[bluebug32]

I know some of you are managers or responsible for hiring people and others have lots of work experience. I got my first job just out of college and was hired directly out of an internship. I'm now applying for jobs and have sent out a few resumes/cover letters, but I don't have a lot of experience with this process and am learning as I go. Any advice for resume/cover letter catch phrases? Things you like and don't like to see from candidates? How I should follow up on the info. I sent? Also, is it okay to send more information than they ask for (ie: writing samples)? Interview tips?

 

[urbaindk]

There are those on here that proport that lack of pants helps during the interview process. I am not sure where I stand on this issue.

To pant or not to pant? That is the question.

 

[bluebug32]

hey now...for once, this is a serious post.


*will I be offered more money if I show up sans pants?

 

[jonKranked]

seeing as how bluebug is a female (i'm pretty sure) sans pants is a totally legitamate and reasonable option. HELLO dresses/skirts?

 

[zahgurim]

Haha, maybe up front.

But, what you are looking for is gainful long-term employment.

 

[bluebug32]

seeing as how bluebug is a female (i'm pretty sure) sans pants is a totally legitamate and reasonable option. HELLO dresses/skirts?

Oh man....this thread is going nowhere fast

 

[Westy]

I revies resumes and interview for some of the jobs around here. It amazes me some of the crap resumes people send. Focus on your experiences that would apply to the job you are looking for. I see so many people who use 90% of their resume describing their jobs as say a dog breeder when they are applying for an engineering job with just one line saying they spent 6 years as an engineer. If you don't have that much experience just go into more detail where you do have the experience.

Also research the company and job as much as possible if you go for an interview. I walked out of an interview with one dude after I had to correct him on what company he was interviewing with.

 

[DirtyMike]

I know some of you are managers or responsible for hiring people and others have lots of work experience. I got my first job just out of college and was hired directly out of an internship. I'm now applying for jobs and have sent out a few resumes/cover letters, but I don't have a lot of experience with this process and am learning as I go. Any advice for resume/cover letter catch phrases? Things you like and don't like to see from candidates? How I should follow up on the info. I sent? Also, is it okay to send more information than they ask for (ie: writing samples)? Interview tips?

Best advice i can give you, is to be as upfront as you can, and just be yourself. Show your Interviewer that You are the one for the job. Call back at least once a week, that way when they look you up, your Info ends up on top of the stack and they see your name more, also showing you are really interested in the job. Good luck to you, i hope all will go well and you find a job you can both call Lucrative and fun.

 

[jimmydean]

I make changes to my resume based on the job description. I am in the IT area and a lot of places use key words and it sucks. But if the job description says "XML", then my resume will reflect all the previous jobs that involved XML. That way it will show up 3 to 4 times in various areas when scanned.

My resume gets a little cluttered if I have sent it to a few places because I add to it, but when it's all said and done, I will do some spring cleaning.

I have a problem with too much experience. If I try to capture all the crap I have worked on over the last 10 years, my resume would be a novel. I keep it to 2 pages unless they want more.

So a solid 2 page resume with highlights as to what they are looking for, a cover letter that gives more in-depth recent (relevent) experience, and no pants.

On a side note, I have had more phone calls from emails I sent in response to Craig's List posting than Monster, Dice, or HotJobs combined. Money is tight and a lot of good companies are looking directly rather than using agencies it seems.

<edit> In an interview, I have found it's better to own up and say "I don't know" or "I have never been given the opportunity to work with that yet" than try to BS your way in.

 

[cadmus]

Cover letter/resume:
Spell check, spell check, spell check and proof read, proof read, proof read. I was looking at a resume yesterday that had misspellings, inconsitent formatting (some bullets, some not, some Italics, some not), an Objective heading w/ no objective listed.

Don't regurgitate your resume in your cover letter, the letter should be more about why the job interests you, how you think you can help/benefit them - don't make it about improving your situation. Also, ask for an interview at the end of the letter.


Interview:
Be confident, don't say "um", practice answers to common interview questions and take a second to think about your answers - but not more than 15-20. It's ok to ask to come back to a question. When asked about a weakness, don't offer something specific to the job - I usually say "Well, I'm not very mechanically inclined, so if you're having car trouble I'm not the person to ask" - shows sense of humor, answers the question, and doesn't indicate you might have trouble w/ the job requirements (unless you're applying to be a mechanic )

Hope this helps.

