What to Do Before You Start a Job Search

Sometimes, we change jobs because we want to. In other cases, we lose our job and don’t have a choice. I actually made my best career moves when I was pushed, by company restructuring one time and company bankruptcy another, into job searching. In both cases, it was a positive change that might not have happened otherwise. 

In either case, it’s important to take the time to prepare for a job search, so all the resources you need are in place before you start seeking employment. 

Before You Start a Job Search

 It’s important to have a good idea of the type of job you are interested in, to have a resume written, to have references ready, and to have the proper equipment (phone, computer, etc.) in place before you start looking for work.

It can be stressful and a waste of time, for both yourself and a prospective employer, to realize that you really didn’t want the job you just were offered. Or even worse, to realize that you don’t want the job after you already started it. 

Someone who once worked at the same company I did started a new job and knew the very first day that she didn’t want to be there. She called and asked whether she could have her old job back. It was too late. We had already hired a replacement, and she was stuck working at a job she didn’t want while she job searched, again. 

How Often People Change Jobs

Most people change jobs many times throughout their working life. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the younger baby boomers surveyed changed jobs 12 times from age 18 to age 52. Half of those job changes were between ages 18 and 25.

That’s a lot of jobs, and this statistic is good to know, especially if you’re a job changer. Unlike the past, when it was normal to work for the same employer until you retired, it’s much more common today to change jobs.

There isn’t the same expectation on the part of employers that you should stay or that the company should provide long-term employment for you. It’s not your parents’ workplace anymore, where most people worked for thirty years, then retired. There isn’t an obligation on either side. Employers don’t feel like they need to protect their employees, and workers have few qualms about quitting. 

Consider the Best Job for You

In some industries, especially high-tech ones, you are expected to change jobs if you want your career to progress. It’s the norm, not the exception. At some companies, especially smaller ones, there may not be enough options to move up the career ladder. In other cases, you may get tired or bored and want to try something different. All of the above are good reasons for changing your job.

We all change as we age. The job that was perfect when you were in school may not be what you want now. There are some people who are thrilled to have a high-pressure job; even it means working sixty hours a week. They thrive on it. Others would prefer to work less and earn less.

What we want from our job changes over time as well. Health insurance and other benefits become more important as we age. Flexibility is important to those job seekers who have a family or are planning on one. So, what we want from our work changes as we change. 

It’s important to be aware of that and consider what we actually want from employment. It’s also worth taking the time to assess, every few years or so, what it is that we want from our work. There isn’t much worse than getting ready to retire and realizing that you really hated the job you worked at for all those years. 

The jobs that are available change on a regular basis. Technology changes, industries change, and companies change. The job market changes regularly, too. The type of jobs that are considered “hot” today may be at the bottom of the list of jobs employers are hiring for next time you job search. 

Investigate Career Options

That’s why each and every time you start a job search, you should spend time investigating career options and the type of jobs you might want to do. Take a personality test (or two) to see what job options might be a fit. You may be surprised at what jobs are available, and you may generate some ideas for jobs that you had never thought of. 

What’s most important is to find the job that’s right for you. I have a friend from college who took the first job he could find after graduation. He started as a temporary mail carrier, then took the post office exam and became a mailman. After a few years, he regretted that decision. By then, he had a wife and a family and not much experience doing anything else. 

Unfortunately, at that point, it was very hard to make a change that would provide a comparable salary and benefits, both of which he needed. Perhaps he would have been better served to spend some more time on a job search. That way, he could have been sure that the first job he accepted was the right job. 

Find Career Advising Resources 

Maybe you’d like help deciding what you could or should be doing. Luckily, there are free and low-cost services that can help. 

College Career Offices

 If you’re a college graduate, check with your career services office or alumni office. Many colleges and universities offer job search assistance, resume and cover letter reviews, and access to job listings, regardless of when you graduated. 

How to Get Help: Contact Your Career Services Office

Career Counselors and Coaches

Career counselors offer personalized assistance, and the fees may be more reasonable than you anticipated. Counselors can help you explore both work and life issues. A career counselor can also help you plan and conduct a job search. I know this sounds time-consuming, but we spend a good amount of our lives working. 

If you can find a job that you enjoy that provides you with the salary and benefits you need to live comfortably, and that provides you with the opportunity to grow your career in the direction you want to move, you will have succeeded in your job search. 

How Get Help: How to Find and Choose a Career Counselor

Libraries

Public libraries often have classes and workshops. They also have computers, internet access, and research materials available to use free of charge.

How to Get Help: Directory of U.S. Public Libraries

American Job Centers (AJCs)

AJCs have experienced career counselors on staff that work with job seekers to identify their interests, assess their skill, and advise them on in-demand jobs and potential training opportunities.  Resume help, recruiting events, workshops on resume writing, interviewing skills, and job search activities are also available. 

How to Get Help: Locate an AJC

The Importance Finding the Right Job

You have probably read the quote from Confucius about work: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” If you think about it, it makes good sense. If you are working at a job you enjoy, it doesn’t feel like work. 

If you can have fun at your job, it doesn’t feel like work. If you enjoy your job, your working environment, and your coworkers, you won’t feel as much like you are working, either. 

 

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5 Reasons Your Resume Should Always Be Ready

According to Merriam Webster, the word prepare means to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity. We prepare ahead and get ready for a lot of events in life, such as the birth of a baby, our children’s college tuition, unexpected emergencies, and retirement. However, many professionals do not even think about their resume until they decide to look for a job. 

The reality is people change jobs often, with most spending five years or less in every job. You might be content in your current position and maybe even love the company that you work for, but you never know when an enticing career opportunity may present itself. 

Why Your Resume Should Always be Ready

Here are 5 reasons your resume should always be ready:

1. You’re an at-will employee

Most employees in the US are considered at-will employees and can be terminated for any reason or no reason at all, without explanation or warning. Employees can also leave an organization for any reason or no reason at all, without notice. However, it is best practice to provide two weeks’ notice. 

Many loyal employees have been caught off guard by the proverbial pink slip and a brown box to pack up their belongings, because they missed the warning signs. Now they are forced to update their resume while also dealing with the emotions and financial stress that comes along with losing a job. If you stay ready, you don’t have to be forced to get ready.

