Showing posts with label Questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Questions. Show all posts
11/1/11
Interview Questions: Are You Too Trusting?
How much should you trust a potential employer? You might be surprised to learn the number of lies that are told or information that is purposely omitted on both sides of the job interview table every day. Job candidates lie and employers know this and take precautions. Employers often run background checks or search for information about you on the web before you come in. But chances are, if you still have an interview they have found no glaring discrepancies in your identity or background. Although, from the moment you walk into a job interview you and the employer are both starting from positions of trust.
The employer's position of trust:
Most employers do not ask you for identification at the first job interview. They trust that you are who you say you are.Many employers do not contact previous employers to verify everything on your resume before an interview. For the moment, they trust that your resume is truthful.Most employers do not hook up candidates to a lie detector during a first job interview or request applicants take an oath. They trust that what you say will be the truth.The candidate's position of trust: But employers can also be deceiving. What should you watch out for? What do you need to trust as a job candidate? During an initial interview you expect the interviewer to be truthful about the position, the company and if and when pay is discussed, the amount.
Most job candidates do not ask to interview employees at the company they are considering. Job candidates usually have few means to verify that a job description is truthful and complete. You must trust what the employer tells you.Most job candidates do not ask to review the current books and profit loss statements of the company where they interview. They trust what the employer is telling them about the company.Most job candidates do not request all offers be in writing. Job candidates trust that the employer will pay them what they say they will.An employer can usually verify verbal and written statements made by job candidates. On the other hand, you might have a more difficult time verifying what an employer is telling you. Most employers want happy employees but most of them are also in the business of getting as much as they can for as little expense as possible and the case of labor is no exception.
Most employers do not lie about the position pay amount. Employers will not fabricate about the pay for a job. Pay is stated in exact terms or numbers for the amount of time worked. Employers know if they tell job candidates how much pay they will receive and their actual paycheck is less, the employer will instantly lose the trust of the employee and might lose the employee.
However, this is critical: While pay is fairly straight forward, the duties and responsibilities of the position are another story. Almost no matter what a job description states, the actual daily duties and responsibilities can be much different or far more. Many employers do not accurately describe the tasks required for a position in help wanted postings or in job interviews. Many new employees, especially in management positions, are soon overwhelmed within in the first few months of employment. These fresh employees will seldom complain as they do not want to rock the boat.
With the exception of people who accept interim positions of employment while they wait for jobs to become available in their fields or are temporarily working part-time, most job candidates do not accept a job with the intention of leaving anytime soon. The majority of new hires plan to stay on the job longer than a year. Yet surveys have shown most employees are dissatisfied with their jobs after only one year. One of the most common complaints is the job is not what they thought it was going to be. What that usually means is these employees did not accurately assess the job or they were deceived and are being overworked.
Discover the smokescreen tactics employers use to shroud job descriptions and exactly what you can do to uncover an accurate picture of the day to day duties and responsibilities of a job. Find out what interview questions you should be asking. Copyright 2011 by Phil Baker. Freely distribute this article but please leave article, author name, copyright info, and links intact.
9/3/11
Popular Cover Letter Questions Answered
As a former recruiter, I often host Ask-A-Recruiter workshops. In one of my virtual workshops, I received over 200 questions! Here are some on cover letters:
Matt asks: What are recruiters looking for in a cover letter?
The main benefit of a cover letter is that it can say what a resume cannot. It is written in prose format, rather than bulleted, so more conducive to storytelling and description. This is great for telling the nuances of your great accomplishments. Resumes can highlight the metrics, but cover letters can provide the color and details.
That said, they have to be concise. That doesn't just mean short (because short with no information isn't good either). Instead, you want to get to the point quickly and make relevant points: why you are good for this job; why you genuinely want this job; and why we the employer/ recruiter should be talking to you now.
