Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

What job titles should I search if I am applying for business jobs?

November 1, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

I will be graduating from college in May with a bachelors in accounting. I have began applying for jobs but I do not know what job titles to search for jobs other than accounting ones. I am not restricting my job search only to accounting jobs but what should I search for other business jobs?

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What are some important job interview skills?

October 31, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

I graduated college a few months ago and having a hard time landing a job. I’ve gotten interviews for jobs, but I can’t seem to get the jobs.

My job field is in the film and television world. I’ve looked at production/post production houses.

What are some basic and important job interview skills I should know before I go into an interview?

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Heading Up the Corporate Ladder? . . . Now Is Your Time!

October 28, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

The demand for employees skilled enough to oversee and manage workers is very high. Recruiters are constantly and aggressively looking for experienced talent.

Low unemployment and rapid job growth are just two of the factors that make TODAY a great time for professionals looking for promotions into management. In fact, recruiters say that their premier candidate is the middle manager, an experienced worker ready to head up the corporate ladder.

Top recruiters offer these five tips for people interested in moving into management:

1. Don’t quit. Stay employed while you search.

2. Register with just two recruiters to avoid looking desperate and having multiple resumes sent to a company.

3. Diversify your skills. Specialists in the latest technologies get noticed.

4. Make sure resume is up to speed. It must be oriented toward management.

5. If you’re out of work, consider getting an advanced college degree.

It’d interesting to note that when recruiters seek out top executives they focus on one or two candidates who meet the company’s specific needs. On the other hand, recruiters targeting middle managers collect and offer pools of talent that meet a company’s general purposes.

So, if this sounds like a good time to make your move, take the time to get prepared.

The first step is to study and list all the strengths, capabilities and assets you’ve acquired over the years. Do not rely exclusively on your work history to prepare this list.

You come away from your work life with talents and useful experiences that go way beyond what’s typically contained in your resume. And, frankly, it’s these workstyle qualities and values that employers appreciate more than a boring presentation of what you used to do for someone else.

The good news if there’s an exciting job change system that can help you manage this important career move. It can show you how to land a high-paying management job in as little as two weeks!

Article Source: http://www.articlesauce.com

Paul Megan writes for EEI, the world-class pioneer in alternative job search techniques and non-traditional career advancement strategies . . . since 1985. Grab our stunning FREE REPORT: “How To Lock Up A High-Paying Job In 14 Days (Or Less)!” Click on RSS. www.fastest-job-search.com

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Funny job interview – part 1 of 3

October 25, 2009 by  
Filed under Manager Resume Videos

How you shouldn’t act in a job interview, right here. During my work at NBC back in 1980, we had a pilot going for a conflation of job interviews presented in a documentary-style format; the documentary was sent around to prep schools and colleges to aid students in preparing to integrate into the workplace. Naturally, the NBC got some hilariously painful interviews sent back to them which didn’t…



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How To Format A Career Change Resume

October 20, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

If you are seeking to change careers, the best resume format to use is the combination resume. This resume format is not chronological nor functional. It combines both. It is extremely flexible and allows you to use strategies in a way that would normally be considered wrong.

The difference between the combination format and the chronological format is that the chronological format resume is very easy to follow. The hiring manager will typically start to read the chronological resume at the bottom of the work history or professional experience section and will continue reading his or her way up towards the top to trace your career history. The heading depends on your career level.

If there are employment gaps, it will be obvious because it is difficult to hide breaks in employment using this resume format. This is why most hiring managers prefer the chronological resume format. It is easy to read and leaves little to the imagination. This can be a great advantage if you have been in the same type of position because it shows continuity and progression in your industry.

But what happens when you have held different types of positions across several industries? Some reasons for gaps in employment or holding too many or unrelated jobs include raising children, caring for a family member, illness, returning to college, corporate downsizing or merger, joining the military, and difficulty finding work for long stretches of time because of a tight job market or weak resume.

Hey, things happen. That is life. You cannot worry about the past. It is time to think about the future. So, the first thing you will need to do is toss your old resume. It will not help you to change your career. It is time to make a fresh start.

First, create a resume that clearly indicates at the top what type of position you are seeking.

Include a career summary section that highlights where you have been in your career, being careful to only mention what would be of most interest to this particular company. Emphasize your transferable experience and skills that match the qualifications of the position. If there is a job ad, study it and do your best to make a connection between the job requirements and what you have done. Do not use the exact wording.