2. An unexpected opportunity may knock

According to LinkedIn Talent Solutions, the #1 reason people change jobs is career opportunity. Oftentimes, an opportunity is presented when least expected. You might be scrolling through your LinkedIn feed and see a job recommendation based on your profile. One of your Linked connections may post that their company is hiring for a position that aligns perfectly with your long-term career goal. 

A position may open at your current company that you did not anticipate. Companies occasionally reorganize their structure and create new positions. In some instances, internal applicants are preferred, and in others, it’s fair game for anyone who applies. If your resume is ready, you should only have to customize your resume, rather than completely rewrite it.

3. Someone in your network may want to refer you for a position

Not all jobs are posted. Many employers save money and reduce the time it takes to fill a position by using the hidden job market. In addition to using a recruiting firm or headhunters, they rely on referrals from current employees. If someone in your network asks for your resume so they can get it into the hands of a decision maker, you want your resume to be ready.

Remember, one of the reasons employers use the hidden job market is because they want to fill positions quickly. If you don’t get your resume in front of the decision maker quickly, you might miss out on the opportunity because your competition beat you to it. 

4. Your accomplishments will be fresh in your mind

One of the biggest challenges people have when updating their resume is capturing their accomplishments. Typically, they don’t struggle because of a lack of noteworthy accomplishments. Instead, they struggle because they don’t remember what they accomplished or they don’t know how to include their accomplishments on their resume. 

Depending on how success is measured for a particular job, it may be hard to identify accomplishments. Some accomplishments can be easily cited in quantifiable results in terms of dollars and/or percentages. Others, can be better articulated in qualitative terms using action words such as enhanced, resolved, and upgraded, to name a few. 

If too much time passes between when the accomplishment was achieved and when you update your resume, you may forget about the great work that you did.

5. Passive job seekers may be more attractive to recruiters

Perhaps you have heard the anecdotal saying, “it’s easier to find a job when you already have one.” In part, that may be true because passive job seekers are often considered to be more attractive than active job seekers. Why? Passive job seekers are not typically courting other companies, meaning less competition for the hiring company. Passive job seekers are believed to be happy in their current role, hence the reason they are not actively looking. It is also believed that passive job seekers are less likely to be a flight risk and will stay at the company longer than an active job seeker might.

Though you may not be actively looking for a job, as a passive job seeker you might be curious to learn more about a potential opportunity that piques your interest. That is why it is a good idea to keep your resume ready, even for informational interviews.

Proactive career management is a major key to achieving professional success. By planning ahead and being prepared with an updated resume, you will be ready for a career opportunity that may come your way, even when you least expect it.

Ready to get started? Resume Basics: Writing and Formatting Your Resume

Guest Author Ricklyn Woods is a career coach, job search strategist, and certified Human Resources professional with a unique ability to help people see their significance and articulate their awesomeness, so they can get the job they desire and the salary they deserve.

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How to Handle Work-From-Home Burnout

If you drive a car hard, foot flat on the accelerator, then slam on the brakes, then accelerate quickly, the car will break down faster than if you accelerate/decelerate smoothly and service the car regularly. The same theory applies to our bodies – specifically, our adrenal glands. 

Why We Get Burned Out

In today’s challenging work environment, too many people have been spending long periods of time in overdrive, with their foot flat on the accelerator, draining their adrenals – and their resilience. 

Our adrenal glands produce cortisol so that we can rise to the occasion with confidence.  To recover quickly, they then need relaxation. Without that, cortisol levels remain too high for too long – leading to adrenal fatigue (burnout). Signs of burnout are a heart that is racing, grey skin tone, digestive issues, not stopping for even the shortest break, getting frequent colds, and making minor mistakes, diary errors etc.

At its most serious, burnout can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Thankfully, most of us only ever experience mild burnout, an increasingly common condition.  (In fact, in 2019, the World Health Organization officially named burnout a syndrome described as the ineffective management of workplace stress.) 

Boundaries Between Work and Home

With the shift to working remotely, many people are struggling to establish clear boundaries between work and home, which is draining resilience and increasing mild burnout. 

It helps to make a clean break, close your computer and remove yourself physically from your workstation. Ideally, have a change of scene and get some fresh air and exercise before segueing into “home life.”  

Burnout Warning Signs to Watch For

If that isn’t possible, keep an eye out for early warning signs of low resilience:  high blood pressure, low level anxiety, mood swings, inability to cope well with change, feeling regularly fatigued, going into over-drive, obsessing over things, and being short-tempered.

How to Avoid Work-From-Home Burnout

At the first sign of even one of these, intensify your use of resilience techniques to stop yourself from tipping in to burnout. 

Things like physical fitness, good nutrition (especially vitamin B and magnesium) and hydration, meditation, massage, sunshine, and effectively processing negative events (to regain optimism) all build resilience.

To help you allocate sufficient time for rest and recovery and create a resilient lifestyle, one simple tip is to write the word REST in blocks in your calendar every week.  Guard those windows and encourage loved ones and colleagues to do the same.  REST stands for:

• Retreat is the equivalent of a tennis player putting a towel over their head between sets – find a few moments each week to completely disengage from the world around you.
• Eat (healthfully). A diet high in sugar, simple carbohydrates and with lots of meat and dairy creates more acidic conditions in the body, increasing cortisol higher than it should be. We should be primarily eating green and bright colored vegetables, fruit, nuts, fish, meat twice a week, rice, wholegrain bread, and good quality dark chocolate.
• Sleep is the most powerful performance enhancer we have, more vital for brain function and good decision making than any waking activity. Countless studies recommend 7-9 hours per night.  Inch up your hours of sleep with power naps, going to sleep 15-30 minutes earlier and sleeping in on weekends.  Sufficient sleep is critical because if cortisol is too high, melatonin cannot kick in and our serotonin supplies won’t be renewed while we asleep, leading to brain fog and being short-tempered.  Creating a sleep protocol with a wind down strategy and using techniques, such as sequential relaxation can help you fall asleep. 
• Treat – There are two types of treats – those that can be mildly addictive (sugar and alcohol being the main contenders) and those that are truly restorative. Minimize the addictive treats and indulge in the latter. Think beyond food…a long bath, calming music, a good book, a hike or bike ride, weekly football match or round of golf, watching a film, playing with the children…whatever rejuvenates YOU. Restorative treats boost dopamine (pleasure/reward chemical) and serotonin (happiness and status chemical).