 

[llkoolkeg]

I know some of you are managers or responsible for hiring people and others have lots of work experience. I got my first job just out of college and was hired directly out of an internship. I'm now applying for jobs and have sent out a few resumes/cover letters, but I don't have a lot of experience with this process and am learning as I go. Any advice for resume/cover letter catch phrases? Things you like and don't like to see from candidates? How I should follow up on the info. I sent? Also, is it okay to send more information than they ask for (ie: writing samples)? Interview tips?

Avoid catch phrases, as they tend to date you or suggest you might be a jingoistic BSer. Resumes should be bulletted, easy to read, plainly-stated and avoid the use of "I". It goes w/o saying that referring to yourself in the 3rd person is retarded and should not be done. Stress what you can bring to the table for them and avoid talk about money, benefits or what they can do for you until you are at the offer stage. The resume and cover letter should not be boilerplate- tailor them to each opening's requirements and w/o lying, make sure it's in your resume if you've done it and they mention it in the job description. Added benefits of editing your resume a lot are that it makes it easier to keep track of which specific positions you've applied for and also, keeps you at the top of online searches because it shows your resume as recently posted. Ask intelligent, thoughtful questions that show you know something about the company, its products or industry. Besides networking, focus your job search on a few really good matches rather than spamming or firing your resume shotgun-style at every single wall just to see what sticks. Keep detailed notes on with whom you've interviewed, when and where and follow up immediately but w/o being a constant pest. Don't submit extra material unless asked for, but have it handy just in case it is. If you commit to an interview, show up at least 15 minutes ahead of time, dress conservatively, hide the tattoos or piercings and don't ask to reschedule unless you are on your deathbed.

Anything else you'd like to know?

 

[sanjuro]

Paragraph 1: I am bluebug32 and I am seeking a position as a Ridemonkey Poster. I am a senior internet board poster and I have been posting bike-related and other humorous bits for one and half years.

Paragraph 2: Currently, I am employed at confidential for X years, and my job duties include blah blah blah. Some of my successful projects which I am proud of are yadda yadda yadda.

Paragraph 3: I hope to find a position which suits my strengths and allows me to grow as a Ridemonkey Poster. I look forward to speaking to you in future.

Sincerely,

bluebug32

 

[Jim Mac]

I know some of you are managers or responsible for hiring people and others have lots of work experience. I got my first job just out of college and was hired directly out of an internship. I'm now applying for jobs and have sent out a few resumes/cover letters, but I don't have a lot of experience with this process and am learning as I go. Any advice for resume/cover letter catch phrases? Things you like and don't like to see from candidates? How I should follow up on the info. I sent? Also, is it okay to send more information than they ask for (ie: writing samples)? Interview tips?

As a Coordinator for a not for profit, I used to see a LOT of resumes before we actually hired an HR dept, but when I did review them, I was always impressed when people had stated that they had researched our organization and brought up points on belief systems (probably BS, but I'm a sucker for that) that corresponded between the organization and the potential employee. It showed me that they gave some thought on the matter.

Other things that impress me: follow up calls or notes after interviews. Stay away from catch phrases, though. Speak with brevity and clarity, unlike my posts! HA!

Other cheesy things: use good stock paper and stay away from typical microsoft fonts! Those 2 things are seemingly minor, but they showed me that the person put some forethought not only on the wording of the resume but also the presentation. Fortunately or unfortunately, image counts in this Great Society.

 

[Jim Mac]

Other tip: more employers are using the old internet to check you out! Clean up your myspace page, etc and so on.

 

[llkoolkeg]

I make changes to my resume based on the job description. I am in the IT area and a lot of places use key words and it sucks. But if the job description says "XML", then my resume will reflect all the previous jobs that involved XML. That way it will show up 3 to 4 times in various areas when scanned.

I have a problem with too much experience. If I try to capture all the crap I have worked on over the last 10 years, my resume would be a novel. I keep it to 2 pages unless they want more.

So a solid 2 page resume with highlights as to what they are looking for, a cover letter that gives more in-depth recent (relevent) experience, and no pants.

On a side note, I have had more phone calls from emails I sent in response to Craig's List posting than Monster, Dice, or HotJobs combined. Money is tight and a lot of good companies are looking directly rather than using agencies it seems.

The 2-page resume rule is a very dated one, especially in industries like Engineering or IT where it is next to impossible to do so unless you're fresh out of college. You should avoid redundancy and long-windedness, but if you are worried about your resume being too long, just put your most specific project or technology experience on an addendum that you reference in the main body of the resume. Your first and last bit of advice, however, are much more valuable. If you choose to post your resume, I'd recommend monster and craigslist plus an industry-specific site, e.g. dice for IT, constructionjobs for engineering/construction, etc. Using monster + hotjobs + careerbuilder is redundant and over-exposing.

