I visited an employer's office on Wednesday for a first round interview. I checked in with the receptionist 10 minutes before the interview and told her that I had a meeting with the hiring manager at 10 am. She asked me to take a seat and let the manager know that I was there. While I was waiting at reception, a couple of representatives from a printing company showed up to visit someone else at the company. I'm quite sure that they were salespeople from the way they were dressed. I'm guessing that they were either there to pitch their business to the company or perhaps the company was already an existing client of theirs.
I was quite impressed with one of the salesmen. Throughout the wait at reception, he refused to sit down and instead stood beside a chair the entire time. He stood for at least 10 minutes and then my interviewer showed up and so I left the reception area. I'm sure the salesman kept standing until his client showed up. I have heard of consulting firms doing this for their clients/prospects. It creates a visual impression in the eyes of the client/prospect that this vendor is always at their service when s/he stands for them. I was impressed and I know if I was the client, little things such as that would make a difference to me. In marketing services, little things such as that go a long way in differentiating one company from its competitors.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Canned e-mails
I attended a local career fair a few days ago. It was a small one with about 10 companies having a booth and I attended 4-5 of the booths. I got this e-mail the following day from a company whose booth I didn't visit at the career fair:
' ___ [company name deleted to keep confidentiality] would like to thank you for attending the ___ Career Fair hosted by ___ .
' ___ [company name deleted to keep confidentiality] would like to thank you for attending the ___ Career Fair hosted by ___ .
We hope you took time to stop and talk with the ___ representatives about a career within their business unit, and about ___ culture and work environment. We look forward to your application for the ___ positions.
If we missed you at the event, you can still view the featured jobs along with all available positions at ___ by visiting our Careers website.
We wish you the very best as you continue your job search and hope to see you at ___ in the near future.'
But I didn't visit your booth and I'm not interested in the positions you advertised. Why are you sending me a canned e-mail? This is further proof that you're treating me like just another number - candidate #23197. As I have stated before, the companies that can target candidates in a more personalized, targeted manner end up strengthening their brand as an employee of choice. Candidates should be treated like customers - essential to boosting the bottom line.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Prepping for career fairs
Over the years, I have used career fairs as part of my job search and have been successful with them. I've gotten interviews and a few job offers from the ones I've visited over the year. They can be valuable to one's job search if one prepares for them and is focused when at the fair. When determining whether a career fair is worthwhile, you need to ask yourself whether there are companies present that you would want to work for. If that is the case, then it is worth your time to get out there and meet people who work at these companies.
Here's some advice on how to prepare:
Before the career fair:
1. Do some research ahead of time on the companies at the career fair. I don't suggest you spend many days researching each company that has a booth at the career fair. I would suggest narrowing it to 10 companies and at least having an idea about what it is the company does. Second, if these companies are hiring for specific roles that you are interested in, write down a few of the key requirements for each position. Then write for each skill, a few words of how you fit that requirement from your previous experience/education.
Ultimately, you want to create a spreadsheet with the following columns:
Company Position Position Requirements Comments Website
Print this spreadsheet and take it to the career fair.
2. You also want to practice an elevator pitch - something that's 20 seconds long and tells a prospective employer what skills/experience you've to offer and what you're looking for in your next role.
On the day of the fair:
1. It goes without saying that one needs to dress the same way that they would for an interview when they attend a career fair. If you're meeting prospective employers, you must put your best foot forward. I've seen to my dismay, a few people dress far too casually at a career fair and thereby unconsciously make a poor representation of themselves.
2. Show up at the beginning of the career fair. It works better if you speak to companies at the beginning of the career fair rather than at the end. The reason is that these recruiters and hiring managers will be on their feet, talking to candidates all day. It takes a lot of their energy! By the end of the day, they are going to be tired and they're more likely to not give you as much time and attention as you would have gotten at the beginning of the fair. The first 1-2 hours of the fair is critical.
3. Prior to approaching one of your targeted companies at the career fair, refer to your handy spreadsheet. Quickly review the company, the position(s), your qualifications for the role, and approach the booth.
4. Step up to the booth, approach one of the company representatives, smile, shake their hand and state your name: |Hi, my name is..." Usually, they'll respond with their own name. Then, you state your deliver your elevator pitch in less than 20 seconds. Be sure to shake their hand, smile and state your name. Maintain reasonable eye contact with them as you discuss things. Candidates who display enthusiasm and energy will be more successful than those who don't. By doing this, you have already differentiated yourself from 80% of the attendees at the career fair. I've been told that I come across as quite confident and engaging at career fairs.
5. Tell the company which position you are interested in. If you're not sure whether they're hiring for that particular role, tell them that's what you are looking for, anyways. You never know when that position might become available at the company. While discussing your qualifications, be sure to give them a copy of your resume. Your resume provides a good framework for your conversation with recruiter. It depends on the company with respect to what sort of questions they will ask you. Usually, they ask 1 or 2 questions to get a better idea of which role you'd be interested in/suited for. Be sure to ask them a couple of questions about the company, culture or the role. This will demonstrate your interest in them. It doesn't hurt to ask whoever you're speaking to what their experience has been with the company. People always like to talk about themselves :)
6. At the end of your conversation, ask them for a business card. If they do end up giving your a card, that's usually a good sign as there's some indication of interest. If they don't give one out, that's fine as well. By presenting yourself in person, you have put a face along with the resume and that will increase your chance of being selected for an interview.
