The Career Encouragement Blog

e-Communication with Potential Employers

Recently one of my clients asked me for a favor.  Would I meet with a young "friend of a friend" who was looking to build a career in Human Resources to discuss her interests and possible opportunities at any of my clients.  Her background sounded interesting so we communicated via e-mail and arranged to meet at a coffee shop last week.  The day before our scheduled meeting I received this e-mail:

"Hey I am so sorry, but I just found out that I have an exam next Wednesday so I won't be able to meet Wednesday morning. My exam isn't until 1pm on Wednesday so I won't be available until around 3pm that day. I don't know if you are free later on that afternoon/evening or not. If not than we could try to meet on Friday or Saturday if either of those would work for you. Again I am really sorry about this. I didn't think I had any exams or papers next week. Let me know what you think when ever you find the time."

I really don't know what I am supposed to do with this whirling circle of words, so - as of yet - I have not responded. Which brings me to my point today.  If you are going to communicate via e-mail with potential employers, try following these suggestions for making a better impression and forging a connection:

1. Be succinct!  The note above contains TIM - too much information.  The reader is left wondering if a) the writer is completely out of control of their life; b) the writer doesn't really want to meet and that's why she is being so vague; c) the writer is simply an immature professional - not a bad thing, but not a good impression to be making either; or d) you fill in the blank.  It would have been more effective to simply say, "I am so sorry for any inconvenience this causes you but I have an unavoidable conflict with our Wednesday AM meeting.  Could we reschedule at a time that would be convenient for you?  Some dates and times I can suggest are..."
2. Use proper capitalization, punctuation and grammar.  This one needs no explanation - if it does, then you might not be ready to look for a corporate job.
3. Give a clear subject for your e-mail.  Your subject line should briefly summarize the content of your note - such as "Follow-up to Phone Call" or "Bill Jones Resume for Ops Manager Position."  For business correspondence don't use subject lines such as "Hi" or "Let's get together!"  Leaving the subject line blank is just plain annoying. 
4. Name your attachments effectively.  If you e-mail documents someone, give them a name that helps the receiver use them effectively or find them easily if they look.  For example, if you send your resume, name the document "Laurie Candidate Resume" or even "Lori Candidate Resume for Ops Manager".  Many recruiters comment on how often they receive resumes simply named "Resume" which keeps an individual resume from standing out.  Occasionally I receive resumes with interesting names that may be useful to the candidate for locating them on his hard drive but aren't helpful to me at all. I have received resumes called "Bill Smith Resume - Mom's edits" and "Bills Kick Butt Resume". 
5. Send attachments in as simple a form as possible.  Unless you know what type of technology system your recipient has, send any attachments in as simple a form as possible - no pictures, no funky fonts, no large files to download. 
6. Assume anything you send can and likely will be forwarded.  If you are looking for a job, and your resume catches the attention of the Recruiter or Hiring Manager, she will likely want to send it on to a few others in the company so be sure your message is succinct and professional.

The list could go on and on - but you get the main point: 

Be professional, and try to think about the perspective of your recipient. 

What tips have you found to be effective for communicating with prospective employers via e-mail?  What things would you definitely NOT do?  Please leave a comment and share your wisdom!

When you Don't Get the Job

Today I will send out 3 "thank you for your interest, but..." letters to job seekers.  All three of these candidates are talented, accomplished individuals.  Based on their eagerness and effort during the interview process, I think they are going to be disappointed with the outcome.  Sending the news is not a task I am looking forward to. 

But I also know that ultimately I am doing these folks a favor by setting them free to find a position that will be a good match for their skills, interests and work styles. They just aren't right for this particular job.  Myself, the Hiring Manager and a peer have all carefully interviewed them against the criteria for the position, and key cultural factors for the organization.  In our debrief neetng, we spent extensive time discussing the conversation that occurred with candidates at each interview session, and challenging ourselves to see if there was more information we should gather (i.e., perhaps have another interview) before we made the decision to say no.  We determined that we just don't have a match.  If we hired one of them (just to selfishly meet our own desire to get the job filled) we know that we would eventually end up unhappy with them, or they would be unhappy with us.  Better to have the pain now, than later.

So if you have heard "no" recently during your job search effort - please don't get down about it.  Be encouraged that there really is a great place for you in the world of work.  Consider the "no" that you heard as a gift - it is saving you from being in a situation that is not a good match and opening the door for you to find the place that is.

What do Recruiters think about?

What do corporate recruiting professionals think about?  What best practices are they trying to achieve?  If you are a job candidate, that would be good information for you to know.  Howard Adamsky is a Master Recruiter and consultant.  He coaches recruiters on how to do their job better.  He has written several great articles on the topic.  Take a look get a boost in your job search today!