 

[jimmydean]

Other things that impress me: follow up calls or notes after interviews.

I have sent emails after an interview thanking them for the time and "pleasure to meet whoever" 3 times now and all 3 times, got a call back with an offer. It might be luck, but it works and I use it!

 

[fuzzynutz]

Go into the interview drunk. It's the only way to secure a job. I've never landed a job sober, and I've had lots-o-jobs.

 

[McGRP01]

Other tip: more employers are using the old internet to check you out! Clean up your myspace page, etc and so on.

Uh oh.....

 

[llkoolkeg]

Go into the interview drunk. It's the only way to secure a job. I've never landed a job sober, and I've had lots-o-jobs.

You may laugh, but I have had people show up to interview with me smelling of all sorts of foulness or mischief: butt, B.O., ashtray breath, alcohol, reeking of herb to the point that they had to have toked in their car on the way or in the lot, doused in cheap cologne/perfume, strong ethnic food(with some still trapped in front teeth), you name it. Here's a little hint- if the smell of you is what leaves an impression during an interview, YOU AIN'T GETTING THE JOB!

 

[blt2ride]

I make changes to my resume based on the job description. I am in the IT area and a lot of places use key words and it sucks. But if the job description says "XML", then my resume will reflect all the previous jobs that involved XML. That way it will show up 3 to 4 times in various areas when scanned.

My resume gets a little cluttered if I have sent it to a few places because I add to it, but when it's all said and done, I will do some spring cleaning.

I have a problem with too much experience. If I try to capture all the crap I have worked on over the last 10 years, my resume would be a novel. I keep it to 2 pages unless they want more.

So a solid 2 page resume with highlights as to what they are looking for, a cover letter that gives more in-depth recent (relevent) experience, and no pants.

On a side note, I have had more phone calls from emails I sent in response to Craig's List posting than Monster, Dice, or HotJobs combined. Money is tight and a lot of good companies are looking directly rather than using agencies it seems.

<edit> In an interview, I have found it's better to own up and say "I don't know" or "I have never been given the opportunity to work with that yet" than try to BS your way in.

That’s a good point; you can tweak your resume or letter of intent (if required) for the position you are applying for. During me tenure as an HR person, I have hired/interviewed a lot of applicants, and it is amazing how many people would give me a resume that has no qualifications for the position he or she may be perusing.

On the other hand, sometimes it can work to your benefit. I have called people in for entry-level positions, and once I saw their resume, was able to hire them for a higher paying position.

Do some research on the company you will be having an interview with, that way you will have a better idea what you’re up against.

As for the interview, there are always certain things that an interviewer is looking for; and interviewers always have different ideas of what the perfect applicant would say or do on an interview.

For me, a nice firm handshake (for both men and women) is very important. Of course, appearance is very important, too. If I know someone has taken a little extra time preparing for the interview that says a lot about their character.

Last, but not least, how to act on an interview. For me, I like people who are honest and who I know are giving me an honest answer. The best advise I can give you, is just be yourself and think about the questions that are being asked and come back with a nice response, that’s not too long and not too short. Be sure to answer the question, it drives me crazy when someone tries to dodge a question or gives an answer that is off-topic to the question.

Once thing I will tell you, having a degree is huge. It does more than show you are qualified for a position. It shows commitment and that you have an ability to finish what you start and are goal orientated.

Someone else mentioned this, but I will mention it again…spelling and grammar is very important. Make sure you have several people proof read your resume and any other communications you are sending out to a prospective employer…

Good luck! It sounds to me like you'll be just fine out there. Make sure you find a company and a job that works for you. If you have any other questions - ask away!

 

[fuzzynutz]

... Here's a little hint- if the smell of you is what leaves an impression during an interview, YOU AIN'T GETTING THE JOB!

unless it's the sweet sweet smell of cheap liquor at 9 am.

 

[McGRP01]

Where's Babs? He's always got sound advice on this subject.

 

[bluebug32]

Thanks for the great responses!

2 questions:

1. I'm trying to find jobs in which strong writing skills are a plus. Should I send writing samples if they're not asked for?

2. If someone says no calls on the job listing, how should I follow up? When I do follow up anywhere, what should I say?

 

[bluebug32]

Where's Babs? He's always got sound advice on this subject.

I think he's riding today.

 

[sanjuro]

Other tip: more employers are using the old internet to check you out! Clean up your myspace page, etc and so on.

From the NY Times....

When a Risqué Online Persona Undermines a Chance for a Job
By ALAN FINDER (NYT) 1371 words
Published: June 11, 2006

When a small consulting company in Chicago was looking to hire a summer intern this month, the company's president went online to check on a promising candidate who had just graduated from the University of Illinois.