Adjusting to a New Normal

When life does return to whatever our new normal will be, continue your resilience protocol.  Be on the lookout for burnout in yourself and your team members and ask everyone across your team and circle of friends and family to do the same.

When we invest time in this kind of ongoing REST, we build resilience over time so that we can rely on our ‘bounce back’ mechanism and can more consistently perform at our peak.  Establishing clear boundaries and creating a rest and recovery discipline will create a solid foundation that you and those around you can use to achieve more, stress less, and live and work more happily that lasts well beyond the end of the current crisis.

Claire Dale and Patricia Peyton are the directors of workplace performance and wellbeing consultancy Companies in Motion and authors of award-winning wellbeing book Physical Intelligence (Simon & Schuster), available now in ebook and hardback.

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Personality Tests for Jobs

Have you been asked to take a personality assessment by a prospective employer? A relatively new addition to the world of talent acquisition is asking job seekers and employees to take personality tests. Those unfamiliar with how personality tests work often feel anxiety over the prospect of a new set of ambiguous criteria. But there’s really no need to fear, as personality tests can provide benefits for employees and job seekers alike. 

You may even want to take some personality assessments on your own, to get an idea of what careers could be a good fit for your interests. It’s always interesting to see the results, and they can give you insight into what you could be doing with your working life.

Here is our quick guide to what personality tests are and why they should matter to you.

What are Personality Tests?

Because skills matter to employers, it is important to include hard and soft skills in your resume and job applications. Your hard skills are the technical skills you can demonstrate, such as writing, computer coding, CPR, etc. Soft skills are those that are more intuitive, such as active listening, leadership, and teamwork. 

However, personality tests (also known as psychometric tests) are not related to hard or soft skills. They evaluate beyond your skills and inform employers of your approach to communication, conflict, and general problem-solving. If you are being asked to take a personality test, your skills are not under scrutiny.

Instead, the employer is thinking about the chemistry of those that make up his/her workforce. Are you a good fit? That is what the employer wants to know. There are no right or wrong answers to questions on a personality test. If administered correctly, it merely uncovers your personality, and it can be as insightful for you as it is for your future employer.

Types of Career Tests

There are a variety of personality tests and career tests you can take to help you figure out what type of job you would like:

• There are tests that help you analyze your skills. These tests will then connect your skills to appropriate jobs and careers.
• Other tests will measure your aptitude for a certain profession or a certain type of work.
• Counselors can use career tests as part of the career counseling process. Tests administered by a counselor will help you and the counselor determine what the best career options are for you.

Tests are also used as part of the hiring process. If a company is hiring salespeople, for example, they may want to ensure that the candidates they are interviewing have the type of personality they need to achieve the goals the company is trying to reach.

Career tests measure a variety of abilities, skills, and personality traits. They are designed to assist in the career planning process and to generate ideas for career options. Some tests are simple and fun, while others are more complex. Some are free, while there is a fee for others. All of them are designed to help job seekers measure their skills and relate them to job options. The different types of tests include:

• Aptitude tests: These tests gauge your ability to do a certain job or your ability to gain the skills necessary to do a job. 
• Career tests: These tests can help determine what type of position is suitable for someone with your personality. 
• Career inventories: These measure how what you are interested in matches what is required to work in different occupations. 
• Career personality tests: Career counselors use these tests to analyze the type of personality you have and to connect your personality to related career options. Keep in mind that no test is a perfect indicator of what you should do. However, career tests will give you an idea of the types of positions that might be a good fit for your skills, experience, and background. At the very least, they will give you a starting point for narrowing options and focusing your job search. At best, they can help you define quite specifically the type of position you want. 

What Can Personality Tests Accomplish?

There is currently quite a bit of controversy about how employers use personality tests. One of the most controversial functions of a personality test pertains to the hiring process. Many employers utilize personality tests to screen applicants before they choose to bring them into the company. From the employer’s point of view, this helps them maintain the status quo in their  workforce.

In contrast, some employers actively seek diversity in their work culture. From their point of view, carefully integrating teams of diverse personality types can help the team work together instead of competing with one another.

Companies that seek greater diversity understand that the best way to disrupt a market or break up apathy is to introduce more variety in thought (which is the key to healthy collaboration). In fact, many studies show that diversity is often responsible for elevating a company to greater market share within its industry. Personality tests help these employers know whether or not they have the diversity that they seek.

Finally, employers might use personality tests to vet for a specific position. Certain jobs require a unique personality, such as sales or customer service roles. These companies often train their employees from the ground up rather than hiring someone who already has the required hard skills. Therefore, before they expend the resources budgeted to train you, they want to make sure that your personality can handle the demands of the job.

How Do Personality Tests Work?

You might be asked to take a personality test before or after you’ve been hired. These tests can take you a few minutes to over an hour to complete, and they usually follow a certain model that has been peer-reviewed (that is, the model has been rigorously tested by scientists in academic fields such as psychology, anthropology, and organizational behavior).

MBTI

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator is probably the most famous and established personality test. However, the creators are insistent that the test should not be used to screen during the hiring process. You might be asked to take an MBTI after you’ve been hired or for the purpose of mentoring.

While the scientists that created the test are, in fact, named Myers and Briggs, they attribute their research primarily to psychologist Carl Jung. Myers and Briggs created the test to help people match their personality with their ideal career. They based their results on comparing the following types:

1. Extroversion versus Introversion
2. Sense versus Intuition
3. Think versus Feel
4. Judge versus Perceive

Each type comparison assumes the types as polar opposites, and the test helps you see which polar opposite you favor. For example, in the E (extroversion) and N (introversion) portion of the test, the way you answer the test questions reveals your tendency toward one type over the other. At the end of the test, you end up with four letters identifying your personality type, such as ENTJ or ISTP.

While the official MBTI costs money and is best administered by someone certified to do so, here are a few free personality tests that are based off the MBTI model:

• Human Metrics
• Truity
• 16 Personalities
• Similar Minds
• Keys 2 Cognition
• Discordia
• Psych Central

DiSC

The DiSC assessment does not attribute itself to any one scientist, though many of the principles behind it were first introduced in the book Emotions of Normal People by 1920s scientist William Marston. The creators of this test desire that those taking the test increase their overall emotional intelligence. That being said, some employers use this assessment when screening employees.

