PulseHR: Job Search, Resume, Cover Letter and Interview Tips for Job Seekers

Should you concentrate most of your efforts on looking for a job via the Internet or should you focus on more traditional warm-feet approach?

This is the first thing you’d hear when you happen to attend a career or job search seminar. And what would they tell you? - Only 10% of jobs are found via the Internet. They say it’s statistically proven. They say it’s true.

Well, allow me to disagree. I would even go as far as to say that apart from personal referrals and word-of-mouth leads, Internet is the most common search medium both for job seekers and employers in the Western world. What is my proof? – I can put a few things on the table.

For example, take a look at recent editions of books on resume writing techniques and job hunting. All of them contain a large number of websites in the reference sections. That wasn’t the case 6 years ago. At that time, you would get to see a couple career websites here and there and that’s all. Nowadays there are so many career websites that one has to consult books to find which sites are good to use. And why would these books include such references, if nobody were using them? All of these books contain at least one chapter devoted to the electronic etiquette of the job search. Again, why do that, if that’s not what the readers would want to hear?
The fact is that most job seekers actually prefer looking for a job via the Internet. And who would blame them? It’s the easiest, fastest, cheapest, and most convenient way. If only there were human-sent replies from those encoded email addresses specified for resume submission, then the job search world would have been perfect [that is the reason why at PulseHR we chose not to setup an automated reply system for our job seekers. With us, each application gets reviewed and receives a human reply].

So does anyone know who conducted the poll and when?

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Why job boards are good for you

- Simple, it's a market place. A labor market place, to be precise.

When employers need to "buy somebody", they either use the services of their "sales agents" (recruiting or search firms) or use the "malls" (job boards). At the malls, they quickly get tired of walking from aisle to aisle (specifying keywords to look for profiles), so they subscribe for a "delivery" service (have profiles delivered to them). It's as simple as that and does not get more complicated. With one clause. Employers always want quality staff and they more and more often prefer to do their shopping at "boutique" places (specialized job boards like this one). Once they join a boutique, they use the delivery service. That's why specialized job boards are good for you. They place you where your "customer" is.

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Are you an active or passive job seeker?

A passive job seeker selects a few job boards, posts a profile/resume on all of them, and waits for employers to find and contact them. An active job seeker, on the other hand, in addition to posting their profile, spends 1-2 hours every day searching and applying for jobs online.
If you are a passive job seeker, you might want to change your strategy and become more active, if you are in real need of a job. An active job seeker has much higher chances of getting a job, because employers often don’t have the time to actively search for candidates. Many employers prefer and expect the job seekers to come to them [everyone loves the easiest way].
If you see a job for which you have 85% of the required qualifications, apply for this job online by clicking the ‘Apply Now’ button. This will send your profile to a person responsible for the hiring processes at the organization/company in question. This person may not be directly responsible for making hiring decisions, but they will definitely be in the position to make a winning hiring recommendation. If your profile/resume and cover letter are written properly, you will be noticed and considered for the position, which will give you a good chance of being invited for an interview. If, on the other hand, you are merely waiting for employers to contact you, you are placing yourself in full dependence on the employer’s time schedule, search preferences, and similar circumstances, all of which drastically decrease your chance of landing the job you want.

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How recruiters think and what you need to know about it

When using services of recruiting agencies and search firms, the main thing to remember is that recruiters won't recommend you to their clients unless they are confident that you would meet all major requirements. Recruiters will double check information on your resume in order to avoid possible embarrassment or "customer dissatisfaction" in the event some of it turns out to be incorrect. Recruiters get paid for finding the right person, so they want to make sure they have one.

For you as a job seeker, for all practical purposes, a recruiter is not much different than an immediate employer. The only difference is that a good recruiter can help you find a job in the future, even if at the moment s/he might not have a suitable opening for you. If you stay in touch and behave nicely, a recruiter can be of help to you more than once in your career.

All recruiters are trained to do certain things. One of them is to write professional resumes. If you are ever invited for an interview with a recruiter, do not miss an opportunity and ask them to critique your resume. Ask for suggestions. They will be happy to help you. After all, this will give them a chance to show what they are good at. Your enthusiasm will also show to a recruiter that you are serious about the way you are presenting yourself and that you are actively seeking improvement - both of these things are in your favor. So not only will you receive a professional critique of your resume, but you will also make a good personal impression on a recruiter. Please remember, however, that this should only be used when you are invited by a recruiter for an interview or contacted by them over the phone. I do not suggest that you yourself present this type of a request to an unknown recruiter (by email or otherwise).

Given the continuous downsizing of personnel in various industries, competition for jobs has gotten tougher. In order to compete, you not only need to have good skills, but you also need to approach a job search and job application as a skill on its own. You need to take the time and effort to learn how to do it the right way. Recruiting agencies and search firms can be of great help to you more than once, if you approach them at the right time and with the right expectations.

In the meantime, you can go to a book store and browse through books on how to write a good resume. There are plenty of them available. Many of them are good. Also, most job boards and career sites post tips and suggestions on how to write a good resume and cover letter. Ask your friends and family to critique your resume. There is no such thing as bad feedback, all feedback, if approached properly, can help you make improvements.

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Selling yourself: nobody ever tells you how to get those first few sales

If you have ever wondered through the business book sections in Chapters, I am sure you noticed that there is a lot of books on how to start your own business, how to write a marketing and business plan, how to find financing, etc. But there aren't too many books that teach you how to make your first few sales, if you have never done that before. Nobody ever tells you first do that, then do this, after that do that, and then send an invoice. Why? Simply because they either don't know (someone else made those first few sales before they joined the company) or because all other stuff will be very easy and virtually useless. It's not hard to start your own business, it's very easy to write business plans, it's not hard to establish your own network, nothing is really hard, except for those first few sales. The most difficult and important thing to know is how to *convince* people buy your stuff.

How, really? Despite the fact that all of us find ourselves in the position of a job seeker at least a couple of times throughout our careers, very few of us realize that getting employers to hire you is virtually the same thing as making people buy things from you (imagine selling large and expensive things, like refrigerators, for example). It might sound somewhat unpleasant, but in fact when we are looking for a job and sending our applications to employers we are *selling* ourselves (our time and skills, to be precise). From my experience, the one thing I suggest job seekers always keep in mind is that employers don't need you no matter how good you are, it is always you who needs them. The customer is always right. The labor market is still a market. You may be great, you may even be a genius, but if you can't sell yourself right, nobody will *buy* you, and you won't get a job.

If you keep this simple rule in mind all the time while you are doing your job search (I mean all the time), you will be surprised how quickly you will notice *marketing* flaws in your resume and cover letter and will be able to correct them. Send yourself an email with your job application and ask yourself a question: will I buy this person? You will no longer feel "hurt" by employers not replying to you, you will be patient and persistent, since you know that on every 100 professional and targeted applications one can expect a maximum 10% response rate, that's a response rate, not purchases, and that's for "targeted and professional" applications! - Are you doing it in a professional and targeted way or simply clicking the 'send' and 'apply' buttons every now and then..?

Just think like a salesman and always have a consumer perspective in mind, and your job search will move on faster.

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Why newcomers do not get the jobs they want

With the exception of high-tech specialists, research scientists, and mid-level healthcare professionals (registered nurses, lab technologists, etc.), immigrant job seekers usually have a very hard time finding a job. And we are talking about any job, except perhaps entry-level retail positions or similar types of occupations. And yet so many of them are highly educated and qualified in various important fields. I personally know a few people with Master's degrees in Informatics and Economics, experienced and very educated people, who had to deliver pizza or serve coffee at Tim Horton's for a very long time before finding a job related to their field. It is a very unfortunate, yet very typical situation.

Let me try to identify the reasons for which this is happening and, hopefully, help some of them change this situation (those lucky ones who are reading this page!). This information can also be useful for Canadian-born new graduates and people undergoing a major career change, because in essence, the reasons for which all these groups of people have difficulties in landing desired jobs are essentially the same.

There are three main reasons (apart from bad luck, of course...just kidding!):

Wrong perspective, i.e. inability to make proper assessment of ones' own cultural and social standing
Wrong approach
Wrong presentation

The first reason is the main one, and the other two are derived from it, but I'll keep all three equal because in practice it does not matter which one comes first or second. The term "wrong" is used for convenience purposes only, and not as a cultural judgement of any sort. In this section, the term "wrong" should be interpreted as meaning "the way of doing things which won't help you get a good job in North America".

1. Wrong perspective:

· By "wrong" perspective I mean inability to make proper assessment of one's own cultural and social standing. What may seem obvious from an outsider's point of view is often very difficult to see when it concerns you. Newcomers to Canada and the United States, infatuated with Western democracy and social simplicity, take things at their face value and assume wrong things. Yes, it is true that Western social structure is relatively simple and more "democratic" than in other parts of the world, but it is still there! It exists and in much subtler forms than many newcomers realize. In Western society, cultural traditions do not dominate an individual, as it is the case in Asian societies, for example, but these traditions determine whether or not you will feel satisfied and "at home" and how fast this will happen. For most people, it takes on average 8-10 years, for others, those more entrepreneurial, curious and research-savvy, it takes 2-5 years (note, that this time span is very close to what's required for a citizenship in Canada and the United States).

· Newcomers assume that since this culture is simple and free, therefore there is virtually no etiquette. This is a very easy assumption to make, especially, if you are from a country like India, where each person is constantly highly aware of things like where and at what point during the social encounter a woman can sit down if in the company of her husband's boss (this will be slightly different when in the company of his mother); when it is required to send a gift or when it is sufficient to simply drop by in person, which can be done without a warning, and say "thank you". In Western society, rules are much fewer, they are much simpler, indeed, but they exist and they are different, and they need to be learned!

· So how to learn those rules and where to find the right information. If you are new to the country, you don't know too many people by definition and especially people with education and social experiences similar to yours (where would you meet these people if not at work or university?). Therefore, the only source of good information for newcomers is books and websites like this one. It is particularly good to socialize with local people, keeping in mind, however, their respective level of education and upbringing (hush-hush, did I offend anyone…I must have…Canadians get offended very easily…so much for the freedom of speech…).

2. Wrong approach:

· This problem is derived from the first one. For example, if you were a Marketing director at a large, even Western, corporation in your country, you should not be applying for similar positions as a newcomer in this country. Marketing in your country is very different from Marketing in this country. As a foreigner, you first need to learn the nitty-gritty of things here (that’s right, you’ve got to go through the initiation process, like everywhere else in the world!). Similarly, if you are an Economist, you must realize that Western economic theory and especially practical methodology is very different from the one practiced in your country. You need to experience how things are here first before you can hope to get a social standing similar to what you’ve had in your country.

· In practical terms, if you are a newcomer, start as a volunteer in any available organization in your field (private corporations do not favour volunteers, this is due to insurance issues and possible legal implication - see, you need to know these things!). If it is not possible, volunteer in the area that is at least remotely related to your field. Go to Chapters and hit the books, it’s free. Browse through as many sections as you can. Familiarize yourself with as many things as you can. Watch the news and read newspapers from A to Z (in reality, many newcomers know very little about local politics and events, unfortunately). Be very curious and analytical, and prepare for a long cultural journey!

3. Wrong presentation.

· This is the most painful one. Why? Because there are so many more subtleties and intricacies here and because there isn't much good help easily available.

· There are two sub-problems here: written presentation and personal presentation (notice, how I divide everything in categories and subcategories and then points? This will be one of the first important things you will learn about Western mentality).

· In the Western culture, a job search is a very structured and ritualistic process. You need to know this (how? someone would have given you enough info to deduct this, I am sure!). Note that even Westerners who themselves were born in this society but happen to be unaware of these rituals, do not climb very far up on their country's social ladder. In order to learn the written rules, attend career seminars which are often available to newcomers free of charge. Surf the web, read books, but get to know the rules! "Written presentation rules" are few and easy to learn.