David asks: How important is a cover letter really when applying for an analyst position at a [bulge bracket investment bank]? My career department always tells me to tailor my CL in every paragraph. However, I just got to know an alumni from last year that got into a BB IB and hasn't tailored his CLs at all, since it is very time demanding. So should graduates really spend time on that or try to rather send our more applications?
There are a lot of interesting questions here: how much time should you spend on your cover letters v. other items on your search list? How important is tailoring it for jobs or programs that are similar across companies? When you hear that someone bucks a recommended strategy and does so successfully, does that mean the strategy isn't good?
The cover letter should not exhaust all or even most of your search time. Some employers don't even read them, and you don't know in advance of sending it how much weight it will be given, so you don't want to needlessly spend too much time on it. HOWEVER, the employers who do read them do care about their content. Furthermore, writing a good one requires that you know what makes you valuable as a hire and that knowledge makes it good practice for other areas of your search. So it is worth spending some time to get a good cover letter down, but not at the expense of other things.
Tailoring each and every letter should absolutely be done but sparingly. Your key arguments should be roughly the same for most letters. You do want to change keywords and allude to what the company specifically mentions in the job description but this is a relatively quick switch. Of course, make sure you switch out names and company details for each cover letter. This is true for whether you are applying for a specific program, like the analyst programs at investment banks, or just similar jobs.
Finally, David points out that he knows of the exception: the guy who doesn't do any cover letter work and still gets hired. We all know exceptions - the incompetent person that gets the promotion anyway, the person who doesn't do any job search but lands one opportunity after another. This doesn't mean that these are good tactics for the rest of us. You should try to have good all-around job search technique, including a good cover letter that is tailored to each job.
Jeffrey asks: ...you say that you don't frequently read cover letters. Given this reality, is it better to write a longer and very complete description of what you can bring to the table rather than focusing more on brevity and mainly calling out the most relevant points on your resume?
Cover letters need to be brief but can still include a complete description of what you bring to the table. Complete doesn't mean you have to itemize each and every thing you bring. It just means you answer completely what you bring to the job at hand. I bring a sense of humor but I don't pitch that to my coaching clients. Rather, I talk about companies where I've recruited and coaching clients I have helped. I proactively pick the most appropriate examples and so I am brief, but I still answer completely what my prospect needs to make an informed description. It's not an either/ or proposition to be brief or complete. Focus on both.
Caroline Ceniza-Levine helps people find fulfilling and financially-rewarding career paths, as the co-founder of SixFigureStart®, career coaching by former Fortune 500 recruiters. Caroline has recruited for leading companies in financial services, consulting, media, pharmaceutical/ healthcare, and technology. She is the co-author (along with Donald Trump, Jack Canfield and others) of the best-selling "How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times" 2010; Two Harbors Press.
5 Key Questions to Ask When Writing Your Resume
Are you in the middle of writing your resume but are having a difficult time finding the right information to include? Well, some of it is self-explanatory (education, job history, etc.), but sometimes it's hard to decide which skills to include as well as which accomplishments within your work history to note.
If you're feeling stuck, it's good to ask yourself some questions in order to get yourself moving. Here are five to consider while writing your resume:
#1: Why Am I Applying for This Job?
One thing you should explore is why you're applying for the job. By looking at what you want from the company aside from money (e.g., more skills, opportunity to grow in your field), you can reference these ideas as you write.
#2: Which of Your Past Accomplishments Match the Company's Expectations?
It's also a good idea to look at which of your past accomplishments and skills match what the company is looking for in the position. Don't just list the skills they say they want; really take a look at the job description and how they hope the position can help the company as a whole. Then think about what you've accomplished and how you can meet the company's expectations.
#3: How Will Taking This Step Further My Career?
Also, take time to think about whether this job is a building block on your career path. If you're just making lateral moves-hopping from job to job-rather than building a career, you may want to rethink applying for this particular position and look for one that falls more in line with your interests.
#4: What Do I Want to Contribute to the Company and Position?
In addition to exploring whether your accomplishments match the company's expectations, it's good to think about what you can contribute outside of their expectations. This may take a little bit of research to find out how the company wants to excel in the field-and how your position can help it get there.
