Lecture #2 Prac,cal Job Engagement
11th March 2013
EMAIL ETIQUETTE Appling for a job
Email Communica,on
• Keep your emails short and to the point.
• Use short sentences. • Make sure your grammar is correct.
• Spelling must be perfect.
• Use the key words in the ad.
Basic Rules
• Make sure your opening line is intriguing (because that is what they will see if they have Outlook Preview switched on)
• Make sure your Subject line sums up the content in your email
• Make sure that both your first and last name will be seen in the “from” line
• Include a link to your LinkedIn profile
In General
• If someone introduces you, make sure you cc them when your start the correspondence
• Be formal and respecUul • Keep your emails concise
• Don’t mark your email “high importance” or “low importance”
• If you are asked a ques,on(s), be careful to read it carefully, and then respond directly to all ques,on. If you don’t know the answer, acknowledge that in your response.
• If you are responding to an ad, carefully study the copy in the ad before responding. Note the key words. Use those words in your response.
• Ideally, incorporate key words rela,ng to a job into your resume to customize it to the posi,on
Ques,ons
Don’t Abbreviate • Don’t use
abbrevia,ons. • Don’t use acronyms • Try to avoid jargon
peculiar to a specific job
• Don’t use all capital le]ers, or all lower case. Write in lucid sentences.
Respond Fast
• Don’t wait 24 or 48 hours to respond to a business email. Do it now.
• Don’t use emo,cons or smiley faces.
• Proof read your emails before you hit “send”.
Cover Le]ers/Emails
• Drac your cover email in Word and the copy check it yourself. • Then get someone else to proof read it. • Make sure that it says what you want it to. • Remember that your key proposi,on is what you can add to their
business, not what they can do for you.
DO THE RESEARCH Applying for a job
Know About The Company
• Read their web site
• Know who owns the company
• Read any news stories about them
Know About The People
• Know who the execu,ves are • Search for them on LinkedIn • Read their profiles
Know The Customers
YOUR RESUME Communica,ng your UVP
Don’t Put Data In The Header
• Don’t use the header for your name and address.
• Don’t use tables. Keep formagng technique simple.
• Automated readers will discard that info and it will be lost.
Spelling And Punctua,on
• Spelling, punctua.on and gramma.cal mistakes tell employers that you don't pay a8en.on to details.
• Simply running a spell checker over your resume isn't enough. You could end up with a sentence like this: "Please find the a]ached resume that highlights all my kills.”
No Photos In Your CV • Unless it's specifically requested, leave out photos.
• Race, ethnicity, and age should not be taken into account and including a photo can make that harder for someone reviewing your applica,on.
No Pa]erns Or Background Colour • Submi?ng a resume on coloured paper is o@en a red flag to employers not to hire you.
• Coloured paper can make it difficult to read the text and is simply irrita,ng. S,ck with white.
Keep It Simple
• Throwing in too much informa.on will confuse and irritate your reader.
• Not tailoring your resume to fit the posi,on you're applying for tells the employer you're lazy and it makes it harder for them to figure out where to place you.
References
• "References available upon request" won't cut it..
• Of course you have references!
Descrip,ve Words
• Using buzzwords like results-‐oriented, team player and mo.vated could kill your chances.
• Steer clear of adjec,ves like innova,ve, mo,vated and dynamic. They have lost their impact. Focus on quan,fying the contribu,ons you have made instead.
Public Not Personal • Hobbies that are not reflec.ve of an “achievement oriented” person may make you appear “different” rather than well-‐rounded.
• Chari,es you support or membership in a professional associa,on are be]er
• Paragraphs with long sentences are a pain to read.
• Maximum of 3 to 4 bullets per job that you have done.
Layout And Design
Play It Safe
• Using an unprofessional email address is unhelpful.
• Humorous email addresses might be fine for personal correspondence, but not when applying for a job.
Contact Info
• Don’t forget your contact informa.on.
• Include phone number and current address.
Triple Check The Copy
• Nothing sends a resume to the shredder faster than addressing it to the wrong company.
• Make sure you address your CV to the right company.
Accomplishments Not Responsibili,es
• Mistaking responsibili.es for accomplishments will greatly reduce the impact of your resume.
• If you want a]en,on, explain how you brought value to the company you worked for -‐ not that you did your job.
If You Apply But Don’t Hear Back
• Don’t take it personally! • They are not being rude… • This is not a failure on your part. • It is just that they are too busy and perhaps you just aren’t important enough.
REASONS YOU DON’T HEAR BACK Acer you apply
#1 You aren’t qualified.
• If a job descrip,on specifies 3-‐5 years of experience and you’re a recent graduate with one internship, you probably won’t get a call.
• To avoid disappointment – don’t apply for jobs where you aren’t qualified.
• Paradoxically, bob descrip,ons are wri]en with the op,mum person in mind with a view to gegng people who aspire to do the job.
#2 You Haven’t Keyword-‐op,mized Your Resume Or Applica,on.
• Job descrip,ons are ‘salted’ with keywords specific to a set of skills the company seeks.
• A close read of the job descrip,on is a necessity, and then keyword-‐op.mizing your CV and your cover email.
• If the job descrip,on lists words in a certain order, use the same order in your resume. (Do the research!)
#3 Your Resume Isn’t Forma]ed Properly.