The test measures four attributes:

1. Dominance
2. Influence
3. Steadiness
4. Conscientiousness

After you’ve finished the test, your results are shown as a dot on a pie chart with four pieces (each piece representing one of the four attributes). For example, if you tested strongest for i (influence) and S (steadiness), then your dot will be located on the right side of the pie chart.

You can purchase a test package for yourself and others in your organization, or you can try one of the free online personality tests based on the DiSC model:

• 123 Test
• DiSC Personality Testing (the free version)
• Open-Source Psychometrics Project
• MyDiscProfile
• Institute Success (the free version)

Caliper

When it comes to employment and job screening, the Caliper Test is perhaps the most common. It is also one of the longest tests for the individual taking it. If an employer asks you to take the test, it is best that you plan on taking at least two hours in order to answer each question thoughtfully. 

As you sit down to take the test, you’ll notice that the multiple choices available are all positive. Therefore, while there is technically no right answer, which positive answer you choose helps the employer understand who you are and whether or not you are a good match for the company or the position.

Your results often go straight to the employer giving them a percentage match to the job and company (between 0 and 100). Ideally, your percentage score is over 50 for the open position. While Caliper tests are not typically open to the public (Caliber Corp services employers), here are a couple of free practice tests you can take that are based on the Caliper assessment:

• Test Prep XP
• Practice4Me

The Big Five

Unlike the other assessments above, the Big Five test, also known as the Five Factor Test, does not have an official administrator or brand. Most of the Five Factor Tests are completely free but are no less popular than the tests above.

As the name implies, the test measures your tendency towards five attributes. At the completion of the test, you are given a percentage of 0-100% for each category:

1. Openness
2. Conscientiousness
3. Extraversion
4. Agreeableness
5. Neuroticism

Also, unlike the other tests, one of the attributes is clearly negative (neuroticism), and employers may use a test such as this to screen out those that are emotionally unstable. As already noted, most Five Factor Tests are free to take, but here are among the most popular:

• Psychologist World
• BigFive
• Open-Source Psychometric Project
• Truity
• 123 Test
• Discover My Profile (University of Cambridge)

In Conclusion: Why Do Personality Tests Matter for Job Seekers?

It is true that many people spend years in a particular career before they realize that they are not a good fit for the job.

Tip: The sooner that you can find the career best suited for your natural abilities (such as your personality), the more satisfied and less burned out in your career you will be.

Therefore, if you find yourself between jobs or looking for a career change, you might consider taking a few career tests to find out if you are applying for jobs that are a good fit for you.

On the other hand, these tests are not always accurate, and not every employer uses a personality test to screen you. As such, if you take a personality test for an employer, and the employer says that the test indicates that you are not a good fit, trust your own intuition.

You know yourself better than a mere test. Don’t be afraid to remind yourself about the fallibility of a personality test if you love what you do, and you are confident in your skills to handle the job. Simply move on to the next interview.

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How to Get Ready for a Job Interview

The old saying that “practice makes perfect” is appropriate when it comes to interviewing. If it doesn’t make you perfect, it will, at least, help you interview effectively. Don’t start getting ready late the night before the interview. Take time in advance to prepare for your interview. 

If you have a family member or friend who will spend some time helping you, ask them to ask you some typical interview questions. The more you practice answering, the more comfortable you will be with your responses. 

If you can, record your practice interview so you can watch what you look and sound like. You’ll be able to see what you need to improve. Then do it again. Keep practicing until you’re comfortable with your responses and comfortable watching yourself interview. 

Check your nonverbal communications as well as your verbal responses. Be sure you’re not fidgeting or twitching or disconnected—pay attention. Employers notice these nonverbal responses, so be aware of the demeanor you portray and try to stay calm and quiet while waiting for the interview and during it. Your goal is for your entire package, your image, to be perfect.

When Your Interview is Remote

Virtual interviews can be easier than in-person meetings. You don’t have to worry about getting there on time or stress over the details of interviewing in person. However, it’s still important to prepare in advance and pay attention to all the details of a remote interview so you can make the best impression. 

Tip: Not sure what to wear? Here’s how to look stylish and maximize your Zoom presence during a job interview. 

When You’re Interviewing In-Person

There are some things you shouldn’t plan on bringing with you to the interview. If you’re a smoker, leave the cigarettes at home or in your car. Make sure you use a breath mint before you enter the building. 

Don’t chew gum or munch on candy either. Silence your phone. The same goes for coffee and soda. Don’t walk into the interview carrying a cup of coffee, however much you might think you need it. Interviewees who have done some or all of the above have jeopardized their chance of getting the job.

Tip: Not sure what to wear? Here’s the best interview attire for every type of job interview. 

Interview Preparation Checklist

Here’s an interview checklist to use to get ready for your interview.

[ ] Review job posting. 

[ ] Research the company. 

[ ] Review interview questions. 

[ ] Generate a list of questions to ask. 

[ ] Review your resume. 

[ ] Itemize the qualifications you have for the job. 

[ ] Directions to the interview location. 

[ ] Get your interview clothes ready (the evening before). 

[ ] Pack your portfolio with your resume, a notepad, and a pen. 

[ ] Double-check the name of your interviewer, so you know with whom you are meeting. 

Review Your Resume

Reviewing your resume sounds a little odd, doesn’t it? Believe it or not, I’ve interviewed job applicants whose answers didn’t match what was on their resume. They either didn’t remember what years they had worked at which job, or they were fuzzy on the details of what they had done at their previous jobs.

Tip: Make sure you know what you put on your resume and make sure your answers match what you tell the interviewer. 

Research the Company

Researching the company is important, too, for a couple of reasons. First of all, one of the questions you may be asked is “What do you know about this company?” and you need to be able to provide an informative answer. Secondly, you want to know as much about the company because you need to decide if you want to work there. 

Visit the company’s website (the easiest way to find it is to search for the company name on Google), and look at every section. Read the company mission statement and goals for the future. Learn what the company does and how they do it. Understand the products or services the company sells and how they market them. Review senior management bios as well as the information about the company and benefits available in the Careers or About Us section of the company website. The more you know, the more effectively you will be able to interview.

Check out the company’s LinkedIn profile, Twitter feed, Instagram, and Facebook page, if they have them. You’ll find a wealth of information about the company, its management, and its employees. Use LinkedIn to see who you know at the company. Those connections may be able to give you insider advice and tips on interviewing strategies. 