Use a keywords section to list transferable skills so the reader can find them immediately. This is also important if the company uses resume scanning technology. This will ensure your resume is retrieved from the database in response to a keyword search.

Under your Professional Experience section or Work History. Again, it depends on your background. Then present your experience in functional sections such as General Management, Sales Management, Staff Training and Supervision, Budget Planning and Tracking, amongst many others.

Take all of the experience you have gained over the years and categorize it into skill or functional areas that the new position requires. If the company is seeking someone to manage budgets, and you managed budgets ten years ago and four years ago, but not in your last two jobs, then list the collective experience under a Budget category.

Continue this formula until each respective category has a minimum of four bulleted sentences or two two-lined sentences to support the name of the heading. It is a good idea to have at least three categories to show how well rounded you are.

Below this section, list the companies, locations, job titles, and dates. You can either create a separate section named Work History if you have already called the above section Professional Experience, or simply list the section without a main heading as part of the main section. It will be understood. Or, you can start the section off with the company names and dates followed by the functional categories. In other words, flip it.

The most common problem with this resume format is identifying where your experience was gained. But, that is the whole idea. If they are interested in what you can do, they will call you in for the interview. It is at that time you can explain the how, when, where, and why of it all. It will make for great conversation, which by the way, a job interview should be. A meeting between two people with a common interest, in this case the position, who engage in conversation in a professional manner.

Information about the Author:

Career and Employment Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

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Job Seekers Only Have One Chance to Make a Good First Impression

October 17, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

There’s little doubt that, if you want to get a great job, you need a great resume. You need to be able, in the matter of a page or two, show prospective employers that you’ve got what it takes to fill a position: the experience, the education, the talent and the drive.

As a result, many recent college graduates, many who are looking for a better position or who are looking to change careers, seek out resume help. For some, this means sitting down at the computer and searching for resume help online. For others, it means reading books. For others still, resume help involves going to a local career center or sitting down with someone who writes resumes for a living.

In a competitive job market, a great resume is essential. Your resume, after all, is the thing that will get you in the door for an interview; your resume will be the thing that makes an employer look and say, “You know, we ought to talk this person.”

Your resume gets prospective employers to look at you.

But, What Gets Employers To Look At Your Resume?

No matter how much work you put into creating a great resume, no matter how much resume help you receive, without a great resume cover letter, your resume may not be noticed. Your resume cover letter is your chance to make a great first impression with a prospective employer.

Within your resume cover letter, you will be able to introduce yourself. You’ll be able to use your cover letter to show your enthusiasm for the position. With your resume cover letter, you will be able to put a spark in the reader’s mind; you will be able to draw his or her interest and encourage him or her to take a closer look at your resume.

Packaging Yourself Effectively

In effect, you will use the first paragraph of your resume cover letter to catch the attention of the reader; you might want to think about your resume cover letter’s opening paragraph like a movie promo poster that makes it to the cover of the DVD packaging. That first paragraph will be the thing that draws the employer’s attention.

Once you’ve started to reel in the person who is reading your resume cover, you’ll want to give them a bit more information. To continue the DVD packaging metaphor, the body of your resume cover letter should be similar to the plot highlights that you would find on the back of the DVD.

While you won’t want to go over the top and suggest that you’re the hero who will save the world from imminent disaster – or the worker who will save the company from going belly up – you will want to use the body of your resume cover letter to highlight your accomplishments, your achievements and your qualifications for the position.

Just as the back cover of a DVD package is meant to get the person reading it excited and eager to see the film, your cover letter is a chance to get the prospective employer interested in reading your resume and learning more about you.

Intrigue Your Reader And Deliver Results

With your resume cover letter, your goal is to get the person reading it intrigued. The goal of your resume cover letter is to entice the person who is reading it to look at your resume and to want to talk with you. Therefore, it essential to market yourself with your cover letter; by marketing yourself effectively, you’ll be able to motivate a prospective employer to glance over your resume and ask you to come in for an interview.

Again using the DVD metaphor – your introductory paragraph is like the front photo, the body of your cover letter is like the teaser copy on the back of the DVD case – the conclusion of your resume cover letter and your resume is like the intro sequence of the film. The way that you capture an interviewer’s interest involves creating an interest with the cover letter, drawing him or her into your resume, and then following through and living up to his or her expectations in the interview.

If, as you’ll read on many resume help sites, your resume is your doorway to the interview, it is important to keep in mind that your resume cover letter is your chance to knock on that door. A human resources manager might have a stack of resumes on his or her desk, and may only be willing to interview a few candidates: to get your resume read, it must stand out. Your resume cover letter is what will get you noticed.