· Personal presentation rules are trickier. There is much more to learn and things are more subtle here. Not even every Canadian or American is well "taught" in this field. But all those who have achieved a good social standing (higher salary!) are all very well "informed", indeed. They wouldn’t have been where they are, had they not been informed.

· You need to learn about local fashions, social conduct both at work and outside work (to find friends who will then help you find a job), proper and improper timing, quantity or "duration" of each social encounter and sub-encounter, and many other things (how often to call to follow-up, how long should your follow-up call last; how soon to use people’s first names in official settings, etc.). If you are from Europe and especially from Eastern Europe, you will need to accept the fact that no matter how "unsophisticated" and "unstylish" Canadian or American office dress customs are, you have to adjust to them, or else you will always be perceived as an outsider, a foreigner. If you are from India, you should learn that calling every other day to enquire about the same issue is bad manners (as opposed to what may be normal in certain situations in your country: showing eagerness and enthusiasm). These are the things that you would have to learn and learn fast, if you want to have good social standing in this country.

· And that's not counting the main thing - your proficiency in English. You need to hit the books, memorize, read, and memorize every day, including - and especially! - your pronunciation. Pay respect to this language. Just imagine if you always had to listen to someone who speaks your language with a thick, almost undistinguishable accent, and can't make phrases that could be easily grasped… would you like this? Now, do you appreciate how tolerant Westerners actually are! The majority of them are very patient and tactful and seldom complain [not in the open, at least] that they have to put up with this linguistic discomfort at work for so many hours on a daily basis.

· While it is exceptionally difficult (exceptionally!!) to get rid of the accent, it is nonetheless possible to make it milder and less pronounced. It is possible to learn how to speak in English well, so that everyone can understand you, even if you speak with an accent. But how many newcomers take care to do that, even when lessons are available virtually free of charge or at a very low cost? Not very many, unfortunately.

To conclude, let me repeat what I have stated earlier, namely, that similar problems, in nature, exist for local job seekers who are either new in the field (recent grads) or going through a major career change (from academia to a corporate environment, for instance). For many people it is hard to recognize what needs to be changed and in what direction.

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How to look for a job like a true Canadian

I think it is worth while to continue the topic I brought up in the previous section, i.e. difficulties faced by newcomers when looking for a job. Before I explain why I want to continue, I'd like to thank all of you who sent me their feedback. It's nice to know that someone is in fact paying attention!

I think the rest of you may be interested to find out that I got two opposite opinions: a few newcomers wrote to me and thanked me for my advice; a few Canadian-born users got somewhat offended on behalf of newcomers and told me that the newcomers do not need to be "mothered" and that my language is too sharp. How Canadian of them! And this is precisely the reason why I want to dwell on this topic a bit more. If this topic has provoked such a high rate of responses (I know that people don't send their opinions unless there is something they care about!), let me talk about it a bit more, and I will then relate it to your job search.

One of the most characteristic Canadian features, as it is observed by both Canadians themselves and people from other cultures, is that Canadians very often get offended (take things personally), that they are exceptionally sensitive (you almost can't call a cow a cow anymore; you have to say "large farm-raised hay-and-hormones-fed animal"). Canadians in general are very protective and always speak up in defense of those who, from their point of view, are being unfairly treated or judged. If you read newspapers, you'll see that almost every day someone apologizes for offending someone else, i.e. saying something which can potentially be interpreted as offensive, and it does not even have to be a direct statement. If you are new to Canada, you will notice it a lot, later you'll get used to it.

You make an innocent joke about someone's size (God forbids!), and you are running a risk of being perceived as "promoting hatred" [the only safe way to do it is if you yourself happen to be overweight!] Whether you like it or not, this approach is something you should be aware of and get used to. Canadians are very sensitive to those whom they view as "helpless" and "vulnerable" and they often overreact when trying to protect these people. Unless you work for an official comedy show, you are better off not risking any of these or similar jokes, even if you think they are innocent and not offensive.

Another thing is your language, and I don't mean your grammar. To start sounding like a Canadian, try doing this exercise:

Make a statement or express an opinion, preferably with a cause and effect in it.
Then dilute all your adjectives and adverbs and add elements of "probability". You will have made a significant step toward the Canadian English.

Warning: doing it a lot on an every day basis will (not "may", but will!) change your mentality.

Here are a couple of examples.

Standard English: If you fail the exam for the second time, you will be expelled from the University immediately.

Canadian English: In the event of a second exam failure, chances are high that a student may be expelled from the University.

Notice the passive voice in the second clause and intentional avoidance of a direct pronoun "you". By saying "you", you are running a risk of potentially offending someone (in other words, someone will take it personally and get offended!).

Standard English: If you are late for work all the time, you boss will refuse you your promotion.
Canadian English: Those who often come to work late may be moved to the end of the line for getting a promotion.

I think you got an idea of what I mean by saying "dilute" your language with probability elements. Using passive voice, as opposed to active voice, when expressing an opinion, especially a political or social opinion, will help you communicate with Canadians better, it will help you make them understand your point of view and it will also keep you from unwillingly offending someone.

At the beginning, you may find this linguistic twist rather disturbing (for example: local water resources were severely polluted and it took a very long time to fix the problem. The government officials expressed their “strong disappointment” with the speed of the recovery action...."disappointment"...???), but later you will be glad that it exists: no one will ever tell you anything negative, you will never be criticized, and your day will never be spoiled. If you screw up something really badly, the worst thing that will happen is that your boss will invite you in his/her office and will delicately tell you, in the nicest possible way, that you need to improve this or that. No one will ever call you an "idiot", "stupid", or anything along these lines (it is illegal here!). So get used to it and enjoy! However, keep in mind that if they don't tell you, it doesn't mean there is nothing to tell.

Now, you are probably thinking, how does all this yada-yada apply to my job search? How is it going to help me find a job?

It should help you with all your follow-up calls (you are making them, aren't you?) and your job interview. In particular, it would come useful when speaking with receptionists and when answering "negative" questions.

When speaking with receptionists, never say "when is your boss going to be back?" Instead, say "when would be a good time to try and call back, if you don't mind".

During the job interview, do not say anything that can even remotely be interpreted as "potentially offensive" or "negative". If you feel that you absolutely have to say something “negative” (it can be very normal things that you had all the right not to like!), use the "reverse" technique.

For example, if they ask you what it is that you did not like at your previous job, you may want to say

1) "There wasn't anything bad actually, but I guess (dilution) I'd have liked it more [reversal from negative to positive] if there were a cafeteria and a better variety of soft drinks.

2) “Well, there wasn't anything negative, really, but I guess I was hoping for [modesty!] more challenging and interesting assignments; that's why I am here, from what I know about it so far, this job sounds very interesting to me, it appears that my future responsibilities would allow me to learn new skills and advance the ones I already have, and that's why I am really excited about it".

Now, if after reading this section, you feel "offended" for some reason, please re-read it again. I hope that you will be able to see that we are trying to help people with specific and practical advice (as opposed to vague general recommendations), and if it takes using straight forward language, so be it.

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How to find a job in less than 6 months

Network!

Needless to say, that everyone has heard many - many! - times that the surest way to find a job quickly is through networking, and yet, how many of unemployed people are really putting all their efforts into networking? In reality, not many. It is much easier to surf the net, hit “apply” buttons and send resumes by email – all of which can be done from the comfort of your home while listening to your favourite tunes and chatting online.

I am not saying that applying online does not bring results. As a matter of fact, it brings great results. I remember reading that online applications now account for about 28% of all jobs filled; that’s 18% up from five years ago when job boards were merely 10% effective. In the future, it is probably safe to assume that in the nearest few years online applications will be the second most effective method of both finding a job and recruiting personnel.

But the first way has always been and will always remain NETWORKING! Every recruiter and employer knows: word-of-mouth referrals are the best. It is the cheapest, fastest, easiest and most reliable method for employers.

It is the most expensive and difficult one for job seekers. But it is still the most effective one and, therefore, it is worth while learning how to do it properly. Let me give you 10 tips on how to network effectively.

1. Do not attend job search seminars for the purposes of networking. These are good to learn how to write a winning resume and cover letter and how to ace job interviews, but they are of little use in terms of networking – the only person employed there is the instructor!

2. Focus on settings where all participants are most likely to be employed, such as your local Toastmaster clubs, conferences, trade shows, business events, etc. All these can be found either online or through your local newspapers.

3. Prepare to pay and spend at least 6 months on a heavy-duty networking, i.e. attending at least 2 events per week. Pay money to attend industry events. Prices of these events usually range from $40-$80 dollars, so you’d want to set aside a few hundred dollars for these activities. These are the ones that will land you your new job.

4. Treat your networking as a project, i.e. plan, prepare, implement, and evaluate. Every two weeks make a list of the upcoming events you will attend. Purchase a business card holder and always have a pen on you. Write a summary of each encounter on the back of a business card.

5. Always have an agenda for each occasion, i.e. set specific goals. For example, attend conferences whose theme falls within the realm of your expertise, at least remotely. Make sure you meet at least one person who can potentially help you. This can be achieved by talking to various people. Do not be shy. Smile, approach people and say “may I introduce myself?” Then state your name and wait for the response. Once the introduction is finished, ask a question. Your second sentence should always be a question, for example, “have you been in this conference hall before?” or “do you know any of the speakers?” or something along these lines. Make sure that your questions are related to the topic of the conference. Do not talk unrelated stuff. If you notice that there can be nothing gained in any particular encounter, smile, say that it has been a pleasure, and move on to the next one!

6. Conduct only conversations that can be potentially beneficial to you. This requires preparation, focus and tact. You would need to pre-select potential topics for conversations, and when necessary change the topics. Do not talk traffic jam, weather or power outage. Doing so will waste your time and money. Focus on those topics that would at least remotely relate to your profession and field of expertise.

7. On a daily basis, read newspapers and conduct research on the latest developments in your field. Employed people do not have the luxury of time to read a lot of new staff, so they will be glad to learn it from you. By sharing this knowledge you would be able to capture and “hold” your listeners’ attention. Talking professional things will also ensure that you will be remembered as an interesting person who is very enthusiastic about his/her field of expertise (i.e. your future job!).

8. Always act polite, friendly and good-hearted, no matter how depressed you are. Here is how:

a. Dress more formally than you would normally do if you had a job. Perform all hygiene tasks and make efforts to look “fresh and rested”.

b. Always smile and offer a handshake yourself.

c. Do not criticise anything or anyone. Instead, make a remark that you find this or that “interesting” and ask for opinions.

d. Do not hide the fact that you are unemployed.

e. Instead, you should come forward. After you have made somewhat a good impression by talking about something professional, you should make sure that all people you’ve encountered are aware of the fact that you are looking for a job.

f. Make positive remarks about something related to the event you are attending. It is best if this something also has to do with your profession.

g. Say ‘thank you’ and ‘I appreciate it’ when someone attempts to give you an advice or do something to help you.

9. Always follow up on each encounter with at least an email and no later than the next morning. If you have nothing to say, simply say that “you are following up on our conversation at such and such place and would like to establish an email connection”. Repeat what you are looking for and ask to keep you in mind. Follow up with all these people every 3 weeks [very few people actually do this, and yet these repeated follow-up emails is what makes people eventually remember you and prompts them to help you when a suitable opportunity crosses their path.

10. Ask for advice and act on it! If each of us has always followed all the good advice we get from relatives, friends, co-coworkers and even strangers, we would have all been healthy, rich and happy, wouldn’t we? So why aren’t we following them?