How to Handle the Interview

Keep it Professional

Professional communications are as important during the interview as they are when you submit your resume and cover letter. That means all communications from the time you arrive at the interview until it’s over.

Arrive on time for the interview. On time means a few minutes early. You may need to complete an application, and you don’t want to be rushing into the lobby of the building at the last minute. If you aren’t sure where the office is located, do a trial run the day before so you know exactly where you are going, where you can park, and how long it is going to take you to get there. Give yourself a little extra time, so you have a cushion just in case you’re delayed. 

If you’re nervous (and that can happen to anyone, even those who interview a lot!), visit the restroom, wash and dry your hands so your palms aren’t sweaty, and get a drink of water. If sweating is an issue, keep a tissue in your pocket so you can dry your hands discreetly before you shake hands with anyone. 

Manners Matter

Next, consider manners, because they do matter. Remember that teacher who used to tell you to sit up straight and pay attention? Well, that’s exactly what you need to do during the interview. Don’t slouch or recline in your chair, even when you’re interviewing from home. Listen attentively to the interviewer and don’t interrupt.

Pause Before You Respond

Do take time, if you need to, to consider your response, so your answer is complete. Don’t talk too much. I have interviewed some candidates who talked way too much. They were trying so hard to sell me on hiring them that they didn’t listen to a word I said. Rambling on and on didn’t make a good impression on me and isn’t going to make a good impression on any interviewer.

Send a Thank-You Note

Sending a thank-you note or email is the best way to cement the good impression you just left the interviewer with. Reiterate your interest and excitement about the opportunity, and use your message as a chance to mention anything you neglected to say during the interview.

More About Interview Preparation: Job Interview Questions, Answers, and Best Tips to Prepare

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How to Choose the Best References

What’s almost as important as your resume and cover letter, and much more likely to slip your mind during the job search process? Finding references who can attest to your skills, experience, and performance on the job.

To get the most out of your job references, make sure you select people who will make a compelling case on your behalf. The best choices include former colleagues—including managers, coworkers, and direct reports—and clients, vendors, and other folks who will confirm that you’re a superior candidate.

Be assured that your references will get a chance to sing your praises. According to a Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) survey, 92% of employer conduct background checks during the pre-employment process—and typically, those checks include speaking with references. So, it’s important to make sure you’ve lined up the right people when you launch your job search.

How to Choose the Best References

The best potential references:

• Are familiar with your work. A good reference will be able to tell a story about your skills in action. It’s not enough to speak glowingly in general terms about your work ethic, computer skills, or ability to mediate conflict. They’ll need to provide specific examples of times when you demonstrated these talents. Because of this, it’s often best to choose references who’ve recently worked with you.
• Have good things to say. This seems like an obvious point, but it’s an important one: don’t choose a reference who won’t have positive experiences and impressions to report. A negative reference—or even a “meh” one—will do far more harm than no reference at all.
• Can devote time to crafting an endorsement. A hurried, typo-riddled endorsement won’t reflect well on you. Neither will a rushed conversation between urgent meetings. Choose people who can set aside some time to speak with you about the job and hear which qualifications will be most impressive to the hiring team—and then communicate those points in their interactions with the employer.
• Present themselves in a professional manner. For a variety of reasons, some people don’t come across well during an initial conversation. Perhaps your former boss has a phone phobia and comes across as gruff when speaking with strangers. Maybe your favorite client tends to curse a blue streak, even around people they’ve just met. Whatever the reason, it’s best to avoid asking people for references unless they can conduct themselves professionally in this context.

5 People You Should Never Ask for a Reference

The worst potential references include:

1. Someone Who Might Say Something Negative … or Even Less Than Positive

Obviously, you wouldn’t ask someone to be a reference for you if you thought they’d say something bad about your work. That’s why it’s important to check in and see if they feel comfortable providing a reference for you—hopefully, you’ll get a sense as to what they might say.

Keep in mind, however, that damnation by faint praise is also very possible during the reference process. The hiring managers will assume that anyone you ask to give you a recommendation is among your biggest fans. If they get a so-so reference, they might think that this was the best you could do. Not good.

2. That Brilliant Connection Who Doesn’t Communicate Well

This might sound judgmental, but now’s not the time to lean on your connections who mean well, but don’t speak (or write) well. Remember that your network reflects on you, especially when they’re praising your work. If they don’t seem on top of things themselves, they won’t be able to impress a hiring manager on your behalf. What good is a recommendation if it comes from someone the employer wouldn’t hire?

3. Your Current Boss, Except Under Very Specific Circumstances

This is another potentially obvious one, but it’s worth saying, anyway. Unless you’ve been laid off or you’re working on a short-term contract—in short, unless your boss knows you’re leaving, and is OK with it—don’t ask them for a reference.

4. The Former Colleague You Don’t Respect

Whenever you consider asking someone for a reference, ask yourself, “Would I provide a reference for this person, in return?” If you can’t honestly and wholeheartedly say yes, move on to the next connection on your list. At best, it’s unfair to ask for something you wouldn’t reciprocate; at worst, it might be your gut instincts telling you that this colleague isn’t in your corner.

5. Anyone You Haven’t Asked to Be a Reference

It should go without saying, but even if you’re reasonably sure your former colleague or professor would give you a glowing recommendation, you should ask first, for several reasons.

First of all, it’s just polite. If you’re like most people, you probably don’t love being surprised with phone calls and emails, asking you for things you weren’t expecting. Even if you’re a raving extrovert, recognize that your potential references might not be the same way. Regardless, you’re asking for their time, and that’s valuable. Do them the courtesy of giving them a chance to tell you if they can spare a few minutes right now to help you out.

Second, your recommendation will be better if the recommender knows more about the job for which you’re interviewing. Giving a heads up—and a little background info—gives your connection time to think about which aspects of your skillset and experience are most important for this new role, and allows them a chance to prepare some thoughts to share with your interviewer.

Third, there’s a possibility that this person won’t be allowed to give you a reference—or at least, a detailed enough recommendation to count. HR policies vary from company to company, but some employers are strict about how much information a manager, for example, is allowed to give about a former report. Don’t assume that you know the policy ahead of time.

Finally, there’s always the chance that your assessment of the relationship is flat-out wrong. The worst time to find out that someone wouldn’t recommend your work is after they’ve told a hiring manager that they wouldn’t hire you again under any circumstances.

