Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Write an Interview Thank You Letter

Why is it Important to Write an Interview Thank You Letter?

If you are qualified for a particular job but there is a stiff competition between you and your closest contender, even small things can matter. It is often seen that interviewers are not looking just for qualifications and intelligence, they are also looking for the right attitude in the job candidates. This manifests in the way they approach to a problem or even in the way the enter the office of interviewers.

There are a lot of things people tend to forget when they sit for an interview, especially things that are non-technical and do not have a direct relation to their job profiles or the employer profile. However, even simple things such as the etiquette of writing a thank you letter can make a huge difference when it comes to stiff competition between your and your competitors.

Writing an interview thank you letter is a means of telling the interviewers that you are thankful for the opportunity. It also tells the interviewer that you are polite and diligent. It not just conveys the fact that you are not overconfident that you will the job, but also suggests that are looking forward to associating with the firm.

A thank you letter can also be a means of communicating your skills in a more subtle way in addition to making yet another good impression. So next time when you sit for interview make sure you write a thank you letter and increase the chances of your selection.

Brought to you by: Professional-Job-Search.com

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Monday, October 13, 2008

Professional-Job-Search.com launches

There is a new job search site in town and it promises to be a real winner. After several years of working on the professional resume website: Professional-Resume-Example.com, it became apparent that more information was needed specifically about the job search.

This new website is designed to fill that need.

While there is widespread information about the job search and various methods of finding a great job on the internet, there isn't a concise compilation of material in one place that satisfies the questions that most job seekers have.

This is the new site:
Professional-Job-Search.com

The goal of this new website is to provide a one-stop location for all job candidates to find the information they need to secure a great job.

Material will be continually added based on the needs and goals of those in the job market as well as on the comments and suggestions made by the visitors to the site.

As with the resume site, the focus isn't on buying and selling a bunch of stuff, it's on providing well-written, thorough information specifically focused on meeting the needs of job-seekers.

Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

~Carla Vaughan
Owner
Professional-Resume-Example.com

Professional-Job-Search.com

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Tuesday, July 31, 2007

What to Project to Employers in a Resume

If you want to be considered for a job, you have to market yourself as though you already have the job... or at least have the skills to do the job well. The employer wants to hire someone who can easily slip into the position without a lot of training or adjustments needed to get a new employee up to speed. If you can show the employer that you can "hit the ground running", then you will fare better in the interview than other job candidates.

The thing is that you have to get to that interview first and that takes a stellar resume. This is the point where you have to show the employer that you are a perfect match for the job - and the company.

If you are looking at a small ad in a newspaper, or even a decent sized ad on Monster.com, you don't always know exactly what is going to be expected of you, right? So how do you know what to put on your resume?

First, one caveat - don't lie on your resume. Don't put anything on your resume that you have not done or accomplished. It will come back to haunt you at some point. The advice I have, however, involves researching what other people are putting on their resumes as well as what other companies are looking for in their new employees.

Do some research.

Search for jobs just like the one you are applying for. How do other companies word their ads? Is there anything you can glean from the ad that might be useful to put on your own resume? Maybe you forgot that you accomplished a certain goal and the ad brings it back to mind. Add it to your resume. That's the whole point of reading this other material. Make sure your resume points out your best skills and ablities.

Search for other resumes on the net and see how they word things. Don't copy, but again, you might find that there is something they have listed that you have also done, but failed to mention.

Making sure you include as much as possible on your resume - THAT FITS WITH WHAT THE EMPLOYER IS LOOKING FOR - is vital to your success.

Do your research and project that on your resume to employers. Your chances will be much better.

Brought to you by: Professional Resumes

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Saturday, April 14, 2007

Six Essential Elements of a Professional Resume

Six Essential Elements of a Professional Resume

Writing a resume may not be the most exciting thing you have ever been challenged to do, but it may be one of the most important. Well, it is if you are interested in finding a great job.

There are six essential elements of a professional resume that you must be aware of when drafting your personal copy. While there are a lot of things to keep in mind, these six elements are extremely important to crafting a professional resume that gets read and establishes your credentials in the eyes of a prospective employer.

