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Your #Career : How To Ask For A #Referral Without Sounding Entitled Or Desperate…Referrals are a Great Way to Get an “In” at a Company. But you Should Always Be Tactful About Asking for It.

May 9, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

The most awkward networking attempt I’ve ever witnessed happened in my senior year of college. A former executive at NBC who had started his own production company came to talk to the film department at my school about entertainment careers, and I went to check it out. The speaker was great–he had plenty of insight, advice, and personal anecdotes, and I stayed after to chat with him a bit (mainly about our mutual love of 30 Rock, if I’m being honest).

Ahead of me in line was another woman who, rather than asking a thoughtful question, hit him with, “Can you help me get aninternship at your company?” Unsurprisingly, he gave her a strange look, said that she should look up the opportunities available on their careers page, and moved on. After all, why in the world would he vouch for her when he didn’t know anything about her?

I understand why you might want to ask someone to help you get a job at their company–referrals are a powerful way to get your foot in the door, and studies have shown that recruiters view referral candidates as higher quality than other sources. But if you don’t ask for one the right way, you may be doing more to hurt your application than help it. An out-of-the-blue request like the one I witnessed can come across as pushy, crass, and just plain self-serving.

To help you navigate that fine line between polite and presumptuous, we reached out to experts to hear how they suggest approaching someone for a referral–here are their tips.

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WHEN ASKING SOMEONE YOU KNOW WELL

If you’re close to somebody connected to the company–be it a friend, family member, or former colleague–you’re in luck. Assuming you have a good relationship, they will probably be happy to help you out.

“Be honest with them. Tell them what it is you’re ultimately looking for, and give them an idea of how they can help you,” recommends career coach Carlota Zimmerman.

Keep in mind, though, that a request for a referral–even when asking a close friend–is not a guarantee that you’ll receive one. If somebody can’t vouch for your work quality, they may not be comfortable putting themselves on the line for you. Because of this, it’s polite to give somebody an out, says Roy Cohen, career coach and author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide.

“Build in an exit option for friends, family, and colleagues. Sometimes, and to our great surprise and disappointment, the people closest to us will act weird when these sorts of requests are made,” Cohen says. “Rather than jeopardize the relationship, let the request go if there is any waffling.”

Cohen suggests saying something like: “I wonder if I can impose on you . . . and it’s not an issue if you can’t. I’m trying to get a referral to [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][company name] and I seem to remember that you may know that person or know someone who does. It would really mean a lot to me. Let me explain why.”

If they do end up referring you, don’t take it for granted.

“Afterwards, take them out to dinner, or buy them a small thank you present,” Zimmerman advises.

WHEN ASKING SOMEONE YOU KIND OF KNOW

Asking for a referral from an acquaintance–say, a friend of a friend or former coworker who you only talked to a handful of times–requires a little bit more finesse. One way to build goodwill and improve your odds of a response is reminding them of your connection to each other.

“It is always best if you and the acquaintance share a good mutual friend or colleague in common. That will establish your credibility as someone who is not likely to be a source of embarrassment,” Cohen says. “Send a brief note first to break the ice and to provide context as to why you are reaching out.”

Cohen suggests: “You may remember that you and I share so-and-so in common. I seem to recall that you may also have a connection to [who you want to meet or where you want to go]. I heard that there may be an opportunity there and I wanted to reach out, but I don’t know anyone at the firm. Can I impose on you? Let me tell you about my background so that you know a little bit more about me.”

This last part is key, Cohen says, as “people we barely know or know peripherally on a social basis may have little knowledge as to our backgrounds. It is always a good idea to remind them by sharing information that they may be unaware of and that may even impress them.”

This will also allow them to give hiring managers and recruiters a better idea of what you have to offer, which is key if you want to get their attention.

And just as you would with a friend, it’s nice to express your appreciation for a referral by thanking them with a phone call, note, or small gift.

WHEN ASKING SOMEONE YOU DON’T KNOW

If you don’t know somebody who works at the company you’re interested in, all hope is not lost. These days, you can easily go online to figure out who works at a company and reach out to them. It’s best to seek out a recruiter, the hiring manager for the role, or someone who is on the team you’re interested in joining. Make sure that you’re not asking for too much too quickly, though, as that will turn people off helping you.

Once you reach out to someone via LinkedIn or email, “Always begin by expressing your gratitude, and repeat that message at the very tail end of your request,” suggests Cohen.

Then, “Use your interest in a position at the company they are working at as a way to get to know this person,” advises J. Kelly Hoey, author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World.

Kelly suggests saying: “I know we’ve recently connected on LinkedIn through XYZ, and I recently saw the X department at your company has an open position. I’m intrigued by it. Any chance I could ask you a few questions about the company and the role?”

“Use your interest as the way to start a conversation, and be open to where it leads to,” she adds.

Ask a few questions about the company culture, responsibilities of the role, what they love about working there, etc. “Then, you can begin a gentle segue into mentioning that you too would like to work for that company,” shares Sara Causey, CEO of SEC Technical, LLC.

“Have a strong pitch ready as to why you want this referral, your goals, what you bring to the table (education, experience, expertise), and crucially, why you believe this person can help you,” Zimmerman suggests. “Remember that you’re essentially asking a stranger to open doors for you, so how you present is how you’ll be perceived.”

Don’t forget to thank the person for their time, and if they do end up providing you with a referral, keep them looped in on next steps.

“In any situation where you ask for a referral and someone grants it, circle back with that person on the outcome! Nothing is worse than [being] left in the dark as to whether or not an introduction or interview came through,” Cohen says. Not to mention, “By following up, you’re also more likely to receive help from that person again in the future.”

Asking for a referral may seem intimidating, but it’s often an effective way to head to the top of the candidate list, so it’s worth the request–as long as you handle it delicately. But if you demonstrate respect for the other person, show thoughtfulness in your approach, and thank them for their time, you’ll have nothing to worry about.

GlassDoor.com | May 9, 2018 | BY EMILY MOORE—GLASSDOOR 6 MINUTE READ

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Your #Career : Ask an #InterviewCoach : How Can I Be More Compelling In Each #Interview Round…Here are Some Tips to Help you Ace each Stage of the #InterviewProcess .

