Q TIPS:
Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
Job-hunting tips from the October 8, 2001 issue of QuintZine.
In the syndicated column she writes with Dale Dauten, Kate
Wendleton talks about how to cut down on frustration when responding
to want ads: "If you don't fit 80 percent to 90 percent of
the requirements listed, don't bother to apply. Instead, turn
your attention to jobs you really fit and are fit for." Wendleton
also suggests deploying your cover letter to "make yourself a logical
choice for the 'Keep' pile" by using two columns in the cover
letter, with listed requirements in Column A and your "fit"
in Column B. "Make it easier to include you than to exclude
you," Wendleton writes. We give the same advice in our cover-letter
books, Dynamic Cover Letters and Dynamic Cover Letters for New Graduates.
See a sample of such a two-column letter.
Good news for IT workers: Michael Pastore reports that, although
the US economy has certainly suffered a downturn, and the
unemployment rate is at its highest in almost four years,
a study by the Computing Technology Industry Association
(CompTIA) found the average number of open IT service
and support positions in American companies has more
than tripled since 1999.
The study, "Ongoing Crisis in IT Management," found
that staffing and training issues remain the biggest
challenges faced by IT department managers.
The research found that the number of unfilled IT service
and support positions is 2.1, out of an average IT department
size of 25.6, representing a three-fold increase in the
percentage of open positions identified compared to 1999,
when CompTIA identified 0.6 open positions in average
departments of 20.2 people. Larger companies are even
more likely to face problems with unfilled IT positions.
IT workers would be well advised to highlight both
soft skills and technical skills; the survey showed that
CIOs value "soft skills" such as communications and patience,
while HR professionals tend to screen candidates for hard,
technical skills.
Diana LeGere, of Executive Final Copy, cautions that when
it come to job interviews, "better late than never" will
never, ever work. Be early! Fifteen minutes is a good general rule.
An early arrival will provide you with the extra time
you need should you run into problems. Managers want
an employee who arrives for work, promptly each day. Being late for
an interview is always unacceptable. Okay, so you are
generally on time and do not see any added benefit
for the 15-minute rule. Consider the following list of horrors.
You snag your nylons just as you get off the elevator in time for your
meeting. If you've ever experienced this nightmare, you
learn very quickly to carry an extra pair in your bag.
On the other hand, what if you spill coffee on your new tie;
do you have a spare?
You arrive to find no parking or even worse, you cannot locate
the building. Driving to the office on a day before the interview
at the same time will allow you to see approximately how long it
takes to get there and what type of traffic concerns you may encounter.
In addition to being a safeguard, arriving early allows you
to let the receptionist notice you. Often the receptionist
performs a preliminary screening analysis without your knowledge.
He or she may later report to the boss if you were on time,
appeared confident and what type of manners you presented
while waiting. You will also gain insight to the office
culture by watching bystanders and observing the general morale of
the employees around you. If nothing else, being early allows you
to take a deep breath and relax! Being relaxed is the surest way
to manifest what we need the most. Confidence!"
This Q Tip courtesy of Diana C. LeGere
president of Executive Final Copy and the
employment coordinator for Greenbacks Bringing
Hope Foundation in Salt Lake City, UT.
In the syndicated column she writes with Dale Dauten, Kate
Wendleton talks about how to cut down on frustration when responding
to want ads: "If you don't fit 80 percent to 90 percent of
the requirements listed, don't bother to apply. Instead, turn
your attention to jobs you really fit and are fit for." Wendleton
also suggests deploying your cover letter to "make yourself a logical
choice for the 'Keep' pile" by using two columns in the cover
letter, with listed requirements in Column A and your "fit"
in Column B. "Make it easier to include you than to exclude
you," Wendleton writes. We give the same advice in our cover-letter
books, Dynamic Cover Letters and Dynamic Cover Letters for New Graduates.
See a 