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Check back weekly for new blogs on how to keep your resume and interview skills in shape! |
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To Cover Letter, Or Not To Cover Letter?
I am often asked the question, "Do I need a cover letter to go with my resume?"
The answer isn't as easy, or as quick of a reply as you might think. I personally believe that some people need a cover letter, and some don't.
So, how do you determine if you need one or not? Well, there are a few different factors that will help you decide.
1) If you are an executive level management job seeker, then I would say that at this point in your career, yes, you would want a cover letter. It allows you to introduce yourself, and talk a little about what the recruiter should expect to see in the resume that follows.
2) If you are someone who has gone through a transition in your employment history, then YES. You need a cover letter. What does that mean exactly, transition?
Here are some examples:
If you have gaps in your employment timelines, the recruiters are going to say to themselves, "hmm...what were they doing during that time that there is no employment listed?"
If there is a major position change, they are going to think, "Why did they go from Senior Account Executive at XZY company, to mailroom clerk at ABC company?"
You need to be prepared for those questions to be answered before they can even think to ask them. Why? The reality is that the recruiters usually won't take the time to ask. Thats what the cover letter does.
It allows you to introduce yourself, and explain briefly why you don't have employment dates listed. For example, "After leaving XYZ company as a Sales Manager, I became a stay at home mother for 2 years before returning to the workforce as an admin assistant. I decided on this career choice so that I could still focus on my children while keeping my workforce skills up to date without the long hours and expectations of a sales management position..."
3) If you are someone who is just starting out in the workforce, you have probably had a few entry level positions, which do not require any explanation and the resume itself should suffice.
The last thought I will leave you with is this:
It is always better to over-prepare than under-prepare. You never want to walk away from any situation thinking that you should have done something more to improve your chances of getting a job offer if it’s something that you knew you could have done to begin with.
As always, good luck in your search!
Tune in for Job Seeker Interview Tips!
Do you know what it means to be truly "prepared" for your next employment search?
Are you aware of how often you should update your resume?
Do you know what questions you should be asking during an interview, or how to ask for the job?
Do you know what interviewing mistakes you might be making?
If you are a job seeker and said "no" to any of the above questions, you need to hear the answers and interview advice on the John Adam Show 1310 KXAM, website.
The live raido show was on Sunday March 23rd, from 12p-2p, but is now archived on the website link below!
http://www.thejohnadamshow.com/podcast/080323.html
(My segment is 15 minutes into the 1st hour, 15 min long, and is job seeker focused)
(2nd hour is employer focused)
On Sunday March 23rd, Jessica Starr-Clark on behalf of Manpower was a guest on the John Adam Show, answering the most important, interview related questions.
So if you are looking for a new job, or just want to brush up on your interview skills....tune in, take notes and get ready to be educated, entertained AND employed!
Please feel free to email me with your interview or resume questions as well!
Best of luck!
Jessica Starr
www. resumestarr. com
When opportunity "knocks" how do you answer your phone?
When looking for a new job, opportunity doesn't always just knock on the door where you can greet it face to face. Sometimes, it calls you on the phone.
When a potential employer calls you regarding your resume, what is the first impression they are going to get about you?
Today, most people list their cell phones as primary contact information. What will the recruiter hear when they call your phone? Instead of a normal ring, will they hear music?
I can't count how many times I have called on a resume, only to hear some death metal music, top 40 or hard core rap in my ear, in place of a normal ring. And I can't help but think, this is a person who wants to have a professional business conversation with me?
Now don't get me wrong, I understand that its fun to have music on your phone. I had it too. Just NOT when I was looking for a job. You want to make sure that you are consistently presenting yourself in the most professional manner possible. If that means taking a ringback tone off of your cell phone during your job search, then so be it. You can always add it back on later.
What are you saying when you actually answer the phone? Do you answer by saying, hello? or hello, this is... (Jessica)!
Again, I can't tell you how many times I have had applicants answer their phones like this: (yo, what up, yeah, who is this, or speak!) which can be considered a red flag when it comes to professionalism.
The recruiter might wonder how you would answer the phone at work, if this is how you answer your phone when seeking employment.
What about your voice mail, asking the caller to leave you a message? Does is sound professional, or like you just woke up after sleeping for a month? Are you speaking in at least a somewhat professional manner, or are you saying things that should be reserved for friends and maybe family?
So, call me old fashioned, but these are just some things to think about when waiting for a recruiter to call you about an interview.
Remember, opportunity usually only knocks once! Make sure you answer appropriately!
Good luck to all!
Please call or email me if there is anything I can do to help you with your resume or cover letter needs!
Jessica Starr
Got the interview? Get the job!  Good Friday afternoon!
Hopefully your job search went well this week, and you are preparing for an onslaught of interviews next week!!
If this is you, get out your interview checklist! Here are some ideas to help you prepare for landing that job!
A) What outfit do you feel most confident in? Is it ready to be worn? Does it still fit the same? Try it on and make sure at least a few days before, just in case you need to go shopping!
B) Do you have accurate directions? Do you have the floor, suite number, and phone number, just in case you get lost or are running late?
C) Have you allowed enough time for the drive, the interview, and the drive back? Make sure you don't start stressing out during an interview because you need to pick up the kids, or get back to work on time. Plan your time out, with the successful interview being up to an hour sometimes. You have enough to worry about, don't add time to your stress factor!
D) Do you have extra copies of your resume in case there is more than one person at your interview? Always bring at least 10 because you never know when they might spring a panel interview on you! It won't ever hurt to have extra, but its embarrassing to have to ask your future employer to share a copy because of lack of preparation.
E) Have you thought of answers to possible questions? Think about past interviews that you have had for similar positions. What types of questions have you had to answer? Write them out and practice how you convey your answers so that you will be confident when its show time!
F) What questions do you have? Remember, you are almost always going to be asked that at the end of an interview!
This is a tricky question! You need to have some well thought out questions about the job, but they shouldn't be about company information that you should have researched before your interview.
Example of bad questions:
"How long have you been in business?”
"What does your company sell?"
"What is your company's goals, or mission?" etc...
Your questions should be more specific & about your potential role.
"How does this role currently impact the bottom line?"
"What direction do you see this role heading toward?"
"What are some of the biggest challenges you have seen with this role in the past?"
"What have been some contributing factors to the past successes in this role?" (Just some examples)
This will show that you are really thinking about the long term impact that you can make on their organization!
G) Make sure you have the answer to the following question!
"Why should we hire you?"
Saying you are a hard worker, will NOT get you the job! Everyone else will tell them the same thing. You need to make sure that you are showing them why YOU are the perfect fit for this role. If they have stated specifics in the job description of who the perfect candidate is and what skills they possess, you need to remind them that you have those skills and work history. Simple as that.
H) Make sure you pick up a business card for each person that interviewed you. This way, you can send a thank you card addressed the correct people, or at the very least, an email thanking them for their time, and letting them know you are looking forward to hearing from them soon.
That’s it! I hope this list has helped you in preparing for your interview adventures next week, and that the end result is that you hear the words, "We'd like to offer you a position with our company."
Good luck!!
~Jessica *
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