An additional note: how you ask matters, as well. Don’t just ask if the person will give you a reference. Ask, “Do you think you know my work well enough to provide me with a reference?” or similar. That way, you’ll get a sense of what you can expect this person to say.

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Cover Letter Basics: Writing and Formatting Cover Letters

Do you need to send a cover letter with your resume? It’s not an absolute requirement unless the employer requests one, but your cover letter may be what makes the difference when it comes to your resume ending up in the “no” pile or the “interview” pile.

Like your resume, a cover letter only gets seconds to make an impression. So, you need to get the employer’s attention fast. 

Tip: In order to get your cover letter noticed, you will need to customize it. That means taking the time to inform the employer of how well your credentials match the qualifications listed for the position for which you are applying. 

When you use your cover letter to demonstrate to hiring managers that you have what they’re looking for, you will enhance your chances of getting called for an interview. Your cover letter shouldn’t duplicate what you have on your resume. Instead, use your cover letter to highlight your relevant skills and to let the employer know why you are a strong candidate for employment. 

The Purpose of a Cover Letter

The purpose of writing cover letters is to interpret the facts on your resume, to pitch your experience and skills to a prospective employer, and to add a personal touch to your candidacy for employment. It’s often your first contact with an employer, so it’s critical to make a good impression. 

Keep in mind that you only have a brief amount of time, and space on the page, to make that impression on the employer. That’s why customized cover letters are so important. No employer wants to read more than a page; the hiring manager wants to know right away why you are a strong candidate. 

Why You Need to Customize Your Cover Letters

Sending a generic letter to every employer you can find is a waste of time for a couple of reasons. If the company doesn’t have job openings, your resume will end up being filed away. In fact, some employers only accept applications for advertised openings and don’t even keep resumes on file. 

It’s easier to review resumes and cover letters that come in response to a specific job posting than it is to search resumes and follow up with candidates who applied in the past to see if they are still available. Another reason for not sending form letters is that they are generic. They do not provide the employer with any information about what you can do, why your credentials are important to the company, and why they should consider you for employment. Most employers receive hundreds of applications for every position they post on a major job bank, and they don’t have the time or the energy to spend (or waste) on mediocre cover letters. 

Don’t use a standard template for writing a cover letter either, unless you take the time to edit and personalize it. It’s different when you’re writing a resume. There are only so many ways you can format employment history and education. 

Tip: You will want your cover letters to reflect your personality and your style without being flamboyant or overselling yourself. 

Your cover letters should provide the employer with a glimpse of who you are and how you might fit into the company culture, as well as why you are the right person for the job. 

Types of Cover Letters

There are several types of cover letters that are used depending on why you are contacting the employer.

• An application letter is used to apply for posted job openings. 
• A networking letter is sent to ask someone you know or someone you have been referred to for advice, information, and job search assistance. 
• A prospecting letter is sent when you are inquiring about the possibility of employment but aren’t applying for a specific job opening. 
• A referral cover letter is used when you are mentioning the name of someone who has referred you for a job. 

Each type of letter can be sent on paper, by email, uploaded to a job site, or sent via a networking site message system. How you send it depends on what the employer asks for and how fast you need to get in touch. 

Formatting Your Cover Letter

Your cover letter should include at least three paragraphs. You will want to cover the following points: 

• The reason you are writing 
• Why you are qualified 
• How you will follow up 

Writing a Cover Letter 

What to Include in Your Cover Letter

A well-written cover letter has several parts. The first part of your cover letter is the contact section. It should include your name, address, phone number(s), and email address. Double-check the information for accuracy. If you have a typo in your phone number or email address, the employer isn’t going to spend any time trying to track you down. Next, list the date you are writing the letter. 

Contact Information

If you know the employer contact information, include it in your cover letter: 

• Contact name
• Contact job title 
• Company 
• Street address
• City, state, and zip code 

Include a salutation, but don’t make it too personal. When applying for a job, for example, “Dear Jill” is not appropriate, even if you know the person to whom you are writing. 

Rather, start your letter with “Dear Ms. Smith.” 

Tip: Many employers don’t list a contact person in the job posting on purpose. They don’t want phone calls or emails, so they advertise the job without listing a contact. If you can find a contact person by researching the company on the web, write directly to that person. If not, write, “Dear Hiring Manager.” 

First Paragraph

The first paragraph of your letter should include information on why you are writing. If you have a contact at the company, this is a good place to mention it. Also note the position that you are applying for and where you noticed it. If you found a job posting in your local newspaper, say so. For example, write: “I am interested in the Marketing Assistant position recently advertised in the Times Union.” 

Second and Third Paragraph

Next, describe what you have to offer the employer. Either use bullets to highlight your qualifications or write several short paragraphs that describe your skills and how they match what the company is seeking. This is where you need to sell the employer on why the hiring manager should interview you. Don’t repeat your resume. Instead, highlight the appropriate experience and abilities from your resume to impress upon the employer that you are a strong candidate. 

If you are applying for different positions at the same employer, send separate cover letters and resumes for each position. They will probably be screened separately, and it will save the hiring manager from making copies of your correspondence to pass along to different departments.

Closing Paragraph 

Finish your cover letter with a final paragraph thanking the employer for considering you for the position. Ask if there is any other information you can provide, and reiterate that you are available for an interview at the employer’s convenience. 

Tip: If you’re editing and rewriting an existing cover letter, be very sure that you have changed the contact information, the job title, and the qualifications to match the position for which you are applying. An employer isn’t going to readily forgive getting a cover letter addressed to a different company or one that mentions a position the company doesn’t have available.

Signature

End your letter with a formal salutation and your signature:

Best regards,

Samantha Cleary

How to Match Your Letter to a Job

Here’s an example of a cover letter that includes a list of the job requirements mentioned in the help-wanted ad, followed by the candidate’s experience: 

Key Holder Requirements: 

• Assist the management team in all aspects of store operations, including sales, customer service, payroll, inventory, receiving, and visual merchandising. 
• Assist managers by opening and closing store and by scheduling store staff. 
• Encourage exceptional customer service. 

My Skills and Experience: 

• Assist with store operations, including sales, payroll, scheduling, reports, and inventory management. 
• Place orders to restock merchandise and handle receiving of products. 
• Extensive work with visual standards and with the merchandising of high ticket items. 
• Provide excellent customer service to all clientele, including scheduling private shopping appointments with high-end customers. 