#5: Am I the Best Fit for This Position?
Finally, it's important to know whether you honestly believe you're the best fit for the position. If you write your resume with an attitude that you're not a winner, it could be hard for you to include in your resume all of the great reasons why you should be hired. It's always a good idea to really explore the reasons you're applying for a job as you write your resume. This way, it's easier to answer the questions that employers are likely asking while they are reading it.
Global resume authority Jessica M Holbrook of http://www.greatresumesfast.com is a former HR Manager who partners with professional- and executive-level candidates to create authentic, branded resumes and cover letters. An international resume columnist and resume expert for JobTalkAmerica radio, her work opens doors to lucrative positions at Fortune 500 companies.
Jessica M Holbrook, expert resume writer, is a nationally-recognized resume authority and former HR Manager who has achieved over a 99% success rate securing interviews with prestigious organizations through exclusive, personal branding strategies. The President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast, she and her team partner with professional- and executive-level candidates.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_M_Holbrook
7/14/11
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter's attention in the hiring process - scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more - the resume review process is ruthlessly quick. This is not the time to aim for deep reflection. A recruiter-proof resume is easily readable and grabs your attention quickly with the necessary info to position you for the right job. Ask a friend to look at your resume for 10 seconds. Now put it away. Can your friend answer these 5 questions?
What have you done in the past 10 years (or less if less is your total experience)? If your resume has gaps or is difficult to follow chronologically, recruiters may just pass it by rather than try to make sense of the dates. Don't make the recruiter do the work of mapping the arc of your career. Recruiters want to see a track record of forward progress, so they look for dates.What is your industry and functional expertise? Hopefully you have a summary section at the top that highlights this because, if you don't, the recruiter has to tease it out based on all the places you've worked and jobs you've held. Like transcribing dates, pulling out industry and function is extra work. Recruiters sell candidates to hiring managers by their industry and functional expertise. Help them help you by making these clear.
Are you an executive, manager, independent contributor, or assistant? Recruiters will get this by skimming titles and perhaps the first bullet point of the most recent jobs. If you have a summary section on top, your level should be established based on what you have accomplished. If you have management experience of people, projects, and/or budgets, it should be clear upon skimming. If it's buried, then you just wasted an opportunity to position yourself. Different jobs require different levels. If your level isn't clear from an initial skimming of the resume, then you will not be considered for the right types of jobs.
What technical, language or other special skills do you have? Resume filters will catch keywords wherever they are, but for companies that do not use automated filters, you want your special skills to appear where human filters will look - at the very top and at the very bottom. Don't thread your special skills throughout the job descriptions and nooks and crannies of various sections. If you have very strong special skills - language fluency, facility with in-demand computer skills - highlight this in your summary and definitely mention this in a specific Skills section.
What have you accomplished for the places you've worked? The reader should be able to quickly glean if you've managed a project to completion, sold product, improved a process, raised money, or something tangible. Your resume will hopefully have many accomplishments but you want to make sure that at least one jumps out quickly. Again a summary section on top can draw the eye to tangible metrics - revenues generated, costs saved, profits increased, processes improved.
Most of the time, people pour over their resume and spend a lot of time reading it as they edit it. Yes, you want to take a careful look at it for spelling, grammar, content and context. But remember that this is not the way it will be read. A recruiter-proof resume must be able to be read quickly. Career trajectory, industry and function, level, special skills and key accomplishments must be readily apparent.
Caroline Ceniza-Levine helps people find fulfilling and financially-rewarding career paths, as the co-founder of SixFigureStart®, career coaching by former Fortune 500 recruiters. Caroline has recruited for leading companies in financial services, consulting, media, pharmaceutical/ healthcare, and technology. She is the co-author (along with Donald Trump, Jack Canfield and others) of the best-selling "How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times" 2010; Two Harbors Press.