May 9, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

The most competitive opportunities have multiple rounds of interviews, with 3 rounds being commonplace. While the overarching objective throughout the process is to assess the mutual fit between job seeker and employer, each stage places a different emphasis on the traits the employer wants to analyze. The earlier stages focus on ensuring you have the core qualifications, while the latter stages go deeper on your potential fit with the organization culture.

Here are some tips to help you ace each stage of the interview process.

First Round

The first interview will likely be conducted by a recruiter who is focused on ensuring they can present you as a candidate to the hiring manager. They will be listening to hear that you have experience in the core skills outlined in the job description. For example, they may want to hear that you have SQL experience when interviewing for a data analyst role.

Because this round is more about ensuring you fill the right checkboxes, you want to make sure you cover enough ground to connect the dots between the job description and how you describe your experience.

Additionally, you want to ensure you demonstrate interest in the role, as the recruiter wants to ensure they are passing candidates to the hiring manager that have a reasonable chance of accepting an offer, if presented.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Second Round

This is where things get very interesting, as there is typically several interviewers in this round, with multiple varied objectives. Here are some of the people you may interview with, and what they are looking for in your candidacy.

The 3 types of interviewers you may encounter

1. Cross-Functional Stakeholders

Organizations are increasingly employing matrixed collaboration models, where employees have to collaborate with other functional groups, and are held accountable by them, in addition to their direct boss. This requires hiring people with the right collaboration mindset to successfully navigate the inherent complexity of the model

When these stakeholders are interviewing you, their main objective is to understand what it will feel like to collaborate with you. For example, in the Product Management Interview, engineers will ask Product Managers about their approach in aligning on scope and prioritizing what the engineers will work on. They will also assess your capabilities of doing the job (e.g., analyzing requirements), but the emotional gut-feel of how they perceive your working style, will play an outsized role in determining whether they give their approval.

This is why it is important to prepare by thinking through at least 2 examples of how you have successfully collaborated with others in the past, and have clarity on the following:

How did you build a strong working relationship (e.g., trust-based, collaborative)
What were measures of success and how did you ensure all parties were recognized?
How would others describe your working style?

2. Peers

It is common to be interviewed by your future peers, also for the same reason cross-functional stakeholders interview you. But a core difference from other stakeholders is that your peers can go very deep in understanding your discrete skills. For example, it is common for Product Marketers to interview their potential peers and ask them detailed questions on campaign strategy, customer insights, and how they conduct market research.

To effectively prepare for this interview it is helpful to outline some frameworks you can internalize that outline your approach to common activities required of your job. For example, if you are a product marketer, what is your approach to launching a new campaign? You might outline a simple structure as follows:

Identify the campaign objective (e.g., create awareness)
Analyze customer segments
Research competitor campaigns
Test and iterate 10+ copy/creative combinations
Measure <specific KPI’s> and scale

The goal of outlining these frameworks beforehand is to help guide you in impromptu questions so you have a starting point in the answer, which solves a common pain point for job seekers who know how to do their job but are not sure how to frame up a cohesive answer that makes it easy to understand.

3. Hiring Manager

Hiring managers are listed last in this section because it is common for them to place significant weight on the feedback from peers and cross-functional partners, as they know your productivity will heavily rely on your ability to collaborate with these groups.

Hiring managers tend to look at the big picture, and often focus on the weakest areas of your candidacy, some of which may be informed by the other interviewers. The 2 most common areas of weaknesses that are pressure tested are:

Relevant experience: Hiring managers will be accountable for your performance, and this can lead to risk mitigation instead of taking the candidate with the highest potential. As such, it is common for them to ask deep questions about your “hard skills” and whether you have applied them in a similar environment (e.g., industry, company size, operating model). This is why you want to go through the job description, line by line, and ensure you have talking points about your relevant skills, even if you do not have direct experience, for each one.
The “why” behind your job history: The two patterns hiring managers look for is your tenure at each job and the progression of your roles. Given this, it is important to have a 2-3 liner ready to articulate the motivations behind the different moves in your career, and how each transition helped you grow and build further capabilities.

Final Round(s)

If you are invited to the final round, it means you have demonstrated the skill and organizational fit required to succeed, and now the focus shifts to a relative comparison between you and other final round candidates.

Some of the types of interviewers of round 2 will show up again, and the same strategy is applicable, however, there are also 3 nuanced interview types that are more common in final rounds.

1. Panel Interview

The panel interview is a unique opportunity to see how you interact in a group setting, tailor your communication to a varied audience, and manage the stress of simultaneous interviewers.

It is helpful to think of this interview as simulating what it will be like to be in everyday group meetings and approach the interview with that mindset. This means addressing everyone in the room and truly focusing on engaging with the audience as softer skills play a larger role here than in the first round.

2. Group Presentation

These typically consist of 2 components. First, you will be asked to introduce yourself and highlight your core experience. Second, you will be given a specific prompt pertaining to the business and you have to demonstrate a thoughtful strategy and approach to address the “problem.” This often can resemble a case interview, but where you are given more information and time to present a more thorough point of view.

For this interview type, you want to do 3 things:

Practice a synthesized (i.e., under 5 minutes) story that answers the question “Tell Me About Yourself”, with a focus on connecting the dots between your experience and the opportunity.
Budget 2 minutes per slide, and practice your cadence to ensure the presentation is the appropriate length.
Practice presentation delivery ahead of time, but do not memorize it, and do not read word for word from the presentation.

A Framework For Every Round

Before every round and each interview, think through the following to focus your preparation on the most important areas.

Who is interviewing me and what do they care about most?
What might they perceive as a weakness in my candidacy, and how can I address it?
What characteristics do I want to highlight about my candidacy that can help differentiate me from other applicants?

Jeevan is the Founder and CEO of Rocket Interview ( www.rocketinterview.com) where his team helps job seekers ace the most competitive interviews. He was an Associate Partner at McKinsey and Company and a VP of a Tech Startup where he regularly interviewed job candidates. Since then he has helped clients land jobs in roles ranging from product management to marketing. His clients have landed jobs at Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon, Coca-Cola, and other competitive companies. Email: jeevan@rocketinterview.com

GlassDoor.com | May 8, 2018 | Posted by Jeevan Balani

Your #Career : #Unemployed – 5 Ways to Make Money in the Middle of a #ResumeGap …A resume gap might seem a Bit Scary to Navigate, But it Doesn’t Have to Be.

