I had planned on publishing a post about crafting a resume out of nothing (ie, no work experience) today...but while looking through old emails I came across the first cover letter I ever wrote. I'll admit, I'm a little embarrassed at some of the things I wrote in it - it's clear I didn't quite know what I was doing and probably didn't have anyone proofread it for me. But after listening to me read it aloud tonight, my husband commented (after he stopped chuckling at me), that "hey, you would totally hire you!" And he's right. I get a lot of applications from eager young graduates who are new to the job world and this is just the kind of cover letter that makes me smile (and yes, giggle a little). So, I've decided to share my cover letter with you...along with my observations and comments having read it today (those will be in red). Enjoy!
from Kate Retzer
to jgann@unitedwaysb.org
date Wed, Jul 6, 2005 at 10:05 AM
subject Community Campaign Coordinator
Jennifer Gann, (Wow, first AND last name, huh? And no salutation? Feels a little direct to me now!)
I read about your position in the Santa Barbara News Press (Wow, back when people still posted jobs on newspapers websites!) and am very interested! I think my particular skill set (where on earth did I hear this phrase? I feel like "skill set" is a much more common term now) and interests would be a strong fit for your organization.
I am a recent graduate from Westmont College, where I graduated with a 3.68 GPA, and am currently assisting in event planning in the Alumniand Parent Relations department. (Graduate where I graduated? A little redundant. And I can't believe that I share my GPA. Oh, sweet little innocent college grad...no one really cares about your GPA unless it's much higher than that! And I'm surprised that I didn't talk more about that internship - that was definitely the most relevant experience that I had.) While at Westmont, I truly developed my event planning skills through job shadowing with the Campus Pastor, coordinating section and dorm events as a Resident Assistance, and directing "Preview Days" as a Housing Ambassador Intern with the Admissions department. (There's some embellishment happening here. While I interned with our campus pastor, I really don't think a job-shadowed him or learned anything about event planning in that position! Gotcha, 21 year old Kate.)
I am a classic multi-tasker (WHAT? CLASSIC? As opposed to what? A modern multi-tasker? Do I plunk away at a typewriter while answering a rotary phone??) and love having specific projects to plan and details to manage. (This would be a good time to talk about a particular success. Although maybe I didn't have any yet!) I love working with others but am also a self-starter (one of my dad's favorite terms...nice) and able to handle projects without needing to be constantly monitored (when I read this sort of thing now in a cover letter it makes me think the person is a little defensive. Today I'd phrase this a little differently.) I am young and enthusiastic (AW, I can't believe that I actually said that I was young in my cover letter!! But there's something very endearing and fresh-faced about that...it still makes me smile.) but also have the experience to plan successful and creative events (not really, but I'm trying to create a lot of experience out of a few semi-related projects!).
I look forward to hearing from you and hope that we can meet to discuss the position soon. Thank you for the opportunity. (Solid wrap-up, if I do say so myself...)
Sincerely,
Kate Retzer (Aw, my maiden name! I miss you, Retzer!)
I guess the moral of the story is that we all have to start from somewhere! The best part of this cover letter? I forgot to attach my resume and had to send a follow-up email to her! Tee hee - whoops!
(Oh, by the way, I got the job - I guess this letter wasn't all bad, after all!)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The Other Other Side: Advice for Hiring Managers
So this blog is all about giving you an understanding of the other side of getting a job, from the perspective of the hiring manager. However, lately I've heard from several people who are in the process of filling a position and would like to know what I look for when I am interviewing people.
To be quite honest, for me, it all comes down to two factors: trusting my gut and paying attention to every detail. I only have a couple of brief opportunities to access a candidate, so while I'm observing all of someone's positive attributes, I'm also assessing every possible red flag. Here's some possible red flags that catch my attention:
Red Flags:
1. Arrives way early or late to the interview
2. Wears casual attire
3. Misses sections on our employment application
4. Forgets to bring resume copies
3. Bad-mouths former employer/boss
4. Vague answers to questions
5. Can't give me precise numbers or dates
6. Doesn't take notes when I tell them about the position
7. Doesn't have questions to ask
8. Doesn't express enthusiasm for the job
9. Obviously hasn't done any research about the position or our company
Trusting My Gut:
I usually am more willing to take a chance on people when I'm hiring for entry-level positions. I know it tends to be a younger profile candidate and they are learning how to approach professional life. I'm willing to train entry level candidates how to be great employees...but when I'm hiring for mid-level managers, I really trust my intuition. I will wait until I find that right person and usually I can tell if this is the right candidate within 10 minutes of our first conversation. It's just a gut reaction that I can't explain. Something feels right and I know this is the person for the job. Several times I've hired people when I didn't feel 100% in my gut that they were right for the position and I've always regretted these decisions. So I will continue to trust my gut and hope that you do too!