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Looking for work abroad (for Canadians and Americans)

If you are a Canadian or American looking for work abroad, consider yourself lucky! There are plenty of opportunities and few restrictions. However, you are still vulnerable, but in a way different from foreign workers looking for a job in Canada or the United States (those poor souls!).

Your most vulnerable spot is your cross-cultural awareness (or the absence of it, I should say). It is somewhat paradoxical that Canadians and Americans, whose multi-cultural society is welcoming and accepting thousands of immigrants from all over the world every year, often lack even basic knowledge and understanding of the way life is in other parts of the world.

If you are looking for a job abroad, burden yourself with cultural research. Here are some of the questions you might want to ask yourself:

Will I feel good living in a totally foreign environment where very few people can understand me?
Can I sustain feeling "lonely" for a considerable period of time?
Do I want to socialize with a limited number of compatriots who might not necessarily be the type of people I would choose to be with at home?
Am I good at learning foreign languages? How fast can I learn enough to get by without assistance?
Am I accepting of other people's unusual habits and food or do they annoy me for the most part?
Am I willing to change some of my own habits for the sake of adapting to a new environment?

If the answers to all these questions are in the positive direction, then your work abroad will be a great and fulfilling experience, no matter where you go. If, however, you are hesitant about these questions or might even say 'no' to some of them [just be honest to yourself, you don't have to tell us], then you need to be very careful about choosing employment abroad.

Information on This Topic in Details

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Looking for work in Canada or the United States (for foreign workers)

This website contains wealth of helpful information for foreign healthcare workers seeking employment in Western English speaking countries. Here are a few links of particular importance:

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Email Job Application

Email application: 10 steps to do it right

When you find an interesting job for which you think you satisfy most of the requirements (it has to be at least 85%), what do you do? You jot down a few lines of text and send your resume to them by email. That’s what most people do.

But let’s not forget that behind each email is a real person, who receives, opens and reads all those emails. Given that everybody does pretty much the same thing (you know, the crowd effect), all those emails the “real person” receives look exactly the same, and it is very easy “not to notice” or “overlook”. Let’s face it, unless it’s their own interests or money involved, people don’t care [that’s why recruiters are good for you, because they care...not about money...come on!]

All right, let’s get to the real stuff. This is how to do it right:

Provide meaningful subject line. Examples:

Physical Chemist, Ph.D. - Irvina, CA, USA

Medical Sales, 15+years Management Experience - Warner Robins, GA, USA

Senior Proposal Consultant, MBA - Dublin, CA, USA.

Do not write: Employment or Job Application

Address your reader using the following:

Dear Hiring Manager:

Dear Recruiter:

Dear Personnel Officer:

Do not use "Dear Sirs", “Dear Sir/Ma’am” or even “Dear Madam/Sir”.

Paste your “template” cover letter in the body of your email.
Do the leg work tailoring your cover letter for a particular application:

Mention how you learned about the job.

Say why you are interested in this job (this is your field of expertise; you have similar previous experience; you like their company and its history).

Review the first 3 requirements in the job description and provide evidence to them from your experience and qualifications.

Mention your current location, whether or not you will be willing to relocate, and the scope of your relocation preferences.

If you are a foreign job seeker, do mention whether or not you require visa sponsorship, they are going to find out anyway.

Do not mention your salary expectations, unless it is specifically indicated to do so in the job posting you are responding to.

At the end say “thank you” and “I look forward to hearing from you”.

Use “Sincerely” or “Yours truly”.

Sign your name in full.

Include your address, phone number and email.

Do not exceed 10-12 sentences; not more than 3 short paragraphs in total.

Review your resume and make certain adjustments to reflect the requirements of the job. Particularly, the objective sentence and the “summary of qualifications”. Delete unrelated experience. Add more related experience. Re-organize sequencing of your points in a priority order, matching the job requirements. Most important requirements are usually listed first.
Save your resume under a long descriptive name (use your email subject line plus add your name), include a company name, and month. This will ensure that your resume will be easily noticed and found and that you, yourself, will have a good tracking system.

Suggested example of a file name for your resume: JohnSmith_PhysicalChemist_Ph.D_IrvinaCalifornia_ApplicationColgate_Jan2003

Examples of a wrong file naming:
MyResume
SusanJefferson_Resume

Do not repeat exactly the same information both in your resume and your cover letter. Paraphrase. Use full pages, not 1.5 or 2.1 for your resume. Do not have more than 3 pages. Your best choice is 2 full pages. If you are hesitating whether or not to provide references, do provide them. It is a definite plus. Make sure that you ask your referees beforehand.
Do not use colors, tables, fancy formatting, too much bold or italics. The simpler the better. Have mercy on your readers’ eyes. Do not use large round bullets for your points. Do not use anything but round bullets. Do not use atypical fonts. Arial, Verdana or Times New Roman are your safe choices. The size of your font should be 10, 11 or 12, depending on the font.
Do a spell check. Make sure you do not start sentences with lower-case letters. Truncate long sentences.
Do the inventory and check whether you’ve provided all sufficient information: your resume, name, address, phone, email, your location, position you are applying for (your objective), your education (type and country/state and year), whether or not you are willing to relocate, and above all did you convince them that you are a good match for this job?

Your main guideline should be this: If you are expecting to make let’s say $50000 per year, then each of your applications is either going to get you this money or not. If you are not willing to spend time and effort on learning how to present, describe and promote yourself to your potential employers, then why would they be willing to consider your for this money?

Remember, you are selling yourself and it’s all about money!

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Email application: 15 things not to do

It’s very much like a first date. Here are 15 no-nos:

Do not include more than one recipient (never CC it to a few employers or recruiters at once).
Do not use substandard formatting tools, such as various patterns on the margins, colored background, tables, heart-shaped bullets, etc. Remember that using ALL CAPS is shouting. Use upper-case letters only for headings.
Do not address your letter to “Dear Sirs”.
Do not miss an “address” line (always include “Dear Manager” or “Dear Recruiter” or at the very least “Dear Recipient”).
Do not use contractions (I’m, there’s, etc.) or other colloquial usages. Be formal and official.
Do not use abbreviations of the organizations without spelling them out; the correct usage should be as this:
College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO).
Do not attach a resume with “MyResume” or similar file name; the suggested resume file name is: Certified_MedLabTechnologist_Montreal_Quebec.
Do not have your email subject line with “Job Applicant” or similar statement in it; the suggested example is: Programmer Analyst Database Designer – Orlando, FL.
Do not “skip” writing a cover letter by saying “Please see my resume enclosed”.
Do not write more than 3 short paragraphs in your cover letter.
Do not attach a cover letter, if you have already provided it in the body of your email. If you do, make sure it is a different letter.
Do not forget to clearly specify position you are applying for.
Do not forget to be “Sincerely yours,”
Do not forget to include your full name and your full contact information in the body of your email, even if all this is in your resume as well.
Do not delete previous message when replying to recruiters or employers.
Wrong: "I am interested in this position. Please send me more info." – ah? who? what position?

And above all, please remember that no matter how “automated” and “impersonal” some of the email addresses are (for example, jobs@carees.com), there is always a human being, a living person, who is receiving all your email applications.

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Will employers reply to you and when?

To answer this question quickly - yes, but only if...

They think that your profile is a potential match for a position they need to fill. To verify if this is, indeed, the case, they will invite you for an interview. Now, how to make them think that you are a potential match?

The first and the most important thing that will help you attract employers' attention is the job itself. The thing to start with is to apply only for those positions for which you think you are a very good match. Give yourself a test, change perspectives. Forget that you are looking for a job. Put yourself in the shoes of your potential employers who need to get certain things done and are looking for a person to do them. Read the job description carefully and imagine yourself performing the duties described. If you think you can do most of them right now, with very little training, then this is a position for which you should apply. There might not be all that many positions for which you will be a great match, unless you are in Nursing, of course, but with a good research effort and time investment you will find some of them.
The next step is to prepare your resume in such a way, so that employers receiving your resume will only have to spend less than 1 minute reading it and yet see "evidence" to all requirements they've specified in the job description. In other words, tailor your resume and cover for each position you really want to get. Include all information that you think will be important for a hiring person to know in order to assess you. For example, your location and your legal eligibility for work, if you are a foreign worker. Employers will not want to break the law and hire someone who does not have a valid work permit or licenses. If a match between you and an opened position is so perfect that employers will have little hope to find someone "local" who would have all the skills you do, they will arrange for a work permit for you.
Include references and provide a description of their relation to you. If you applying for a position of a Physician's Assistant, for example, mention the name of a physician for whom you worked (not necessarily in your last employment) and include a short sentence of a description [you can say, worked 30 hours overtime under this person's supervision or something similar].
To put it short, approach writing your resume as you would approach an essay-writing competition. If you win this competition, you could travel around the globe for the next six months free of charge. In other words, be shrewd and be creative. It is a lot of work, but it pays well.

If you allow the thought that there might be people who know more about resume writing than you do, consult books and references on how to write resumes. Choose one as a template (the most appropriate type for the majority of positions will be "functional" or skill-based resume), adjust formatting to your needs and then fill in the blanks with your "content". And while your are working on your resume, keep visualizing a serious-looking employer, who needs to get the job done, needs to get it done well (so that his/her boss will be happy), and who has no time for unnecessary reading. Convince this employer to choose you!

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Should you use snail mail when applying for jobs?

Who would have asked this question 10 years ago? In fact, even a few years ago it was one of the most typical ways of applying for jobs. How many of us think of using snail mail now?

And yet, this method bears certain advantages.

First of all, if you direct your mail to the right person, you have fantastic chances to be remembered. Your application will have a personal feel about it and will most likely be perceived almost like a customer service call. If there is a vacancy at the time your snail mail arrives, you have a great chance of being invited for an interview, provided, of course, your profile matches the requirements.
The drawback of sending a snail mail application is that if there is no vacancy at the moment, your resume will most likely be forgotten and may end up collecting dust on someone’s desk. It will not be entered into the company’s database and will not be available for a search.
What’s the advice? Do both, file an electronic application and send a snail mail. Two things need to be remembered: a) you need to know that there is a vacancy for which you can be a good match, and b) you need to know the name of a person who is making hiring decisions. And, of course, do not forget to follow up 3-4 days after your mail arrived to its destination.

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Resume

Resume etiquette

It is amazing that despite the ocean of easily available information on how to write a good resume, so many people continue to send employers poorly prepared resumes. I receive dozens of resumes every day and I systematically reply to all senders asking them to create a professional profile online (have you received one of those?). Main reason? To have all the necessary information in order to make the proper assessment of the candidate's needs and skills. And I am taking bare minimum! The second reason? To ensure that everyone gets a chance to make a good first impression on potential employers. If your cover letter and resume do not look good, if they contain formatting and spelling mistakes, employers will not even bother reading it, no matter how great your skills are (nurses are excluded, of course!).

If you are looking for a job through career sites like PulseHR, make sure you fill out their profile forms whenever possible. Pay attention to the structure and questions/entries asked. Compare them to your own resume. Identify information you did not provide in your resume. Modify your resume accordingly.

This method is especially useful for foreign job seekers. If you are a job seeker from outside of Canada or the United States, you need to make an extra effort in order to learn how to present yourself to potential Canadian or US employers in the best possible way. By virtue of being a foreigner, you are at a great risk of making - almost always unknowingly - cultural assumptions and mistakes.

What's my point? - My point is that, if you allow for a possibility that you might not know everything that is important to know about resume/cover letter writing in Canada or the United States, use the online tools which are available to you almost always free of charge. Use these tools to improve your own resume, even if you are from Canada or the United States. They can't hurt you.

Not only will it help you apply for many jobs online with a simple click of a button, it will also ensure that the applications your potential employers receive from you look professional and contain all the necessary information for them to make a good evaluation.