Popular Resume Questions Answered
As a former recruiter, I often host Ask-A-Recruiter workshops. In one of my virtual workshops, I received over 200 questions! Here are some on resumes:
Amanda asks: Do employers like to see an objective/profile on a resume?
Some employers like it and some don't. This is true, not just of the objective or of resume issues but most everything in the job search. The reality is, there is no one way, and employers and recruiters will not agree 100%. What employers/ recruiters can agree on, however, is that succinct is best, and everything on the resume should count. So if you decide to go with an objective, make sure it's clear and positions you effectively.
The major benefit of an objective: it states clearly what you are looking for and therefore the resume reader knows what to consider you for.
The major downside of an objective: it states clearly what you are looking for so the reader will consider you just for that, rather than a possibly similar but not quite matching job that is available.
John asks: Could you also give a bit of a 'behind-the-scenes' look at the resume management software that larger corporations typically use to filter and prioritize resumes using keywords?
Companies use different things, including no filter or software. I have recruited for large, global, Fortune 500 firms that did not use any type of software. However, in places that didn't have a technology filter in place, I would often manually filter resumes looking for certain keywords. These words would vary based on the search.
And therein lies the answer for the jobseeker for firms that use automatic or even manual filters: your resume should have the keywords that are relevant for your skills, qualifications and interests. Make sure to list specific technical skills, industry buzzwords and jargon that are searchable, and any credentials/ certificates/ training spelled out. You may not know exactly how the companies are searching, but they are searching, so include those searchable terms in your resume.
Adam asks: How can I really make my resume stand out and get a call? What are recruiters looking for when combing through resumes? Basically, how do I increase my chances of getting an interview?
Less than 20% of jobs are filled from job postings. So the best way to increase your chances is to move beyond answering job ads and hoping recruiters will call. Network, get introductions, contact decision-makers directly. The resumes that stand out and get called fit the job requirements exactly. If you are doing the exact same job for a key competitor, you will likely be called in for an interview. If you are crossing industries, coming back from time off, currently unemployed, you have red flags on your resume. This doesn't mean you don't deserve an interview or won't get one. It just means you are less likely to get one from the strength of your resume alone. So get off your computer and meet with people and access the 80%+ jobs that are filled outside of postings.
Caroline Ceniza-Levine helps people find fulfilling and financially-rewarding career paths, as the co-founder of SixFigureStart, career coaching by former Fortune 500 recruiters. Caroline has recruited for leading companies in financial services, consulting, media, pharmaceutical/ healthcare, and technology. She is the co-author (along with Donald Trump, Jack Canfield and others) of the best-selling "How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times" 2010; Two Harbors Press.
7/6/11
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter's attention in the hiring process - scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more - the resume review process is ruthlessly quick. This is not the time to aim for deep reflection. A recruiter-proof resume is easily readable and grabs your attention quickly with the necessary info to position you for the right job. Ask a friend to look at your resume for 10 seconds. Now put it away. Can your friend answer these 5 questions?
What have you done in the past 10 years (or less if less is your total experience)? If your resume has gaps or is difficult to follow chronologically, recruiters may just pass it by rather than try to make sense of the dates. Don't make the recruiter do the work of mapping the arc of your career. Recruiters want to see a track record of forward progress, so they look for dates.What is your industry and functional expertise? Hopefully you have a summary section at the top that highlights this because, if you don't, the recruiter has to tease it out based on all the places you've worked and jobs you've held. Like transcribing dates, pulling out industry and function is extra work. Recruiters sell candidates to hiring managers by their industry and functional expertise. Help them help you by making these clear.
Are you an executive, manager, independent contributor, or assistant? Recruiters will get this by skimming titles and perhaps the first bullet point of the most recent jobs. If you have a summary section on top, your level should be established based on what you have accomplished. If you have management experience of people, projects, and/or budgets, it should be clear upon skimming. If it's buried, then you just wasted an opportunity to position yourself. Different jobs require different levels. If your level isn't clear from an initial skimming of the resume, then you will not be considered for the right types of jobs.