May 7, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

A resume gap might seem a bit scary to navigate, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you were already planning time off between jobs or lost your job due to an uncontrollable circumstance, there are ways to take control of the situation — and still earn money and valuable experience while searching for your next career opportunity.

Here are five ways to make a resume gap work for you.

1. Become a Freelancer

There’s a freelance job for virtually every line of work: copywriting, social media management, product design, graphic design — the list goes on. Search for freelance jobs relevant to your career field, and work on your own time.

The good thing about freelance gigs is that, generally, they’re flexible. If you’re busy applying for full-time jobs, freelance work gives you the freedom you need to attend interviews at all times of the day while still earning extra money.

See Open Freelancer Jobs

2. Work as a Consultant

In today’s digital world, it’s easier than ever to start your own business. You can work as a consultant for another company or create your own consulting gig. This type of work exists in many different fields, and it’s important to pick a niche where you have deep knowledge and experience on a subject.

While that path to becoming a consultant might differ depending on your field, it’s essential that you build your brand and start networking to be successful. Consulting can be a good option if your gap between jobs will be a prolonged period, such as a year or longer. This way, you have the right amount of time to build up a client base and obtain even more skills to list on your resume.

See Open Consultant Jobs

3. Develop Your Own Business

Do you have a hobby or skill people would pay for? Maybe you bake delicious cakes or are good at detailing cars. Armed with those skills, talk to friends and family, and start advertising your services.

If people will pay for something you typically offer for free or do as a favor, hone in on that and market yourself as a legitimate business. Make some cheap business cards and get your name out there!

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4. Join the Gig Economy

The infinitely growing gig economy is a great way to supplement your income, even if a task won’t necessarily benefit your career. Look into pet sitting, ride sharing, delivering groceries or even renting out a spare room on Airbnb. Don’t feel like leaving the house? No worries; you can still make money from the comfort of your own home through methods like investing in real estate on the web, working as an online bookkeeper or selling old items you don’t use anymore.

If you think earning an income through the gig economy is right for you, keep up your professional life by going to networking events, volunteering or interning part-time. These events can still be listed on your resume while you earn an income with other jobs on the side.

See Open Lyft Driver Jobs

5. Learn a New Skill

This might not make you much money right now, but learning something new you can put on a resume could mean more money in a future job. Maybe you’re only somewhat familiar with CRMs — take a course and master Salesforce, and you’ll quickly become the go-to person in your next office.

Better yet, learn some HTML or CSS coding from a free online resource. Or look into Coursera or Poynter’s News University, where you could earn certifications in fields such as marketing, journalism and online media.

Three Tips for Addressing a Resume Gap

Ready to enter the workforce again? Here are a few helpful tips for mentioning a gap on your resume or in an interview.

Address the gap clearly. Instead of ignoring it or waiting for the interviewer to ask about it, talk about your resume gap and anything relevant to the job you did during that time. If it was parental leave, state you wanted to be home to take care of your child. It’s all about being honest — addressing the gap head-on during the interview will get you further than not being straightforward about your job history.
Prepare what you’ll say ahead of time. Frame your job gap as productive time away from the office. Did you stay home with the kids and manage all the bills? Talk about how you became proficient in Excel and learned how to budget. Did you choose to take a sabbatical and travel the world? Discuss how adaptable you are and how much you learned by immersing yourself in a foreign culture.
Keep it positive. Regardless of whether or not you were let go or left of your own accord, position the circumstance in a positive way. Instead of saying you had problems with your previous manager, talk about what you learned about yourself as a professional, and what you do and don’t want out of a workplace.

You don’t have to be afraid of your resume gap. Leverage this time and use it to your advantage — learn relevant skills, get a certification in your field or explore new career opportunities. Good luck!

Jacquelyn Pica is a writer at The Penny Hoarder. Find her on Twitter @JacquelynTPH.

Glassdoor.com | May 7, 2018 | Jacquelyn Pica

Your #Career : This Is How To Stand Out When #Recruiters Come to Your College…Recruiters from Top Companies Share What Impresses Them.

May 5, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Graduation season can be nerve-wracking, from final exams and papers to finding a job to start paying off student loans. So when your dream employer sends recruiters to campus, meeting them and convincing them you’re a good fit can feel like a game with sky-high stakes.

Recruiters from top companies say catching their attention requires prepping for and conducting your interview in a smart and savvy way. And while some of the advice might seem basic, most of them said they are surprised how many students don’t do much to differentiate themselves. Here, they share their insights to help you stand out in a good way.

GO BEYOND BASIC HOMEWORK

“Do your homework,” is standard advice when preparing for a recruiter meeting or interview. But, when you meet with one of the team members at Intel, it helps to go beyond the basics, says Barbara Fisher, vice president and chief human resources officer of Intel Talent Management. Knowing the company’s financials is one thing. Knowing where it’s making investments or facing strategic challenges is something else.

“Everyone can use the buzzword, the artificial intelligence, or machine learning, or Internet of Things, but what is it they’re doing in there?” she says. “If it’s Intel, what are some of the challenges in their process, technology, or some of the opportunities that they’re seeing in autonomous driving? If you just dig in a little bit to the company, [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][you’ll] understand it a little bit to have an intelligent conversation.” Good places to look include the company’s investor relations section as well as trade media.

And, while you’re at it, if you know who the recruiter is in advance, do a little digging there, too, says Sjoerd Gehring, VP of talent acquisition and people experience at Johnson & Johnson. Check out their public social media accounts, especially LinkedIn and Twitter, and find out if you have common interests. It’s another way to show that you’re interested in making a connection to the recruiter and the company, Gehring says. If you’re going to a job fair where there are many recruiters, pick your top four or five and spend more time with them, engaging them in conversation and asking questions about the roles, instead of trying to hand out your resume to as many recruiters as possible, he adds. Opt for quality interactions instead of quantity.

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PERFECT YOUR PAPERWORK

No matter how many times it’s repeated, candidates still don’t ensure that their resumes are error-free and up-to-date. Even a simple unclear date can take you out of the running for important opportunities, says Cindy Loggins, eBay’s director of university recruiting and programs. For example, eBay doesn’t hire students who have graduated as interns. If you’re a senior who needs an extra semester to graduate and are going back to school in the fall, failing to update your resume to reflect that could knock you out of the running for an internship, she says. “Make sure your date is accurate when you’re presenting it to people, because that again shows really that you want to be here,” she says.