We want you to succeed in your job search!

Most HR Reps, Recruiters, and Hiring Managers I know feel overworked.  When they have a open position to fill, that means there is work at the company that is not getting done, so they have stress in their lives.  What does this mean for you?  It means that Recruiters and Hiring Managers want to like you.  They are predisposed to seeing you as a capable and talented worker who can solve their problems. 

As a job seeker it can feel like the whole world is against you.  It seems everyone is critiquing your resume and your answers in interviews.  It's true that this evaluation process is certainly going on, but most Recruiters and Hiring Managers I know really are looking to find the good in your skills and experiences and self-presentation.

With that in mind, take a look at 10 Things that Will Get You Hired from CareerBuilder.  The points are pretty basic - but they are all things that will make it easier for Recruiters and Hiring Managers to see you as the one who can solve their problems.  Most job seekers I run into stand or fall on the basics, so I like points 6, 8, 9 and 10 in particular.   

Where are you GOING in your career?

I just spent a frustrating half hour on the phone with a confused and inarticulate candidate.  For the sake of this posting, let's call him Mark.  Mark has an impressive cover letter and resume.  It was well-tailored to the mid-management position he applied for and it stood out from the large stack of resumes that came in.  I give you this background so that you will understand that Mark had already passed a huge screening gate (the resume review) and I was predisposed to like him.

I called Mark the same day I received his resume and scheduled the phone interview.  I like to give candidates at least a day's notice on phone interviews because I want to see if they take the time to do some research before we talk.  Again Mark did not disappoint.  In our first few minutes of chatter it was obvious that he had reviewed the company website and recent press thoroughly. 

So where did he go wrong?  He wasn't GOING anywhere in his career.  Every statement he made to me for the rest of the call was about what he was leaving behind and what he wasn't going to do in his career.  No matter what question I posed, he couldn't cough up one single affirmative answer that demonstrated he was headed in a positive direction.  Some examples:

Me:  You've got a strong background with lot of experiences.  Can you tell me what you want to do next in your career?  (NOTE - the purpose of this question is to determine a) is the candidate a goal- directed person vs. a pain-avoid ant person; and b) does this job have what he is looking for - are we a match?)

Mark:  When I first joined ABC Company they had 40 employees and $13M in sales.  Then they got bought by a company with 45,000 employees worldwide and over $1B in sales.  I tried to make it work but I didn't like it.

Me (to myself):  I asked you where you are going, not what you left behind...

Me:  I see...can you tell me a little about what you saw in our posting that attracted you to this opportunity?

Mark:  I noticed that account management is part of the job.  I like customer care but I really don't like selling and making cold calls. I've done a lot of that in my career and I'm burned out on it.  I just don't want to do it any more.

Me (to myself):  But I asked you what you like, not what you don't like...

And on the call went with more of the same.  I ended the conversation as fast as I could and still be polite.   I am a firm believer that people end up exactly where they need to be.  Mark would not have been happy in this job, and he's blessed not to have to spend any more time pursuing it.  Maybe he even blew the interview on purpose because he didn't want this job.  But given the length of time that he has been unemployed and the work he put into doing research prior to our call, I'm guessing that he would indeed like to have a job but his poor interviewing skills are sabotaging his efforts.

So what should you do so that you don't end up sounding like Mark in an interview?

1. Be prepared with a clear statement about what you are looking for in your career (see Job Search Rule #1).
2. Know the position description well and be able to succinctly describe how what you are looking for is a match with the job you are discussing with the interviewer.
3. Talk about how you are looking forward to using your skills and experiences to make a contribution in this new job.

Bottom line - don't talk about what you are leaving behind in your career, and what you didn't like in your past - talk about where you are GOING, and how your skills and experience are going to help you get there!

What does the Internet say about you?

I used to think I was the clever one who invented the practice of Googling candidates to see if I could learn anything interesting, but it appears the practice is more widespread than I thought.  Apparently recruiters and hiring managers are doing Internet research on a regular basis now to find out personal information about candidates.

Think what you do in your personal time is not your company's business?  Maybe, maybe not - the finer points of that one are debatable.  Regardless, depending on how your private activities are depicted on the Internet, your personal life WILL affect your chances of landing a job.  When I have a candidate that looks good on paper and passes the phone interview with flying colors, my next step is Google.  If discover via the Internet that he was on the planning committee for a local charity event, placed in the top 100 in the Oktoberfest 5k run, and coached the 4th grade Fighting Tigers to a 2nd place finish in the local league, I have a picture of a pretty well-rounded person who is making a contribution with his life.  That's the kind of person I want on my team.

