Laid Off - Describing the Reasons You're Looking
Bart was an average employee at his company before being released suddenly without cause. His company was merged with a competitor and Bart found himself with a new manager. Even though he had a good record and positive performance reviews, he quickly found himself laid-off from the company.

The following article provides key strategies for responding to one of the most frequently asked interviewer questions "Why did you leave (or seeking to leave) your company?"

CrossRoads Newsletter and Career Development Center

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How to E-mail Your Cover Letter
At a recent career fair, I spoke with an HR professional who reads loads of resumes every day. He made this plea to me: "Please tell people that just because they're sending resumes by email doesn't mean they can get away with a poor cover letter, or no cover letter at all."

So don't cut corners. Here are five ways to make sure your email cover letters deliver a powerful impact when sent with your resume.

CrossRoads Newsletter and Career Development Center
- posted by bert @ 12:16:42 PM :: View Comments :: Add your comment here

 
Little Mistakes That Keep You Unemployed
Reprint from Collectivenet:

Subject: Net-Temps article: Little Mistakes That Keep You Unemployed

Little Mistakes That Keep You Unemployed

If your job search is dragging on and on, you might
want to look in the mirror, because the person looking
back may be sabotaging your efforts.

Do you make the following mistakes in your job search?
If so, stop now. And start getting more calls for job
interviews.

Mistake #1- Not Following Up

If you fire off resumes without checking to see if
employers get them, and fail to keep in touch until a
hiring decision is made, your dream job might go to
someone less qualified, but more persistent than you.

Here's how one of my clients, Mike M. from Boston,
followed up right. And got a great new job.

"After going to about 20 interviews, I found that
following up on resumes submitted via email is very
important. Probably a third of my interviews were
obtained within a day or two after a follow-up," says
Mike.

How did he do it?

"I sent my resume and cover letter again via email,
and included one or two 'wow' points about myself in
the email message."

Here's an example of a follow-up email Mike sent:

Hello,

I would like to follow up on the status of my resume
submission for the Forecast Analyst position, as there
is a very strong match between the position
requirements and my skills and experience. [I've
attached my cover letter and resume again for your
convenience.

As I have a strong desire to re-enter the consumer
products industry, I would again welcome the
opportunity for an interview. With a track record of
delivering up to $1 million in annual cost savings
through accurate demand forecasts and supply-chain
planning, I'm confident I could bring the same
performance to ABC Co.

Sincerely,

Mike M.

Nothing earth-shattering there. Just plain, smart
persistence that set Mike apart from other candidates.
And it worked -- he got hired.

You can do this, too.

Mistake #2 - Not Thinking Things Through

Last week, I tried calling "Jill" (not her real name)
in reply to a job search question she had emailed me.
After 5 rings, Jill didn't pick up the phone ... and
neither did an answering machine. So there was no way
to leave a message.

What if I had been a busy hiring manager calling to
set up a job interview? I would have passed on Jill
and phoned the next candidate.

So I emailed Jill to suggest that she get an answering
machine. Her reply: "I do not have access to an
answering machine because of my limited income."

To which I was tempted to answer: "Your income may be
limited because potential employers can't reach you!"

Think it through. Would you go trout fishing without a
creel? Of course not -- how would you carry home the
fish you caught?

So why send out resumes if you don't have an answering
machine to "catch" calls from employers? Especially
when you can buy one at Radio Shack for less than $30
-- about what you'd pay for a couple of large pizzas.
That's a fair trade in my book.

Question: Are there any "leaks" in your job search?
Are employment leads slipping through your fingers?
Think it through now.

Mistake #3 - Not Getting Input From Others

After reading more than 10,000 resumes over the years,
I've found about 90% of job seekers are suffering from
an "affliction" that keeps them unemployed.

What is it?

Let me illustrate with a story...

You're eating dinner and your mom asks: "Could you get
me the salt?" You walk into the kitchen and, after
searching all the cupboards, you call out in a
frustrated voice, "I can't find the salt!" Then your
mom walks in, picks the salt up off the shelf in front
of you and says, "Look! It was right here in front of
your nose!"

In psychological terms, you have a "scotoma." (Say:
ska-toe-ma.)

I have discovered that most job seekers suffer from
"resume scotoma." They unknowingly overlook obvious
errors in their resume ... until someone, like me,
points them out.

Here's an example.

"Jerry" from New York sent me a resume used to apply
for jobs as a logistics manager. Yet, most of his
resume was filled with irrelevant facts ("Honorably
retired from the United States Marine Corps"), empty
assertions ("Extremely dependable") and unnatural
language ("Excel at directing a cohesive staff in the
successful attainment of objectives.")

Jerry had overlooked a host of flaws. When I asked if
he had shown his resume to anyone for input, his
response was a predictable, "No, I never thought of
that."

To avoid "resume scotoma" -- and get hired faster --
show your resume to at least 3 friends before sending
it to employers. Your friends will find gaffes and
goofs that you won't, even though they're right under
your nose.

-Kevin Donlin

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes. Since
1996, he and his team have provided resumes, cover
letters and online job-search assistance to clients in
all 50 states and 23 countries. Kevin has been
interviewed by USA Today, CBS MarketWatch, The Wall
Street Journal's National Business Employment Weekly,
CBS Radio, and many others.

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