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22 Jul 09 The Lost Art Of Resume Thank You Letters

Writing resume thank you letters is becoming more of a necessity in today’s ever competitive world. These days, you need to find a way to set yourself apart from the rest of the pack. It can be difficult to do so for a very sought after job. One way to give youself an edge is to simply do the courteous and thoughtful act of mailing a thank you letter after your resume has been looked or even received. Employers want people who are not afraid to take risks and go the extra mile. Sure, sending a resume thank you letter could be a complete waste of time, effort and energy. Then again it could be that one small thing that sets you apart from the other candidates that could be just as qualified, if not more than you.

Resume thank you letters were almost a lost tradition from the days of yester year when courtesy and kindness were a norm. It wasn’t until the hustle and bustle of modern life made everyone so busy and turned everyone into a number that resume thank you letters became popular again. Now, out of necessity, demonstrating that you have additional skills or thought processes has brought the resume thank you letter back and into the forefront for those that like to stay on top.

Writing resume thank you letters are important to both you and your prospective employer. Even as busy as you are, writing the resume thank you letter is the thing you really want to do. In a perfect world where everyone had all the time they needed to get everything done they wanted, sending a resume thank you letter would be one thing everyone would do. Employers notice these small things and appreciate the time and thought that goes into writing a resume thank you letter. Send yours today!

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19 Jul 09 Your Resume: Admission Ticket Through The Door Of Your Future Work Place

Your resume should be viewed and handled as if it is an airline ticket to your destination of choice. This may just be a piece of paper with words on it, and it may not reveal who you are personally but it is the only means by which you are going to get to the interview (your destination) so in that regard it is just as important as the interview is. Therefore you need to use this document to gain the reader’s trust and not provide any source of hesitation.

As a former employer I can tell you that when I was hiring I often hoped there were mistakes or things that just didn’t strike me right in the massive stacks of resumes that I would have to go through for different positions. These would allow me to toss that applicant out of sight and out of mind, moving through the pile faster, and narrowing down the interview pool. So these should not be view as mainly a way to stand out in a good way, but rather a way to not stand out in a bad way. No grammar errors, missing punctuation, funny words/wordings, contrived language, outlandish claims! Simply put what you are on paper in a concise, correct, logical form that doesn’t sound like a sell job but rather like an “about the author.”

That said it is helpful to not appear robotic. It is really the blend of no mistakes and the subtle yet unmistakable personal flair that people added to their resume that resounded with me and got them an interview. So how is this done? Well be honest! If you are hesitant to put something in because you see the potential for misunderstanding, then don’t put it in! If you can’t answer all the questions that come to your mind concerning an entry then its best to leave it out.

So to help you understand what I am talking about when I say personal flair or touch let me give you an example. Employers value a good work-ethic right? Well most everyone knows that and I can’t tell you how many times that I read the words “I possess a strong work-ethic,” and nothing else! You need to explain yourself—something that proves that statement such as “possess strong work ethic, missed only 5 days in 3 years of work, was voted most valuable employee 3 times, and was counted on to assume more responsibility when bosses were out of town.”

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17 Jul 09 Tips for Cover Letters to Get More Interviews

Here’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.

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13 Jul 09 Tips for Cover Letters to Get More Interviews

Here’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.

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08 Jul 09 Importance of a Thank You letter

In the competitive world that we live in, many people apply for the same job openings and hope that they have made a positive lasting impression with their interviewer. It was fortunate enough that the person was able to land an interview and get a chance to obtain the position. What some people tend to overlook after an interview is the follow up.

Obtaining an interview from an employer is big. It means that an employer has screened through a pile of applications and resumes and have selected possible candidates that he/she feels is qualified enough to handle the tasks involved in the job. But it does not end after the interview. A good common practice is to follow up with the company. One way to follow up is to send a Thank You letter to your interviewer. Thank the interviewer for giving you a chance to interview with him/her and for taking time out of his/her day to meet with you. Let him/her know what you felt about the interview and that you will be following up with him/her within a few days to check on the status of the position whether or not it has been filled.

It is good practice to keep the Thank You letter brief and straight to the point. Mention within the letter the highlights of the interview and any possible skills, qualifications, or availability that you forgot to mention during the interview. By doing this, the hiring manager will be able to recall who you are and what you had to say. Remember, a good resume leads to an interview, but a simple Thank You letter and follow up may just be the professionalism the hiring manager is looking for that can land you the job.

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