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Resume: myth and reality

Most candidates erroneously believe that if the employers have any questions, they'll call.
Most employers erroneously believe that, if the details concerning a candidate's duties, projects worked on, processes used, staff reports, sales volume, customers/markets served and achievements are not in the resume, the candidate did nothing worth mentioning. They will not call to confirm their belief that you have done nothing of interest to them.
Far too many candidates feel that the resume is merely an annoying formality, so little time is often spent to write it as a showcase of their knowledge and achievements.
Employers feel that the resume is very critical, especially if several persons are involved in the screening process or if several people have to be convinced to consider spending their time interviewing a vaguely self-described candidate.
Ironically, as important as hiring managers view the resume as the most important factor in beginning the hiring process, they often allot 2 minutes or less to judge an entire life of experiences summarized in the form of a resume!

Source: Atlantic Research Technologies.

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Do employers and recruiters really read all resumes?

- Yes, they do. Everyone reads their email. We all know that.

Moreover, if employers receive too many resumes and can't read them all, they usually spend money to hire more staff or outsource resume screening to an outside agency. In the majority of cases, employers designate a specific email address to receive resumes from potential candidates and set an automated reply message to acknowledge the receipt of all applications. This allows them to free up time for actual reviewing and screening. That's how most "large" employers or recruiting agencies/search firms work.

When you hit the "Apply Now" button on job boards like PulseHR, your profile is being forwarded to one of those designated email addresses. What you need to remember is that behind each email is a living person. And this person is usually someone who will be evaluating your application and either making a "hiring decision", "recommendation for further evaluation" or other types of "recommendations". In larger companies, hospitals or organizations, this person reviews all applications and selects those which can be brought to the attention of his/her boss. If you were this person, what would you establish as your objective: 1) not to miss or overlook a few good resumes or 2) not to make your boss waste time on resumes that do not comply with all the requirements? I guess we all know the answer to this one [it's number 2, just in case].

Now, what are those "major" requirements? Nothing special, really. Usually the job description will tell you all the major requirements you need to know in order to apply for a job. If you do not have all the major requirements (listed as the first 3-5 points in the job description) set by an employer for a particular job, applying for this job will never result in more than an auto-response message. You won't be selected by the "person" [see reason 2 above].

So, what's the moral of this story? The moral is that if you never receive human replies from employers, it is not because they do not review resumes, but most likely because you are applying for jobs for which you do not meet all "major" requirements. It could be your location (employers don't have money to pay for your moving expenses), your legal status (you are a foreign worker and your employer does not want to deal with work permits), your education (you only have a Master's degree but this position specifically requires a Ph.D.), your experience (3 years was the minimum requirement, but you only have 2), etc.

If you see a job for which you meet all the major requirements, do apply immediately. And not only that. Follow up on your application. Remind the "person" to select and recommend you. After all, you are a perfect fit by all objective standards and you want this job! Any employer who is looking to fill a position, paid for advertisement of it, and who has received a professional looking resume/cover letter from a 100% match candidate will respond to you. Otherwise, they will have to continue spending money on advertisement and do all the work themselves!

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What employers are looking for in a resume

- Proof.

Employers are looking for proof that you can do the job on the position they need to fill. Your task as a job seeker is to convince your reader (employer!) that you have all the required skills they are looking for. Therefore, when applying for a particular position, you need to bring those facts from your background that would “match” you with the job in question. Leave all irrelevant experience out. I hope nobody gets offended, if I tell you that employers have no interest in your life story. Treat your resume as a marketing tool, not an autobiography.
Do not list your experience in a chronological order (unless all the jobs you have had perfectly fit the new one you are applying for). Start with the most relevant experience and work it backward. Remember, your goal is to “convince” your employer that you are the one.
Do not make employers think and guess and look for information on your resume. Give it to them right away and provide hard core proof.

Here is a quick example from my personal experience:
I open a resume and see the name and address. Great. Then I read on and I see experience #1 Sales Assistant in Future Shop [okay, he worked while being a student, hardworking, it’s a plus [or was he a student..? hmm], then I get experience #2 Library Assistant [great, knows how to do bookkeeping, organized [or is he? He didn’t say what kind of assisting he was doing…hmmm], then experience #3 Lab Assistant [great! we have quite a few lab positions. Let’s see…it was in a medical clinic, all right, but again, what exactly was he doing…doesn’t say.. hmmm…assistant, assistant, we have quite a few admin assistant positions…but, was it an admin position he was looking for…can’t tell…any other skills? achievements? …no, nothing really… oh, well, move on to the next one. “Dear applicant. Thank you for sending us your resume. We will keep it on file for six months….” – I think you get the point.

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How much information should you include in your resume?

To answer this question, remember that the ultimate goal of your resume is to get invited for an interview, not to get hired.

Employer do not hire staff on the basis of resumes. Employers hire staff on the basis of a job interview or even a series of job interviews. When writing a resume, you need to remember that a resume is your marketing and selling tool, not your autobiography.

If you are applying for a particular position and satisfy minimum 85% of the job requirements, provide as much relevant information as possible. This will help employers remember you and single you out from the crowd. All information you provide should contain nothing but “proofs” to one assumption, i.e. an assumption that you are, indeed, the best candidate for the job.

If you are sending your application to an employer without having a particular position in mind – which is not a good idea to begin with, unless you are working with a recruiter – limit your information to the most important points: your name, address and how to contact you, your objective (what kind of positions you are interested in), relocation preferences, legal employment status, highlights of your past experience (limit yourself to the last 5-7 years), and the highest education. Make sure to include only relevant [from the employer’s point of view] information. Remember, do not tell employers your life story, tell them what you can do and illustrate how good you were at using your skills in your previous experience (provide 3-5-7 examples for each position you list).

Your page limit in both cases is 2 pages (3-4 for academic and research positions where you have to indicate your publications and articles).

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Resume focus

Following what was said in the previous sections, I recommend that you keep your resume focused. When applying for a specific position, bring up only those facts from your experience and skills that are relevant and immediately related to the position in question. All other things list in the section "Other Experience" to compensate for possible time gaps. For example, you are applying for a position of a Social Worker for which you have immediate or very closely related experience (otherwise, do not bother applying, unless your future boss is your uncle, of course). Specify this experience first and bring convincing details/results/achievements for each point you make. At the end of your resume, include a line similar to this one: "Other experience includes contract positions in Teaching (1999-2000) and Marketing (2001)." This will satisfy your employer's possible questions about the gap or sequencing of experiences in your career. Remember, it is okay to do different things, it is okay to have little experience. It is not okay, however, to make employers "wonder and think". Your resume and cover letter should answer the most important questions that employers might want to ask to make a basic assessment.

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Your resume: summary or no summary

- Yes summary.

As a courtesy to your readers, provide a summary of your background right after your objective. Call it “Highlights of Qualifications” or something similar.
List 5 or 7 points [note: odd numbers]. Never more than 9. [this has been noticed in a few sociological studies, and just for fun I always pay attention to whether it makes a difference, if the points add up to an odd or even number. I think it really does make a difference. The odd number is much better for some reason].
Don’t just state facts. Advertise yourself. Show how great you really are [but don’t overdo it]. Make one statement per line, no runovers onto the next line.
Make your “greatness” appropriate. If a high school graduate applies for a position of an office admin and lists as one of their important skills “leadership”, I might say, well, there is a need for a support person, not a leader, really. Besides, leadership is a strong quality when it is combined with experience and knowledge. I would not market it as a stand alone skill.

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Should you provide references?

It is worth while to talk about one point in the job search process that I have not yet discussed in this newsletter, i.e. your references. According to Harvard Business Essentials: Hiring and Keeping the Best People, 2002, Harvard Business School Press, the hiring decision depends on three things: resume, interview, and references.

Even if your resume looks great and you’ve aced your job interview, you do not have the job until your employers have checked your references and got to hear good things about you from your referees. Responsible employers always check references, and they will not hire a candidate if the references are not good.

In Hiring and Keeping the Best People, one suggestion went as far as this (advice to employers):

Call the referees when they are at lunch, so that you can get their answering machine. Leave the following message: “I am so and so. I am calling about such and such. If this person is outstanding, give me a call back. My number is..”

The person giving this advice claims that this method is 100% efficient and that he would not hire a person without this call back from their referees. Well, anyone can make claims, eh? In my humble opinion, this method is rather…hmm…controversial, to put it mildly. I don’t want to explain why I find it controversial, I am sure everyone can come up with a few reasons (what if the referee was on vacations for 2 weeks..?). But I just wanted to give you an example of one approach where references (or referees’ response, to be precise) were placed at such a high level of importance. Whatever the opinions, references are important, indeed.

One question I am asked over and over by job seekers in various professional fields: ‘Should I include references in my resume?’ My answer to this question is ‘Yes, include your references in your resume’.

In North America, employers need to have your permission before they can contact your referees, so they normally never check references before the job interview. At the job interview, they routinely ask candidates’ permission to contact their referees.

So why include references in my resume if employers are not going to contact them until after the job interview anyway, you may ask. The answer to this question is ‘because it is nice to see them there’. Full references information, with names, positions and phone numbers (or emails) is very nice to see on the resume, when you are an employer. It is a big plus, no doubt. It also means to a prospective employer that there will be no additional effort required to collect reference information from this candidate and store it so that it won’t get lost, all info is right there, on their resume, just ask permission to make a phone call, that’s all.

When you provide your references, make sure to indicate what relation you have with each referee. Include this section at the very end of your resume. For example:

References:

1. Mr. Adam Smith. Former Manager at [place of employment]. Home: (613) 234-5678.

2. Ms. Maria Levy. Former Colleague at [place of employment]. Currently working at [her new place of employment, if any]. Email: marialevy@somewhere.com

Note that it is important to indicate ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’ in those cases where gender of the person is not immediately apparent from their names. Oh, and never write ‘Mrs.’ (even if this woman is married) – ever! Nowadays, ‘Ms.’ [pronounced as miz, with a voiced ‘z’ at the end] is used universally, to refer to a woman, married or not. If you do not know that, you run the risk of being perceived as a backward individual or even sexist.

Make sure to contact your referees beforehand and let them know that you’ve provided them as your references, assuming that they have given you their permission to do so earlier. If the person you want to include as your referee has not specifically articulated to you their permission either verbally or in writing via email, do not include them as your references. In most cases, this will mean that they do not have a good opinion about you or do not want to give you a positive evaluation, for whatever reason. Keep in mind that in North America, one can get sued for agreeing to be someone’s referee and then providing a negative reference (I’ve heard of one such case, where the job seeker sued their referee for giving a bad reference and won the case. The court ruled that the referee who provided a negative reference should have indicated their intention to the job seeker in the first place, or should have refused to be their referee, instead of agreeing to do so and then jeopardizing this person’s chances of being hired). In most cases, people prefer not to agree to be someone’s referee if they do not feel comfortable praising this person.

When you talk to your referees, make sure to explain what position you are applying for, so that your referees are not caught off guard when your prospective employers call them. Details of your future responsibilities would help them describe you in the ways that would be most appropriate for this position, as opposed to merely giving you typical “very nice person”, “very responsible”, “hard working”, etc. While it is a good thing if your referees make this type of statements, it will be much better for you, if they say something positive which would specifically directly relate to your future responsibilities. Depending on the circumstances, you can *help* your referees prepare their *sales pitch* about you by giving them hints (leading them). For example:

…Can I ask you to be my referee? I am applying for the position of an HR Manager with [name], an ambitious biopharmaceutical start-up. They are looking for someone who would have solid experience in the HR field, who is self-directed, proactive, and innovative. Given my experience at [the company where you and your referee worked together], where I had to do [brief description of the project that most directly related to your desired job], I thought that I am the perfect match for this job. I am really interested in this position; it is such a good opportunity for me…

Now, please keep in mind that you need to be very tactful and delicate when leading your referees. People are very sensitive to any kind of manipulation. Nobody likes to be manipulated. So do not be manipulative, be frank and straightforward. While talking to your referees and explaining what you want, you will also have a chance to find out their opinion, although indirectly. If you feel that your referees do not have the same opinion about your suitability for the job as you do, do not provide them as a reference.