Information about the Author:

Career and Employment Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

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Getting A Job Through Cold Calling

October 12, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

It sounds a little like a telephone on ice, but the cold call is actually an important tool of networking. Cold calling is calling a person or business without prior contact in order to inquire about employment opportunities. For many, the idea of cold calling is chilling. Dialing up a complete stranger doesn’t seem like a logical way to carry out a job search. Yet when done correctly, a cold call can showcase some important professional traits, including resilience, determination, and interpersonal skills. In the best-case scenario, it can also lead to an interview.

Cold calling is a salesman’s device. The premise is that the more people you contact, the better your chances of scoring a deal. In a way salesmanship is integrally connected to the job search, only instead of selling a product or service, you’re selling yourself. Specifically, you’re selling the notion that you would be a valuable addition to a company’s team. And therein lies the key to the cold call. When you pick up the phone, you must think of yourself not as a nervous jobseeker eager for a lead, but rather, as a confident professional who has the qualifications that would benefit an employer.

How do you make this leap? It’s not easy, admits one woman in retail who had taken off several years to raise two children and wanted to rejoin the workforce. She admits the cold call took some practice. “I was much smoother on my eighth or ninth attempt than I was on my first…. I called up many businesses, and the majority of them didn’t take more than fifteen seconds to decide they weren’t interested. Finally, I caught one man who asked me where I’d gone to school. As it happened, we’d gone to the same college. He took a liking to me after that. I was asked in for an interview the following week.”

This woman’s example shows that it helps to make a connection with the person you are cold calling. However, this is not always possible. The plain truth about cold calling is that the failure rate is high. Yet the rewards can be great if you encounter even one person who recognizes your potential. Below are some techniques for making the cold call a little warmer.

* Write a script for your cold call, outlining one or two of your most valuable Key Selling Points (see chapter 7). Remember that you are trying to impress the person on the other end of the line. Modify your script so that these selling points are in sync with each company’s specific needs. A customized delivery is crucial.

* Be clear on your goals and what you have to offer. Nothing will turn off an employer faster than a person who is not clear about his objectives.

* Introduce yourself in a way that will spark interest. Saying your name immediately followed by your area of expertise might do the trick.

* Work on your voice-make sure you sound professional, sharp, and cheerful, but never insincere or calculating. It helps to practice both your voice and your script on a trusted friend who can offer you feedback and suggestions.

* Figure out who is on the other end of the line. Receptionists and other gatekeepers will usually pick up the phone before hiring managers will. Be prepared to answer gatekeeper-type questions such as “What is the reason for your call?” and “What company are you with?” A confident answer and an assured tone might allow you to pass through this initial screen. No matter who picks up the phone, be professional. Treat everyone with equal courtesy and respect.

* Use the “rule of three.” If you’ve tried calling three times, or left up to three messages with no response, throw in the towel. Calling any more than that will only irritate the person you are trying to reach. Says a senior human resources consultant with a wellknown mutual insurance company: “Candidates can call me and leave a voicemail message, but it’s hard for me to do callbacks due to the volume of calls I receive.” She goes on to say she does follow up with many people who leave inquiries, but that repeat messages “are more burden than value.”

* Substitute your e-mail account for your phone. These days many businesspeople are more apt to answer e-mails than voicemail messages anyway. E-mailing requires less effort on both ends because people don’t need to think and speak on the fly; they can actually take the time to word their correspondence carefully if you’re better at written communication than you are at oral communication, consider sending “cold e-mails” rather than making cold calls. In this case, though, you’ll need to address your e-mail to a single person. Consider calling the company gatekeeper, who may be more inclined to pass along the e-mail address of the hiring manager than the phone number. Blindly e-mailing a company at a general address can pretty much guarantee a lack of resultsunless the company happens to be very small.

* Keep track of your phone calls. If you leave a message, you’ll want to know the name and title of the person who is returning your call and what information you’ve already provided.

* Be prepared for standard responses from human resources personnel and other hiring managers. You will probably receive some brush-off responses like, “The only thing you can do is send your resume to our HR department,” or even, “We are not currently hiring.” However, some responses will allow you more opportunity to sell yourself Be prepared to sell yourself if you hear a question such as “What kind of experience do you have?” or “What attracts you to our company?”

