthought, as though a written cover letter is the snail mail version of a fax cover sheet.

Nothing could be further from the truth. So, let me state "again...but this time...with feeling;" a well written, compelling cover letter is what can separate you from the pack.

A cover letter is not a piece of paper you throw on top of a resume because every guru says you need one. A cover letter is you in ways a resume cannot be.

A resume is your written history of past accomplishments from which recruiters and hiring managers can either infer or visualize future success. But there's the rub - hiring managers has to take time to digest and visualize you in the position in question. And she has 100's of resume in front of her. That's a lot of digesting.

In sales, your past would be akin to a list of features of you. The future that the recruiter must visualize would be the benefits of you. Successful sales professionals learn early on that you do not leave this visualization of benefits to the buyer. They learn to create bridges that make it easy for buyers to walk over from the features to the benefits.

The cover letter is the bridge.

More than the resume, you can use the cover letter to help the hiring manager visualize the potential of hiring you, or at very least, make your resume a more intriguing read.

And at best, a compelling cover letter can transform your resume from a collection of past accomplishments into a list of potential benefits to the hiring company.

There are a lot of "how-to's" available on writing a good cover letter. Your local library is always a good source. Of course, you have all your online resources - to include this forum - available to you.

In general, you should keep these points in mind:

1. Identify why you are writing.
2. A brief summary of why you are relevant to the hiring manager or recruiter
3. A brief comment on how the hiring manager benefits by meeting you.
4. A specific call to action for the hiring manager.

Also, keep in mind that a cover letter is a not a resume and you must avoid the temptation to put "too much" into it.

Read more ...