Is Your Cover Letter Compelling?

by Heather Huhman, Glassdoor.com


Many advertised job openings still receive hundreds of applications. Although you're qualified for the job, your skills and resume may not be enough to get the hiring manager's attention. To come out ahead of the competition, spend some time perfecting your cover letter.

Your cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell the company the benefits you bring with your skills and qualifications--instead of the hiring manager needing to figure it out. Although cover letters should be compelling, they should also remain concise.

Not sure if your cover letter is going to convey the right message? Here are some tips to help:

• Always customize your cover letter for each job opening and tell the manager how you found out about the job. Was it through a mutual connection? Did you read about it on Twitter? Or are you reaching out in hopes of a job opening? Let them know.
• Try to find the name of the hiring manager. If it is not listed, utilize online resources, such as LinkedIn, to find it. Or call the company directly and ask.
• Tell the employers why you should be hired among all the other candidates --it's what they're wondering anyways!
• Relate your experience, skills, and interests to the employer's needs. Show that you understand business priorities and are ready to make a contribution.
• Highlight professional skills you have developed through your experiences.
• Show your personality and desire by telling a story with specific and quantifiable results. Be sure to tie in your story's theme with the rest of your letter. But don't turn your story into an autobiography.
• Highlight leadership roles you've held in organizations and clubs.
• Use language that is professional but friendly and natural. There is no need for huge words in your cover letter.
• Always close the letter on a strong note. Request an interview or tell them you'll follow up in a week.

The bottom line: Most hiring managers read a cover letter first and may not end up looking at your resume. Don't botch your search by sending in a cover letter that's not up to par.

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Common Interview Questions

By Tamara Dowling, CPRW

• Tell me about yourself.
• Of which personal accomplishments are you most proud?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Tell me about your best Supervisor, and why you regard them that way.
• Tell me about your worst Supervisor, and why you regard them this way? Note: Remember the rule about saying nothing negative about past employers and associates. This may tempt you, but it is best to say that you've learned something from all of your Supervisors.
• Describe your toughest problem and how you handled it. Note: Focus on accomplishments, and do not blame or say anything negative about your associates.

• Tell me about a conflict with a co-worker. How did you handle it?
• Tell me about a disagreement with your current or previous Supervisor. How did you handle it?
• How do you react to negativity or gossip from co-workers?
• If you found out a co-worker was/is dishonest, what would you do?
• If you were unable to meet a commitment or deadline, what would you do?
• If a customer is disrespectful to you, what do you do?
• If you were unable to resolve a customer issue by the date promised because another department did not do its job, what would you do, and what would you say to the customer?
• What makes you the best candidate?
• Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?
• Tell me about your organization/time management style.
• How well do you work with multiple people or vendors?
• Describe a project that you managed. Was the project completed on time and on/under budget? Why/Why not? What would you have done differently?
• Describe how you motivate your staff or fellow team members.
• How would your staff or team members describe you?
• How would your current Supervisor describe you?
• Where do you want to be in five years?
• Why do you want this job? Note: Focus on benefits to the company and how your skills and goals fit the company's needs and goals.

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Negotiating Salary Tips

By Stephen Cohen

For someone who is employed one of the hardest things to do is trying to negotiate their salary. Many people are afraid to confront their boss about a possible pay raise and have no idea as to how to approach the issue. And, once they do get a chance to talk about their pay they do not know how to effectively make a case for a salary hike.

Understanding how to properly and effectively negotiate your salary is an important aspect of your job. Sometimes you can not just wait for the next pay raise, and you need to confront the issue This article should help you with some tips on negotiating your salary.

A very common mistake that many people make when trying to speak with their boss about their salary is that they are unrealistic with their requests. You can not try and increase your salary by some ridiculous amount because you feel you deserve it. You have to be reasonable with your requests. Understand where you are with in the company and try to work from a reasonable stand point when asking for a pay increase.

If you are going to ask for a raise then you need to have something to prove what you are worth. For people who are just being hired you should bring in proof of your salary from a previous job. This shows your future boss what you were being paid and that you are not just making numbers up.
If you are asking for a raise then bring in some form of performance goals that you have met or things that you have done to go above and beyond your daily workload. Do not expect to go to your boss and ask for a raise just because you want one or feel like you deserve it. You need to have reasonable proof that shows you are worthy of the next level.

You are going to need to need to be flexible. Expecting a direct raise in your base salary may not be realistic, but if you look at other ways to increase your overall compensation then you may get more out of your negotiations. Instead of just concentrating on a higher salary, maybe think about getting some form of bonus or an increase in your health insurance plans. This may make it easier on the company, in a cost effective way, to help both you and the company out.

Going to your boss and simply asking for a raise is going to be tough to do. One way to possibly grab his or her attention is to come up with some form of performance goals for yourself. This way the company will see a benefit from your hard work and you can be rewarded.