• Dis,nc,ve formagng will set your resume apart, but if its too different automated programs won’t be able to interpret.
• Be consistent in formagng – use separate lines for former employer, job ,tle, and years worked.
#4 Your Resume Is Substan,ally Different From Your Online Profile.
• It‘s important to make sure your LinkedIn profile matches what’s on your CV.
• Jobs worked, employers, years on the job and other details must be congruent.
• Always tell the truth. • LinkedIn will help your keyword op,miza,on
#5 You Weren’t Fast Enough To Apply
• Looking for a job is a job. • Do your research – look for companies you want to work for, where you feel that you will fit with the culture.
• Gegng your applica,on and CV in early really ma]ers.
• Don’t be afraid to call acer a few days to make sure that they received your CV and your cover email.
• Check whether the job lis,ng has changed. Companies some,mes change a job descrip,on acer ini,al pos,ng
AUTOMATION IN HR Computer tools work for them as well as for you.
Automa,on
SOME THINGS NOT TO DO Going to an interview
Don’t Arrive Too Early
• 5 minutes early is more than enough. • That doesn't mean you should be late, however.
Don’t Bring A Takeaway Drink
• Don't bring a cup of takeaway coffee to the interview.
Don’t Fidget
• Don't touch your face or twirl your hair during the interview.
Don’t Wait
• Don’t wait more than 24 hours acer the interview to write a ‘thank you’ note.
• Be short and sweet, but specific.
Don’t Say You Don’t Have Time…
• If you are asked to take a test acer the mee,ng, take it.
• No ma]er what else you have to do, if you say no or prevaricate, you will have lost the job.
Don’t Talk About Family
• Don't talk about how successful your brother, mother, father is.
• Its not relevant to the here and now of you and the job in ques,on.
Grooming
• Don't arrive with wet hair. • Don’t arrive in an unironed shirt. • Don’t arrive without a printed copy of your CV and a porUolio of any relevant work that will show what you are capable of
• Don’t have bad breath
Don’t Be Lost
• Don’t say "I s,ll haven’t figured out what I want to do yet.”
• You may not have figured out what you want to do, but if you want the job, then this is exactly what you want to do at this precise moment in ,me.
Don’t Fla]er
• Don't tell the person who is interviewing you how great their company is.
• How could you know un,l you have worked there?
Don’t Be Obvious
• When you are asked what websites and publica,ons you read, don’t say the obvious.
• Be crea,ve. • Think out of the box.
Don’t Ask The Hours
• It makes it sound like you'll be clocking in and out.
• There's a be]er way of pugng it: "What's a typical day like at this company?”
Don’t Cri,cize
• Don’t cri,cize the other candidates • Don’t be nega,ve about past employers
Don’t Miss The Target
• If you’re interviewing for an job at a newspaper, don’t talk about your lifelong goal to be a dress designer or a sportsman.
• Don’t talk about how tradi,onal media is dying…
Don’t Go Without Doing Research
• Spend ,me looking around the company website. • Interviewers will ask you what your impressions are of the company and will expect you to have some knowledge.
Don’t Say You Have No Ques,ons • You have to at least ask ONE
ques,on, and it should be reasonably specific
• It should be about the business, and not about the social ac,vi,es of the employees…
• And don’t ask personal ques,ons of the interviewer…
• And don’t ask about career advancement within the company. That is a given…
AT THE INTERVIEW Going to the interview
Eye Contact • How do you get the balance
between looking shicy and looking like you’re about to challenge your interviewer to a duel?
• “If you have an interview with somebody for 40 minutes, and you leave and don’t know what colour their eyes are, you haven’t maintained good eye contact. You want to really look at them and connect, but you’re also going to look away some of the ,me.”
Eye Rolling
• Eye contact can be good or bad, depending on how long you maintain it, but rolling your eyes is never a good idea.
• Some,mes people roll their eyes when they disagree with someone or when they think the other person has said something stupid. Become cognizant of what you’re doing so that you don’t offend your interviewer.
Posture
• During an interview, sit up straight.
• By doing this, you show that you’re interested in the conversa,on you’re having with your prospec,ve employer.
Handshake
• Your handshake can either leave an employer with a good or bad impression of you, depending on how you do it. “You don’t want to break bones, but a firm shake conveys a more posi,ve agtude than a limp wrist,”
Tapping
• You may not do it on purpose, but if you’re tapping your fingers or toes during your interview, a poten,al employer may get the impression that you’re agitated or that you have something be]er to do.
Your Voice • The way you say things will tell a poten,al employer a lot about you.
• If the tone or pitch of your voice is flat, your interviewer will believe that you’re not really interested in the job – no ma]er what words you use to convey otherwise.
• Also, using words such as “like,” “um” and “ah” – will tell an interviewer that you’re not confident or did not adequately prepare for the interview.
Becoming Self Aware
• Videotape yourself. • If you videotape yourself during a mock job interview, it will become clear to you what nonverbal ,cks that you have.
Peer Review
• Work with a friend. • By having mock interviews with a friend, you will have feedback from someone you trust who can tell you what kind of impression that you’re giving off – and what nonverbal cues may turn a hiring manager off.
Get Feedback
• Call the one that got away. • Call people you interviewed with even when you didn’t land the job. That person will have insight into your performance and by making calls of this kind you will conquer all fears .
• Remember its not personal. Its just business.
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