* Don’t become discouraged. Cold calling isn’t easy, and a few hang-ups can make even the most stalwart person question himself Take breaks and keep in mind that the process isn’t personal.

* Remember that your ultimate goal is to get an interview. To that end, if you do speak with someone who has hiring power and if you establish a rapport with that person, ask outright if you can come in for an interview. The question might seem presumptuous, but it’s been known to work.

Information about the Author:

Career and Employment Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

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Does A College Education Help When You Have To Find A Job?

September 29, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

It is the age old question about going to college or not. Will an associate degree or business administration degree help a student find a job? Working backwards from the successful job interview, what does a student have to do to become not just employable but in demand?

The typical cycle from high school-to college-to employment goes something like this:

1. Pick and attend a college where they have programs that are of interest to the student
2. Spend two, four, or more years at college learning the theory of the area of the student’s interest
3. Pick up some part time work along the way—most likely unrelated to the intended career path
4. Prepare a resume
5. Apply for a position
6. If you “make the cut” you will first interview with Human Resources (HR)
7. If you make the “short list” from HR, you get to interview with the manager you potentially will work with
8. Hopefully get the position

Step six is the major hurdle to overcome. It could be said that the purpose of the HR department is to reject resumes. That’s right—rejects them before the manager even gets to talk to you. So what can you do to get to the interview stage?

In short, you have to have the qualifications and experience that the employer organization is looking for. HR is sifting through resumes for education and experience that fit the position you are competing for. If you miss out, you start all over which can be very frustrating to say the least. You could have been the perfect fit for the company but never got past the preliminary HR sorting process.

Students and their parents, who are funding the college education, should look at this from a different viewpoint. Start with what employers need and want, not what might be fun or interesting at college for the student. It is certainly not going to be fun getting a degree that no one is hiring for.

What would work is “Career Education.” In other words, get a college education that is also career education. While it might be difficult for a high school graduate to know precisely his/her career path, however that should not preclude going down the road of making oneself very employable by the time he/she graduates. If someone wants to be a computer programmer, then he/she had better show up at the interview with real knowledge and experience of programming.

A solution is to find a college that offers both career education as well as practical experience in the form of internships or apprenticeships. A career education could be defined as an education where the student can proficiently apply what they learned in class. That is what employers are looking for—employees who can be productive from day one.

Call 888-812-4224 to tour the Hubbard College of Administration for a briefing on your associate degree and apprenticeships options which will make you much more employable when you graduate.

About Hubbard College of Administration

Hubbard College of Administration is a business career college located in Los Angeles, California. The school offers self-paced programs and utilizes a comprehensive study technology, apprenticeships, internships, assistance with job placement and a lifetime guarantee for students. Their degree programs offer excellent career training and step-by-step guidance so that when a student completes their program, he or she will have chosen a satisfying and successful career.

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Career and Employment Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

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How To Make A Cover Letter For Your Job Application

September 23, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

It’s a bit of a misconception that the resume is THE most important part of the job application process. While having a resume that stands out is crucial, but it can fall flat on its face if it’s accompanied by a poorly written cover letter, or worse still, doesn’t even include one. There’s always so much focus on the resume, but applicants trying to get onto the Human Resources short list of potential candidates, really should know how to make a cover letter that compliments their resume.

It doesn’t matter what your field of enterprise or level of experience is, it’s really not that difficult to write an attention-grabbing cover letter which, in conjunction with a strong resume, should put you on the desk of possible interviewees and not in the bin under it with the pile of eliminations.

Put yourself in the place of the interviewers for a moment. Usually, when a company advertises a position within an organization, they are literally inundated with dozens, sometimes hundreds, and occasionally thousands of hopefuls, all of which have sent in their resume for consideration.

The good news for those of you reading this is that most of these applications don’t even see the light of day. So many folks just throw a bog-standard resume into an envelope and stick it in the post along with probably dozens of other applications to other companies. For them it’s a numbers game and they follow the rule that if you throw enough stuff out there, some of it is bound to stick.

But if you really, really want the position in question, then you need to know how to make a cover letter, but not only how to make it, but how make it stand out. Just think about the results you’ll experience in your job search when your cover letter gets opened and it has real attention-grabbing headline that is so unique and so persuasive that the hiring manager cannot put it down without reading further.

For the best part your cover letter does not have to be long-winded. In fact, unless it’s requested, you need to make it as short and to the point as much as possible. That said, there needs to be power in those there words, so think carefully especially about the headline, and avoid lame titles such as ‘College Graduate Desperate for Work!’. Be mindful that you never get a second chance to make a first impression!