What technical, language or other special skills do you have? Resume filters will catch keywords wherever they are, but for companies that do not use automated filters, you want your special skills to appear where human filters will look - at the very top and at the very bottom. Don't thread your special skills throughout the job descriptions and nooks and crannies of various sections. If you have very strong special skills - language fluency, facility with in-demand computer skills - highlight this in your summary and definitely mention this in a specific Skills section.
What have you accomplished for the places you've worked? The reader should be able to quickly glean if you've managed a project to completion, sold product, improved a process, raised money, or something tangible. Your resume will hopefully have many accomplishments but you want to make sure that at least one jumps out quickly. Again a summary section on top can draw the eye to tangible metrics - revenues generated, costs saved, profits increased, processes improved.
Most of the time, people pour over their resume and spend a lot of time reading it as they edit it. Yes, you want to take a careful look at it for spelling, grammar, content and context. But remember that this is not the way it will be read. A recruiter-proof resume must be able to be read quickly. Career trajectory, industry and function, level, special skills and key accomplishments must be readily apparent.
Caroline Ceniza-Levine helps people find fulfilling and financially-rewarding career paths, as the co-founder of SixFigureStart®, career coaching by former Fortune 500 recruiters. Caroline has recruited for leading companies in financial services, consulting, media, pharmaceutical/ healthcare, and technology. She is the co-author (along with Donald Trump, Jack Canfield and others) of the best-selling "How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times" 2010; Two Harbors Press.
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter's attention in the hiring process - scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more - the resume review process is ruthlessly quick. This is not the time to aim for deep reflection. A recruiter-proof resume is easily readable and grabs your attention quickly with the necessary info to position you for the right job. Ask a friend to look at your resume for 10 seconds. Now put it away. Can your friend answer these 5 questions?
What have you done in the past 10 years (or less if less is your total experience)? If your resume has gaps or is difficult to follow chronologically, recruiters may just pass it by rather than try to make sense of the dates. Don't make the recruiter do the work of mapping the arc of your career. Recruiters want to see a track record of forward progress, so they look for dates.What is your industry and functional expertise? Hopefully you have a summary section at the top that highlights this because, if you don't, the recruiter has to tease it out based on all the places you've worked and jobs you've held. Like transcribing dates, pulling out industry and function is extra work. Recruiters sell candidates to hiring managers by their industry and functional expertise. Help them help you by making these clear.
Are you an executive, manager, independent contributor, or assistant? Recruiters will get this by skimming titles and perhaps the first bullet point of the most recent jobs. If you have a summary section on top, your level should be established based on what you have accomplished. If you have management experience of people, projects, and/or budgets, it should be clear upon skimming. If it's buried, then you just wasted an opportunity to position yourself. Different jobs require different levels. If your level isn't clear from an initial skimming of the resume, then you will not be considered for the right types of jobs.
What technical, language or other special skills do you have? Resume filters will catch keywords wherever they are, but for companies that do not use automated filters, you want your special skills to appear where human filters will look - at the very top and at the very bottom. Don't thread your special skills throughout the job descriptions and nooks and crannies of various sections. If you have very strong special skills - language fluency, facility with in-demand computer skills - highlight this in your summary and definitely mention this in a specific Skills section.
What have you accomplished for the places you've worked? The reader should be able to quickly glean if you've managed a project to completion, sold product, improved a process, raised money, or something tangible. Your resume will hopefully have many accomplishments but you want to make sure that at least one jumps out quickly. Again a summary section on top can draw the eye to tangible metrics - revenues generated, costs saved, profits increased, processes improved.
Most of the time, people pour over their resume and spend a lot of time reading it as they edit it. Yes, you want to take a careful look at it for spelling, grammar, content and context. But remember that this is not the way it will be read. A recruiter-proof resume must be able to be read quickly. Career trajectory, industry and function, level, special skills and key accomplishments must be readily apparent.