As you can see, the candidate itemized the job requirements, and then constructed their resume to match their skills to those requirements. 

Writing a Custom Cover Letter

Review this sample job posting, then take a look at how the job seeker customized her cover letter to show how her qualifications matched what the employer was seeking: 

 Editor: Responsible for writing, editing, and proofreading print and online copy. Develop editorial standards for print and online publication. Hire and oversee freelance writers, reporters, design team, and editorial staff, working on daily online news web site and weekly newsletter. Assign and edit freelance copy and manage freelancers. Must enjoy working on multiple projects.

Basic Cover Letter Example

The following letter example reflects the qualifications listed in the job posting: 

Dear Hiring Manager, 

I am writing to express my interest in the Editor position advertised on Monster.com. My unique combination of creative talent, technical expertise, and experience managing both people and projects makes me the right person to help your team thrive. 

I have a great deal of experience managing creative people and motivating them to create copy. I am also responsible for hiring, training, and supervising editorial and administrative staff, as well as freelance writers. I have developed editorial standards for style and quality that are used by the editorial and writing teams. In addition, I have not only managed editors and writers but have written numerous newsletters, headlines, and other copy under tight deadlines.

I would be thrilled to use my diverse talents to help your team. My resume is enclosed. If I can provide you with any further information on my background and qualifications, please let me know. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely, 

Your Name 

As you can see, the job seeker took the time to carefully review the job posting. They then showed the employer why they were qualified for the job—and why they should get an interview. The employer can quickly and clearly see why the candidate appears to have the qualifications for the job. 

Cover Letter Writing Tips

Don’t Apply if You’re Not a Fit

If you aren’t qualified for the job, don’t spend time writing a cover letter that sounds like you are. Instead, spend the time applying for jobs that do fit your qualifications, or work on improving your skills so that you will be qualified in the future. 

Don’t Oversell Yourself

Some candidates embellish their cover letters in order to get an interview. The problem with overselling yourself is that the employer is going to find out as soon as you sit down for an interview that you don’t have the right skills. You’ll be out of contention for the position anyway, regardless of how wonderful your cover letter sounded. 

Be Consistent

It is important to be consistent when describing your background. When writing about your current position, use the present tense. When writing about positions you previously held, use past tense. That way, the employer is clear as to what you are doing and what you have done. Inconsistencies and omissions are a red flag to prospective employers.

Avoid Easy-to-Make Mistakes

One human resources manager told me that the cover letter mistakes that knock candidates out of consideration include:

• Candidates who tell her that they want to work at ABC Company (which is not her company). 
• Candidates who say they are “perfect” for the job without including any reasons why.
• Cover letters that only say, “The enclosed resume is submitted to apply for XYZ position advertised on ABC website.” Why bother? 

Explain an Employment Gap

In addition to pitching your candidacy for employment, you can also use your cover letter to explain gaps in your resume. For example, if you took some time off from work to raise a family or to return to school, mentioning it in your cover letter is a good way to alert the employer as to why there is an interruption in your work history. You can also let the employer know that you are returning to the workforce and are willing and able to commit to employment. 

What Not to Include in a Cover Letter

There are some things that you should not include in your cover letter:

• Don’t include personal information like your marital status or date of birth. 
• References should not be included in your cover letter.
• Don’t send a photo unless you are applying for a modeling or acting position, for example, and the employer requests it. 

The employer has no need to know personal and confidential information. In fact, employers would rather not know it. They want to judge all candidates on an equal playing field without considering personal characteristics.

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Resume Basics: Writing and Formatting Your Resume

Your resume is the most important document you will use in your job search. Your resume is what makes the first impression on a prospective employer. It will either get you an interview or get you a rejection letter, if you even get a response.

The resume you send has only seconds to make an impression on the person reading it. You will want that impression to be not just a good one, but a great one. Your resume needs to be the one that makes the best impression on the person who might be hiring you for your next job, so spending time and effort to boost your resume will definitely pay off. 

The Purpose of a Resume

We create resumes in order to showcase to prospective employers what we have accomplished in our lives as it relates to work and careers. 

Your resume is the way you will highlight your professional accomplishments, your educational achievements, and the skills that are relevant and specific to the type of job for which you are applying. 

Types of Resumes

 There are several types of resumes:

• A chronological resume is the most familiar type, and the one used most often. It lists your work history in reverse chronological order, with your most recent job listed first. 
• A functional resume highlights your skills and experience rather than the jobs you have held. 
• A combination resume highlights your skills (usually with a section at the top of the page), followed by your chronological employment history. 

Which Type of Resume to Choose

If you have a strong work history, use a chronological resume with a statement at the top that highlights your skills.

It’s best to use a functional or combination resume when there are gaps in your employment history. For example, if you have been out of the workforce for a while or are changing careers. That way, you can focus on your skills rather than the gaps or glitches in your work record. 

Formatting Your Resume

Keep your resume formatting simple. First, take some time to think about how you are going to construct your resume—not what it says, but how it looks. 

Visualize how your resume looks on paper, even though it may only be read on a computer screen, and the bigger picture of how it’s formatted and laid out rather than the specific words you are including. Leave plenty of white space on your resume because you don’t want it to look crowded or cluttered. 

Tip: Keep your resume to one page if possible, but don’t worry if it is longer because you have lots of experience. 

Keep it Concise and Simple

Don’t write too much. Short sentences and paragraphs work much better than longer ones. Write clearly and simply. Your resume should be written simply and should be easy to read:

• When choosing fonts, keep the number of fonts you use to a minimum. Choose a font like Arial, Verdana, or Times New Roman that’s easy to read. 
• Tiny fonts cause eyestrain, so make sure the font is large enough to read (10- or 12-point). 
• Use bolding and bullets to highlight your job titles and responsibilities. 

Tip: Don’t overuse formatting. A resume with too much of a good thing, like too much capitalization or italicization, is hard to read.

After you write your resume, look at it again to see if it looks appealing. Make sure that your fonts and point size are consistent throughout the document. If you use several fonts and sizes, be sure that each section is formatted the way you want it to be. 

Creating Your Resume 

The creation of a resume involves several steps. Your goal should be to create a clean, simple resume that is easy to read and clearly explains what your objectives are, what your background is, and what skills you have. 