To be quite honest, for me, it all comes down to two factors: trusting my gut and paying attention to every detail. I only have a couple of brief opportunities to access a candidate, so while I'm observing all of someone's positive attributes, I'm also assessing every possible red flag. Here's some possible red flags that catch my attention:
Red Flags:
1. Arrives way early or late to the interview
2. Wears casual attire
3. Misses sections on our employment application
4. Forgets to bring resume copies
3. Bad-mouths former employer/boss
4. Vague answers to questions
5. Can't give me precise numbers or dates
6. Doesn't take notes when I tell them about the position
7. Doesn't have questions to ask
8. Doesn't express enthusiasm for the job
9. Obviously hasn't done any research about the position or our company
Trusting My Gut:
I usually am more willing to take a chance on people when I'm hiring for entry-level positions. I know it tends to be a younger profile candidate and they are learning how to approach professional life. I'm willing to train entry level candidates how to be great employees...but when I'm hiring for mid-level managers, I really trust my intuition. I will wait until I find that right person and usually I can tell if this is the right candidate within 10 minutes of our first conversation. It's just a gut reaction that I can't explain. Something feels right and I know this is the person for the job. Several times I've hired people when I didn't feel 100% in my gut that they were right for the position and I've always regretted these decisions. So I will continue to trust my gut and hope that you do too!
Monday, May 23, 2011
How to Create a Resume I'll Read
Let me preface this by saying that this post is purely based on my preferences and my experience (as is the entirety of this blog, in fact). Other hiring managers might like a flashy resume in a scripty font. Other hiring managers might like a long list of your skills with just a brief mention of your work history. Other hiring managers might want to know that you like to shop and garden in your spare time. I...do not.
I prefer clean, simple, straightforward....yet detailed and precise resumes. Sections I could do without: 1. Objective (just seems like a throw-away section to me), 2. Skills (I never read this, I prefer to read about your skills in your cover letter and deduce your skills from the accomplishments listed on your resume. 3. Other activities. Amuse me with stories about your hobbies during our small talk before your interview. I don't want to read about how you have 3 kids on your resume.
Crucial Details: 1. Education (degree, school, and major - I don't need GPA unless it's awesome), 2. Resume organized by your most recent position (Company name, location, your title, your dates of employment) 3. Specific duties listed under each job title (Don't group these all together and then give me a separate list of the jobs you had. It's counter-intuitive and seems a little confusing to me).
Helpful Extras: 1. Trainings you've attended - particularly if you're trying to get a job that's a step-up for you! Showcasing the training you've received can help fill in the gaps in your resume. 2. Volunteer positions you've held - again, this can speak to your additional experience.
A word about length - stick to a page when you first graduate from college. After a few jobs you can increase it to two pages.
That's my intro into resumes - got more questions? Hit me up in the comments section!
I prefer clean, simple, straightforward....yet detailed and precise resumes. Sections I could do without: 1. Objective (just seems like a throw-away section to me), 2. Skills (I never read this, I prefer to read about your skills in your cover letter and deduce your skills from the accomplishments listed on your resume. 3. Other activities. Amuse me with stories about your hobbies during our small talk before your interview. I don't want to read about how you have 3 kids on your resume.
Crucial Details: 1. Education (degree, school, and major - I don't need GPA unless it's awesome), 2. Resume organized by your most recent position (Company name, location, your title, your dates of employment) 3. Specific duties listed under each job title (Don't group these all together and then give me a separate list of the jobs you had. It's counter-intuitive and seems a little confusing to me).
Helpful Extras: 1. Trainings you've attended - particularly if you're trying to get a job that's a step-up for you! Showcasing the training you've received can help fill in the gaps in your resume. 2. Volunteer positions you've held - again, this can speak to your additional experience.
A word about length - stick to a page when you first graduate from college. After a few jobs you can increase it to two pages.