Job search and information website CareerBuilder conducts an annual survey of outrageous resume mistakes. In the 2016 survey, one respondent reported that an applicant’s last name was auto-corrected from “Flin” to “Flintstone.” His first name was Freddie. Another respondent recounted that an applicant claimed they had “great attention to detail,” but “attention” was misspelled. Given that about 43% of recruiters look at a resume for less than a minute, typos are a quick way to eliminate candidates for sloppiness.

KNOW YOUR STORY

While it may seem like a smart strategy to not share goals or job interests that may limit the opportunities to match you to open positions, being a generalist is actually more of a risk, Gehring says. The job market is thriving and applicants have many choices. “And so, if you play the generic game—”I can work anywhere or in any industry, in any company, or in any kind of role”–that might be true, but you unintentionally almost disqualify yourself from many of those opportunities,” he says. “What companies are looking for is if you have a very well-articulated point of view in terms of why you want to work for that company in that industry, and the impact you want to have in that job.”

Gehring recalls one memorable candidate whose mother had recently been diagnosed with a particular form of cancer. The candidate confessed that she felt helpless She wanted to work Johnson & Johnson as a recruiter to find scientists and doctors on the oncology team to who may be able to find a cure for that cancer. “I thought that was a very powerful articulation of what she ultimately wanted, the small impact of the small role that she wanted to play in that scenario,” he recalls.

Beyond that, it’s a good idea to connect your campus experience to your desired role, says Jacob Spangler, a management consultant with Accenture and the campus recruitment lead for the University of Texas at Austin. When Spangler meets with prospective hires at the university, he is impressed when students take what they’ve done during their university careers and relate it to how they can make a difference for Accenture.

“They don’t really emphasize that they’ve got the skills that we’re looking for already it might not be manifested in the most obvious way but students can do a huge benefit for themselves by kind of amping them up and really trying to find that what they do, piecing the story together of the activities that they do and how that fits into a consulting internship or a marketing internship or whatever it is that they’re applying for,” he says.

He also encourages students to be authentic. Consulting is a people business, and if you’re too concerned about fitting in to show some personality, that could be problematic, he says. A recruiter may see dozens of students in a day, and he’ll tune out canned answers and buzzwords. “I’d much rather have an authentic conversation to figure out what we’re really getting–not just the facade you’ve created up front,” he says. Plus, if you’re faking who you are because your “real” self might not fit in, that’s probably not the right place for you, anyway.

DON’T ASSUME “NO” IS “NEVER”

Even if the recruiter meeting doesn’t turn into a job, don’t give up, Gehring says. Keep in touch with the recruiter, network with people at the company, and keep applying for job openings, he says. The company built a recruitment tool called J&J Shine which lets applicants track their progress, read relevant job-search content, and get feedback and skill development resources to help them improve for next time or to find more relevant jobs for them. “So, a no for a job hardly ever is a no on J&J,” he says.

FastCompany.com | May 5, 2018 | BY GWEN MORAN 5 MINUTE READ

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Your #Career : Why You Didn’t Get the #Job Even After You Had a Great #Interview …Unfortunately, this Happens More Often than One Might Think, but There are Reasons for It, and Sometimes it Might Not have Anything to Do with You.

May 2, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

It’s happened to the best of us. You walk out of an interview feeling great but don’t end up securing the position. Unfortunately, this happens more often than one might think, but there are reasons for it, and sometimes it might not have anything to do with you.

You weren’t right for the position

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the result of poor culture fit due to turnover can cost an organization between 50-60% of the person’s annual salary. Even if you had a great interview, it’s possible that the interviewer didn’t feel that you would mesh well in the company culture, or that you simply wouldn’t fit with the role perfectly.

Companies have to be extremely strategic when it comes to hiring, so if an interviewer or hiring manager has any inkling that you might not be the best candidate to fill the role (even if you had a great interview) they will likely go with someone else.

Budget constraints

Budget constraints can have a big impact on a company, particularly within the hiring sector. If finances have become difficult, a company may impart a temporary hiring freeze. This allows companies to save money on new hires, and potentially restructure positions and redistribute job duties so there’s no need for additional or unnecessary positions. Unfortunately, times (and finances) can change quickly so a hiring freeze might be put into place during or after the interview process.

Companies rarely want to acknowledge financial hardship to the public, therefore if this is the case, you probably won’t get much of an answer as to why you didn’t get the job after a great interview.

The company decided to fill the position internally

Companies often will post positions publically even when they intend on hiring internally. While there aren’t laws stating this requirement, union or civil service agreements may encourage employers to post jobs publically.

Additionally, it may have just been about timing and ease of onboarding. If you had a great interview, but an internal candidate declared interest in the position, hiring internally might have simply been easier. Internal candidates are already familiar with company culture, often need less training, and research suggests that external hires earn 18-20% more than existing employees promoted to similar positions.

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Someone else edged you out

There’s not much more to this. You might have had a great interview, but there’s always a chance that another candidate interviewed better than you or edged you out in some way. Chalk it up to experience, and take note of the successful parts of the interview. Note what you did well, and where you can improve next time.

You didn’t meet one (or more) of the qualifications

Having a great interview can have a huge impact on hiring decisions, but sometimes if you don’t hold one or more of the required qualifications, a great interview isn’t enough to land you the job.

If you have 85% of the requirements listed, you should still absolutely apply for the position, but keep in mind that some requirements are more important than others. Think certifications and specialized training. Ultimately, even if you had a great interview and most of the requirements, there could be another candidate who interviewed equally well with all of the qualifications. Hiring can come down to splitting hairs, and at the end of the day, if you don’t hold the necessary requirements of the job you’re applying to, you might not be able to land the job.

Interviews can make or break you, but they aren’t the only factor that goes into hiring decisions. You might have had a great interview, but there are a slew of other factors which could impact why you didn’t get the job.

8 Expert-Approved Tips for How to Find a Job Today

GlassDoor.com | May 2, 2018 | Posted by Michele Lando

Your #Career : Critical #JobSearch Technique- How to Land an #InformationalInterview …Here’s How and Why to Set one Up, Plus What to Do Once you’ve Actually Landed the Meeting.

