Make a Great First Impression

You have the qualifications, the motivation and the skills to succeed in your field. How do you let a prospective employer know how great you are, particularly on paper instead of in person?

First, here are some key ideas. If you are going get the job, the first step is to get noticed by the person skimming the cover letters and resumes. If you can't make it through the skimming phase you can't get the interview. Second, searching for a job is not that difficult – it just takes time, effort, and perseverance.

Follow the steps outlined here and you will be one step nearer to a job interview. You need to stand out but at the same time stay within the guidelines. After all, most prospective employers seek people that will fit within their corporate culture rather than mavericks who like to shake things up.

Why do we follow guidelines? When everybody agrees to a conventional way of doing things, the system works more efficiently (whether it is job search or driving on the same side of the road). Stick with the "rules" and it will be easy. Abandon them and you restrict yourself.

The two major causes for job search failure are:
1. Some people attempt to beat the system by doing things their own way (thereby disregarding the guidelines)
2. Others choose to take the easy way out and do the bare minimum. They don't set up their resumes using an appealing format that is easy to read.

Here are the guidelines that will help make that great first impression:

Be Thorough – Check your spelling and grammar. Read over your resume and cover letter and have someone else check it over. Typos will not make a good impression. Double check your contact information. Pay attention to everything you send out such as the spelling of the potential employer/hiring manager's name and address. When you think you are done, check it again.

Be prepared – You will need information to put your best foot forward. Here two things you need to know:


• First, you need to know YOURSELF. Why? You need to be able to identify your personal and professional character, your abilities, and your skills. In addition, you will need to relate these positive qualities to the workplace setting. You can apply this self knowledge when you create your resume and also in the interview to increase your likelihood of success.

• Second, you need to find information about the prospective employer/company and the position you are seeking. Find out about the company's size, their products and services, and who they serve. In addition, you want to know their "mission," their history and their future plans. It is also helpful to understand their market and their market position. This way you can target your application information to the company and the position you seek. This knowledge is invaluable when you prepare for the job interview.

Be yourself – Use your self knowledge to present your personal and professional skills on paper and in the interview. There is no need to stretch the truth or lie as this will hurt you in the long run.

Be ambitious – Do your best on everything do what it takes. You want the interview, right? Then be complete and as professional as possible. Focus on the things that matter such as the cover letter and resume. Make sure you get the call and not someone else.

Make your first impression count on paper and with advanced preparation you will have a great interview. Follow the steps outlined here so both your written and interview skills will stand out.

Follow the guidelines and be prepared so your job search will go smoothly.

For more information, please take a look at these articles:

'Suitable Attire'

'Interview Mistakes'

'Interview Thank You Letter'

'Telephone Interviews'

'Employee Selection Process'

'What You Need to Know About a Hiring Manager'


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