You might want to kick off with a title something like; Are You Still Looking To Fill the Position of {Insert Job Title Here}? Here’s Why I Sincerely Believe I Could Be Exactly What You’re Looking for …

You then begin your cover letter with a strong opening paragraph and it’s this opening paragraph where your cover letter will make its second impression after the headline. You should also make reference to the enclosed resume in your cover letter so that they can compliment each other. If the cover letter warrants it, you may also want to make it an easy read by using bulleted points to methodically highlight certain items of importance and relevance to the application.

Whatever you do, don’t write long paragraphs as they’re heavy on the eye, and if you think about how many resumes and cover letters the interviewing manager has to plough through, it’s a sure fire way to get binned quickly, no matter how good the wording. It’s by far better to have 3 or 4 short paragraphs than 2 long ones.

There are a lot of resources available today for creating resumes and showing folks how to make a powerful cover letter. Heed what they teach and you’ll greatly improve your chances of getting that interview and job that you long for.

Article Source: http://www.articlesauce.com

Read more on jobs and employment issues including Jobs in photography, options with Music Jobs , and making money from Online Paid Surveys. Plus much more at Enough Jobs dot com.

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A Career Plan of Action For The New Graduate

September 20, 2009 by  
Filed under Resume Tips

Congratulations, you’ve just graduated with a degree in your chosen field.

So what’s your next step going to be to launch your long-anticipated career?

Like a young racehorse at the starting gate, you have tons of energy and determination, and are anxious to get out there and seize new career opportunities. But are you ready? Do you know what you need to do? Do you have a plan of action to turn those opportunities into a reality? If you don’t, you will need to get one.

I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage that the quickest route from point A to point B is a straight line. Well, launching your career is no different in terms of setting your job search goals and carrying them out diligently and methodically You might have a few corners to navigate, but you should do your best to avoid deviating from your goal as much as possible.

One of the first things you need to decide is what type of job interests you the most. Depending on what your degree is, there might be many positions in your field to consider. For example, if you are a graduate nurse you can work in a hospital, clinic, nursing home, childcare center, school, private practice, or field setting. Then, within those settings you can work within various units such as medical-surgical, pediatrics, and maternity. Then there are transitional opportunities.

Let’s say you tried your hand at nursing and realized it was not what you expected. You can always consider pharmaceutical sales as a new career. Some fields, such as business management, are even more flexible. The key is to decide which direction you are headed towards and learn as much about that field as you possible can.

Okay, you hate to admit it, but you spent all of that time and money, but you’re still not sure what you want to do. You have an idea about what you might want to do, but it’s just not clear yet. None of the possibilities you’ve explored get you excited. In fact, you’re feeling downright frustrated and depressed.

Don’t worry. It really isn’t that bad. Keep in mind that you don’t have to start at the top, and don’t have to commit yourself to an employer. So don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Maybe you just need to get your foot in the door somewhere to test the waters before you decide to go full steam ahead. You might even want to spend the first year to discover what it is that you really want to do.

That way your mind will be open to possibilities and you will have a positive attitude. Just don’t waste time. Set weekly goals. Use that year to WORK at finding out what you want to do. Then prepare to do it and do it well.

If you want to explore your career without the assistance of a job coach or career counselor, a good way to start is to conduct some independent research. Let’s assume your degree in is law enforcement or criminal justice. You will need to decide if you want to work in corporate security or private investigation.

But how do you decide? Well, if your college’s career center cannot provide you with specific information, visit Occupational Outlook Handbook online to get an overview of various positions in your field. Join industry specific chat rooms to see what everyone is talking about. Go to the websites of various companies. Get involved in conversations. Ask lots of questions. Get advice from friends, family members, and neighbors. Ask them what they do and how they got started.

If you are not sure if a particular area of your industry is right for you, call or write professionals already in positions of interest to request an information interview. An information interview will allow you the opportunity to question a professional about the nature and requirements of a position. Some people will not be available, whereas other people will welcome the opportunity to give you fifteen minutes of their time.

If someone avoids you, don’t take it personally. Just move on to the next possible contact. Once you make a connection, you will need to be polite, organized, and demonstrate exceptional professionalism and communication skills.

During your information interview, remember to take detailed notes. When you are done, thank them wholeheartedly for their time. Be sure to get their full name and contact information so you can send them a follow-up thank you letter. They might even have an opening, so be sure to make a good impression.