April 28, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Many people see informational interviews as tricky. What are they for, really? They’re definitely for gathering information about a certain industry, job role or career path, but they’re also valuable in helping you get a job. Not only can they inform your job hunt with insider information in a way that the internet sometimes just can’t, but they also can lead to job opportunities that are only available for those who are “in-network,” so to speak.

Here’s how and why to set one up, plus what to do once you’ve actually landed the meeting.

1. Understand the Benefits

Informational interviews can be used as a crucial component of any job search mainly because they provide an opportunity to build relationships with networking contacts. “Unfortunately, informational interviews tend to be underutilized by many job candidates because their effectiveness in leading to a job is not always so apparent,” explains Richard Orbé-Austin, Ph.D., of Dynamic Transitions Psychological Consulting, LLP. That is, the results of informational interviews aren’t always direct or immediate. But they can lead to positions in what experts call the “hidden job market.”

“I have often seen opportunities created when there is a great connection made between the interviewer and interviewee, or the interviewee happens to fit a skill set that is needed in the organization,” Orbé-Austin says. So don’t think of informational interviews as simply exploratory; take them seriously and be aware that they sometimes also lead to new employment opportunities.

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2. Start With Your Network

One thing candidates often struggle with is who to ask for an informational interview. To put it simply, you should start with the people you know. “If you are in college or more junior in your career, ask your family and family friends to help connect you,” suggests Lori Scherwin, founder of StrategizeThat. “As you get more senior, leverage current colleagues, former colleagues and others up and down the value chain of the industry you are looking to get into.”

If you want to reach out to someone but don’t know them directly, try to have a mutual contact introduce you. “Cold emails are possible, but your ‘hit rate’ goes up if you get an introduction,” Scherwin says.

Lastly, don’t be shy. “All too often, people don’t reach out — when they have so many people who could help them — out of fear of looking uninformed, desperate or needy,” Scherwin notes. “But more often than not, these fears are unfounded. People actually enjoy helping others, and it’s likely that the person you want to talk to has used that approach in their career as well.”

3. Respect Their Time When Making Your Ask

When reaching out to someone for an informational interview (regardless of whether you’re cold emailing or someone has connected you), there are a few important guidelines to follow. “You want to always keep the email brief, make a connection apparent (be specific about who referred you to him/her or what you have in common and why you are reaching out), be respectful (address them by their title unless told otherwise) and be specific that the ask is for an informational meeting of 15 to 20 minutes,” Orbé-Austin advises.

In other words, acknowledge that this person is not a career counselor, and that they would be doing you a favor by meeting with you. By keeping your contact with them short and to-the-point, you’re setting the tone for the entire conversation. Carry that tone through to the actual meeting by arriving early and not taking up more than the allotted amount of time, Orbé-Austin recommends.

4. Don’t Go in Cold

Just like a job interview, you need to do some prep work for an informational interview. “First and foremost, figure out what you are hoping to accomplish,” says Natalie Ledbetter, VP of People Operations at Stash. What do you want to learn in this meeting? “From there, come to the table with questions and a very solid understanding of the business, products and services that the company offers.” Your questions should be thoughtful and reference projects and news you’ve read about the company to show genuine interest, she says.

Make sure your questions are specific, too. “There is nothing worse than wasting someone’s time who is trying to help you,” Scherwin says. “Don’t show up and say ‘okay, tell me everything.’ Have targeted questions, and do your homework.”

5. Establish a Relationship

During the actual interview, don’t just ask questions and wait for responses. “Focus on more than just content; use the time to build a relationship,” Scherwin recommends. “While you are there asking questions, you still have the opportunity to make a great impression through your professionalism.” If you see an opportunity to contribute your expertise to the conversation, and you have the relevant experience to back up your comments, go for it.

That being said, don’t ask for a job right off the bat or treat the interview like a sales pitch. “If you establish a strong connection, an opportunity might unfold, but you are there to learn, not position yourself. That might be an end goal of yours, but be careful about turning an informational interview into a job referralor request.”

6. Remember: Relationships Go Two Ways

“As you are listening — particularly if you are more senior in your career — think about how you can give back,” Scherwin says. “Ask how you can help the person you are meeting with. Actively listen to what they tell you, and instead of just thinking about how the info affects you, think about how your background fits in with what they are saying, how you could be a valuable person for them to stay in touch with going forward or someone in your network you want to introduce them to.”

There’s no need to force it, but be mindful of the fact that the best relationships are two-way streets. “Bottom line: Treat this informational interview as relationship building rather than just information gathering. It’s both.”

7. Leave the Interview With Next Steps in Place

This is the key to making your informational interview useful. “Set yourself up for success by ensuring you leave that meeting with a next step already in place so you have a reason to follow up. Create it,” Scherwin says. Maybe it’s an introduction to someone else based on something from your conversation that you want to learn more about, or perhaps it’s talking to someone else on their team about their role. Maybe it’s even asking for their advice about what skills to develop to land a role at their company.

However you do it, the takeaway is the same: “Do not leave that meeting without a follow-up in place, already knowing the next reason for you to reach out.” As an added bonus, it creates a reason to write a thank-you note or email that doesn’t feel forced, which can then naturally turn into a longer, ongoing conversation.

GlassDoor.com | April 26, 2018 | Posted by Julia Malacoff

Your #Career : 8 Expert-Approved Tips for How to Find a Job Today (Bonus: Live Stream Podcasts)… The #JobHunt : It’s Something We All Go Through in our Lives, Yet there’s Still a Surprising Amount of Mystery Around It.

April 28, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

The job hunt: it’s something we all go through in our lives, yet there’s still a surprising amount of mystery around it. Do I need to write a cover letter? What’s the best way to prepare for an interview? And why do I never hear back, even after sending dozens of applications?

We know that many different aspects of the job search process can be confusing — and as a company whose mission is to help people everywhere find jobs and companies they love, we wanted to provide some clarity. That’s why we hosted How to Get a Job Live!, a livestream dedicated to helping people beat the competition and get hired. In it, we heard from job search experts, recruiters and even Glassdoor’s Chief Economist about what it takes to find the right company for you, stand out from the crowd, write an excellent resume and more.

Couldn’t make it? No problem! Register here for access to the livestream recordings, and read on to learn a few of the top tips from our panel of experts.