That's my intro into resumes - got more questions? Hit me up in the comments section!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The Fine Line of Follow-Up
There's a fine line in how you follow-up after an interview. I've interviewed candidates and then never heard from them again. I've also had candidates who called me literally every day, left me messages constantly and tried to fake out my assistant in order to get through to me. These are candidates I WOULD have hired...but then they sort of creeped me out. So here's some general rules:
1. Send a thank you email after your interview. Send it to everyone who interviewed you (ask for everyone's card at the end of your interview so you have the contact information). Reiterate why you are interested in the position based on what you learned through the interview.
2. Send a hand-written thank you note as well for extra bonus points.
3. If you don't hear back after one week, call or send an email to inquire about the next steps.
4. Then stop. If you haven't heard back after that, you didn't get the job and will likely receive a letter or email soon to inform you. If you are still in the running, the hiring manager won't keep you in the dark.
ONE EXCEPTION: If you have a competing offer on the table, let the hiring manager know ASAP. This is crucial information for me. It often takes about a week for me to get approval for hiring from my VPs and knowing that we could lose you usually gets me approval within a couple hours.
In short, follow up with me afterwards but don't become a stalker.
1. Send a thank you email after your interview. Send it to everyone who interviewed you (ask for everyone's card at the end of your interview so you have the contact information). Reiterate why you are interested in the position based on what you learned through the interview.
2. Send a hand-written thank you note as well for extra bonus points.
3. If you don't hear back after one week, call or send an email to inquire about the next steps.
4. Then stop. If you haven't heard back after that, you didn't get the job and will likely receive a letter or email soon to inform you. If you are still in the running, the hiring manager won't keep you in the dark.
ONE EXCEPTION: If you have a competing offer on the table, let the hiring manager know ASAP. This is crucial information for me. It often takes about a week for me to get approval for hiring from my VPs and knowing that we could lose you usually gets me approval within a couple hours.
In short, follow up with me afterwards but don't become a stalker.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Practice-Jobs or Get Thee an Internship!
As a part of my Wednesday series for new grads, today I present "Practice-Jobs or Get Thee an Internship!" I never had an internship when I was in college. I was involved in a number of extra-curricular activities that helped me craft a decent resume after graduation. However, I have regretted not taking the opportunity to get some extra work experience through getting an internship. When we lived in Santa Barbara, each year I spoke at the internship class about life after college. I always congratulated the class on getting a leg up by choosing to spend a little less time on campus their senior year, and a little more time adding to their resume and work experiences.
Why get an internship?
1. Extra Experience - I've alluded to this already but obviously, an internship gives you some extra experience to put on your resume and reference when you attend interviews. Look for internships that give you the opportunity to focus on a particular project, not just make copies and get people coffee.
2. It might turn into a job! When hiring interns, I typically conduct a fairly rigorous screening and interview process. If an intern impresses me, I do everything I can to find her a position at our company. At the very least, I become a glowing reference for her. You see, there's always a fair amount of guesswork when it comes to hiring. I can only tell so much through a couple hours in an interview process with you. But if I've had the opportunity to work with you directly for a couple months and you impress me (even if you don't necessarily have all of the qualifications a position might require), I'd rather hire you than take my chances on the unknown.
Stay tuned for next Wednesday's topic "How to make the most of your internship"!
Why get an internship?
1. Extra Experience - I've alluded to this already but obviously, an internship gives you some extra experience to put on your resume and reference when you attend interviews. Look for internships that give you the opportunity to focus on a particular project, not just make copies and get people coffee.
2. It might turn into a job! When hiring interns, I typically conduct a fairly rigorous screening and interview process. If an intern impresses me, I do everything I can to find her a position at our company. At the very least, I become a glowing reference for her. You see, there's always a fair amount of guesswork when it comes to hiring. I can only tell so much through a couple hours in an interview process with you. But if I've had the opportunity to work with you directly for a couple months and you impress me (even if you don't necessarily have all of the qualifications a position might require), I'd rather hire you than take my chances on the unknown.
Stay tuned for next Wednesday's topic "How to make the most of your internship"!
Monday, May 16, 2011
How to Prepare for an Interview
Congratulations! You've crafted a straightforward and compelling cover letter and resume. Next, your confident voice and lack of obvious mental instability during the phone screen has qualified you for an interview. Now what?
Time to prepare!
1. Memorize your resume. This sounds easy enough, but be sure you can name the details of your most impressive accomplishments in an articulate manner.