To summarize: 1) make sure you have good references, 2) provide them in your resume, and 3) after you’ve been invited for an interview (but before attending it) call your referees and give them more details. Your employers may check your references immediately after the interview, so you want to be ready. From time to time send a quick email to your referees keeping them posted about your job search news, they would want to know.

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Decorating your Christmas tree or how to use formatting tools in your resume

The most important rule is not to confuse these two things: Christmas tree decorating and resume formatting.

Men usually use less formatting tools than women (but boy, if they do use formatting tools, then their text is really hard to read). Women, on the other hand, tend to overdo their formatting, using bold, underline and italics way too much.

Here is a quick list of 10 rules that you might find helpful for writing a good resume.

Use as less formatting as possible. The formatting tools should be used as visual guidelines for you reader, not decoration.
Treat your formatting tools like your clothes, your *tie and suit*, so to say. Make sure you don't look like a bum or a clown. All you need is to look decent.
Scale your information into various classes and arrange them accordingly. Identify - from the employer's perspective - what should be your primary info, what is secondary and what is supplementary. This applies to *subsections" as well. For example, do not start your entry with the dates, this is not what's important for your employers. You employer wants to know *what* you were doing first, then *where* and only after that *when*.
Fill all pages in full, never have 1.5 or 2.5 page. And do not break up a section from one page onto another. Always start a new page with a new section.
Use footers. Include page count (# out of # is the best choice, since it tells your reader how many pages there are in total and it also helps, in case your resume gets printed and one of the pages is misplaced), your name and the position you are applying for.
Do not use tables, colors or photos. Your resume should never look like a web page, even if it is in .html format.
Do not use .html format. It might become the norm in the future, but at this time, it isn't. Your employers are not teenagers, they are used to certain standards and expect their future "employees" to have the same approach. Use formats everyone is accustomed to (Word or Plain Text).
Use one line per point when describing your achievements. Do not run over onto the second line (that's not easy, but it is possible). Have 5-7-9 points per position (notice: an odd number!)
Do not bold anything longer than 2-3 words. The best thing to bold is the title of the position (not dates, not names of organizations, not addresses).
Use a lot of space and make it "easy on the eyes" for your reader. If your resume looks *neat*, it will be easy to read.

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Cover Letter

This darn cover letter

Do I really need a cover letter? - Yes! There is nothing more annoying than receiving email after email containing "Please review my resume attached".
Different cover letter for each job? - Yes! And do not forget to include a job reference number. Employers are dealing with dozens and often hundreds of job applications and resumes on a daily basis, so they need to know what job folder your application will be moved to and stored - for further review, of course! [You don't expect them to address your application immediately, do you?]
What if my cover letter is too short? - Chances are you will be "stored".
What if my cover letter is too long? - Chances are you will be "stored". Lengthy cover letters from 50-100 job applications per day? You gottabekidding!
How long should my cover letter me? - 3 short paragraphs (a total of 10-12 sentences maximum).
What should I say in my cover letter?

State your objective clearly and right away. Do not make employers search for the job title, give it to them right from the start. Your objective should match the one in your resume - 1 sentence.

State your education (degree type, university, country) and give yourself an overall description - 2-4 sentences.

Say something that would help them remember you, something that would single you from the crowd. They won't remember, if you are a terrific team player or fantastic learner, trust me! The best thing to say is why are you applying particularly to their organization and particularly for this job. This one is worth agonizing over. Browse their website and look for clues on something memorable and worth mentioning in a professional job application. But then again, remember to use one sentence only! - 1-2 sentences

State your employment eligibility. It is a very scary thing, particularly for foreign job seekers, but it is nonetheless important to clarify your status immediately. If you are eligible for work visa under NAFTA or other type of programs, indicate this right away. Indicate anything that might help employers arrange your employment authorization, but do so in one - I repeat - 1 additional sentence.

State your current location (I know it's in your resume, but who is going to look? do you want to be "stored"?) - 1 sentence.

In the end, say that you have provided more details in your resume. Notice, "more details", not "all the information". Say how you can be contacted (at work, at home, by phone or by email). And say that you look forward to hearing from them - 2 short sentences.

With all that said, do not address your cover letter to "Dear Sirs". Do not ask for a "quick reply". Apply for jobs the way it has been specified by employers, because there is a reason why they have specified it in the first place. Check your grammar, spelling and CAPITALIZATION. Some people do not seem to have the slightest clue that sentences start with an upper-case letter and yet they might use the upper-case letters in the middle of a sentence all of a sudden, SHOUTING at their reader for absolutely no reason.

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Do you always write a targeted cover letter?

- You should always write a targeted cover letter.

Apart from the fact that it is only polite to do so, it is also highly functional. For example, every time I open an email containing a job application, I am “expecting” to see a couple of lines which would help me quickly grasp the situation, before I even begin reading the details.

I understand that writing an individual cover letter every time you want to click the ‘send’ or ‘apply’ button can be time consuming. However, if you always send a generic cover letter with your application, you are always risking a “generic” reply.

So how to always include personalized cover letters and yet not spend hours and hours writing them? All it takes is some preparation which you only need to do once. Create a few templates of your cover letter in Notepad or other plain text editor. Save each file under a long name, it will later help you locate the required file quickly. Then, before you the hit ‘send’ or ‘apply’ button, paste one of your templates in the cover letter space and make certain adjustments to reflect particular circumstances of your application. After you do it a few times, you will learn how to make these adjustments quickly, and your employers will receive a job application which will look serious and professional.

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The two knock-out points to include in your cover letter

The first most important point to include in your cover letter is your objective. State position title you are applying for, even if there is no specific position in question [the question is should you be applying just in general, with no specific position in mind..?]. This helps your employer to "label" you. Otherwise you will either get "stored" or [God forbid!] even "deleted".

The second knock-out point in your cover letter should include an answer to an as-if question of "why you chose this organization". We all know that in many cases we don't choose, we are frantically looking for a job and some of us are ready to accept whatever is available, anything at all. But you do not want to communicate this to your potential employers. Do a little research by clicking around on the net and make up 1-2 sentences which would say something valuable about the organization you are applying to. If you are applying to 10-15 organizations, preparing these sentences may take a few hours. So what? Do it, if you want a good job! You will be able to recycle these pieces over and over. Coupled by a good resume and a proper follow-up strategy, it will give you results.

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How gorgeous are you? The rules of linguistic subordination and how to use them for your advantage

To begin, I’d like to say that this is a very delicate topic, so please allow me to have an introduction, before giving you any specifics.

Despite an overwhelming number of books, websites, newsletters, and seminars devoted to the ritual of a job search, many of us, recruiters, continue to encounter poorly presented job applications and resumes on a daily basis. In fact, 90% of them are poorly presented.

To have a good strategy, as a job seeker, you need to start by evaluating your situation in terms of the current market demand. If you are a physician or a nurse, then you probably don't need to worry about your cover letter and resume too much. But even in this case, it never hurts to look professional.

If you are, however, a software designer or a social worker, you need to understand that your situation is more difficult, because the market demand for people with your skills is currently very low while the competition is extremely high. No matter how good you are, there are many others just as good or maybe even better, and you all are applying for the same jobs.

If you belong to the second category, then you definitely need to read this section carefully! In order to succeed, you need to make yourself noticeable, you need to stand out from the crowd, and you need to do it in a socially acceptable way - and it is quite a challenge. It is much easier to write a crazy cover letter, set your email background to purple or send techno music with your resume. This will make you standout no doubt! But your results will be the opposite from what you want!

You need to stand out from the crowd while remaining part of it, so to say. You need to attract attention to your personality while following the typical business conduct. You need to appear different while acting like everyone else. And this is not easy!

What are the things you need to know, apart from the typical job search mantras, such as don't be late, write a good cover letter (and yet, so many applicants fail to do that!), dress officially, make eye contact, etc, etc.? On of the most important things a job seeker needs to follow is what I would like to call a *power* distribution between participating parties.

As the most important thing, job seekers of the second category (those whose skills are not in high current demand) first and foremost must identify an old-fashioned concept, i.e. "who is the boss". That's right, every social situation will have a *boss*. In your job search, your potential employers (including their receptionists, secretaries, etc.) are the BOSS for you and you must treat them respectively.

It sounds obvious, I know, but in reality, the majority of job seekers fails to understand this and as a result, they do not get to the top of the list when it comes to interviews. Given that a typical work environment in North America is quite relaxed and democratic, job seekers mistakenly equate this *work* environment with *out of work* environment and follow the same rules of business conduct in both situations.

As a result, when they speak with the receptionist, they do not make an extra effort to be nice and pleasant; when they send their application, they do not make an effort to write a good cover letter; when they follow up...they often don't follow up at all *waiting* for employers to contact them!

When they write a cover letter, they put a few paragraphs together talking about themselves, thus leaving it up to employers to figure out how their background would "fit" the job in question; they don't care to include a nice greeting and concluding line; sometimes they even make demands and tell employers what to do: "feel free to contact me". Well, this is all fine and perfectly acceptable in every day life, but if you have been out of work for a long time and really need a job, don't just tell your *boss* to feel free to contact you!

To help you understand my point, here are a few examples, all taken from real life:

- Hi, I am such and such. I am applying for a position of this and that. This is what I have (skills follow) If you need a person with my skills, feel free to call me at... [a voice mail message]

- I sent you my resume a few days ago, but have not heard back from you. Please give me a call back, even if this position is no longer open.. [a voice mail message]

- For the last few years I have been helping people with computer problems. [Then comes two long paragraphs of text with little relevance]....My computer skills are outstanding...Call me for an interview... [from a cover letter].

I'd like to repeat that all this is all right and acceptable in a regular work setting. Nothing is wrong with that, except...except that these people ARE NOT in a regular setting; they are in great need and in a disadvantaged situation (extreme competition and no demand for their skills!). Their main mistake is a failure to acknowledge this fact and adjust their job search strategy accordingly.

To adapt, job seekers need to accept and acknowledge that *power* (control over decisions which affect your life) belongs to the other side. This is the first step.

Once you accept this fact, you will no longer be upset that employers don't call you back (you are one of many!), that your messages are not returned, etc. Your employers are busy and they structure their activities by their priorities and, unfortunately, job applicants are never on the top of the list. Imagine receiving 400 applications for one position and then replying to all of them...?

The second step is to proactively acknowledge and show respect to this power. And this is where most problems reside.

To put it simple, you would not talk to the President of the country the same way you would talk to your cubicle neighbor. Everyone agrees? I surely hope so. In this example, the two parties, the president and the neighbor, are on the opposite ends of the social scale, and that's why the power misbalance is so apparent here. In the job application situation, however, the participating parties, i.e. the employer and the job applicant, are not so removed from each other, and as a result the power distribution is more subtle. But it is still there! Your potential employer is still the boss and you should treat them as such!

Ok, enough theory. Let me give you some practical tips of what not to do, if you belong to the second group, the group of disadvantaged job seekers. Please note that this list includes just a few important things:

Do not send a series of identical applications in a row.

This will NOT be in your favor.
Instead, follow up with a phone call (unless it was indicated not to call). Say that you are calling to follow up on your job application for such and such position.

Do not write a cover letter for your sister.

Your sister will probably be interested in anything related to you. Not so your potential employers. Instead, write a cover letter which will be of high relevance for the job you are applying.

Do not call, if the job posting said not to call. Always follow their lead.

There was a reason for which the request not to call was included in the job posting in the first place, so respect it. Instead, you can show up in person (and be nice, really nice!).