Caroline Ceniza-Levine helps people find fulfilling and financially-rewarding career paths, as the co-founder of SixFigureStart®, career coaching by former Fortune 500 recruiters. Caroline has recruited for leading companies in financial services, consulting, media, pharmaceutical/ healthcare, and technology. She is the co-author (along with Donald Trump, Jack Canfield and others) of the best-selling "How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times" 2010; Two Harbors Press.
7/4/11
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter's attention in the hiring process - scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more - the resume review process is ruthlessly quick. This is not the time to aim for deep reflection. A recruiter-proof resume is easily readable and grabs your attention quickly with the necessary info to position you for the right job. Ask a friend to look at your resume for 10 seconds. Now put it away. Can your friend answer these 5 questions?
What have you done in the past 10 years (or less if less is your total experience)? If your resume has gaps or is difficult to follow chronologically, recruiters may just pass it by rather than try to make sense of the dates. Don't make the recruiter do the work of mapping the arc of your career. Recruiters want to see a track record of forward progress, so they look for dates.What is your industry and functional expertise? Hopefully you have a summary section at the top that highlights this because, if you don't, the recruiter has to tease it out based on all the places you've worked and jobs you've held. Like transcribing dates, pulling out industry and function is extra work. Recruiters sell candidates to hiring managers by their industry and functional expertise. Help them help you by making these clear.
Are you an executive, manager, independent contributor, or assistant? Recruiters will get this by skimming titles and perhaps the first bullet point of the most recent jobs. If you have a summary section on top, your level should be established based on what you have accomplished. If you have management experience of people, projects, and/or budgets, it should be clear upon skimming. If it's buried, then you just wasted an opportunity to position yourself. Different jobs require different levels. If your level isn't clear from an initial skimming of the resume, then you will not be considered for the right types of jobs.
What technical, language or other special skills do you have? Resume filters will catch keywords wherever they are, but for companies that do not use automated filters, you want your special skills to appear where human filters will look - at the very top and at the very bottom. Don't thread your special skills throughout the job descriptions and nooks and crannies of various sections. If you have very strong special skills - language fluency, facility with in-demand computer skills - highlight this in your summary and definitely mention this in a specific Skills section.
What have you accomplished for the places you've worked? The reader should be able to quickly glean if you've managed a project to completion, sold product, improved a process, raised money, or something tangible. Your resume will hopefully have many accomplishments but you want to make sure that at least one jumps out quickly. Again a summary section on top can draw the eye to tangible metrics - revenues generated, costs saved, profits increased, processes improved.
Most of the time, people pour over their resume and spend a lot of time reading it as they edit it. Yes, you want to take a careful look at it for spelling, grammar, content and context. But remember that this is not the way it will be read. A recruiter-proof resume must be able to be read quickly. Career trajectory, industry and function, level, special skills and key accomplishments must be readily apparent.
Caroline Ceniza-Levine helps people find fulfilling and financially-rewarding career paths, as the co-founder of SixFigureStart®, career coaching by former Fortune 500 recruiters. Caroline has recruited for leading companies in financial services, consulting, media, pharmaceutical/ healthcare, and technology. She is the co-author (along with Donald Trump, Jack Canfield and others) of the best-selling "How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times" 2010; Two Harbors Press.
Popular Cover Letter Questions Answered
As a former recruiter, I often host Ask-A-Recruiter workshops. In one of my virtual workshops, I received over 200 questions! Here are some on cover letters:
Matt asks: What are recruiters looking for in a cover letter?
The main benefit of a cover letter is that it can say what a resume cannot. It is written in prose format, rather than bulleted, so more conducive to storytelling and description. This is great for telling the nuances of your great accomplishments. Resumes can highlight the metrics, but cover letters can provide the color and details.
That said, they have to be concise. That doesn't just mean short (because short with no information isn't good either). Instead, you want to get to the point quickly and make relevant points: why you are good for this job; why you genuinely want this job; and why we the employer/ recruiter should be talking to you now.