7. Once you've finished speaking to all of your targeted companies, you can walk around and visit a few other companies of interest and have conversations with them as well.
After the career fair:
1. Once you return home, you can make a few notes on the companies that you met at the career fair.
2. Start sending out e-mails (in a cover letter format) along with an attached soft copy of your resume to each one of the firms that you are interested in. Be sure that the e-mails are specific to the person you spoke to, the job of interest and the firm and make a reference to the fact that you met them at the career fair. If these e-mails are sent within 1 day of meeting the person at the fair, that is more effective.
This approach should result in at least a few interviews, if not a job offer. If it seems like a lot of work for a career fair, trust me, it is worthwhile and could lead to you receiving an offer.
Here's some advice on how to prepare:
Before the career fair:
1. Do some research ahead of time on the companies at the career fair. I don't suggest you spend many days researching each company that has a booth at the career fair. I would suggest narrowing it to 10 companies and at least having an idea about what it is the company does. Second, if these companies are hiring for specific roles that you are interested in, write down a few of the key requirements for each position. Then write for each skill, a few words of how you fit that requirement from your previous experience/education.
Ultimately, you want to create a spreadsheet with the following columns:
Company Position Position Requirements Comments Website
Print this spreadsheet and take it to the career fair.
2. You also want to practice an elevator pitch - something that's 20 seconds long and tells a prospective employer what skills/experience you've to offer and what you're looking for in your next role.
On the day of the fair:
1. It goes without saying that one needs to dress the same way that they would for an interview when they attend a career fair. If you're meeting prospective employers, you must put your best foot forward. I've seen to my dismay, a few people dress far too casually at a career fair and thereby unconsciously make a poor representation of themselves.
2. Show up at the beginning of the career fair. It works better if you speak to companies at the beginning of the career fair rather than at the end. The reason is that these recruiters and hiring managers will be on their feet, talking to candidates all day. It takes a lot of their energy! By the end of the day, they are going to be tired and they're more likely to not give you as much time and attention as you would have gotten at the beginning of the fair. The first 1-2 hours of the fair is critical.
3. Prior to approaching one of your targeted companies at the career fair, refer to your handy spreadsheet. Quickly review the company, the position(s), your qualifications for the role, and approach the booth.
4. Step up to the booth, approach one of the company representatives, smile, shake their hand and state your name: |Hi, my name is..." Usually, they'll respond with their own name. Then, you state your deliver your elevator pitch in less than 20 seconds. Be sure to shake their hand, smile and state your name. Maintain reasonable eye contact with them as you discuss things. Candidates who display enthusiasm and energy will be more successful than those who don't. By doing this, you have already differentiated yourself from 80% of the attendees at the career fair. I've been told that I come across as quite confident and engaging at career fairs.
5. Tell the company which position you are interested in. If you're not sure whether they're hiring for that particular role, tell them that's what you are looking for, anyways. You never know when that position might become available at the company. While discussing your qualifications, be sure to give them a copy of your resume. Your resume provides a good framework for your conversation with recruiter. It depends on the company with respect to what sort of questions they will ask you. Usually, they ask 1 or 2 questions to get a better idea of which role you'd be interested in/suited for. Be sure to ask them a couple of questions about the company, culture or the role. This will demonstrate your interest in them. It doesn't hurt to ask whoever you're speaking to what their experience has been with the company. People always like to talk about themselves :)
6. At the end of your conversation, ask them for a business card. If they do end up giving your a card, that's usually a good sign as there's some indication of interest. If they don't give one out, that's fine as well. By presenting yourself in person, you have put a face along with the resume and that will increase your chance of being selected for an interview.
7. Once you've finished speaking to all of your targeted companies, you can walk around and visit a few other companies of interest and have conversations with them as well.
After the career fair:
1. Once you return home, you can make a few notes on the companies that you met at the career fair.
2. Start sending out e-mails (in a cover letter format) along with an attached soft copy of your resume to each one of the firms that you are interested in. Be sure that the e-mails are specific to the person you spoke to, the job of interest and the firm and make a reference to the fact that you met them at the career fair. If these e-mails are sent within 1 day of meeting the person at the fair, that is more effective.
