Is
a cover letter important?
Very! Think of a cover letter as the icing on your cake. You should always
submit a cover letter with your resume, unless you are meeting with the
individual face to face or have already secured an interview. Each cover
letter should be tailored for that particular job. Cover letters should
be a full page. For a sample of how a cover letter could look, please
visit my resume sample page.
Are
thank you letters still necessary?
Yes! If you really want the job, send a thank you letter immediately.
Very few people do, and it makes a strong impression. For a sample of
a thank-you letter, please visit my resume sample
page.
How do you post a resume on sites such as Monster.com?
A Plus Resumes offers Internet resume posting services to major career sites
such as Monster.com and HotJobs.com. If you prefer to do this yourself,
here are some tips:
Your resume and cover
letter should be copied into the My Documents folder on the C drive of your
computer. Make sure you have Microsoft
Word 2000 or higher. Monster.com gives you the option of uploading your
resume in Microsoft Word, which makes it easy. They will also ask you to
login and create a password. Keep this handy for future reference. It’s
a good idea to familiarize yourself with these sites before you post your
resume.
I
don’t have Microsoft Word. Can I still send my resume over the Internet?
Make sure to submit all resumes and cover letters in a Microsoft Word
2000 or higher format. Almost all companies these days are using Microsoft
Word. This means that if you send your resume to them in another format,
they will most likely have a hard time pulling your resume up. Even if
they do succeed in pulling up your resume, it will probably have margins
that are misaligned, bullets that are out of context, and extra characters
where they don’t belong.
What
is the proper way to fill out an application?
The most important thing is: Never mislead or lie on an application. Even
the smallest of lies could lead to a job termination. Be completely accurate
and thorough when filling out applications, and if you’re leaving
a line blank, it’s best to type in “N/A”. This stands
for “not applicable”.
Should I include salary requirements in a cover letter?
If you put down a salary that’s too low, the employer may offer
you less than what they originally intended. If you put down a salary
that’s too high, you may not get called for an interview. That being
said, if an employer really likes you and wants to offer you a position
after meeting you, you can negotiate the salary with them.
Therefore, leave your
salary requirements off a cover letter, but do state that salary is open
to negotiation and further discussion unless the ad or job posting specifically
reads: “Resumes without salary requirements will not be considered”.
If this is the case, I would put down a range with a $10,000 span.
Do you have any good interviewing tips?
First of all, make sure you wear respectable attire (professional / business
casual). Secondly, an employer will make a judgment about you within 10
seconds after they meet you. Always smile when you meet them, followed
by a firm handshake. Also, these days employers are asking interview questions
like the following: “Tell me about a time when you were under
pressure to complete a task and you successfully worked through it.”
In other words, they want specific examples of your work duties in certain
situations. It’s best to rehearse answers to these types of questions
before you go to the interview. Additionally, sometimes it helps to do
mock interviews in the privacy of your home prior to your real interview.
Finally, never say anything negative about your former employer.
I
just spent a lot of time interviewing for a job I really wanted. I thought
I would get the job offer but I didn’t, and now I’m feeling
frustrated. What did I do wrong?
You aren’t alone, and you didn’t do anything wrong. These
days, employers are putting candidates through a lot of hoops: phone interviews
prior to a face-to-face meeting, extensive testing, personality profiles,
tough interview questions, etc. Because of all of this, it’s easy
to get frustrated when you have invested all your time and energy, and
didn’t receive a job offer. Don’t take it personally. Think
of it as their loss, not yours. They missed out on a great employee –
YOU!! You WILL find the right job/career for you.
When
should I give a prospective employer my references?
Only give them your references if and when they ask for them (and only
if you want to work for that company). Have your references typed out
on a separate sheet of paper. List at least 3. Also, make sure you contact
your references prior to handing them out to reaffirm that they are still
willing to be a reference for you. It’s a good idea to have 2 professional
references and 1 character reference. Place your best reference first.
I
was recently fired from my job. What do I say in an interview when the
employer asks why I left?
If you were terminated for due cause, and your employment was over a year,
I would recommend going with a functional resume, which “hides”
or “groups” your work employment, and “highlights”
your qualifications instead. If you put this together properly, the employer
probably will not ask, because the job will be hidden. If your employment
was less than a year, you can leave it off your resume. (Remember that
a resume doesn’t have to include all your jobs). If you were terminated
or laid off for reasons other than due cause, then be honest with the
employer, but never say anything negative about your former company in
an interview situation, and move on to a positive subject as quickly as
possible.
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