At Facebook, a popular social networking site, the executive found the candidate's Web page with this description of his interests: ''smokin' blunts'' (cigars hollowed out and stuffed with marijuana), shooting people and obsessive sex, all described in vivid slang.

It did not matter that the student was clearly posturing. He was done.

''A lot of it makes me think, what kind of judgment does this person have?'' said the company's president, Brad Karsh. ''Why are you allowing this to be viewed publicly, effectively, or semipublicly?''

Many companies that recruit on college campuses have been using search engines like Google and Yahoo to conduct background checks on seniors looking for their first job. But now, college career counselors and other experts say, some recruiters are looking up applicants on social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Xanga and Friendster, where college students often post risqué or teasing photographs and provocative comments about drinking, recreational drug use and sexual exploits in what some mistakenly believe is relative privacy.

When viewed by corporate recruiters or admissions officials at graduate and professional schools, such pages can make students look immature and unprofessional, at best.

''It's a growing phenomenon,'' said Michael Sciola, director of the career resource center at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. ''There are lots of employers that Google. Now they've taken the next step.''

At New York University, recruiters from about 30 companies told career counselors that they were looking at the sites, said Trudy G. Steinfeld, executive director of the center for career development.

''The term they've used over and over is red flags,'' Ms. Steinfeld said. ''Is there something about their lifestyle that we might find questionable or that we might find goes against the core values of our corporation?''

Facebook and MySpace are only two years old but have attracted millions of avid young participants, who mingle online by sharing biographical and other information, often intended to show how funny, cool or outrageous they are.

On MySpace and similar sites, personal pages are generally available to anyone who registers, with few restrictions on who can register. Facebook, though, has separate requirements for different categories of users; college students must have a college e-mail address to register. Personal pages on Facebook are restricted to friends and others on the user's campus, leading many students to assume that they are relatively private.

But companies can gain access to the information in several ways. Employees who are recent graduates often retain their college e-mail addresses, which enables them to see pages. Sometimes, too, companies ask college students working as interns to perform online background checks, said Patricia Rose, the director of career services at the University of Pennsylvania.

Concerns have already been raised about these and other Internet sites, including their potential misuse by stalkers and students exposing their own misbehavior, for example by posting photographs of hazing by college sports teams. Add to the list of unintended consequences the new hurdles for the job search.

Ana Homayoun runs Green Ivy Educational Consulting, a small firm that tutors and teaches organizational skills to high school students in the San Francisco area. Ms. Homayoun visited Duke University this spring for an alumni weekend and while there planned to interview a promising job applicant.

Curious about the candidate, Ms. Homayoun went to her page on Facebook. She found explicit photographs and commentary about the student's sexual escapades, drinking and pot smoking, including testimonials from friends. Among the pictures were shots of the young woman passed out after drinking.

''I was just shocked by the amount of stuff that she was willing to publicly display,'' Ms. Homayoun said. ''When I saw that, I thought, 'O.K., so much for that.' ''

Ms. Rose said a recruiter had told her he rejected an applicant after searching the name of the student, a chemical engineering major, on Google. Among the things the recruiter found, she said, was this remark: ''I like to blow things up.''

Occasionally students find evidence online that may explain why a job search is foundering. Tien Nguyen, a senior at the University of California, Los Angeles, signed up for interviews on campus with corporate recruiters, beginning last fall, but he was seldom invited.

A friend suggested in February that Mr. Nguyen research himself on Google. He found a link to a satirical essay, titled ''Lying Your Way to the Top,'' that he had published last summer on a Web site for college students. He asked that the essay be removed. Soon, he began to be invited to job interviews, and he has now received several offers.

''I never really considered that employers would do something like that,'' he said. ''I thought they would just look at your résumé and grades.''

Jennifer Floren is chief executive of Experience Inc., which provides online information about jobs and employers to students at 3,800 universities. ''This is really the first time that we've seen that stage of life captured in a kind of time capsule and in a public way,'' Ms. Floren said. ''It has its place, but it's moving from a fraternity or sorority living room. It's now in a public arena.''

Some companies, including Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Ernst & Young and Osram Sylvania, said they did not use the Internet to check on college job applicants.

''I'd rather not see that part of them,'' said Maureen Crawford Hentz, manager of talent acquisition at Osram Sylvania. ''I don't think it's related to their bona fide occupational qualifications.''

More than a half-dozen major corporations, including Morgan Stanley, Dell, Pfizer, L'Oréal and Goldman Sachs, turned down or did not respond to requests for interviews.