David asks: How important is a cover letter really when applying for an analyst position at a [bulge bracket investment bank]? My career department always tells me to tailor my CL in every paragraph. However, I just got to know an alumni from last year that got into a BB IB and hasn't tailored his CLs at all, since it is very time demanding. So should graduates really spend time on that or try to rather send our more applications?
There are a lot of interesting questions here: how much time should you spend on your cover letters v. other items on your search list? How important is tailoring it for jobs or programs that are similar across companies? When you hear that someone bucks a recommended strategy and does so successfully, does that mean the strategy isn't good?
The cover letter should not exhaust all or even most of your search time. Some employers don't even read them, and you don't know in advance of sending it how much weight it will be given, so you don't want to needlessly spend too much time on it. HOWEVER, the employers who do read them do care about their content. Furthermore, writing a good one requires that you know what makes you valuable as a hire and that knowledge makes it good practice for other areas of your search. So it is worth spending some time to get a good cover letter down, but not at the expense of other things.
Tailoring each and every letter should absolutely be done but sparingly. Your key arguments should be roughly the same for most letters. You do want to change keywords and allude to what the company specifically mentions in the job description but this is a relatively quick switch. Of course, make sure you switch out names and company details for each cover letter. This is true for whether you are applying for a specific program, like the analyst programs at investment banks, or just similar jobs.
Finally, David points out that he knows of the exception: the guy who doesn't do any cover letter work and still gets hired. We all know exceptions - the incompetent person that gets the promotion anyway, the person who doesn't do any job search but lands one opportunity after another. This doesn't mean that these are good tactics for the rest of us. You should try to have good all-around job search technique, including a good cover letter that is tailored to each job.
Jeffrey asks: ...you say that you don't frequently read cover letters. Given this reality, is it better to write a longer and very complete description of what you can bring to the table rather than focusing more on brevity and mainly calling out the most relevant points on your resume?
Cover letters need to be brief but can still include a complete description of what you bring to the table. Complete doesn't mean you have to itemize each and every thing you bring. It just means you answer completely what you bring to the job at hand. I bring a sense of humor but I don't pitch that to my coaching clients. Rather, I talk about companies where I've recruited and coaching clients I have helped. I proactively pick the most appropriate examples and so I am brief, but I still answer completely what my prospect needs to make an informed description. It's not an either/ or proposition to be brief or complete. Focus on both.
Caroline Ceniza-Levine helps people find fulfilling and financially-rewarding career paths, as the co-founder of SixFigureStart®, career coaching by former Fortune 500 recruiters. Caroline has recruited for leading companies in financial services, consulting, media, pharmaceutical/ healthcare, and technology. She is the co-author (along with Donald Trump, Jack Canfield and others) of the best-selling "How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times" 2010; Two Harbors Press.
Popular Resume Questions Answered
As a former recruiter, I often host Ask-A-Recruiter workshops. In one of my virtual workshops, I received over 200 questions! Here are some on resumes:
Amanda asks: Do employers like to see an objective/profile on a resume?
Some employers like it and some don't. This is true, not just of the objective or of resume issues but most everything in the job search. The reality is, there is no one way, and employers and recruiters will not agree 100%. What employers/ recruiters can agree on, however, is that succinct is best, and everything on the resume should count. So if you decide to go with an objective, make sure it's clear and positions you effectively.
The major benefit of an objective: it states clearly what you are looking for and therefore the resume reader knows what to consider you for.
The major downside of an objective: it states clearly what you are looking for so the reader will consider you just for that, rather than a possibly similar but not quite matching job that is available.
John asks: Could you also give a bit of a 'behind-the-scenes' look at the resume management software that larger corporations typically use to filter and prioritize resumes using keywords?
Companies use different things, including no filter or software. I have recruited for large, global, Fortune 500 firms that did not use any type of software. However, in places that didn't have a technology filter in place, I would often manually filter resumes looking for certain keywords. These words would vary based on the search.