Start With a Resume Checklist

Compile the information to include in your resume. Regardless of the type of resume you choose, you will need to gather the information to include before you start writing. Use this resume checklist to compile the information you will need to have ready. 

You will need to make a list of all your employment information, your school and college information, and the relevant skills you have. 

Here’s the information to include on your resume checklist:

[ ] Contact information 

[ ] Summary and objective 

[ ] Work history 

[ ] Education and training 

[ ] Skills 

[ ] Additional information 

How much work history to include depends on how many years you have been working. If you have been in the workforce for years, you don’t need to include all the experience that you have—the last ten to fifteen years of experience is sufficient. If you’re an older worker, also consider leaving off the dates when you went to college.

Stick to the Facts

It’s important to tell the truth and not to exaggerate your qualifications when you write your resume. Here are a couple of reasons why. First of all, many employers check. They check your references, they check your transcripts, and they verify employment with prior employers. If you haven’t told the truth and the company finds out, you can be fired later on.

Use a Resume Template

Using a resume template is an ideal way to make sure that you include everything you need on your resume. Here’s an overview of a resume template, with optional sections for an objective and career highlights. 

Contact Section

The first section in your resume should include information on how prospective employers can contact you: 

[ ] Name 

[ ] Home address (optional) 

[ ] City, state, and zip code (optional)

[ ] Cell phone 

[ ] Email address 

Resume Objective

The next section of your resume is the objective. In the past, an objective including a description of what type of employment you were seeking. Today’s resume objective shows what you have to offer the employer.

This is optional, but taking the time to write a customized objective that matches the job you are applying for will definitely help you stand out from the other candidates. This section should contain a sentence or two describing how you’re a match for the job. 

Career Highlights

If you are seeking a professional position, include a section called Career Highlights or Qualifications. This section is also customized to the job you are seeking. List your relevant achievements and skills. This can either be a paragraph or a bulleted list of your skills as they match the job description.

Experience

The Experience section of your resume is a list of your work history. It should include the companies you worked for, dates of employment, and jobs you held, along with a list of responsibilities and achievements.

 The following is an example of the Experience section: 

• Company 
• City and state 
• Dates of employment 
• Job title 
• Responsibilities and achievements 

Education

The Education section of your resume should include a list of the colleges you attended, your degrees, and honors or awards you received: 

Tip: If you’re a college graduate or have been in the workforce for a while, you don’t need to include high school information. If you’re a student seeking a part-time job or an internship and you’re still in school or have just graduated, it’s fine to include high school on your resume. 

Skills

The Skills section of your resume comes next. It should include information on the skills you have that are specific to the type of job you are applying for (i.e., Microsoft Office, HTML, or foreign languages). 

For example, if you’re applying for a job as a social worker, where being bilingual is an asset, include the foreign language skills you have and your level of fluency. On the other hand, if you have advanced programming skills and you are applying for a job as an editorial assistant, there is no reason to list them. In fact, you may appear to be overqualified for the position if you list high-level skills that aren’t related to the job. 

Additional Information

The last section of your resume is the Additional Information section. Use it to list professional memberships, publications, volunteering, and other related activities. Do make sure that what you include is relevant. For example, if you have taken piano lessons for years and teach piano as a side job, but you aren’t applying for a job in the music field or as an educator, there is no need to list your ability to play the piano on your resume. 

The rule of thumb to remember is if it’s related to the position you are applying for, include it on your resume. Consider whether the skill adds value to your credentials, and if not, leave it off your resume. 

Tip: Use one of these free resume templates to get started writing your own resume.

Don’t List References on Your Resume

There is no need to include references on your resume. Instead, have your references on a separate list, ready to give to an employer on request. 

Carefully Proofread Your Resume

Use the following checklist to make sure you have checked and double-checked everything on your resume: 

[ ] Use an online dictionary as you write. 

[ ] Your current position should be described in the present tense (manage staff). 

[ ] Previous positions should be described in past tense (managed staff). 

[ ] Use a period at the end of each full sentence. 

[ ] Make sure your punctuation is consistent. 

[ ] Double-check all the dates of employment. 

[ ] Double-check your contact information. 

[ ] Spell check your finished resume. 

[ ] Ask a family member or friend to proofread your resume. 

Tip: Review these tips for ensuring your resume doesn’t have typos or grammatical errors.

What Not to Include on a Resume

Some things should not be included on your resume in the United States. In fact, it is illegal for employers to ask for some personal and confidential information. The information you do not need to include on your resume is: 

• Age 
• Gender 
• Marital status 
• Number of children 
• Salary history 
• References 

How to Write a Targeted Resume

In the past, job seekers created one version of their resume, and that was it. You sent the same version of your resume in response to each and every help-wanted ad that you find. Now it’s necessary to have at least several versions of your resume. 

You will send out a different version depending on the job. The job applicants who are getting the most interviews are the ones who take the time to review the job posting and write a targeted resume for each and every job they apply for.

Writing a targeted resume isn’t hard. Start by reviewing the job posting. Then write a customized objective that matches the job posting. 

Here’s an example: 

• Job Posting: This position provides technology leadership and direction for the company’s software systems. This includes technology evaluation, new product architecture and delivery, and management of software engineers and developers, as well as interfacing with sales and corporate administration.
• Career Objective: To apply my unique combination of technical expertise, managerial experience, business acumen, and sales support to direct the delivery and acceptance of mission-critical software systems. 

Also consider including a section called Career Qualifications or Highlights on your resume. This optional section can include a bulleted list of the experience, skills, and key accomplishments from your employment history. 

Using the technology position as an example, here are career highlights that relate specifically to the job posting. 

Qualifications: 

• Directed development teams and implemented software delivery, achieving 100% on-time delivery of three enterprise software products. 
• Managed all product delivery activities for software services provider, ensuring all products were delivered in advance of scheduled release. 
• Managed developers, database administrators, and product architects responsible for product design and development in order to streamline all software development activities. 

The recruiter will appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to understand what the company is looking for, and that you have taken the time to identify how you are the candidate with the qualifications for the position. Not only have you saved the recruiter some time reading through your resume, but you have also promoted your candidacy by highlighting your specific relevant qualifications. 

It can be time-consuming to edit and rewrite your resume for every job you apply for, but in the long run, it’s well worth the effort you put into it. Here are tips for keeping your resume updated, so it’s easy to apply for a job when you find one that’s a perfect fit.

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