2. Practice your answers to the typical interview questions. Best qualities, what you want to improve, what you have to offer, etc etc. You can google "interview questions" for some more ideas. I like this list as well. Make sure you have a good answer for why you are looking for a new job. Ahem, I can't stand my boss does not qualify as a good answer. More on this in another post.
3. Research the company. Check out their website. Memorize their mission statement. Think about where they might need to go in the next 5 years. Consider how you can contribute to their success.
4. Prepare your questions. I love when candidates ask me why I like working for my company. I love when they ask about opportunities for advancement internally. I love when they ask where we are headed as an organization. I hate when candidates have NO questions to ask.
Pretty simple, right?
Time to prepare!
1. Memorize your resume. This sounds easy enough, but be sure you can name the details of your most impressive accomplishments in an articulate manner.
2. Practice your answers to the typical interview questions. Best qualities, what you want to improve, what you have to offer, etc etc. You can google "interview questions" for some more ideas. I like this list as well. Make sure you have a good answer for why you are looking for a new job. Ahem, I can't stand my boss does not qualify as a good answer. More on this in another post.
3. Research the company. Check out their website. Memorize their mission statement. Think about where they might need to go in the next 5 years. Consider how you can contribute to their success.
4. Prepare your questions. I love when candidates ask me why I like working for my company. I love when they ask about opportunities for advancement internally. I love when they ask where we are headed as an organization. I hate when candidates have NO questions to ask.
Pretty simple, right?
Exiting Gracefully
This post does not have to do with getting a job, but since I've had a couple employees resign recently, the right way to exit a job is on my mind. I understand that people need to change jobs sometimes. Generally, I think the two year rule is a good one (ie, if you want to leave on good terms with a company, stay for at least two years), but lately, at least one year is decent for me. I deal with a lot of new grads, so it's typical that they decide that non-profit is not for them and/or want to make more money. I understand. It's not for everyone, and you have to be really committed if you are going to work this hard and not be paid more for it.
However, there is something to be said for the WAY you exit a company. Here are some general rules.
1. Tell your direct supervisor first. Lately, I've been the first to get the call and not the direct supervisor. This gets awkward when I assume the direct supervisor knows and unintentionally break the news before the employee does. It's fine to call another "superior" directly, but make sure you tell your supervisor first - it's more respectful to him or her.
2. Give at least two weeks notice - longer if you need to finish a project. I've hired several people recently where I had to wait a longer time before they started working for me because they felt that they needed to complete a particular project before they left their current position. I RESPECT THAT! In fact, I sometimes wish my former employees were that committed to how they completed their work for our company.
3. Finish strong. It's tough to make the last couple of weeks at your job very productive. You've started to disengage and mentally move on. Try your hardest to finish strong. Complete your files, create notes, do your best to pitch in and help your co-workers. Why should you do this? Other than the fact that it's the (ahem) right thing to do while you are still being paid? Finish strong because it increases the chances you can get a good recommendation and someday, maybe get re-hired, should you decide to re-join the company. We have several people who have left our company for higher paying jobs and returned because they enjoyed the work they did here more. A big part of why they were re-hired was because of the WAY they left.
The way you leave a company reveals a lot about your character. So make the tougher choice and exit gracefully.
However, there is something to be said for the WAY you exit a company. Here are some general rules.
1. Tell your direct supervisor first. Lately, I've been the first to get the call and not the direct supervisor. This gets awkward when I assume the direct supervisor knows and unintentionally break the news before the employee does. It's fine to call another "superior" directly, but make sure you tell your supervisor first - it's more respectful to him or her.
2. Give at least two weeks notice - longer if you need to finish a project. I've hired several people recently where I had to wait a longer time before they started working for me because they felt that they needed to complete a particular project before they left their current position. I RESPECT THAT! In fact, I sometimes wish my former employees were that committed to how they completed their work for our company.
3. Finish strong. It's tough to make the last couple of weeks at your job very productive. You've started to disengage and mentally move on. Try your hardest to finish strong. Complete your files, create notes, do your best to pitch in and help your co-workers. Why should you do this? Other than the fact that it's the (ahem) right thing to do while you are still being paid? Finish strong because it increases the chances you can get a good recommendation and someday, maybe get re-hired, should you decide to re-join the company. We have several people who have left our company for higher paying jobs and returned because they enjoyed the work they did here more. A big part of why they were re-hired was because of the WAY they left.
The way you leave a company reveals a lot about your character. So make the tougher choice and exit gracefully.
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