Once you have narrowed it down, have your resume developed professionally and post it on major job boards, such as monster*com, careerbuilder*com, and hotjobs*com to see what contacts can be made. While you are there, search job openings to glean what the job descriptions are so you can see what will be expected of you.

Your resume writer will probably want you to do that anyway so they can get a good idea of the jobs you are interested in to ensure your resume is very targeted. Be proactive and tell your resume writer that you have done that and would like to share that information with them.

Okay, so now you know what you want to do and you have a great resume and cover letter. Now what? You’ve probably heard how important networking is, that it’s not what you know but who you know. Well, that’s not always the case; but knowing the right person sure can’t hurt. With that in mind, let everyone you come in contact with know you are looking for a job. Be sure to keep your resume updated and in your car (protected from spills and creasing) so you can hand them out at a moment’s notice.

Join an organization to become acquainted with people in your industry, attend career fairs, become affiliated with recruiters, and research companies online (post your resume at their websites), at the library, and even in the yellow pages to get leads to mail your resume and cover letter. This last approach is a great strategy.

Let’s say you recently graduated with your Masters in Social Work. You can open your yellow pages to Adoption Agencies to acquire the mailing addresses of several social service agencies. Be sure to call the receptionist first to request the proper name, title, and department of the contact to send your resume and cover letter.

Other strategies include creating a web resume so people can view your formatted, interactive resume online. If you don’t know how to do this, research how or hire someone to do it for you. Be sure to have business cards made and add your web resume address to it!

Another great way to get started is to temp for a while. If you do decide to temp, be selective. You should only work for the best companies in your field to get the very best experience possible. It is also a great way to prove yourself as a favorable candidate for a permanent position.

Don’t temp for too long because it might cause a potential employer to wonder why you haven’t secured a permanent position for a certain length of time. If during an interview you are asked why you temped, confidently state that you chose to temp to gain well-rounded experience in your field. Don’t apologize for anything!

No matter what your plan of action is, be sure to keep organized notes and track every move you make. Prepare a list of names, company names, addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses, and website addresses. Keep the list near the phone of every company you sent your resume and cover letter. That way you will know whom you are speaking with when they call to extend an initial or follow up interview. This is especially important if you are going on several interviews.

If you are not organized, you will get confused and seem unprofessional. You will want to make a great first impression from the very beginning, starting with a great resume and cover letter. If you have your baby sister’s cute little voice or a musical greeting on your answering machine, replace it with a professional message that says that you have reached John Smith at 555-5555, that you not available at this time and to please leave a name and reason for calling. Follow through with stating you will return their call as soon as possible, and thank them for calling. If your email address is bowlingkingpin@aol*com, be sure to change it to JSmith1234@aol*com.

If you are on the road all of the time, or if members of your family do not speak English, get a cell phone so you can be reached anytime, anywhere. List that number as your only number without explanation. If you list both your home number and your cell number, then indicate which number is your home number and which number is your cell number. They will probably call your home number first.

If you have a lot of friends who call you on your cell, be on guard to answer your cell phone professionally. If you are going on an interview, leave your cell phone in your glove compartment. You don’t want your cell phone to ring in the middle of the interview.

Be prepared and on time for the interview, if not early. Make sure you have several outfits to wear to go on several interviews in a week’s time so you don’t stress. Make sure you dress appropriately for your interview. You can’t go wrong if you are conservative. If it is a creative industry, you can dress with more flair or even casual, but don’t dress too crazy. Have extra resumes handy (don’t bring your cover letter) to give to the hiring manager so he/she can distribute them to other managers without having to make copies. Practice your interviewing technique.

Ask a friend to role-play with you. Get a book with commonly asked interview questions. In addition to learning what to say, you need to learn what not to say and what not to do. Send out thank you letters within 24-hours that mention something important discussed in the interview keeping the position in mind at all times and reiterating your strengths.

Above all, be professional in behavior and appearance, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, organized, interested in the company and position (have about ten questions to ask them that have nothing to do with you), and try your best to be interesting when you talk about your experiences, regardless how limited they may be. If you are nervous, keep in mind that you are interviewing them, too.

You don’t want to work for just anyone, do you? Be sure to convey that. You don’t have to be arrogant about it, but you should come across as a commodity, not as a desperate, nervous job seeker. If you think like that, your confidence will shine through naturally because you will feel good about yourself and will be ready for anything! Before long, you’ll be launching your career.

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