These are all great ways to approach your boss next time you look for a raise. The most important part is being prepared and being realistic.
This article was provided by the authors at LiveLoveCoffee.com an online coffee shop with articles discussing interesting morning chats and reviews on Single Cup Coffee Maker.

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Using Career Success Stories in Interviews and Networking

by Frank Traditi

Companies hire you based on your ability to demonstrate what you can do for them and how you can solve their problems. While a hiring manager expects you to have all of the functional skills necessary for the job, they are much more interested in how you can use your special abilities to handle the challenges given to you if you were in the job. The big question is how do you demonstrate this ability in an interview when they haven't seen you at work yet? The most effective method is to tell a story.

Often during interviews you'll get the opportunity to highlight your unique talents. A very effective way to do this is to introduce your career success stories about how you overcame significant challenges. You may have suggested a creative idea to handle an employee performance problem. Maybe you instituted a step-by-step process to reduce customer complaints. Perhaps your persistence paid off to close a multi-year contract with the largest customer the company has ever seen.

All of these actions resulted in great accomplishments throughout your career. Now you get the chance to tell the story of how you did it. To help you tell your story in the most convincing way, you need a simple format to work from. Here's an easy, three-step process to put the pieces together for your success stories when you get the opportunity to tell them.


1. Describe the problem or opportunity you faced.

Here you should describe the situation you were up against. It may have been a special project that you were assigned or a highly volatile customer issue. Perhaps it was an aggressive sales objective never attempted before. You're setting up the plot of your story here.


2. What did you do?

How did you deal with the challenge? Perhaps you devised plans, assigned tasks, coordinated meetings, created a system, or mobilized a team to tackle the problem. Describe the process, step-by-step, of how you attacked the problem through to resolution. Remember, you are explaining and marketing your ability to solve problems.


3. What was the positive result?

Describe, as specifically as you can, the positive outcome of your actions. How did you save or make money for the company or department? What changed for the better as a result of your initiative? Did a difficult communication problem disappear after you got involved? Did you repair a big customer problem? The more you can point to specific, bottom-line results, the more convinced a hiring manager is that you are person for the job.

Another great place to incorporate storytelling is with your network. When your contacts have an opportunity to refer you to their contacts or even a potential hiring manager, they can tell your story. A memorable story shared with a new contact creates a place mark in their mind about you. That simple connection can help create a new relationship with someone influential in your career. We've all heard stories about the service provider who showed up and solved a huge problem at our homes or offices. It works the same way for job seekers. Your network is out praising your abilities to their contacts, and the connection is made.

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Avoid These 10 Interview Bloopers

by Deborah Walker

We've all heard stories of job candidates who looked great on paper but who were absolute disasters in person. With fewer and fewer interview opportunities available in this competitive market, it's essential to make the best possible first impression. You can learn from the mistakes of others and avoid the top 10 worst interview blunders.

Poor handshake: The three-second handshake that starts the interview is your first opportunity to create a great impression. But all too often an interview is blown right from the start by an ineffective handshake. Once you've delivered a poor handshake, it's nearly impossible to recover your efforts to build rapport. Here are some examples:

• The Limp Hand (or "dead fish"): Gives the impression of disinterest or weakness
• The Tips of the Fingers: Shows lack of ability to engage.
• The Arm Pump: Sincerity is questionable, much like an overly aggressive salesman.

Even if you're a seasoned professional, don't assume you have avoided these pitfalls. Your handshake may be telling more about you than you know. Ask for honest critiques from several friends who aren't afraid to tell you the truth.

Talking too much: In my recruiting days, I abhorred over-talkative candidates. So did most of my client employers. Over-talking takes a couple of forms:

• Taking too long to answer direct questions. The impression: This candidate just can't get to the point.
• Nervous talkers. The impression: This candidate is covering up something or is outright lying.

To avoid either of these forms of over-talking, practice answering questions in a direct manner. Avoid nervous talking by preparing for your interview with role-play

Talking negatively about current or past employers/managers: The fastest way to talk yourself out of a new job is to say negative things. Even if your last boss was Attila the Hun, never, never state your ill feelings about him/her. No matter how reasonable your complaints, you will come out the loser if you show that you disrespect your boss because the interviewer will assume that you would similarly trash him or her. When faced with the challenge of talking about former employers, make sure you are prepared with a positive spin on your experiences.

Showing up late or too early: One of the first lessons in job-search etiquette is to show up on time for interviews. Many job-seekers don't realize, however, that showing up too early often creates a poor first impression as well. Arriving more than 10 minutes early for an interview is a dead giveaway that the job seeker has too much time on his or her hands, much like the last one picked for the softball team. Don't diminish your candidate desirability by appearing desperate. Act as if your time were as valuable as the interviewer's. Always arrive on time, but never more than 10 minutes early.