Do not ask for a call back.

At the end of your voice message, say that you will call yourself again. But do leave your phone number! It is only polite to do so.

Do not make them feel guilty when in fact they have done nothing wrong.

Do not say that you have not heard back from them or something similar. Instead, ask whether they had a chance to review your resume or pick up your voice message. This will show your potential employers that you respect their time and have a good understanding of what's involved in the hiring process.

Do not demand anything or speak "bossy" with a receptionist or secretary.

These people are very busy and work very hard; they cannot possibly follow every single inquiry in person, especially from job seekers (there are so many of them!). These people do not get paid for helping you with your job search. If you want them to tell you when the manager is going to be in (they absolutely don't have to do that!), be nice to them and treat them with respect.

Do not waste their time.

Make sure you explain who you are and what you want right from the start. Do not make them guess and ask you questions to figure out what you want.

Do not tell them what to do. Follow the rules of *linguistic subordination*.

In that, do not end the conversation with your potential employers, wait until they finish it. Do not say "I will let you go". Instead, wait until they dismiss you and thank them for taking the time to meet/speak with you. Do not say "feel free". Instead, use "you are very welcome". Do not interrupt them, no matter what they say (even if it is something very silly). Wait until they finish and then tactfully "switch" the emphasis to what you would like them to hear. Do not point out their mistakes. Instead, acknowledge their point of view, but at the same time ask them how they would like this or that to be done [whatever your future responsibilities may be, start discussing what would be favorable to you].

Do not make assumptions and comply.

Many job seekers, especially in the IT sector (those techy guys), often say that they have been asked to talk about their skills, whereas all their skills are presented in their resume. Isn't it obvious what I can do from what I wrote in my resume?, they exclaim. Well, yes. Your abilities can be evident from your resume. But only when you are the boss! When you are a job seeker, you have to promote yourself and try your best to convince employers to choose you - out of so many other candidates!. You should not expect them to memorize your resume. Besides, you should allow for a fact that there may be other reasons for which your employers would want to hear your story from you in person, instead of reading it from your resume. What is or isn't *self-explanatory and evident* is not something you should be concerned about when you are asked to describe yourself. You should be concerned with how to provide clear and concise evidence, point by point, of why you would be good for this job.

Do not be selfish

Instead, be nice and accommodating. Concentrate on fulfilling their needs, not yours. That's right: your needs come second - until you get hired!

To conclude, I would like to give you a couple of different *power* examples.

Follow these examples as a structure or a template, not a complete text. Pay attention to the particular choice of words and phraseology in each example.

Equal statute conversation:

Hi, this is Joan Dupont speaking. I applied for the position of a Regional Director with your company last week and I'd like to find out whether this position is still available? Would you connect me with your Director, please?

Subordinate conversation:

Good afternoon. I was wondering if you would have a couple of minutes to answer my question. [wait for the answer and then proceed]: Thank you very much! My name is Joan Dupont. I sent my resume to your office last week applying for the position of a Regional Director and would like to follow up on my application. How do you think I should proceed? [if you don't hear anything specific, then] You don't think it would be better If I speak with the President/Manager in person…or...? [leave it up to them to decide how you should proceed and whom you should be talking to. If you do not hear anything that would be somewhat acceptable to you, then] D’ you mind if I call again in a couple of days to find out...[something that would be non-threatening and non-pushy, but which would allow you to maintain the connection you have just established with them].

Equal stature letter:
Dear Recipient:

I would like to apply for the position of a Regional Director at your company. My experience and education fully satisfy the requirements for this job. Please forward my resume to the person making hiring decisions.

I would call your office early next week to follow up on my application.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Signature
Full contact info

[Remember that this is not the full text, merely a structure, in reality I would include a couple more sentences].

Subordinate letter:
Dear Hiring Manager:

While conducting my job search, I found an opportunity with your company. I would like to apply and be considered for the position of a Regional Director.

I can offer you all the skills and knowledge you require for this position [focus on what they need], as they have been outlined in the job description posted on your website [show them that their efforts are acknowledged - remember, your letter will first be read by someone who is responsible for posting a job, not your real *boss*]. For example, [such and such] skills are listed as the first priority. In my former capacity of a Senior Manager at [place of employment], I have been responsible for [list only what is relevant for this particular requirement; then bring two more examples, also in the priority order; then mention your education and other work experience you may have, but only if it is relevant for the job; nothing else].

My interest in your company is particularly strong, because [here I would say why I want to work for them, as opposed to all others. If I have been referred by someone from this company, I would say so. If I do not have insider privilege, I would do my research by carefully studying their website and looking at their annual reports and news releases. This may take me a couple of hours, because I would want to find out and say something that other applicants will most likely not mention in their cover letter].

I would be delighted to have an opportunity to speak with you in person, should you decide to interview me for this position. [you do need to express your desire to be invited for an interview, but you need to leave this decision entirely "up to them"].

I thank you for your time and look forward to your opinion [do not tell them to call you or to reply to you, because you don’t want to tell them what to do!].

Yours truly,

Signature

Full contact info

[Do not forget, this is just a template].

You should not use more 10-15 sentences in total.

Needless to say, we all are very good at the first example (equal stature). No one needs training in that! It is the second example, however, that can help you make a difference in your life.

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Your cover letter: make it personal, but keep it professional

The best way to write a cover letter which would seduce a "recipient" is to include sufficient information about yourself and to spice it up by including something personal or interesting.

For example, you are a foreign nurse looking for employment in Canada. There is currently a shortage of nurses in Canada, so you think you have a good chance of getting hired. After all, you have a good education and a few years of work experience, and you know English very well, so you should not have many problems. Correct? Absolutely! But what about the legal requirements? For an employer, it is illegal to hire someone who does not meet local legal requirements. For nursing, among other things, this includes certification from a provincial College of Nursing. You do not have this certification, but you are confident that you will get one once you apply and go through all the lengthy procedures. Now, how do you convince your potential employer to go into all the paper troubles in arranging a permit for you [remember that the employer has to do that by law], if they can simply hire someone local? Tell them the right things about yourself.

Instead of trying to "hide" the fact that you are a foreign nurse without proper certifications, state clearly that you are in the process of getting these certifications. You worked for a number of years under the direct supervision of a Cardiac Surgeon, received a number of peer awards, etc, etc. [this is where you tell them something personal], and you would like to advance in your career by working in Canada. Ask your employer to consider arranging an interview with you, so that you can get a chance to tell more about your skills and how you can be useful to them, if they hire you. You might want to do some research about their company and impress them with some figure analysis [how many patients per how many nurses, etc., etc.]. Make sure you make yourself fit to their organization.

At the same time, your cover letter should not be more than 3 short paragraphs or 10-12 sentences. You are probably thinking, is it possible to say this much and only use 10-12 sentences? Yes, it is possible. It requires some creativity, skill and time, but it is possible.

If you simply jot down a couple of lines, click the attach button to include your resume and then hit the send button, expect to receive the same in return - a few seconds of attention from a person who has dozens of applications waiting for a review and an auto-reply message.

If you want employers to treat you "individually", you should treat them "individually" as well. The best way to do this is to approach each email application you send as a conversation with a real person (and a very busy one indeed, so be nice and informative).

Applying through job boards puts you somewhat above the crowd, since employers usually pay to receive resumes/profiles from job boards and are in continuous contact with the recruiters/account executives representing the board. When they receive profiles from a job board, they associate it with a real person, not an email program. This, however, does not override the "requirements" law. If you do not have all the requirements, it does not matter how you apply (personal connections excluded, of course). You won't be selected and won't receive much more than an automated reply message.

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Job Interview

How employers prepare for a job interview with you

First of all, you must realize that if you were invited for an interview, you have a great chance of getting the job! As a rule, employers select between 3 and 5 candidates (in some cases when employers establish a multi-level interview process, there can be 10 -15 candidates interviewed for the same job, but that is more common in financial circles) whom they consider a good match. To choose who can be the best match, employers invite the finalists for an interview. What does it tell you? – It means that when they invite you for a job interview, they want to hire you! They already think you are qualified! All you need to do is to help them re-confirm their opinion and make them “like” you.

Second, you must remember that employers prepare for a job interview with you almost as carefully as you prepare for it yourself. In the United States and Canada, a job interview is a very structured process. I even feel tempted to call it a ritual. Normally, a crew of three people is responsible for the hiring procedure, however there can be one or two interviewers. One of the crew members is usually a Manager of the Department for which you might be working (this person is your potential boss!), another is one of the Department's senior staff members, and the third person usually represents the Human Resources (HR) Department of the company. The HR person is responsible, among other things, for preparation of questions to ask potential candidates during the interview. These questions are reviewed by a number of people and are intended to cover a variety of aspects, including those designed to determine a psychological profile of a candidate. Another thing to keep in mind when preparing for a job interview is that the companies usually provide training for the managers on how to conduct interviews, what to pay attention to, what to ask and not to ask a candidate, how to assess "body language", etc. To familiarize yourself with this type of information, just go to the nearest book store and browse through the Human Resources section, only this time, look in the section for employers. Nowadays, you can also search for this information on the web. What does it tell you? – It tells you that there are specific things that employers will be watching for and that you better know what those things are (see sections below).

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How to determine your objective for the job interview

You must determine and then clearly structure your own objective for the upcoming interview. To determine your objective properly, you need to assess your personal situation. Are you looking for a new job because you were laid off or because you were fired? Are you in the position to chose and be picky or are you desperate? Are your skills very marketable or you are a linguist? Do you really want this particular job or are you ready to accept whatever? Be honest with yourself and answer all these questions (you don’t have to tell anyone). These answers will help you determine your objective and they will also be your silent guide through the interview process. The answers to these questions will help you structure your objective, i.e. decide how much preparation and research you want to do before the interview, what to wear and what salon to chose to fix your hair, whether to bargain or not, what to say and what not to say, what kind of questions to ask and what kind of answers to give, etc. In other words, your situation should determine your “strategy” during the job interview.

For example, if you are desperate, you would want to do a lot of preparatory work and rehearse possible questions and answers in advance a number of times. You should try your best to hide how desperate you are but at the same time you need to clearly express your enthusiasm about the job. If you are desperate, your strategy should be “enthusiastic”. Learn as much about the company as you can, not just 10-15 minutes clicking through their web site, but do a real research; have your friends call the Admin Assistant and try find out information about your future manager (but never do that yourself and never use your own phone either at home, work or cell, everybody has a call display setup), and do not bargain. Ask questions that would signal to employers that you are concerned about being useful to them and about doing your future job in the best possible way, not about things that are important to you (do not ask about pay for overtime or health insurance, benefits or training courses). If asked about salary expectations, say that you are very flexible, without a hint of hesitation, smile and repeat that you are really excited about working for them and doing this job.
If you are in the position to chose and you know that your skills are highly marketable, you can be more relaxed and you probably don’t need to do much rehearsing. But nonetheless, if you are interested in this job, I suggest that you do your best and try to ace it, i.e. get a job offer. You can use it to leverage some of the other options you may have.

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10 things to do to prepare for a job interview

Think about what you are going to wear and prepare your outfit from head to toe.
Learn about the company/organization as much as you can.
Memorize the job description by heart.
Prepare to answer technical/professional questions (refer to point 3).
Develop a strategy to answer “difficult” questions.
Recite a list of 15 things not to do during the interview.
Find out the address for your interview in advance and check if parking is easily available.
Review your resume and make sure that your dates are correct and that you can provide explanations for possible gaps in your past employment.
Go to the book store or library and spend a few hours looking through books on job interviews. Check out a number of them, not just one or two. Not only will it help you fill in the blanks of your interview ritual knowledge, but it will also make you feel confident and prepared, which is extremely important.
On the day of your interview, make sure to perform all personal hygiene tasks, including fixing your nails and making sure your hair is as perfect as it can be. Prepare 3-4 hard copies of your resume and reference letters and place them in a nice folder.