This approach should result in at least a few interviews, if not a job offer. If it seems like a lot of work for a career fair, trust me, it is worthwhile and could lead to you receiving an offer.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Group interviews not a good idea for firms
Some companies think group interviews (where are a group of candidates are interviewed by a company at once) are a cost effective way to interview a number of candidates at the same time. Take it from me, folks - I suggest firms refrain from using this method. Here's why:
We live in a competitive market and there's a war for talent. With baby boomers retiring, companies are competing for candidates to fill their roles and the shortage of experienced talent means it's a job seeker's market. In such a market, firms need to do whatever they can to differentiate themselves from the competition. Whereas a group interview may seem cost effective and efficient for the firm, it sends a message to candidates that the firm doesn't think they are important enough to warrant interviewing each of them on an individual basis. As a candidate, what goes through my mind is that if the company doesn't think I'm important enough to spend an hour with talking on an individual basis, why should I give them the time of day when there are other companies that are willing to spend that one on one time with me? It gives me a sense that the company views employees as a commodity; as widgets that can be replaced easily which means the firm is not likely to develop and grow them in the way their most important assets should be treated.
Second, in order for firms to assess candidates properly, they need to ensure that candidates are at ease and behave in their usual manner. Group interviews create an uncomfortable and somewhat competitive scenario where a person sees their competition face to face for a particular job and it leads to people in many cases not behaving like themselves. People get nervous, self-conscious or alternatively overly competitive even though this is not their normal self. It takes an already inexact science of interviewing and makes it more complicated. It's like asking someone to count the white stripes on each zebra in a zoo but on the condition of the zebras running around in circles and having a person count the stripes at the same time. Would it not make more sense to take each zebra aside and count its white stripes individually?
The single most important factor for a company's success in the knowledge economy is human capital. Thus, identifying that human capital is an important endeavour for the firm and companies shouldn't be "cheaping out" by trying to take shortcuts and hoping to somehow luck out with attracting high performing employees.
We live in a competitive market and there's a war for talent. With baby boomers retiring, companies are competing for candidates to fill their roles and the shortage of experienced talent means it's a job seeker's market. In such a market, firms need to do whatever they can to differentiate themselves from the competition. Whereas a group interview may seem cost effective and efficient for the firm, it sends a message to candidates that the firm doesn't think they are important enough to warrant interviewing each of them on an individual basis. As a candidate, what goes through my mind is that if the company doesn't think I'm important enough to spend an hour with talking on an individual basis, why should I give them the time of day when there are other companies that are willing to spend that one on one time with me? It gives me a sense that the company views employees as a commodity; as widgets that can be replaced easily which means the firm is not likely to develop and grow them in the way their most important assets should be treated.
Second, in order for firms to assess candidates properly, they need to ensure that candidates are at ease and behave in their usual manner. Group interviews create an uncomfortable and somewhat competitive scenario where a person sees their competition face to face for a particular job and it leads to people in many cases not behaving like themselves. People get nervous, self-conscious or alternatively overly competitive even though this is not their normal self. It takes an already inexact science of interviewing and makes it more complicated. It's like asking someone to count the white stripes on each zebra in a zoo but on the condition of the zebras running around in circles and having a person count the stripes at the same time. Would it not make more sense to take each zebra aside and count its white stripes individually?
The single most important factor for a company's success in the knowledge economy is human capital. Thus, identifying that human capital is an important endeavour for the firm and companies shouldn't be "cheaping out" by trying to take shortcuts and hoping to somehow luck out with attracting high performing employees.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Writing a targeted resume
If you have ever come across a job posting and wondered how to write a targeted resume for the job, try this approach:
1. Copy the job posting into a Microsoft Word document.
2. Go through the job posting and using the highlight function in MS Word, highlight the key words and phrases in the job description. You make think that the entire job posting is important but actually, there are some key aspects to the job that are more important than others.
3. For each significant aspect of the job, write 1-2 sentences in the same Word document of how you have achieved that in your previous work experience, education, etc. I shall call these "previous experience examples".
4. Open your resume and save a copy of the resume specifically for customization.
5. Take the highlighted key words and ensure that they are included in your resume in a truthful manner and in a way that makes sense to a reader.
6. Moreover, try to include your "previous experience examples" in a concise form somewhere in the resume. They might appear in the career profile or work experience sections of your resume.
7. Check spelling, grammar and formatting of the resume.
8. Tada! You now have a customized resume for the job posting.
Once you do this exercise for a few jobs , you will become more comfortable and skilled at writing customized resumes targeted for specific positions.
1. Copy the job posting into a Microsoft Word document.
2. Go through the job posting and using the highlight function in MS Word, highlight the key words and phrases in the job description. You make think that the entire job posting is important but actually, there are some key aspects to the job that are more important than others.
3. For each significant aspect of the job, write 1-2 sentences in the same Word document of how you have achieved that in your previous work experience, education, etc. I shall call these "previous experience examples".
4. Open your resume and save a copy of the resume specifically for customization.
5. Take the highlighted key words and ensure that they are included in your resume in a truthful manner and in a way that makes sense to a reader.
6. Moreover, try to include your "previous experience examples" in a concise form somewhere in the resume. They might appear in the career profile or work experience sections of your resume.
7. Check spelling, grammar and formatting of the resume.
8. Tada! You now have a customized resume for the job posting.
Once you do this exercise for a few jobs , you will become more comfortable and skilled at writing customized resumes targeted for specific positions.
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