1. The Time to Apply Is Now

Good news for anyone thinking about moving onto a new opportunity — we’re undoubtedly in a job seeker’s market, according to Glassdoor Chief Economist Dr. Andrew Chamberlain. The U.S. has seen nine years of continuous economic expansion, allowing businesses to add jobs at a steady clip. Some particularly hot industries, like healthcare and tech, are hiring even more. With so many opportunities available, companies are working hard to attract the best and the brightest to their companies, which can result in improved benefits packages, higher salaries and other perks that entice candidates.

It’s important to remember, though, that these favorable conditions won’t last forever — after all, what goes up must eventually come down. Chamberlain’s advice: Take advantage of the job seeker’s market while it lasts. If you’ve been thinking about finding a new job, there’s no time to apply like the present.

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2. Bolster Your Skills

Just because there are tons of open positions, though, it doesn’t mean that recruiters are lowering their standards — you’ll still be competing amongst other talented candidates. And as technology has advanced, employers expect potential employees to have more specialized, technical skills. One of the best ways for you to stand out from the crowd is to show employers that you’ve mastered hard skills like these. In particular, Chamberlain recommended familiarizing yourself with data analysis, as nearly all roles work with data in some form and can benefit from deriving insight from it. If data analysis isn’t your strong suit, consider taking an online course.

3. Include the Most Important Resume Info Up Top

Your resume is the first impression recruiters and hiring managers have of you — and if you don’t grab their attention, it will likely also be the last. The average recruiter only spends about six to seven seconds on a resume, so make sure it’s easy for the reader to gather all of the most important information with just a quick scan. One way to do that, suggested job search expert Scott Dobroski, is to include a professional summary up top that doesn’t just state who you are and what job you’re looking for, but the unique value you bring to the table and your most valuable skills.

4. When in Doubt, Write a Cover Letter

On most job listings, you’ll see “cover letter optional” — something that causes a lot of confusion for job seekers. Is it truly optional, or is it just a test to weed out less committed candidates? Most of the time, cover letters aren’t required, Dobroski said, but attaching a well-written one can only help your application. For one, it shows strong communication skills, which are a necessity for nearly any role, Chamberlain pointed out. For another, it gives you an extra chance to sell yourself. Cover letters should be quick, one-page documents that provide added color on why you’re interested in the opportunity, what you’ve achieved in your career, how you did it and why you’re a good fit for the job.

5. Research, Research, Research

The single biggest mistake you can make in an interview is not preparing for it beforehand. This means looking up the basics of the company (industry, products/services, recent articles), common interview questions (making sure to practice the responses aloud with a friend), information about your interviewers and more. This will help you come across as a more informed, passionate candidate.

6. Always Negotiate

One of the biggest misconceptions job seekers have about negotiating salary is that their job offer will be rescinded if they ask for a higher salary. But this is virtually unheard of — as Dobroski said, “I’ve never seen that to be the case.” So be comfortable asking for more, but make sure it’s based on hard data around what your market value is. Use Glassdoor’s Know Your Worth tool to help inform the range you ask for, although you should make sure not to start with your lowest acceptable salary in a negotiation! Finally, don’t forget to see if you can negotiate additional benefits — companies are often willing to accommodate requests for additional vacation days, workplace flexibility and more in order to seal the deal with a strong candidate.

7. Don’t Judge a Company By Its Industry

In the second half of the livestream, recruiters from Facebook, Salesforce and Kaiser Permanente shared insight about their company cultures, how candidates can stand out and what they look for in interviews. One of their main pieces of advice for job seekers: Don’t assume you can’t apply to a company because of the industry they’re in! Claire Arnold, recruiter at Kaiser Permanente, shared that you don’t need to be a doctor or nurse to work at her company. While about 70 percent of Kaiser’s positions are healthcare related, they still have tons of open jobs in fields like administration, marketing, IT and more. Similarly, you don’t need to be a software engineer to work at tech companies Facebook and Salesforce. While yes, they do have many open technical positions, they also need talented folks in roles like sales, recruiting, finance, HR… the list goes on.

8. Ask Questions in an Interview

Even if you feel like you’ve gotten sufficient information already, you should always take an interviewer up on their offer to answer any questions you might have. In this situation, interviewers aren’t just trying to help you out — they also want to see if you can ask questions that demonstrate that you’ve done your research and have critical thinking skills. One question that Ashley Core of Salesforce loves to hear is “How have you given back to the community?” At Salesforce, community service is huge, so this proves that candidates did their due diligence in the research stage.

9. Don’t Take It Personally

Near the end of the livestream, recruiters were asked what the best piece of career advice they had ever received was. According to Facebook Recruiting Director Liz Wamai, it was “Don’t take it personally.” This is especially applicable in the job search. When you get rejected, it’s easy to get down on yourself, and think “What’s wrong with me?” But oftentimes, recruiters will pass on a candidate not because they don’t like them, but simply because they don’t have the right role for them at the moment or they need a little more experience under their belt first. If this happens to you, don’t get discouraged — if you keep applying thoughtfully and bringing your best self to the interview, it’s only a matter of time before you get an offer.

GlassDoor.com | April 26, 2018 | Posted by Emily Moore

Your #Career : Don’t Tell #Recruiters or the #HiringManger These Things If You Want The Job…These Phrases can Compromise your Chances of Getting a Competitive Offer.

April 27, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Put your best foot forward. How many times have you heard that popular refrain? Too many to count. However, when it comes to the job search process, many job seekers think that this advice only applies during the scheduled phone calls, interviews, and interactions with the hiring manager and your potential team. After all, isn’t the recruiter just the go-between, the person who arranges interviews and leases between candidate and boss? Wrong. The recruiter is a stakeholder and is an integral part of the hiring process. To overlook or underestimate his or her influence is a big mistake.

Every interaction with a potential employer should not only be professional and also dictate that you are purposeful and thoughtful about everything you say. Whether it’s just a quick text through Canvas or a phone call to discuss salary expectation, choose your words wisely to ensure your own success.

Here are six phrases that you should never say to a recruiter if you want a competitive job offer.