Treating the receptionist rudely: Since the first person you meet on an interview is usually a receptionist, this encounter represents the first impression you'll make. Don't mistake low rank for low input. Often that receptionist's job is to usher you into your interview. The receptionist has the power to pave your way positively or negatively before you even set eyes on the interviewer. The interviewer may also solicit the receptionist's opinion of you after you leave.

Asking about benefits, vacation time or salary: What if a car salesman asked to see your credit report before allowing you to test drive the cars? That would be ridiculous, and you'd walk away in disgust. The effect is about the same when a job-seeker asks about benefits or other employee perks during the first interview. Wait until you've won the employer over before beginning that discussion.

Not preparing for the interview: Nothing communicates disinterest like a candidate who hasn't bothered to do pre-interview research. On the flip side, the quickest way to a good impression is to demonstrate your interest with a few well thought out questions that reflect your knowledge of their organization. [Editor's note: To ensure that you are prepared, see our article, The Ultimate Guide to Job Interview Preparation.]

Verbal ticks: An ill-at-ease candidate seldom makes a good impression. The first signs of nervousness are verbal ticks. We all have them from time to time -- "umm," "like," "you know." Ignore the butterflies in your stomach and put up a front of calm confidence by avoiding verbal ticks. You can also sometimes avoid verbal ticks by pausing for a few seconds to gather your thoughts before each response.

One of the best ways to reduce or eliminate them is through role-play. Practice sharing your best success stories ahead of time, and you'll feel more relaxed during the real interview.

Not enough/too much eye contact: Either situation can create a negative effect. Avoid eye contact and you'll seem shifty, untruthful, or disnterested; offer too much eye contact, and you'll wear the interviewer out. If you sometimes have trouble with eye-contact balance, work this issue out ahead of time in an interview practice session with a friend.

Failure to match communication styles: It's almost impossible to make a good first impression if you can't communicate effectively with an interviewer. But you can easily change that situation by mirroring the way the interviewer treats you. For instance:

• If the interviewer seems all business, don't attempt to loosen him/her up with a joke or story. Be succinct and businesslike
• If the interviewer is personable, try discussing his/her interests. Often the items on display in the office can offer a clue.
• If asked a direct question, answer directly. Then follow up by asking if more information is needed.

Allowing the interviewer to set the tone of conversation can vastly improve your chances of making a favorable impression. You can put the interviewer at ease -- and make yourself seem more like him or her -- by mirroring his or her communication style.


Final Thoughts
Just as a strong resume wins you an opportunity to interview, strong interview skills will win you consideration for the job. You already know that you won't earn an interview unless your resume sets you apart as a candidate of choice. Similarly, you should know that polishing your interview skills can mean the difference between getting the job offer -- and being a runner-up.

Start your job search with a resume that creates a stellar first impression, then back those facts up with your extraordinary interview skills. You will have made yourself a better candidate by avoiding these ten interview pitfalls. And no one will have to talk about you as the candidate who "almost" got the job.

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Acing the Behavioral Interview

by : Jeanne Knight

Behavioral interviewing is an interviewing technique created in the 1970s by industrial psychologists that has become quite popular with employers. The premise behind behavioral interviewing is that the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in a similar situation. For those unfamiliar with this interviewing style, a behavioral interview can be a challenging experience.

Unlike traditional interviewing, which requires opinion-based answers to questions (Tell me about yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Why do you want to work for this company?), behavioral interviewing requires job candidates to relate stories about their past employment behaviors. These stories are prompted by questions directly related to the skill sets the company has determined are needed for a position.

So, if a particular job requires strong communication and team- building skills, then, in a behavioral interview, candidates would be asked to recount past accomplishments in those areas. Behavioral interview questions often start with phrases like, "Tell me about a time when..." or "Describe a situation in which..." or "Give me an example of..."

The challenge with the behavioral-interviewing style is that, while your skills and experiences could be a perfect match for a position you are seeking, an interviewer could discount your candidacy if you are unprepared for, or struggle with, the behavioral-interview format.

So, how do you prepare for a behavioral interview? First, you'll want to put yourself in the shoes of the prospective employer and imagine what the ideal candidate for the position you are considering would look like from the hiring decision-maker's perspective. Then, take some time to thoroughly review the job posting and job description if you can get it) and research the company and its culture. Look for cues about which skills are necessary for the job and which are highly valued by the organization. Then, based on your research, identify the skills the successful candidate would have and the behavioral-based questions that correlate to those skills and might be asked in an interview.

Following are examples of skill sets and some associated behavioral-based questions. [Editor's note: While the number and nature of behavioral questions that could be asked is virtually limitless -- thus making behavioral interviews difficult to prepare for -- the questions lusted below provide the flavor of the type of key skills that employers may probe and the questions they may ask to do so.


