Tips for Cover Letters to Get More Interviews

There’s a tip for cover letters to get more interviews.  Use a bulleted format cover letter rather than a standard letter in paragraphs.  The bulleted format is more eye catching, and is more likely to be glanced at by the hiring manager or other person assigned to sort through resumes.  This format will help you get your resume seen by more people and as a result get more interviews and more job offers.

If you follow this advice and decide to use the bulleted format, make sure that each bullet point specifies a reason for the hiring manager to talk with you.  This reason can be your number of years experience, your education, a personality trait that you have, or an accomplishment.

Examples of bulleted points would be:

• Over 20 years experience in Human Resource Management.
Or…
• Outstanding work ethic.  Lead by example.
Or…
• Master of Science in Education.  Currently enrolled in Doctorate program.
Or…
• Saved last employer $30,000 in revenue through modernization of accounting system.
Or…
• Increased sales by 25% last quarter.

This bulleted format allows you to toot your own horn, but in a way that does not seem egotistical because it is obviously part of a resume package.

Another tip that will increase the readability of your cover letter is to use bold faced fonts on occasion to emphasize points you want read.  Bold face catches the eye, and is a common device used by graphic designers in advertising copy.  Your resume and cover letter are marketing tools for you, just as a print media advertising piece is a marketing tool for a business.  Consider using bold face as tip from the Fortune 500 ad agencies that you can use without charge.

The next piece of advice to consider concerns the final paragraph of the letter, and will help you in your follow up efforts.  When following up often times the hardest thing to do is to get past the gatekeeper.  The secretary or administrative assistant that screens calls for his or her boss has an important job to do, but so do you, and reaching the decision maker will make you look good.  The gatekeeper will try to stop you if the decision maker is busy—after all, he has better things to do with his time than speak with job seekers.  So, in the final paragraph of your letter, before the “sincerely” and your name, simply state “I will call you next week to check on a convenient time to speak with you in person.”  You’ve told the hiring manager you will be calling.  Logically he should be expecting your call.  For this reason you may tell the gatekeeper that ” Mr. HR Manager is expecting my call this week.”  This will increase your chances of getting through, and of getting the interview.  This tip is a variation on techniques that good business-to-business sales people use, and will work for you as well, bringing you more interviews and more job offers.

What do Those Interview Questions Really Mean?

You have just been through a grueling interview.  The questions were tough and some just seemed off-the-wall and some were rather innocent.  What was the interviewer really looking for?  What did s/he mean by those questions?  Well, you can be certain that if you were interviewed by a seasoned interviewer, each and every question had a very distinct purpose.  Listed below are some common and not-so-common questions with the potential purpose of the question.

Common questions and what the interviewer is really looking for:

Question: Tell me about yourself?
Answer: The interviewer is looking for you to talk about yourself and to reveal anything that s/he might not otherwise be able to ask.  For example, do you have kids?  Married? Hobbies?  Interests?  Single parent?  Let's say the job involves shift work, the need to be at work at 7:00 every day or the flexibility to be on call?  Candidates with children are perceived to have more problems getting to work on time, miss more work because of children illnesses, school functions, etc.  Is this fair?  No.  Is this a reality for some hiring managers?  Absolutely.  So what to do.  Talk specifically about previous work, your desire to work, etc.  The only exception would be if you know for a fact you and the hiring manager have something in common that you can use to build interest with him/her and that you would be a great fit.

Question: Tell me about the most difficult person you had to deal with?
Answer: The interviewer could care less about the most difficult person you had to deal with.  What s/he is fishing for here is your ability to get along with people.  Do not answer this one too quickly.  Answering quickly suggests you have had to deal with a log of difficulty people which really suggests that you are the difficult one.  A better approach might be to tell the interviewer that you get along with everybody and that you do not have problems with difficult people.  Assuming that that statement is true, expand on your ability to pull diverse groups of people together to complete a project


Question: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Answer: While the obvious answer would seem to be “this job”, you might also talk about your desire to take the next step thereby giving the interviewer the thought that you are an achiever and willing to work hard.  It always amazes me how many people that I have interviewed are stumped by this question or answer it saying a surfing job.

