Q TIPS:
Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
Job-hunting tips from the May 10, 2004 issue of
QuintZine.
Many of today's job seekers have great resumes, ace interviews, provide stellar recommendations
and still don't get the coveted job offer. According to a recent poll with leading employers and recruiters,
conducted by The Career Exposure Network, the reason could lie in the right follow-up.
Eighty-two percent of employers and recruiters told The Career Exposure Network that a thank-you note is
a critical follow-up after the job interview. Hiring managers report that the thank-you note demonstrates
that the applicant is serious about the opportunity and indicates a level of professionalism -- a primary
characteristic that employers seek in job candidates.
"Your thank-you letter provides a tremendous opportunity to summarize the interview and tell me again how you can
contribute," commented one employer. "I always expect to see a note -- it shows courtesy and demonstrates that you
are interested." Eighty-one percent of employers and recruiters also told The Career Exposure Network that
email is their preferred method of receiving a follow-up. According to one recruiter, "I prefer email because it
arrives much faster than regular mail, and it can be
in the hands of decision-makers BEFORE a final selection
decision is made." The Career Exposure Network is a suite
of niche sites that includes CareerWomen.com, DiversitySearch.com
and MBACareers.com. For more about thank-you notes, see our
article, FAQs About Thank You Letters,
and our collection of free sample thank-you letters.
What you say and how you say it can make or break your image at the office, suggest
a new survey by OfficeTeam, a staffing service specializing in highly skilled administrative
professionals. Nearly half (49 percent) of workers polled said a person's communication
style has the greatest impact on his or her professional reputation.
How employees conduct themselves while the boss is away was
the second most popular answer, with 31 percent of the response.
The survey was conducted by an independent research firm
and includes responses from 567 men and women employed
full-time in professional environments.
Workers were asked, "Which one of the following has the greatest impact in shaping one's professional
reputation?" Their responses:
Communication style: 49 percent
How the person conducts himself or herself when the boss is out of the office: 31 percent
How often others consult with the person for advice and information: 15 percent
Personal grooming: 3 percent
Something else: 1 percent
Don't know/no answer: 1 percent
If you've been laid off, you may find help in these tips from Dave Murphy writing in
The San Francisco Chronicle:
Try to trim your expenses and make sure your health insurance is taken care of.
Take time to grieve if you need it.
Ask yourself why it happened. Maybe you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But look at the overall health of your industry and your type of job. Are we just in a blip,
or is your industry going downhill? Are your skills less valuable than they used to be? Are
jobs like yours being shipped overseas? Look at your attitude, too. Were you just
going through the motions because you didn't care anymore? Were you tired of your career
or your employer?
Consider what kind of job you want next. A good network won't help you much if people don't know
what you're looking for. Don't assume friends and former colleagues know exactly where your skills
and interests lie. Tell them -- concisely. Be as specific as you can, so the details stick in their
memory.
List your target companies. Blasting out hundreds of resumes is pretty useless. Focus on attractive
companies you're qualified for. Research those companies. Network with employees. Identify their needs and how
your talents can help.
Determine how you will stand out. Think about what you can do to make yourself a better worker, and person,
a year from now than you are today. A layoff is a crisis, certainly, but it is also an opportunity. You have more
time to learn now than when you're overwhelmed with work.
Fill your laid-off time productively. Study Spanish, do volunteer work, create a Web site, try being a consultant.
If you're out of work for a year -- and, sad to say, many people are -- and all you have to show for it is
12 months of sending resumes and going on interviews,
you won't impress anyone.
Many of today's job seekers have great resumes, ace interviews, provide stellar recommendations
and still don't get the coveted job offer. According to a recent poll with leading employers and recruiters,
conducted by The Career Exposure Network, the reason could lie in the right follow-up.