DECISION MAKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING

• Describe a situation in which you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
• Give me an example of a time when you had to be quick in coming to a decision.

LEADERSHIP

• Have you ever had trouble getting others to agree with your ideas? How did you deal with the situation and were you successful?
• Describe the most challenging group from which you've had to gain cooperation.

MOTIVATION

• Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty.
• Give me an example of a situation in which you positively influenced the actions of others.

COMMUNICATION

• Describe a situation in which you were able to successfully communicate with another individual who did not personally like you (or vice versa).
• Give me an example of a time you had to use written communication to convey an important argument or idea.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

• Give me examples of what you've done in the past to contribute to a teamwork environment.
• Give an example of an unpopular decision you've made, what the result was, and how you managed it.

PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION

• When scheduling your time, what is your method for deciding which items are priorities?
• Describe how you've handled a sudden interruption to your schedule.

Developing Stories as Responses
Once you've determined which behavioral-based questions you might be asked during an interview, look back on your past experiences and develop stories to answer those questions. Your stories should be detailed, yet succinct, and should always include the following three elements:

• A description of a specific, real-life situation or challenge you encountered.
• A description of the tasks and actions you took to overcome that challenge.
• A summary of the results of those actions. (Try to quantify these results whenever possible.)

Sample Behavioral Interview Response
Here is a sample answer to a behavioral interview question that incorporates each of these elements:

Question: Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it. Response: Because of cuts in funding to our adult continuing education program, we faced the daunting goal of drastically reducing our promotional budget without sacrificing our media presence in the community. As program coordinator, I researched alternatives to the effective yet costly course brochure the program produced and distributed biannually to an average of 60,000 residents in our service region. I successfully negotiated with two local newspapers to produce and distribute a new course brochure that increased distribution by 33 percent to 80,000 residents and decreased costs by 50 percent.

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The Job Interview

A job interview is your chance to show an employer what kind of employee he or she will get if you're hired. That is why it is essential to be well prepared for the job interview. Preparing means knowing about the industry, the employer, and yourself. It means paying attention to details like personal appearance, punctuality, and demeanor.

Knowledge is always your best weapon and so you should arm yourself with plenty of it. That starts with the very basic bit of knowledge regarding jobs interview. Before you research the industry and the company and even before you practice answering the questions you might be asked, you should have some general information about job interviews. Let's start by going over the different types of interviews you might face.


Types of Job Interviews

• The Screening Interview

Your first interview with a particular employer will often be the screening interview. This is usually an interview with someone in human resources. It may take place in person or on the telephone. He or she will have a copy of your resume in hand and will try to verify the information on it. The human resources representative will want to find out if you meet the minimum qualifications for the job and, if you do, you will be passed on to the next step.

• The Selection Interview

The selection interview is the step in the process which makes people the most anxious. The employer knows you are qualified to do the job. While you may have the skills to perform the tasks that are required by the job in question, the employer needs to know if you have the personality necessary to "fit in." Someone who can't interact well with management and co-workers may disrupt the functioning of an entire department. This ultimately can affect the company's bottom line. Many experts feel that this can be determined within the first several minutes of the interview. However, more than one person being interviewed for a single opening may appear to fit in. Often, job candidates are invited back for several interviews with different people before a final decision is made.

• The Group Interview

In the group interview, several job candidates are questioned at once. Since any group naturally stratifies into leaders and followers, the interviewer can easily find out into which category each candidate falls. In addition to determining whether you are a leader or a follower, the interviewer can also learn whether you are a "team player." You should do nothing other than act naturally. Acting like a leader if you are not one may get you a job that is inappropriate for you.

• The Panel Interview

In a panel interview, the candidate is interviewed by several people at once. Although it can be quite intimidating, you should try to remain calm. Try to establish rapport with each member of the panel. Make eye contact with each one as you answer his or her question.

• The Stress Interview

The stress interview is not a very nice way to be introduced to the company that may end up being your future employer. It is, however, a technique employers sometimes use to weed out candidates who cannot handle adversity. The interviewer may try to artificially introduce stress into the interview by asking questions so quickly that the candidate doesn't have time to answer each one. Another interviewer trying to introduce stress may respond to a candidate's answers with silence. The interviewer may also ask weird questions, not to determine what the job candidate answers, but how he or she answers.


According to Interviewing by The National Business Employment Weekly (John Wiley and Sons, 1994), the job candidate should first "recognize that you're in the situation. Once you realize what's happening, it's much easier to stay calm because you can mentally re-frame the situation. Then you have two choices: Play along or refuse to be treated so poorly." If you do play along, the book recommends later finding out if the reason for conducting a stress interview is legitimate. That will determine if this is a company for whom you want to work.


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Sumber : About.com