Question: Tell me what you liked about your last job and what you disliked
Answer:  Here is another one to be careful on.  Do not go on about all the things you disliked.  It leads the interview to think you do not like anything.  Even if your last job was really, really bad, focus on the positive aspects of the job such as the things you learned, the exposure it gave you, etc.  If you talk more about what you disliked, chances are you will say you dislike something that may be a critical part of the job you are applying for.

Question: Tell me about your favorite and least favorite manager
Answer:  Again, this is a tricky question.  If you begin to talk about the things you dislike about your previous manager, the hiring manager will believe you have a problem with authority.  Focus on the things you have learned from previous managers.  Also talk about how you and a previous manager disagreed on an approach and how you worked the issue out.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, an experienced interviewing has a reason for each and every question. While the question may seem innocent enough, how you answer it could decide whether you get the job or not.  Always to remember to focus on the positive aspect of your past.  Focusing on the negative will give the impression that you are a negative person and probably not the best fit for the position.

Fun Careers In Information Technology

Are you a technology junkie? Do you have all of the newest gizmos and the most modern cell phone? Do you shake with excitement and anticipation every time a new game system is released? Are you the one your friends call when they have problems with their new laptops? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it is time put your love of technology into a fun and rewarding career. Don't you think it's time you received an information technology degree?

An information technology degree will give you the opportunity to turn your hobby into an exciting career. Computer programming, network security, and network engineering are just the tip of the IT iceberg. With an associate's degree in information technology, a successful, not to mention fun filled, future is practically guaranteed.

So what are your options? Your career selection is almost limitless. There is an IT job for all individuals who want to have a fun career, as well as earn a substantial living.

The career title Webmaster has a nice ring to it. The Internet is hotter than ever. Everyone wants to be online. Whether you own a small business, such as a pet boutique, looking to expand your clientele by advertising your unique wares online, or a huge international non profit association seeking to explain your mission statement in order to solicit more donations from the tech savvy crowd, you need a web site.

As a Webmaster, you will always be in demand. This is why an information technology degree will guarantee you a gratifying career. It's really that simple. With an IT degree as an Internet Webmaster, you will be qualified to build, fix, and expand sites on the Web.

Graphic designers are artists who use mostly computer technology to design marketing materials, magazine layouts, websites, logos for businesses, and much more. So, as long as there are magazines, newspapers and web sites, graphic designers will be in demand. In fact, according to some researches, graphic designers are among the five design professionals that are anticipated to have the newest positions available through 2014.

Some individuals are employed as graphic designers after receiving their bachelor's degree, but to receive the best paying, more technical jobs, an information technology degree is necessary. By attending a school that offers an IT track, you will receive all of the software certification necessary to become proficient graphic designer.

Do you love playing video games? Why not use your imagination and skills to create your own games? With an IT associate's degree you could concentrate on designing your own video games. When you choose this field, your will be offered a well rounded curriculum that teaches the basics of artist design, project management, digital content creation as well as the more advanced courses in 3D modeling and character design. Imagine playing video games as a career. It is definitely possible when you assert yourself and earn your IT degree.

As fun and exciting as all of these fields of information technology are, earning your degree is hard work. You need to be dedicated to the world of IT because there are always going to be other people fighting for the same jobs you will be striving for. However, the IT world is expanding daily, and more and more jobs are becoming available. Be a part of the web and earn your information technology degree today.

Seeking a Career in Finance

The finance industry is concerned with how individuals and institutions handle their financial resources -- how they raise their money, where they allocate it and how they use it -- and assesses the risks involved in these activities as well as recommends ways to manage these risks.

There are a number of exciting and rewarding jobs in the field of finance. What follows are just a few examples.

The commercial banking sector employs more people than any other facet of the financial services industry. Banks offer individuals the opportunity to interact with a broad spectrum of people and the chance to develop a clientele. People in banking usually start out as tellers and shift to other bank services such as leasing, credit card banking, trade credit and international finance.

As the name indicates, a career in corporate finance means you will work in a corporation and are mainly concerned with sourcing money for the company -- money that will be used to develop the business, make acquisitions and ensure the company's future. In a corporation, you are likely to start as a financial officer.

As a financial planner, you may also work for a corporation but will mainly be concerned with only one aspect of finances -- planning for the future. You have to have a firm grasp of investments, estate planning as well as taxes. Or you may serve as a consultant who provides financial planning for individuals, e.g., planning their retirement needs or how they can put their kids through college.