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What to wear for a job interview

Let’s start with your outfit. Instead of giving you general guidelines, how about I’d tell you exactly what to wear? You can either follow my advice or disregard it, it’s up to you. The outfits I am going to suggest are conservative and cost-effective and can be used for many other formal occasions, so it is worth investing 200-300 dollars.

Interview outfit for men: Grey suit pants (grey goes well with everything), light blue shirt (buy a new one and iron it well), black shoes (polished in advance), dark grey socks (your socks should be lighter that your black shoes and a bit darker than you pants), and a tie (go to a high profile fashion store and look at what’s hot and then buy something similar at a regular store, or borrow one from your friends). You can wear either a jacket or a sweater, if the climate asks for it (navy or dark grey, stripes are allowed). Stay away from brown. Very few people look good in brown. Do not wear hackie pants, light brown shoes and loud blue socks [that’s what I’ve seen last week] or something similar. Medium or dark grey and a deep navy are your best colour choices. If you are African or East Indian, go with light grey and light navy (but not blue!) and make “lighter” choices. Do not wear anything that sparkles or glows. Shave well. Do not wear perfume or jewellery. Men must wear a watch.
Interview outfit for women: Well, women don’t need advice as much as men do. We can simply suggest what not to wear: do not wear pants (unless you are planning to work in the high tech industry). Do not wear perfume and jewellery. Small earrings and one ring on each hand are allowed. Do not wear a lot of make up. Mascara, a very thin layer of foundation, and a touch of lipstick are appropriate. A nail polish of light skin color or even light silver is acceptable (but not red, blue, purple or anything loud). Wear medium heels. Do not wear high heels or flat shoes. High heels are for evening outings. Flat shoes will make your business outfit look plain and you helpless (unless you are very tall). As for colours, it’s the same for both men and women. Stay away from brown. If in doubt, select navy. A watch is not a requirement for women, but it is desirable to wear one. Have a black purse and a separate modern looking folder with copies of your resumes and reference letters. And of course, your hair. Have it conservative, yet pleasant. If your hair is normally quite long (falling below your shoulders), arrange it in a modest fashion at the back, so not to attract much attention. Contrary to customs in Asia and Middle East, in Canada and the United States, it is generally inappropriate for professional women to wear long hair.

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How to prepare for technical/professional questions

Whatever your image consultants might tell you, it is still the most important thing. If you do not have the required skills, you won’t be hired, no matter how wonderful you look and how pleasant your social manners are.

Technical/professional questions are still the most important thing. I have not heard of any interview at which a candidate was not asked professional questions. So, how can you prepare for them? The best way to determine possible questions is to imagine yourself a Hiring Manager. What would you ask an employee if you were thinking of hiring them for this job? Make a list of as many questions as you can possibly think of, print them out and then prepare *good* answers for all of them. If you are a recent graduate, review the notes from those courses which might relate to the responsibilities of the job you are applying for. Then, single out those areas in which you have the least knowledge. Go to the library and do some reading or surf the Internet. Professional Associations usually post papers and articles on the recent developments in their fields. These materials could be of great help, if you want to catch up with the news.

If you are being interviewed for a job for which you do not have one or two of the required skills, prepare a strategy on how you would convince your audience that you will be able to pick up those skills quickly. Keep in mind that if they don’t ask you about these skills, you should volunteer the topic. Please don’t be fooled by advices on “not to volunteer” negative information. This may be true in court and when dealing with cops or when it comes to your personality traits, but a job interview is not the place to weasel about your professional skills. Your employers will not “forget” that you do not have the skills they want you to have. It will cost them money. If they don’t ask you about them, it is a bad sign, since most likely they don’t even want to bother or they may have someone else in mind who already has all those skills. To try and salvage the situation, you should come forward yourself. Prepare a strategy for defending yourself against those possible gaps in your qualifications. Let me give you a template, so that you can shape it later to fit the circumstances of your particular situation. For example, you can say that you are really interested in advancing these new skills. Most of your experience was in a different area, you didn’t get a chance to develop them, so you are wondering whether there will be projects involving these skills [the ones you don’t have or have very little of them]. Emphasize that you are very interested in advancing these skills and looking forward to working in this area. Do you get an idea? Whatever your strategy, do not pretend there is no issue.

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How to answer "DIFFICULT" questions

If you were going to read just one book to prepare for the job interview and those *difficult* questions, I recommend the already famous What Color is Your Parachute (the latest edition). This book is the best I've read thus far on the subject. It will give you great advice whether you are a novice or experienced job seekers. It will be particularly useful if you are thinking of making a change in your career or have not been in the position of a job seeker for a long time.

The parachute book cleverly summarizes all numerous possible questions that you may be asked during the job interview into five (5) themes. And it's true, there will be nothing but these five themes at your next job interview.

This is what your employers will want to *find out* from you during the interview. Although the way job interview questions are formulated varies greatly, all of them would fall within one of these themes:

1. Why are you here? Why do you want this job?

your knowledge about their company/organization and work culture: do your research and express enthusiasm about working particularly for them, we talked about it before.

2. What can you do for us?

your qualifications as they relate to the job in question: see the job description and provide evidence to all of the points. Volunteer and provide those details and specifics that increase your chances of getting the job. Answer all questions in 4-5 sentences, not just *yes* or *no* or a few words (repeat what you wrote in your resume). Prepare to talk, but talk sense, and do not ramble.

3. What is it going to cost me to get you?

your salary expectations: do not discuss it even if you are pressed to do so. Not until you've gotten a job offer from them. If you are pressed really really hard (which is a good sign, since the employers do this only when they have very serious intentions), make a pause, smile, look them straight in the eye and say "can I take it that you are making me an offer now?” another pause, the smile is still on. “If yes, I am very delighted and prepared to discuss the salary topic...otherwise, I'd rather talk about the responsibilities I will be expected to carry out if you hire me for this job". Now, do not worry that you will make them angry. You won't. If your statement is gentle and supported by a friendly smile, your employers will not get angry. They will only respect you more, as they know the negotiating rules by heart and probably better than you! However, I recommend this approach for people at the intermediate or higher stage of their career. Recent grads probably shouldn’t use it as much.

4. How long before you become profitable for the company?

those desirable skills that you may not have or have very little of them. Here expect to be asked a lot of technical/professional questions. You should prepare for these questions in advance and have a proactive strategy of how to approach the skills that you don't have, see information on this topic in our Newsletter Archives.

5. Are we going to get along? Will there be any social problems with you?

This is the topic we are interested at this point.

Let me start by saying that "social" or what I hypocritically call "difficult" questions are those questions that people call "annoying", "stupid" or "irrelevant" when they talk frankly with friends or family. While I quite agree with this opinion in general, I want to tell you why these questions are still in use and why they are important.

When employers ask you questions like "What are your weaknesses?", "Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?”, "What was the most challenging encounter with your colleagues in your previous experience" and "What did you do to fix it?" - they do not *really* expect you to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. No, what they are looking for is to see how you will handle this situation, what kind of answers you will give them, etc. They want to observe you and determine your psychological profile, plus in reality the majority of people prefer to tell the truth, if they don't see any immediate danger coming out of it, so in the end employers get a lot of useful *information* about you from the answers you give them to those stupid questions.

Instead of giving you a list of various *stupid* questions, I'll tell you what's behind them and how to answer them ALWAYS right.

When trying to evaluate your psychological profile during an interview (what a challenge in just one hour or so!!), employers follow certain guidelines communicated to them by the HR authorities or professional psychologists. These days, employers are advised to test the following:

· honesty

· integrity

· consciousness/reliability

· team work, and

· leadership/management potential.

· Sometimes, they may also test for violence (this is the most recent trend and is not widely spread)

Employers are advised to throw those questions in together with the technical questions, so that the job seeker is caught off guard and replies in the most natural way.

Now, how do they test honesty? - they ask questions such as "have you even been late for work?", "have you ever had a problem with your colleagues at work?". If you say no, you are either lying or taking them for a fool - both of which is bad for you! So watch out for those "always", "ever or never" questions.

If they ask you whether you have ever witnessed anything criminal at work (someone getting drunk or using drugs or stealing) and if yes, what have you done about it, they are testing your integrity. In this case, it is safe to say no, never, because in regular office life crimes occur very seldom (thankfully) and it is very natural not to witness a crime ever at work. But if they ask you what would you do, if you have seen it, you should say that you would have definitely reported it to the proper authorities.

When they ask you anything related to your colleagues, they want to see if you are going to be a good team player or not. They want to see if you are tactful and patient enough to deal with people on a regular basis (some jobs require more of these skills than others, of course!).

When they ask you "where do you see yourself five years from now", they want to see if you have a clear plan for your future, because successful people with good managerial/leadership potential supposedly always know what they want from the future. They are testing your leadership skills. So you need to come up with some kind of a plan for your life (this would be useful anyway).

So when they ask you if you think it's all right to get angry if you have good reasons to do so. What should you answer? Keeping in mind that they are testing you for potential violence here, you should probably tell them something like "while I do acknowledge that anger in some cases can be justifiable, in no way should people get angry or express their anger at work".

Your answers should be realistic and they should also reflect your genuine opinion. It often happens that job seekers get alarmed by hearing one of those questions, thinking that employers are setting some kind of a trap, and give answers they would not normally give under different circumstances, and as a result they unwittingly make bad impression. If you know what the "trap" is, you don't need to worry.

In the end, you need to really *understand* that no company will hire you, if you demonstrate poor or inadequate social skills. During the interview, the representatives of the company responsible for hiring you want to find out (as much as it can be possible), if you would communicate effectively with your peers, respond to criticism in a calm and constructive manner, support your team members, etc. Nobody wants to spend 8 hours a day with an anti-social nihilist who criticizes everyone and makes everybody's life difficult, who doesn't shower or asks direct personal questions.

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Group interviews: your nightmare

I personally disapprove of group interviews for the purposes of hiring, but I do think that some forms of group interviews can be exceptionally useful when selecting candidates for promotion or transfer assignments.

Here is what you need to know about group interviews:

1. All candidates are gathered together in a group primarily because management does not have enough time or financial resources to conduct individual interviews (apart from deriving enjoyment from other people's sufferings) or because the nature of the job in question requires a lot of human interaction, such as Client Relations, Customer Service, Insurance Broker, Telemarketer, etc.

2. The purpose of a group interview is the same as a standard job interview, i.e. find out which candidate is the best match for the position in question.

3. Many group interviews are conducted to screen people with leadership skills.

4. Participants are usually given a small assignment which they must complete by the end of the interview. In that, the process of completing this assignment matters as much as the end results, if not more. Nobody really expects you to produce great results in one hour while working with a bunch of strangers (competitors!) and without any preparation.

5. The main thing your employers are targeting is your social profile, your ability to articulate yourself, your ability to make decisions, your ability to reason and communicate with others, and your ability to address intense and conflict-prone situations. All this is not assessed in general terms, but strictly from the point of view "will this candidate be a good match for this position and for our company" and "do we want to work with this person in the long run?"

6. When participating in a group interview, the one most important thing to remember is the job description and company profile (you can figure out the company profile from their website; go to the investor relations section and click on the links there, you'll find all you need to know).

a. If the company is conservative and traditional and the job has to do with clients/customers, your best bet is to be exceptionally calm and polite and speak in long grammatically correct sentences without any professional jargon.

b. If the company is filled with academics or high tech people, then you can be a little more relaxed and use professional jargon more frequently. You can joke around more and not worry about making personal statements. However, you must focus on your main customer: your future boss and "his" clients/customers. You should take care to find out who those customers are and determine what would be the most appropriate conduct (compare: construction workers versus insurance brokers; high-tech engineers versus car salesman).