“I’LL TAKE ANYTHING (ANY ROLE AT YOUR COMPANY)”

Much like dating, the smell of desperation in the job search can be palpable. Whether the bills are piling up, your current gig is an absolute dead end, or whether this is your dream company, avoid telling a recruiter that you’ll “take anything” for a few key reasons:

You’re selling yourself and your skills short. You are talented, smart, and can contribute greatly.
You appear uninformed. Recruiters want well-researched, highly engaged, informed candidates to apply for jobs. This statement makes you appear as though you haven’t thought out the decision to apply to the company, or do not know how your career goals align with their objectives.
You are signaling that you will settle. Continuing with the dating analogy, job seekers who appear “thirsty” or desperate won’t command the attention or best treatment.

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“SURE, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD SALARY”

Never settle for the opening salary offer. Never. “A salary negotiation is a collaboration, and a key ingredient of a successful collaboration is good communication,” says Josh Doody, author of Fearless Salary Negotiation. “You’ll often get a job offer that seems really appealing, and it might be far more than you expected. Your instinct in that case might be to just accept the offer because it’s so good.”

However, you should be prepared to negotiate your salary and know how much you could earn given your skills, education, and location by using Glassdoor’s Know Your Worth personal salary calculator.

Instead of blindly accepting their offer, do your research. Then, Doody says, “formulate a counteroffer to see how much you can improve it. The negotiation should end with the company saying “Yes” to you. Once they say “Yes” to you, or you run out of things to ask for, then you are finished negotiating.”

“MY PREVIOUS COMPANY WAS HORRIBLE”

Complaining about your last company is a big no-no. Barring some really unique circumstance, griping about your former boss, colleagues, or work environment can be detrimental to your interview process as well as your professional reputation.

Instead of making such a blunt statement, critically evaluate how you have navigated challenges on the job. Share with the recruiter how you have coped and actually thrived in spite of less than ideal circumstances. Just remember, trash talking is a no-no.

“MY FORMER BOSS WON’T GIVE ME A GOOD RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE HE/SHE WAS THREATENED BY ME”

While there may be truth to this statement, save it for your friends over drinks. Do not share this with a recruiter. When asked for a list of recommendations, rarely will a recruiter counter your list with a comment like, “Why didn’t you include your last boss?” References and recommendations should come from people who can speak to your accomplishments, successes, and positive work experiences. Glowing recommendations are a big part of putting your best foot forward.

However, recruiters aren’t likely to care about the less than savory relationship you had with your former boss. Nix the gossip. Offer up the best recommendations you can, and if you are questioned about the absence of your most recent boss in that bunch, simply reply, “The group of people I provided are best suited to speak to my accomplishments, work ethic, and abilities. I think they’ll provide you with a 360-degree view of why I’d be an excellent fit for this role.”

“I KNOW MY INTERVIEW IS TODAY, BUT CAN WE RESCHEDULE?”

Unless there has been a death in the family or a critical emergency, canceling an interview on the day of is tantamount to saying “I don’t really want this job and I don’t respect you or your time.”

If you need to adjust the time or you’re running late, be transparent. “Being late to an interview with no explanation or without emailing or calling ahead to say they are running late will knock out 99% of interviewees,” says Jamie Hichens, senior manager of talent acquisition at Glassdoor. “At the very least, if you’re running late, call and offer an ETA, an explanation, or an offer to reschedule. And remember to apologize for the inconvenience.”

“IT’S BEEN 3 WEEKS SINCE I APPLIED, I THOUGHT MY APPLICATION HAD FALLEN INTO THE BLACK HOLE”

Depending on the size of the company, job applications can receive hundreds or thousands of resumes per position. And while recruiters try to respond to everyone, sometimes it’s harder than job seekers may think. That’s no reason to be curt with a recruiter or make a passive-aggressive comment like this. Use your time with a recruiter wisely by focusing on the role, the company and your unique fit for both. Don’t waste time or diminish your chances of a positive interview experience by making snarky comments.

There are a few ways you can avoid the black hole. “With the increased use of online applicant tracking systems even among smaller companies, it means the recruiter or hiring manager may not see your resume unless you use just the right keywords,” says Mikaela Kiner, founder/CEO of UniquelyHR. “Referrals [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][also] increase the likelihood that a recruiter will see your resume. If you don’t have a personal connection, use social media to find out who does. Don’t be embarrassed to ask someone to make an introduction on your behalf, people do this all the time. If you’re uncomfortable asking for favors, include an easy way for them to say no, like, ‘If you’re not comfortable connecting me, I completely understand.’”

This article originally appeared on Glassdoor and is reprinted with permission.

FastCompany.com | April 27, 2018 | BY AMY ELISA JACKSON—GLASSDOOR 5 MINUTE READ

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Your #Career : 6 Things You Must Do Before #Graduation …Time is Ticking! We’ve Turned to Top College & #CareerAdvisors for the Six Things you Must Do Before you Walk Across that Stage.

April 27, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

You’re a soon-to-be college graduate, and you’re so consumed with, you know, graduating, that perhaps you haven’t realized you need to plan more than the outfit you’ll wear beneath your cap and gown. In fact, there’s a lot to do before you graduate.

We’ve turned to top college and career advisors for the six things you must do before you walk across that stage.

1. Participate in Mock Interviews

Practice makes perfect — and you don’t want to learn how to be the perfect interviewee during a real interview. Joshua Domitrovich, coordinator for career mentoring and internships at Clarion University, recommends that soon-to-be graduates begin participating in mock interviews about two weeks before a real interview.

“This allows students to reflect on their experiences while ‘messing up,’ so that they don’t mess up with the employer,” he says, while adding that many career centers, including Clarion, offer mock interview services. “Career centers will tailor your mock interview to mirror the organization you are meeting and discuss how to develop questions for the end of the interview,” he says. “You’ll walk out of your practice interview much more prepared.”

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2. Create a Custom-Tailored Resume

A generic resume just won’t do, warns Jason Patel, former career ambassador at George Washington University and the founder of Transizion, a college and career-prep company. “For example,” he explains, “a business development or communications graduate might be applying for work in the finance, nonprofit and startup sectors. He or she should look at the common keywords for job postings in each of those sectors, and if they are relevant to their experience, use them on his or her resume. The worst thing a soon-to-be graduate can do in this situation is have pertinent experience for a job but apply with a generic resume.”

3. Get a Resume Review

Now that you have a resume custom-tailored for your position or industry, it’s time to make sure the resume itself is top-notch. “No matter how confident you are in your resume,” you should still have your resume reviewed by someone else — preferably a professional, says Domitrovich. This is an especially important step if you have a resume that’s more than six months old. In that case, “there is a good chance processes, procedures and preferences of employers have changed,” Domitrovich warns. “So use your career center to review your resume and ensure it is up to date and mistake free.”

