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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Resumes for Teens

Even as a teenager, you might want to go ahead and prepare a resume. Most jobs you will want to apply for as a teen will not require you to have a resume, but you will make a great impression if you have one prepared. In fact, if an employer has two equally qualified applicants and one has a resume and the other does not, the person with the resume will get the job - no question.

Why?

Having a resume as a teenager shows an employer that you are willing to make the effort to do whatever is necessary to succeed. You are already willing to go the extra mile to get what you want. Employers like to see that kind of initiative.

So, if you are a teenager and you want to get a job, create a resume and make a great first impression. You may not have a lot of information on your resume, but even a short resume is better than not having one.

There are a number of things you can put on your resume that you probably aren't aware of, too. Any volunteer position (think: helping out at church) provided you with an opportunity to learn new skills. Think of all the things you can do that might make a difference in a job and list those under a Summary of Qualifications OR a Summary of Work-Related Skills section.

Taking the initiative to create a teen resume will help you now and in the long run. You'll be that much smarter and farther ahead of your counterparts.

Have a great time with your new job, too. It can be a wonderful learning experience.

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