7. Every social circle has its own style and unspoken code of conduct. When applying for a job, you must pre-determine what type of conduct your potential employers "expect" you to follow (they don't do it 100% consciously, of course, not!). And you must not violate any of the sensitive aspects of this code, even those unrelated to the job. For example, I can bet that in high-tech circles, you will never get a job if you say something negative about cycling or skiing. These people are crazy about sports, and bicycling, the way it is practised by members of this crowd, fits the definition of a cult by more than 75%. Similarly, if you are in a biotechnology environment, do not mention organic foods or "natural" remedies and never confess that your Master's program at Harvard was a joke. These people view formal education the way high-tech guys view cycling - it means everything to them!

Observe the following guidelines and you'll be ahead of others in the game of a group interview, regardless of the circle:

· Be very polite and friendly (smile a lot!)

· Do not interrupt anyone when they are trying to make a point

· If you have to interrupt someone, ask for permission to do so (I am sorry can I interrupt you, I wanted...).

· When objecting to someone's opinion, do not say that you disagree. Say that the previous suggestion was very interesting. Then proceed with suggesting your own opinion.

· Do not criticize others or their suggestion. Instead, emphasize the advantages of your point of view and the benefits that can be derived from it.

· Call everyone in the group by their first name when addressing them. Do not just “you” them all the time.

· Do not be quiet. Be active and try to come up with a few possible solutions to a given task or problem.

· Do not let anyone put you down or bully you. Politely say that you would like to present your opinion and ask for 3 minutes of everyone's attention.

· Invite everyone to discuss your suggestions afterwards. Ask for feedback and invite criticism. This will put you in a leadership role.

· Pay compliments and praise your fellow job seekers a few times for something (make sure it does not go against your interests).

· Thank people for giving you feedback (when appropriate).

· Show off your professional expertise only when it's appropriate and not for the sake of showing off. Do not make statements or ask questions that do not contribute to the development of the process but merely let you express yourself.

· Focus on your task from the point of view of "making money" and “pleasing the boss”. Remember your future "boss" is watching and she wants to know two things: would she want to work with you and will you help her make money, yes, as much money as possible and with the least amount of effort and resources invested!

I know that it can be very difficult to arrange, but the best way to prepare for a group interview is to organize a mock session. Ask your friends and relatives. Select the most painful or delicate topic, this will get everyone going. Heated discussions are the best way to practice your “group” and “leadership” skills.

And above all, no matter what others may say or do, you must never lose your cool!

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15 things that you should NOT do during the job interview

Do not be late under any circumstances (in the event of a sudden traffic disaster, use your cell phone or borrow one from someone, don’t be shy).
Do not wear jewellery or use perfume, especially if you are a man. For women, small earrings and one ring on each hand are allowed. Your outfit should be formal, neat and business like. You should look like a dressed mannequin, everything should be perfect from head to toe.
Do not use your grandfather’s brief case. Give it back to him and get or borrow a modern looking one.
Do not come unprepared or empty handed. Read about the company. Have a few printed copies of your resume and references (yes, even if you have already sent them a few copies)
Do not forget to greet your interviewers in a proper manner.
Do not avoid eye-contact (remember, they want to hire you, you just need to help them make this decision).
Do not be too comfortable on your chair (the rule of thumb is to keep your shoe soles on the floor).
Do not ask silly or personal questions (where they live, what their education, background, how much money they make, anything not related to work duties or work setting).
Do not interrupt when they are talking to you. Nod and show signs of approval (smile)
Do not make any negative comments about your former boss or colleagues and do not make any sarcastic remarks about anything or anyone.
Do not discuss your past salary and your new salary expectations. If pressed really hard (which is unlikely), still avoid answering this question. Ask them whether they are actually making you an offer, and if yes, then go ahead and talk about finances. But remember, whoever brings the number first loses.
Do not flirt with anyone. If you want to be-friend a receptionist, talk about the weather or traffic jam. Do not be overly familiar. Be formal and respectful. Say 'thank-you' a lot.
Do not answer questions by telling your life story. Nobody is interested. The only reason you are asked all these questions (which may seem unrelated or off-topic to you) is because they want to determine whether you are a good match for them and the job or not.
Do not "talk about yourself", even if asked to do so. Ask them what they would expect from an ideal candidate. Then provide evidence of your suitability point by point and in enthusiastic way.
Do not forget to thank employers for meeting with you and do not forget to send a thank-you note to all of them within a few hours after your interview.

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How to follow up

Have you ever agonized over whether and when to call potential employers after the interview? If yes, then you know how unpleasant and stressful this can be.

In order to avoid this agony, you should try to prevent it from happening in the first place. At the end of the interview, before you thank your interviewers for meeting with you, ask "How would you like me to follow up on our meeting?". This will put the ball in their court and will relive you from unnecessary stress.

Once you have been given instructions, follow them precisely and to the letter. Call and say "I am following up on the job interview I had with Mr. or Ms. such and such" (do not use their first names if talking to a receptionist for the first time). Use similar phrases when talking to your interviewers directly.

However, regardless of what they tell you to do, you must send a thank-you note to all people who participated in the interview with you within a few hours after the interview (24 hours max!). Have a meaningful and self-explanatory subject line, for example "Thank you for the interview" or something similar. Write one paragraph saying "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be interviewed for this position. I am really excited about it and look forward to your decision". If there is something important you forgot to mention during the job interview (something in your favour that would increase your chances of getting the job), this is a good opportunity to bring it up.

If you do not hear from them within a week, call yourself and give them your follow-up talk, but be prepared for a rejection. If they tell you that "they have made a decision to hire another candidate", do not just thank them and hang up. Ask them what were the main reasons for which you did not get this job. Knowing the reasons will help you evaluate your approach and your chances with your next application.

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Final check list

If you are missing more than 3 points from the 40-point list below, you may be losing some of the opportunities out there. Generally, your candidacy is evaluated by two main criteria: professional skills and people skills, each weighing 50%. Even if you can get 100% on the professional side, you will still be getting merely 50% overall if you fail the social aptness test, and in the end your score will be far below what can be expected from the “best” match. Very few people get 100% on everything, but it is possible to get 90% on your people skills (at least for the purpose of a job interview). Preparing how to do it right will also teach you things that would be beneficial to you in your future career in the long run.

1) Do you use at least 10 different job boards on a regular basis or just 2 or 3? Do you spend at least 3-4 hours on your job search on a daily basis making at least 2 proper applications per day every day?

2) Do you network actively or do you simply “tell” people that you are looking for a job? You should “ask” for references and leads. You should be proactive and stick your neck out as much as you can.

3) Do you have a very well written resume and a cover letter?

4) Did you use professional help or did it all by yourself (by professional help, I mean going to Chapters and spending a few evenings on books about how to write a resume and a cover letter; a few books, not just one)?

5) Do you always tailor your resume and cover letter for each particular position you apply? Do you carefully research the company you are applying for?

6) Do you include your cover letter in the body of your email or do you send it as an attachment (your cover letter should be in the body of your email). Never do both, but if you do, write a different cover letter in the attachment, do not send identical ones.

7) Do you always include a cover letter in your email or do you simply write “Please review my resume attached”. Is your cover letter “convincing”? Do you take care to make a good argument in your favour (that you are indeed an excellent match for this job) or do you simply list your credentials?

8) Does your email have a salutation line, such as “Dear Hiring Manager:” or do you use "Dear Sir/Madam".

9) Does your email always have “Thank you for your time” or similar line at the end of the message?

10) Does your email contain your full contact information underneath your signature (your address, your phone and your email?)

11) Do you use only standard fonts and formatting principles (use Arial 10 or Verdana 10). Do not use colors, background colors, tables, etc. Do not use more than 12 sentences in your cover letter. Do not tell them what you can do, tell them what you can do for them. Do not tell anything else.

12) Does your resume have a good file name or do you call it “my resume”? Make a long and meaningful file name, for example:

JOHN SMITH_Resume _ExperiencedComputerProgrammer_ApplyingIBM_March2003

13) Do you always send a copy of your application by surface mail or do you simply apply by email?

14) If you send an application by surface mail, do you include the same cover letter you sent to them before or do you slightly change it to mention that you have already sent them your resume and cover letter by email before?

15) Do you always come 5-10 minutes early for the interview?

16) Do you have proper hair cut, clean nails, polished shoes, professional looking outfit from head to toe, good accessories, good glasses (if you wear any). By “good”, I mean modern and decent, not outdated and not from Zellers or similar department stores. Do you maintain good hygiene and look fresh and crisp? Do you iron your clothes?

17) Do you smoke before the interview? If you do smoke, you should never smoke before the interview. You should also wash your hair and wear either absolutely new cloths (still need to be ironed) or the ones that have been just washed. Non-smokers can sense even a little presence of smoke quite easily.

18) Do you wear any jewellery (for women, one ring on each hand is acceptable)? If you are a man, do not wear any jewellery, except for your wedding ring, if you are married.

19) Do you wear a watch, if you are a man (women are not obligated to do that)?

20) Do you have a decent looking folder or do you use the one you bought from Zellers?

21) Do you always bring a minimum of 3 hard copies of your resume with you to an interview (yes, they already have it, but you still need to bring the hard copies with you)?

22) Do you ask permission before entering the room or sitting down?

23) Do you smile and have a friendly facial expression? Do you offer a hand shake?

24) Do you maintain friendly eye contact?

25) Do you ask permission before putting anything on the table, including your wrists?

26) Do you keep the soles of your shoes on the floor while leaning slightly forward or are you very relaxed on your chair and cross your legs?

27) Do you answer questions in full sentences (2 or 3 for each question) or do you go with “yes” and “no” answers?

28) Do you say anything negative or potentially negative about anything or anyone during the interview? No matter what it is, you must not make any statements that can even remotely resemble anything other than “positive approach to life” (this includes your former boss, your former colleagues, everyone, no matter how much you had to suffer from them).

29) Do you talk about your compensation during the interview (you should never do that until you have received a job offer from them)?

30) Do you “thank” your interviewers for taking the time to meet with you? Do you do that at the begging and at the end or just once?

31) Do you offer a smile and a hand shake at the end of the interview before leaving? You should always offer a handshake, if you are not offered one.

32) Does your handshake “mirror” the one offered to you by your potential employers? Do you smile and make eye contact while shaking hands?

33) Are you acting as if you are in a good mood or are you “silent” and “reserved”? Do you wait for your interviewers to “end” your meeting or change topics or are you leading the conversation? You should always assume full subordination to them, almost like in the army. Your interviewers should be the ones to say good-buy and hang up first, they should be the ones to indicate an end of the conversation, etc. You should always follow their lead, even when walking down the hall.

34) Are you enthusiastic about this job? Do you take care to articulate your enthusiasm and specific interest in this job or do you think that “it is understood”? You should express your enthusiasm at least twice and you should do so using full good sentences, not just a two-word mumble (it has to be done in a very natural way, though).

35) If you are not offered, do you always ask yourself how they would like you to follow up after the job interview?

36) Do you always write a thank-you-note to all interviewers within a few hours after the interview or do you wait for a day or two?

37) Do you follow up with them by calling in person about a week later?

38) If you have been rejected, do you take care to politely find out the reasons for which you have not been selected? If it seems difficult to get, you should explain that you have been looking for a job for a long time and that you need to know the reasons for not being successful so that you can have a chance to improve. They have already turned you down, you will lose nothing by asking.

39) Do you keep good track of all your job applications and make weekly evaluations? Do you analyze and evaluate your “failures”?

40) Do you read at least 2-3 hours per week on a regular basis about the rules of business etiquette, proper manners, proper business outfit and similar issues or do you think you are “fine”?

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