With annual revenues surpassing the trillion-dollar mark, the insurance industry looms as one of the most attractive areas for a career in finance. In 2005, there were an estimated 2.5 million people in the US who were employed in the insurance field, which is mainly considered with the business of managing risk and anticipating problem areas. Possible jobs in insurance include working as an underwriter, sales representative, customer service rep, asset manager or an actuary.

A career in investment banking means you will be concerned with issuing securing and helping investors buy, manage or trade financial assets. As a bonus, you get the chance to work on Wall Street in a leading investment banks such as Merrill Lynch, Salomon Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Goldman Sachs.

What You Wish You'd Known Before Your Job Interview!

This image is a a great graphic for interview mistakes with a ton of statistics based on feedback from Managers and more, check it out, courtesy of  http://www.classesandcareers.com. 

Mastering The Phone Interview

Here’s a phone interview tip worth considering: smile. A smile is a magic thing, and in addition to being seen in person it can be felt from a distance. When doing a phone interview, don’t think that because the person on the other end of the phone can’t see you that smiling and other positive body gestures are not important. The best interview tip that anyone was ever given was to smile and make positive gestures. In fact, many people talk with their hands. If you do, consider a telephone head set to free your hands up.

Another tip that will be worth its weight in gold is to have a good quality telephone. It may seem silly to even mention it, but the better quality phone you use, the better your voice will sound. Years ago everyone rented his or her telephones from the local utility phone company. These days people own their own phones, and while many people use good quality phones, many use the ten and fifteen-dollar phones they’ve found in the local dollar store or discount mart. Those phones are fine for talking to your spouse perhaps, but for business use make a good business impression, and use a good phone. Add this tip to the mix as well: use a land line with a cord, and not a cell phone or cordless phone. Dead batteries, crackling sounds, bad cell sites, and weather interference can make you sound bad at the other end, and you may not even know it. When doing your phone interview you want to be clear and make a good impression. Take this tip to heart and use a good quality land line.

Take a tip from a headhunter; Do your homework on the company before your phone interview. Do a search on the Internet using Yahoo, Google, MSN, Dogpile or any of the major search engines. Look them up in an online database like Dun and Bradstreet or Info USA. If you don’t have easy access to these online tools, go to your local library and tell the reference librarian what you are doing. He or she will be glad to provide you with information sources that will help you seem knowledgeable when having your phone interview.

The last tip to keep in mind is to be yourself, and be comfortable. One of the best ways to be yourself, and maintain comfort during your phone interview is to practice the interview. Ask a friend to play the part of the boss. Call your friend on the phone and go through a mock interview, answering all of the questions that you think the interviewer is likely to ask. Mock trials help lawyers, and rehearsals help musicians. It only makes sense that a practice interview will help an interviewer. While it may seem silly, this is a phone interview tip you should take to heart.

Succession Planning and Executive Career Coaching Strategies That Work.

Organizations today are facing several challenges and talent management is one of the greatest. According to a poll conducted by OI Partners, Inc., the number one challenge facing the HR profession is leadership development and succession planning. Attracting, developing, and retainingquality talent is more costly and has a greater impact on the bottom-line than ever before. Retiring baby-boomers, the expectations of Gen X and Gen Y employees, and the new definition of “long-term” employment add up to a drastic shift in the way organizations are managing their talent.

One effective way to overcome these challenges is to implement a succession planning initiative. This proactive approach to ensuring future leadership talent offers many benefits. Studies have shown that organizations with succession planning programs have a higher retention rate of human capital and a reduction in recruitment and compensation costs.

Succession planning has to be more than matching employees with forecasted vacancies. Consideration must be made for the future direction of the organization as well as the direction of the employees intended career path. This ensures that the employee is engaged in the process, committed to the organization, and has a vested interest in the company’s success.

Obstacles to Implementing a Succession Plan

While there are numerous benefits to succession planning, there are also challenges such as limited resources and expertise within the company. Without the assistance of external consultants and coaches, implementing a succession planning initiative can drain an organization’s resources. The most effective programs capitalize on the talent available throughout the company during the implementation phase, however, companies often lack the resources needed for ongoing management. In addition, utilizing external resources provides expertise in succession planning and offers an objective perspective.