4. Craft an Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a quick, rehearsed speech that tells someone what you have to offer as an employee. “Your two-minute elevator pitch should answer the always-asked, ‘tell me about yourself’ question in job interviews,” Patel explains. “Since this question — or one like it — is asked in the beginning, it’s important to demonstrate confidence and preparedness by answering smoothly. Your elevator pitch consists of what you’ve done, what you’re doing and where you’re going. This means you should discuss your qualifications and degree, what you’re pursuing now and your intermediate goals.”

5. Network Like You Mean It

“If you’re not networking, you’re not working,” Domitrovich says plainly. “You never know who a contact is connected to and how far your network can reach.” Luckily, you don’t have to start your networking search from scratch. “Your career center can provide access to a vast network of alumni and employers,” Domitrovich says. “Tapping into this network can provide opportunities to use pre-existing relationships to get your foot in the door. We encourage students to keep their career centers updated on their job search process. For example, before applying to XYZ organization, reach out to your career center to see if any alumni or a pre-existing employer relationship exists.”

6. Create a Portfolio if Relevant

Creating a portfolio and then putting it online can help you stand out in a major way. “For relevant professions, a portfolio is a great way to gain an advantage on the competition,” Patel says. “Sometimes, your resume won’t convey your creativity and transferable skills, but your portfolio can.” Consider uploading writing samples, photography, designs and any other assets you’ve created to a single website such as WordPress. You may have to spend some time on it, but it could pay off in spades down the road.

Glassdoor.com | April 27, 2018 | Posted by Jillian Kramer

Your #Career : 6 of the Most Captivating #CoverLetter Openers (& Why They Work)…Let’s Cut Straight To The Chase: Most (if not all) #CoverLetters are Bad.

April 26, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Let’s cut straight to the chase: most cover letters are bad. In fact, Dawn Rasmussen, certified resume writer and president of Pathfinder Writing and Career Services, happily admits that “I love writing cover letter openings because I know how bad they usually are.”

But that doesn’t mean your cover letter is destined for the slush pile. By starting with what Rasmussen calls a hook, you can snag a hiring manager’s attention — and even a new job.

“The best openings — otherwise known as a hook — are attention-getters,” Rasmussen says. “Hooks are similar to headlines you see online that tempt you to click and find out more.”

How can you write a hook? You can open with a compelling quote, tell a story, use humor and much more. Here are six cover letter strategies you can use — plus examples you can emulate — along with the reasons why they work so well, so that you can get to writing.

Strategy 1: Open With a Quote

Dear [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Hiring Manager],

“It is the spirit and not the form of law that keeps justice alive.” — Earl Warren

As a public defender, my job is to keep justice alive, and I do this by relentlessly pursuing avenues to ensure that this is carried through for the people that I represent.

According to Rasmussen, this opening works really well because “it specifically addresses the underlying motivators that encompass both law [the candidate’s chosen industry] and the driving force for justice, which fits right along the lines of what a public defender does.”

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Strategy 2: Pique a Hiring Manager’s Curiosity

Dear [Hiring Manager],

I knew that I was destined for greatness when I was slimed on Nickelodeon. Nothing like being covered in green goo to help you realize your potential. “How does this apply to the open internship at Airbnb?” you may be wondering. Because I am collaborative, creative and tenacious enough to get a bunch of smelly slime dumped on me and still keep smiling.

Lindsay Mustain, Talent Paradigm‘s vice president of business development and job coach, says that starting a letter in a way that piques curiosity is “considered a pattern interrupt. It’s silly and interesting. It’s enough for someone to stop and get a little bit of attention and keep your audience interested in your story. Make sure it’s something interesting to read.”

Strategy 3: Show You Pay Attention to Company News

Dear [Hiring Manager],

According to a recent article in the Portland Business Journal, “ABC Corporation just signed a new lease on a 100,000-square-foot office park.”

Because [your company] is making the news with such a large new office space addition, growth is in your immediate future.

It is clear that your company is adding headcount, so having a sales team that can scale revenues accordingly is critical to your continued success. And that’s where I come in.

Accelerating revenues is a hallmark of my career, and since my background is in the same sector, I see a great deal of opportunity to help expand your company’s footprint in the marketplace and enhance the bottom line with new sales.

“Holding a mirror back up to the employer so they can see themselves in the news is a great attention-getter,” says Rasmussen. “But it also shows critical thinking skills — tying together that a new lease means more people and more money needed to keep operations afloat.”

Strategy 4: Tell a Story

Dear [Hiring Manager],

When Flight 1549 touched down into the cold, dark waters of the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, as a passenger, I thought my life was over.

Seeing the professionalism and calmness of the entire flight crew was something to which I immediately connected. I had thought about becoming a flight attendant in the past, but something clicked in that moment — and I realized that my desire to serve in this capacity was actually being born in that moment.

There’s a “wow factor” when you tell a story in the opening of your cover letter, Rasmussen explains. “It grabs your attention, and makes you think, ‘Here’s someone who had something major happen to them. I should read on.’” It also shows off your personality, too.

Strategy 5: Show Your Passion

Dear [Hiring Manager],

When I heard Elon Musk’s quote, “when something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor,” I knew I needed to tell you about the passion I have around the vision that Tesla has for infinitely scalable clean energy. I’ve been dreaming of a career with Tesla since I was in college and the Tesla Roadster became available.

Fact: businesses want to hire people who are passionate about their industry and company. So, show that passion, Mustain encourages. “You know the business, you know the founder, you know the mission,” she says. “You are a raving fan and educated about the company. You start with why you believe in them,” and then take the letter from there.

Strategy 6: Write Unconventionally

Dear [Hiring Manager],

Congratulations! You have just reached the last résumé you’ll need to read to fill the open operations manager position.

So relax, put your feet up and read on to find out how I can help your company reach its productivity, cost management and efficiency goals.

This cover letter opener is gutsy, but that’s the point, Rasmussen says. “The candidate is literally going directly to the key pain points of what the employer needs,” she points out, “but in an upbeat way without being too snarky.”

Glassdoor.com | April 26, 2018 | Posted by Jillian Kramer

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