Archive for December, 2009

Win In Telephone Job Interviews

Telephone job interviews are becoming more and more popular. Organizations are receiving increasing numbers of job applications for each opening and the phone interview provides a costeffective and timeefficient means of initially screening out unsuitable applicants. Using phone interviews allows employers to be selective about the candidates they invite for a face to face interview. Use these important tips to get the most out of the phone interview.

Be prepared

Unlike a planned face to face interview telephone job interviews can come at any time. Sometimes you will get a call to schedule the interview but often they call hoping to interview you straight away. Prepare an interview portfolio that you keep with you. It should include details of the job opening a copy of your resume background research information some key words you have prepared for answering likely phone interview questions and a list of good questions to ask the interviewer.

Practice your phone skills

If you don’t feel confident about how you come across over the phone you can practice answering questions with a friend over the phone. Ask for honest feedback and work on any areas for improvement. Or you can record yourself and listen to how you sound. Check your voice pattern the level of enthusiasm in your voice the clarity and pace of your speech. It is common to talk too quickly during the phone interview. Take a conscious pause before you answer the question and between sentences.

Pay close attention to the interviewers verbal message

You have no nonverbal cues from the interviewer to help you to understand how you are coming across. Instead you need to pay close attention to their voice pattern and tone. Listen very carefully and maintain a high level of concentration throughout the call. If you sense that the interviewer’s attention is wandering bring them back with a welltimed question.

Make sure the place you take the call is free from any distractions. Preferably sit at a table where you can lay out your portfolio documents and take notes. A relaxed but upright posture helps you to breathe properly and improves voice clarity.

Monitor your rate of talking

Speak slowly and clearly. Avoid interrupting the interviewer and make sure they have finished their question by waiting a few seconds before you answer. Give yourself time to organize your thoughts before answering. You can rephrase or repeat the question to give yourself time to think about your answer. People fail in telephone job interviews because they tend to dominate the conversation and speak too fast. Don’t feel you have to fill the silences. Breaks in conversation happen and are usually because the interviewer is making notes are referring to you resume. Allow time for this.

Close the call

Ask the interviewer if there is any other information they require. Restate your interest in the position and find out what happens next. Get the correct name and title of the interviewer for your thank you note. Follow up with a thank you within 24 hours of the phone interview.

The goal of the phone interview is to get the face to face interview. Be well prepared for the call and stand out from the competition.

The Telephone Interview Guide includes common phone interview questions phone interview tips and techniquesand helps you to succeed inyour phone interview.

About the writer:  Julia Penny has many years experience interviewing and placing candidates across a wide range of jobs. She offers her expertise to help job seekers prepare for and succeed in job interviews at her free website Best Job Interview

Should One Rely On Sample Cover Letters?

In the old days all people were challenged to write their own cover letters together with their resume. This is because traditionally the means to share information from person to person were not as extensive and advanced as todays world obviously is. When the Internet came into public use people have found a means of easily and effectively sharing information to a lot more people than was previously possible.

Among other things sample cover letters are now abundant in a lot of websites in the Internet. Most of these samples are free and easy to download and use. Hence with the similar laziness that comes with the convenience of technology more and more people have come to use the sample cover letters as actual cover letters for their applications. They simply cut and paste the letter into their word processor add in their names and contact information attach their resume and theyre all set.

Question is is it really beneficial to rely on sample cover letters? To answer that question one needs to take a close look at what sample cover letters can and cannot do in relation to his application.

Sample Cover Letters Cannot Convey the Real You

A cover letter is considered as the HR department staffers look into your personality and a means to find points in you that will qualify you for the position that they are recruiting you for. All this information can only be conveyed through careful writing of a cover letter. However with a sample cover letter that is unedited you fail to convey this information. Instead it turns you into something generic in the eyes of the HR department a classic criterion for qualification in the paper shredder or trash bin because this goes against what a cover letter should do: set you apart from the other applicants and prove your qualifications and worth.

