Cover Letter

Your cover letter is your
first impression.

• Be formal when addressing and writing to the hiring manager.
• Customize the cover letter to reference the specific job.
• Emphasize the part of the job description that matches your skills and experience.
• Be brief, but clear as to why you deserve an interview.
  
  

Resume

Your resume is your brag sheet.

• Organize your experience in chronological order, listing most recent work first.
• Be concise and try and stick to one page. Experience over ten years ago need not be as detailed as your most recent jobs.
• Incorporate keywords from the job description into your resume.
• Use words that quantify your value. For a list of action words describing your work experience, click here.
• Communicate your experience using positive terms.
• Proofread your resume!
  
  

Interview Preparation

Research the company prior to the first interview.

• Use the company’s website as a tool to learn more about the firm.
• Visit the press release section for current events regarding the firm.
• Use an on-line search engine to search for articles about the company, both present and past.
• Keep an eye out for any new initiatives and familiarize yourself with them; use them as a potential point of discussion in the interview.

Dress conservatively and maintain an overall neat appearance.

• When preparing an ensemble for an interview, dress traditionally and stick with basic colors and accessories.
• Go light with perfume or cologne.
• If the company supports a business casual or dress-down atmosphere, you should still wear a suit to the interview. You will not offend anyone if you are overdressed.

Arrive early.

• You lose credibility when you are late.
• Turn off the sound and the vibration on your cell phone before you arrive!

Be conscious of what you carry.

• Be mindful of what you carry into the interview. If you are traveling, be sure to leave your luggage behind.
• If bringing something to read, be conscious of your choice of reading materials.

Be polite to everyone you encounter after you arrive … especially the receptionist!

• Remember that the interview process begins the moment you walk through the door.
• Did you know that reception is often consulted about candidates behavior?"

Bring multiple hard copies of your resume.

• Even if the interview calls for meeting with one person, you may be introduced to others who have not yet reviewed your resume.
• It is always to your benefit to have multiple copies of your resume since your resume is your personal marketing tool.

The Interview

Be Prepared.
Research the company in advance of the interview. Tools such as the internet, annual reports and trade journals offer valuable information on a company’s organization, philosophy and direction. Reviewing the job description will allow you to position yourself and your skills in a meaningful way during the interview. The research will also help you to formulate relevant questions.

Answering the question “What can you tell me about yourself?":
Your response should be brief and specific and should tie into why the company should hire you. You should be confident but not arrogant. You should be forthcoming but not long-winded. Using words like ‘detail oriented’ and ’effective communicator’ do not differentiate you from anyone else who will interview for the position. Rather, you should describe successes that highlight your accomplishments. This is your time to tell about yourself. Be humble, yet be proud.

Always be positive.
Interviewers do not like to hear candidates speaking negatively about their former employers or colleagues. Find an appropriate way to put a positive spin on even the most dire experiences. This is not the time to make a point. Maintain eye contact and smile. Pause, when you stop talking the interview will move along.

Ask for the interviewer’s business card.
This will ensure you know the name and title of each person you meet and will facilitate writing thank you notes.

Post-Interview

Write a thank you note to each person you meet.
The thank you note may be your only opportunity to follow-up directly after an interview. Be brief, polite and above all, be formal. You should mention something unique about your discussion in order to differentiate yourself from the other interviewees. It is important to customize each note so as not to send the exact same message to those with whom you have interviewed. Thank you notes can be handwritten or emailed, either works. Please proofread the note before sending. A carelessly written thank you note can ruin your chances even after a solid interview.

The Resignation

You should prepare a short letter of resignation. Then notify your immediate supervisor first, followed by any other members of the hierarchy necessary. Be gracious but firm as you resign. Two weeks’ notice is standard. In almost all cases, more notice is unnecessary. The company likely has procedures in place for when someone resigns and they will provide you with next steps. Always leave on a positive note.

Counteroffers

You should never accept a counteroffer.
Though flattering, a counteroffer is usually a short-term solution. Generally, the reasons for wanting to leave the company still exist and are unlikely to change in the near term. Counteroffers are self-serving to the company and often represent a compromise in your next raise or bonus. Moreover, your loyalty may be questioned and you could be the first to go should business cycles change. Truly you should be suspect as to why you are more valuable today than you were yesterday and only after you resigned your job. You should thank the company for the offer but be clear about your intentions to move on.