Take a look at these Six Elements and see how your resume stacks up.

One
The Contact Information section will always appear at the top of your page regardless of which format you choose. It contains your name, address, phone number and email address. Be sure this information is correct or the employer will have no means to contact you.

Two
The Objective Statement is a vital part of the professional resume. It lets the employer know how you will contribute to the organization as well as the specific type of work you are interested in doing. Don’t be vague or the employer may not be able to figure out what you are after.

Three
Accomplishments are the most important things you can list on a resume. This is true regardless of how old you are or how much experience you have. The reason is that accomplishments show that you worked hard, were involved and got things done.

Four
The Education section is presented in reverse chronological order, meaning the most recent school you attended is listed first. List your GPA if it is significant. If you haven’t completed your course of study yet, list your expected date of graduation and your intended degree.

Five
Proofread everything until you are certain that your resume contains no mistakes. Also, have someone else read your resume in an effort to ensure it is error-free. Typos and grammar errors are the first things an employer looks for when weeding out the good resumes from the bad ones.

Six
Target your resume to best garner the attention of the prospective employer. According to distinctiveweb.com, "A targeted resume is used to focus your resume toward a specific career objective, performed in a specific industry, and for a specific company. The content of a targeted resume is written to highlight the skills, qualifications, and experience that match the requirements of your job target."

If you are able to incorporate these six essential elements of a professional resume into your personal resume, you stand a much better chance of getting selected for an interview. Other job candidates are doing it, so to compete for those great jobs, you have to do it, too.

Take the time to do it right. You'll reap the rewards.

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Saturday, March 17, 2007

Be In Demand With These Ten Traits

Do you want to be in demand?

Employers are always looking for certain things in job candidates. If you can master these ten skills, you will be ahead of your competitors in the job market and you will stand a much better chance of getting a great job.

Be In Demand With These Ten Traits

1. Budget management - Effective budget management means taking steps to ensure that a manageable and controllable budget is in place and that procedures are defined to eliminate cash crunch situations from developing.

2. Speaking – Being able to work with someone one on one as well as conduct effective meetings is vital in today's business environment. Can you communicate ideas, persuade clients or business partners, motivate and inspire employees and explain complex issues? If so, you will be in demand by employers.

3. Writing – Writing involves clearly identifying ideas and relating them to others in a way that allows for few or no misconceptions. All business communication must be professional, concise and easy to understand. Where communication is concerned, more is better than less.

4. Public Relations – It is important to be able to handle yourself well in any given situation, but especially when you represent the organization for which you work. Being prepared is crucial to success in public relations.

5. Organization/Prioritization – Are you good at keeping tabs on your job responsibilities and monitoring your progress to ensure that deadlines are met and tasks are completed efficiently and effectively.

6. Initiative – If it needs to be done, either do it or get someone who is responsible for that item to get it done. The worst thing an employer can hear is "It's not my job." Show the employer that you are a "go getter".

7. Interviewing – Not all interviews take place in the Human Resources department. Each department in which there is a vacancy will likely have one or two people taking time to determine the most qualified person for the job. If you can interview someone well, you will be in demand

8. Negotiating – Getting the best deal for the company is something in which employers are always interested. Everything is about the bottom line. Is there a way to cut costs by negotiating better contracts? If you can show an employer that you can successfully negotiate good deals, you will be the favored candidate.

9. Teaching Others – Teaching is an essential element of leadership. If you can convey directions or instructions in a way that allows others to implement ideas and/or designs, you will find yourself in demand by employers.

10. Energy – If you are always willing to give an extra effort to everything you do, it will become readily apparent to everyone. Getting to work before your co-workers and staying a little later makes huge difference in how you are viewed, especially if you are known to demonstrate good use of your time.

Now that you know which skills matter most to employers, you have an idea of what you should focus on to ensure you are successful in your career.

There are also professional traits that will help you in your job search. Take a look at this article: Personal and Professional Traits

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