Coaching as a Resource

Executive Career Coaching can provide assistance with career management and employee development at the individual level. Using individual coaching and assessments, the coach will guide the employees through the selection of the career path within the organization that best matches their interests and abilities. Once a career path has been chosen, the coach will help the employee prepare for their next promotion.

The career coach can administer assessments such as the DISC, PVQ, and the Enneagram to help the employee gain clarity in the areas of motivators, interests, values and strengths. The feedback obtained from the assessments is essential in creating a career management plan. During the coaching engagement, employees will compare this information along with their experience and education to key leadership positions and determine the strongest fit. This process ensures that employees are matched with the correct positions, reducing the possibility of employee disengagement and turnover at the executive level.

In addition to career pathing, an executive career coach will assist in the creation of development plans. The steps outlined in the development plan will be based on the information gathered during a gap analysis. Comparing the employee’s current level to the experience, skills, and education needed for the next promotion will give the coach and executive a clear picture of where to focus their coaching sessions. Execution of the development plan during the coaching engagement results in promotion readiness.

Benefits of Succession Planning

Identifying and developing strong leaders for future roles is critical to the ongoing success of an organization. Without an effective succession planning program in place, companies will face greater challenges than those incurred during the implementation of a program, including:

• Waging the “War on Talent”

• Fewer leaders prepared to take on new roles

• Obstacles to achieving strategic goals

Attracting and retaining high-potential employees is costly. However, it is not as costly as the turnover of high-potential employees. Studies have shown that superior performers are 50% to 100% more effective than the average performer.

Using these statistics, if an average performer generates $250,000 in new business each year; a superior performer will generate between $375,000 and $500,000 in new business. By developing and promoting the superior performer to a leadership role, they have the potential to increase the productivity of the team. As an example, this leader can increase the revenues of a team generating $2.5M to $5M.

Given the possibility of increased profits, meeting the employee’s desire for career growth is both a financial and strategic advantage.

Because growth and development are benefits highly sought after in a potential employer, organizations with highly publicized succession planning initiatives and career management programs become “employers of choice”, thereby making it easier to attract top talent and reduce turnover.

Most employers are unaware of how much turnover costs them each year or how to reduce this number. Assuming a fifteen percent turnover rate and turnover costs of twenty-five percent of an employee’s annual compensation, an organization with one thousand employees and an average compensation of $50,000 will incur $1,875,000 in costs each year. Given that half of all turnover is avoidable, this organization could save $937,500 each year by investing in employee retention strategies.

The Added Benefits of Using Career Coaching as a Resource for Succession Planning Programs

Utilizing a Career Coach in your succession plan initiative allows leaders and Human Resources to focus on effectively managing and evaluating the program. An external career coach provides a confidential environment where the employees are free to discuss the challenges and opportunities they face in their careers and establish plans to overcome them.

One of the greatest benefits the coach offers is preparing the organization’s existing talent for future leadership roles. They take the organization’s human capital to the next level through the use of assessments, powerful questions, and individual development plans. Promoting from within provides benefits, such as:

• Reduced recruitment costs. The need for external recruiting is lessened for executive level position, which reduces headhunter fees (between 25% and 33% of the candidate’s total compensation) Ex. An executive placed by a headhunter with an annual compensation package of $200,000 would incur fees between $50,000 and $66,666.

• Reduction of executive compensation. According to Towers Perrin, external candidates are generally paid 20% to 30% more than internals that are promoted because externals needs a financial reason to make a career change.

• Promoting internal candidates offers the employer the benefit of knowing their track record, strengths, and their development needs. External candidates, unless personally known, only reveal as much or as little information as they deem appropriate, leaving the organization to rely on the interview process, assessments, and references to complete the picture.

Thriving succession planning initiatives balance the strategic direction of the organization with the career aspirations of its high potential employees. They also rely on external consultants and coaches to provide expertise, an objective perspective and additional resources.

Executives who engage in coaching during the succession program have a clear direction of where they are going and how they are going to get there. In contrast, executives that are not offered coaching are not as well prepared to map out their career path or develop the skills they need for future promotions. Executive career coaching facilitates the process of creating successful careers and developing future leaders.