But other companies, particularly those involved in the digital world like Microsoft and Métier, a small software company in Washington, D.C., said researching students through social networking sites was now fairly typical. ''It's becoming very much a common tool,'' said Warren Ashton, group marketing manager at Microsoft. ''For the first time ever, you suddenly have very public information about almost any candidate.''

At Microsoft, Mr. Ashton said, recruiters are given broad latitude over how to work, and there is no formal policy about using the Internet to research applicants. ''There are certain recruiters and certain companies that are probably more in tune with the new technologies than others are,'' he said.

Microsoft and Osram Sylvania have also begun to use networking sites in a different way, participating openly in online communities to get out their company's messages and to identify talented job candidates.

Students may not know when they have been passed up for an interview or a job offer because of something a recruiter saw on the Internet. But more than a dozen college career counselors said recruiters had been telling them since last fall about incidents in which students' online writing or photographs had raised serious questions about their judgment, eliminating them as job candidates.

Some college career executives are skeptical that many employers routinely check applicants online. ''Myobservation is that it's more fiction than fact,'' said Tom Devlin, director of the career center at the University of California, Berkeley.

At a conference in late May, Mr. Devlin said, he asked 40 employers if they researched students online and every one said no.

Many career counselors have been urging students to review their pages on Facebook and other sites with fresh eyes, removing photographs or text that may be inappropriate to show to their grandmother or potential employers. Counselors are also encouraging students to apply settings on Facebook that can significantly limit access to their pages.

Melanie Deitch, director of marketing at Facebook, said students should take advantage of the site's privacy settings and be smart about what they post. But students may not be following the advice.

''I think students have the view that Facebook is their space and that the adult world doesn't know about it,'' said Mark W. Smith, assistant vice chancellor and director of the career center at Washington University in St. Louis. ''But the adult world is starting to come in.''

 

[sanjuro]

Thanks for the great responses!

2 questions:

1. I'm trying to find jobs in which strong writing skills are a plus. Should I send writing samples if they're not asked for?

2. If someone says no calls on the job listing, how should I follow up? When I do follow up anywhere, what should I say?

1. Your opportunity to get your writing sample it will probably be the cover letter. In my profession in computers, obviously it is less important, but for yours...

2. Then you won't be able to follow up. While this proviso is designed to screen the candidates who are not qualified, it hurts the qualifed as well. After the interview, someone will give you a business card, and that is the way to check it out.

 

[bluebug32]

No dirty secrets to be discovered...just that I'm a biking freak!

 

[llkoolkeg]

No dirty secrets to be discovered...just that I'm a biking freak!

...and enjoy riding large bananas, ya filthy food fetishist!

 

[bluebug32]

...and enjoy riding large bananas, ya filthy food fetishist!

damn, I was trying not to make it so obvious!

 

[LordOpie]

 

[Snacks]

Ask questions about the job and company. I'm surprised when they don't have any questions about health insurance, benefits, 401K, vacations, blah blah blah....

It's like they know nothing about the company they are appling to work for? Research the company before the interview.

 

[bluebug32]

Ask questions about the job and company. I'm surprised when they don't have any questions about health insurance, benefits, 401K, vacations, blah blah blah....

It's like they know nothing about the company they are appling to work for? Research the company before the interview.

Is it okay to ask about all that stuff during the first interview even before you get the job offer?

 

[bluebug32]

Ope with the comic gold!

 

[LordOpie]

Is it okay to ask about all that stuff during the first interview even before you get the job offer?

remember, you're interviewing them too.

Suppose they give a fair salary, but zero benefits... you need to know that so you can comparison shop.

If this is the one-and-only interview you have, get the job and then if it's not what you want, keep looking. You have so much more leverage when you're employed.

 

[bluebug32]

remember, you're interviewing them too.

Suppose they give a fair salary, but zero benefits... you need to know that so you can comparison shop.

If this is the one-and-only interview you have, get the job and then if it's not what you want, keep looking. You have so much more leverage when you're employed.

I applied to a few places, so we'll see what happens

 

[bluebug32]

Bump....

Where's Babs when you need his 2 cents??

 

[urbaindk]

Sorry I skipped out early Friday. Was there ever a consensus on the whole pants, no pants thing?

 

[Westy]

Sorry I skipped out early Friday. Was there ever a consensus on the whole pants, no pants thing?

I say cover both bases, assless chaps.

 

[bluebug32]

Sorry I skipped out early Friday. Was there ever a consensus on the whole pants, no pants thing?

I'm thinking see-through pants....

 

[Nick]

I'm thinking see-through pants....

Congratulations, you're hired.