In the same note sample cover letters are so abundant that employers themselves can spot which ones are genuine and which ones are rehashes of existing cover letters. That is why you should not rely too much sample cover letters without editing them thoroughly.

Sample Cover Letters Are Just Merely Templates to Improve On

Theres no doubt about it. Sample cover letters are created by people hoping to help others in coming up with their own approach and style in writing cover letters. They are merely templates that show what a cover letter should look like: the wording the structure and most of all to show the purpose of the cover letter which is to sell yourself to the prospective employer.

Tips for Writing a Cover Letter from a Sample Letter

By now you wouldve realized that you need to come up with your own cover letter. It doesnt hurt to refer to a sample. However you need to edit them. Here are some tips to do just that:

Mention the individuals name instead of the Dear Sir/Madam or To whom it may concern that you can find in most cover letters.
Make sure the letter informs the individual of how you found out about the job.
Indicate your interest in your own words and creativity.

About the writer:  Clara Ghomes is an expert author who carries interest in variety of topics like SEO copywriting. Currently she is working on how to write a cover letter that really works. She has explored and discovered that gives quick yet winning cover letters. Visit http://www.pushbuttoncoverletters.com to know more about resume cover letter and other sample cover letters.

How To Keep Your Cover Letter And Resume Out Of The Trash Can

There is no sound in the world that can be sadder for a job hunter than the sound of his application letter hitting the trash can. So if you never want to hear that sound ever you just might need to learn where and how to get a hold of free cover letter samples that will get the attention of potential employers and have them banging on your door with job offers.

The importance of an excellent cover letter sample
A cover letter sample can make or break your chances of getting an opportunity of a lifetime. No matter how wellwritten your resume is or how much background experience you might have a bad cover letter sample is a smear in your campaign to go after the job of your dreams.

Think about this: a cover letter is your potential employer’s very first impression of you. It will tell them at a glance what kind of professional you are what you can bring to the table and what kind of person they will be dealing with. So why should you be wasting your time in bad cover letter samples that read like they were written by an amateur?

Remember once you send your resume with your cover letter there is no turning back. You can’t just go calling your potential employer to tell them that you made a mistake with your choice of a cover letter sample and that you want your letter back to do them again. It’s just not something you’d want to do if you want to project an image that is professional and reliable.

Not all free cover letter samples are created equal…
For the simple reason that they are not sourced from one single individual. There are many people out there who think that just because they can write decently they should be marketing their rough skills to try to help out job hunters in need of a free cover letter sample. Oftentimes as in the case of free cover letter samples what you get is what you were willing to pay for. And when it’s free… well you can’t always get what you want.

Why you have to pay the price
Competition is the main reason why you should try your hardest to find a cover letter sample that can promote your skills and experience in an attractive way. For a single job opening you could be competing with dozens of job hunters some of whom may have the same qualifications as yours. You simply must make sure you stand taller than the rest.

The other major reason is reputation. A great cover letter sample when used correctly can precede your reputation so to speak. Once you’ve translated it and turned it into your own your professional reputation is at stake. That is why it is extremely important to use only a cover letter sample that can do justice to your experience and sell your skills effectively.

Now answer this honestly: can that free cover letter sample you found online do that for you? Probably not. That’s because these free cover letter samples were created to give you a ‘general’ idea of what evrybody’s cover letter should be not what yours should say. Remember that you are vying for a job position that can mean a big difference in your life. If you want it badly make sure you choose the right weapons and use the proper cover letter samples that will market you like no other can.

About the writer:  Sander Marcus Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Professional Resume Writer in Chicago. He has over 3 decades of experience in providing career counseling aptitude testing job search coaching and resume writing to tens of thousands of individuals. He is the coauthor of 2 books on academic underachievement various tests and numerous articles. Contact him at marcusiit.edu 3125673358. www.center.iit.edu