And therein lies the answer for the jobseeker for firms that use automatic or even manual filters: your resume should have the keywords that are relevant for your skills, qualifications and interests. Make sure to list specific technical skills, industry buzzwords and jargon that are searchable, and any credentials/ certificates/ training spelled out. You may not know exactly how the companies are searching, but they are searching, so include those searchable terms in your resume.
Adam asks: How can I really make my resume stand out and get a call? What are recruiters looking for when combing through resumes? Basically, how do I increase my chances of getting an interview?
Less than 20% of jobs are filled from job postings. So the best way to increase your chances is to move beyond answering job ads and hoping recruiters will call. Network, get introductions, contact decision-makers directly. The resumes that stand out and get called fit the job requirements exactly. If you are doing the exact same job for a key competitor, you will likely be called in for an interview. If you are crossing industries, coming back from time off, currently unemployed, you have red flags on your resume. This doesn't mean you don't deserve an interview or won't get one. It just means you are less likely to get one from the strength of your resume alone. So get off your computer and meet with people and access the 80%+ jobs that are filled outside of postings.
Caroline Ceniza-Levine helps people find fulfilling and financially-rewarding career paths, as the co-founder of SixFigureStart, career coaching by former Fortune 500 recruiters. Caroline has recruited for leading companies in financial services, consulting, media, pharmaceutical/ healthcare, and technology. She is the co-author (along with Donald Trump, Jack Canfield and others) of the best-selling "How the Fierce Handle Fear: Secrets to Succeeding in Challenging Times" 2010; Two Harbors Press.
6/23/11
5 Key Questions to Ask When Writing Your Resume
Are you in the middle of writing your resume but are having a difficult time finding the right information to include? Well, some of it is self-explanatory (education, job history, etc.), but sometimes it's hard to decide which skills to include as well as which accomplishments within your work history to note.
If you're feeling stuck, it's good to ask yourself some questions in order to get yourself moving. Here are five to consider while writing your resume:
#1: Why Am I Applying for This Job?
One thing you should explore is why you're applying for the job. By looking at what you want from the company aside from money (e.g., more skills, opportunity to grow in your field), you can reference these ideas as you write.
#2: Which of Your Past Accomplishments Match the Company's Expectations?
It's also a good idea to look at which of your past accomplishments and skills match what the company is looking for in the position. Don't just list the skills they say they want; really take a look at the job description and how they hope the position can help the company as a whole. Then think about what you've accomplished and how you can meet the company's expectations.
#3: How Will Taking This Step Further My Career?
Also, take time to think about whether this job is a building block on your career path. If you're just making lateral moves-hopping from job to job-rather than building a career, you may want to rethink applying for this particular position and look for one that falls more in line with your interests.
#4: What Do I Want to Contribute to the Company and Position?
In addition to exploring whether your accomplishments match the company's expectations, it's good to think about what you can contribute outside of their expectations. This may take a little bit of research to find out how the company wants to excel in the field-and how your position can help it get there.
#5: Am I the Best Fit for This Position?
Finally, it's important to know whether you honestly believe you're the best fit for the position. If you write your resume with an attitude that you're not a winner, it could be hard for you to include in your resume all of the great reasons why you should be hired. It's always a good idea to really explore the reasons you're applying for a job as you write your resume. This way, it's easier to answer the questions that employers are likely asking while they are reading it.
Global resume authority Jessica M Holbrook of http://www.greatresumesfast.com is a former HR Manager who partners with professional- and executive-level candidates to create authentic, branded resumes and cover letters. An international resume columnist and resume expert for JobTalkAmerica radio, her work opens doors to lucrative positions at Fortune 500 companies.
Jessica M Holbrook, expert resume writer, is a nationally-recognized resume authority and former HR Manager who has achieved over a 99% success rate securing interviews with prestigious organizations through exclusive, personal branding strategies. The President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast, she and her team partner with professional- and executive-level candidates.
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