On the other hand, if I find out - as I did recently - that a candidate seems to spend a lot of time posting snarky comments on various blogs and websites (in all lowercase letters without punctuation - another pet peeve!) I am probably going to move on to someone who has a more positive and uplifting image.  The workplace is challenging enough without bringing in one more sarcastic know-it-all.

So, what does the Internet say about you?

Update on Tim's Job Search / Job Search Overview

A few days ago Tim contacted me with a question about who to list as references (more on his story here).  Today he let me know that he got an offer.  Congratulations, Tim!! 

Tim's new position will pay nearly 20% more than he is making now, it will provide a significant career challenge that will help him build his resume, and he will have more opportunities for training and development than he does in his current role.  This is the outcome we all hope for when we begin a job search.  It is important to note that Tim was successful in this search because he executed well on the basics:

1. He checked out several possible opportunities for growth in his current company before looking externally
2. He was selective in the positions he applied and interviewed for (read: he didn't PANIC!)
3. He wasn't afraid to ask for expert help and listen carefully to what was offered (I know Tim through a community group where has more "clout" than I do, yet he respected that I know more about HR and job search strategies than he does)
4. He had maintained good relationship with past bosses who were willing to be positive references for him

I hope to be able to post many more positive stories on this blog in the future - please write in and share your questions and comments!

References - Part 2

I heard back from Tim who has solved his dilemma about references.  After considering the list of options for references, he recalled that he still had a good professional relationship with a former boss in a different department of his current company.  He sought her out, asked for her confidentiality, explained the opportunity he was considering, and asked if she would be a reference.  She said yes!  The next best thing to having your current boss as a strong reference is having a former boss say good things about you.  Tim, we look forward to hearing how things go!

One other point about references...when you ask someone to be a reference for you, feel free to tell them a little about the job, what you have discussed with the interviewer about your qualifications, and what they might say to help you out.  Remember from Job Search Rule #1 , if you are clear about what you want, it is easier for people to help you.  This does not mean to rehash every step of your interview process in exhaustive detail, it can be as simple as saying, "I appreciate your willingness to be a reference for me.  The company is looking for an IT Manager who can help them convert from X software to Y.  I told them about the work I did for you two years ago and how I led the new software implementation."  Now your reference has some context, and some ideas what to say.  If you have a track record of good work, you should be in good shape!

Who should I list as references?

Got a great question from a job-seeker today and wanted to share the answer.  Tim is an IT Analyst who has been at his current employer for 7 years.  Due to a variety of legitimate reasons, he has been looking for a new opportunity elsewhere.  (I specifically clarify that his reasons for looking for a new job are legitimate because it is important to have, and be able to articulate, good reasons why you are looking for a new job when you are in an interview situation). 

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Tim has had two rounds of interviews for a job that he is very interested in, and has been informed he is one of 2 finalists for the position. The problem?  They want him to give a list of references.  He does not feel it would be wise to let his current employer know he is looking for a new job, yet, the only management-level folks who know about his quality of work are at his current company.  Tim doesn’t want to rely solely on personal references. What should he do?

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The good news is that most Recruiters and Hiring Managers understand when a candidate cannot give references from their current position.  However, they will still expect you to have professional references who can speak knowledgably about the caliber of your work, your job-related skills, and your business acumen. Simply offering your pastor, a neighbor, and a good friend from college as references will not suffice. When I am staffing a position, it is always disappointing when a strong candidate who interviews well cannot back up his story with strong professional references.

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In an ideal world, you would have a strong professional network you could pull on in times like this.  Potential references could include:

-          Managers from other departments in your current company who would know about your work

-          Managers from client or partner organizations who have benefited from your work

-          Colleagues from Professional Associations where you have been an actively involved and contributing member, and you have spent time “talking shop” with them so they know your background

-          Contacts from organizations where you have volunteered your professional skills and talents in service of their goals (think about work you have done for your children’s school, your church, a local charity, etc.)

-          Instructors from professional development classes you have taken.

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If you don’t have a strong professional network to draw from try to think of people in leadership positions in your community that you can use as references.  Do you know a politician?  Do you know a retired business person or other civic leader who would be willing to speak on your behalf?  Absent strong professional or civic references, you will have to rely on your personal references and hope for the best. 

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Once you do get your new job, make sure to work on building a strong professional network.  Get involved in associations and networking groups for your particular profession, volunteer in your community, and make friends throughout your company and through your client and partner companies.  If you do, you’ll find that you enjoy your work more and your community more.  Even better, through your networking, you’ll probably be asked to be a reference for someone else one day – and it is a great feeling to be able to give someone else a hand up!