Career and Jobs Tips » Job Application http://ponto-eussino.com The Blog about Careers and Jobs tips, Education, And Self Improvement for you. Sun, 20 May 2012 17:31:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Balance Your Job Search http://ponto-eussino.com/balance-your-job-search http://ponto-eussino.com/balance-your-job-search#comments Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:32:12 +0000 admin http://ponto-eussino.com/?p=385 The old adage, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” really is true. In most cases, a friend or colleague won’t be able to get you a job for which you’re not qualified, but they may be able to get you an interview when your resume would otherwise have been overlooked. Anything you do that involves talking to other people about your job search counts as networking, whether it’s lunch with a former coworker, coffee with a recruiter, or a formal networking event in your area.

Schedule time for follow-ups.

Whether you’re inquiring about a submitted job application or following up with a colleague you met while networking, these intimidating tasks often get pushed to the back burner as you prioritize your time. Scheduling them into your weekly agenda ensures that you will set aside adequate time to close the circle with various activities that you’ve started.

Update your social networking profiles.

If you’ve taken the time to develop your LinkedIn profile, you should be logging in at least once a week, and preferably more often. The various groups on LinkedIn offer a never-ending conversation on topics from looking for a job to news relevant to your field. Following companies allows you to discern trends related to their hiring seasons. A fully developed profile also allows recruiters and hiring managers to search for you, so keep your information as current as possible.

Build your professional brand.

The candidate who walks into a job fair or interview knowing who they are and what they can provide has a remarkable edge over a candidate who’s still figuring these things out. Spend some time developing a branding statement, printing business cards for yourself, and engaging in activities that support your brand-whether that means volunteering, blogging or tweeting about your field, or consulting. When you walk into a room and say, “Hi, this is who I am and this is what I do”, it makes a powerful statement.

Having a polished resume is critical to your job search. However, sending that resume off to online postings is not how you should spend 100% of your job searching time. Make sure you’re interacting with other people both in person and online to maximize your chances of standing out from the crowd.

]]> http://ponto-eussino.com/balance-your-job-search/feed 0 Write Email Cover Letter http://ponto-eussino.com/write-email-cover-letter http://ponto-eussino.com/write-email-cover-letter#comments Thu, 13 May 2010 16:08:38 +0000 admin http://ponto-eussino.com/?p=279 These days, email cover letters are an acceptable way to submit a resume for a job application. Here are eight tips to ensure your success.

1. Keep your email brief

Your online cover letter shouldn’t fill more than one screen. Most people reading a screen have a short attention span.

2. Keep your subject line focused and specific

Avoid being vague with such tags as "looking for job". Be specific. For example, state the posting number and the job title. Also, include something that reveals that you're extremely qualified. You can do that in just a few words, but think carefully. Here's one example: RE: Posting #222 Instructor. Experienced, creative communication instructor available

3. Get to the point in the first paragraph

Avoid wasting words. State your name and that your email is to apply for a posting or to follow up from a conversation, or even to apply for a relevant but unadvertised vacancy. For a cold application be sure to say where you got the reader's email address.

4. Use Key Words specific to your profession

Write in the jargon of your profession or industry to demonstrate expertise. The body of your letter should also promote your candidacy with a bit of detail (include skills, experience and credentials) to entice the reader to call you in for an interview, the same as you would in a hardcopy cover letters.

5. Avoid formatting

Formatting is great for a printed document, but a formatted document in one email program could get mangled in another. So, use plain text for your email cover letter. Use short lines, short paragraphs, white space, and asterisks instead of bullets for some visual impact.

6. Use business letter format

Include your complete contact information, as well as the recipient's full name, position and address. You'll also need the date, a formal salutation (use North American style here --Dear Mr. Smith, Dear John Smith, but not Dear Mr. John) and a complimentary closing (yours truly, yours sincerely).

7. Check with the company about sending email attachments

Some companies frown on attachments for security reasons. If that's the case, you will also have to embed your resume further down in the email.

8. Edit your work

Check and double check your work for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Also, avoid using acronyms commonly used in the chat room or in an IM situation ( e.g. "u" "r" "b4") or a casual, sloppy, slangy style. Some people forget that a business email needs to be formal and professional, especially, an email cover letter.

]]> http://ponto-eussino.com/write-email-cover-letter/feed 0 How to Use a Resume Objective to Help Your Job Application http://ponto-eussino.com/how-to-use-a-resume-objective-to-help-your-job-application http://ponto-eussino.com/how-to-use-a-resume-objective-to-help-your-job-application#comments Sun, 31 May 2009 16:12:38 +0000 admin http://ponto-eussino.com/?p=131 A resume objective statement, while an optional section of your resume, can be a powerful tool for job seekers if it used to its full potential. Strong objectives indicate how you will be of value to the company in one clear and concise statement. It tells potential employers your purpose or goal by applying to their company, and indicates the direction you want your career to go.

The decision to include an objective is not one to be taken lightly, since a weak or ineffectual objective will detract from the entire resume. In fact, many recruiters feel it is better to exclude an objective entirely than to include a weak statement or one that is too generalized. As a rule, individuals who are applying for non-traditional positions such as internships or co-ops, those with limited professional work experience, and those who are seeking to break into a new career or field stand to benefit the most from the inclusion of an objective statement on their resumes. In these instances, the objective will allow employers to immediately identify the type of position you are seeking and clarify your intent and interest in the organization. However, if you are using your resume for a more general purpose such as a job fair, employment agency submission, or website job board posting, it does not make sense to include an objective that will limit your options. Other individuals will need to make a personal decision as to the value an objective statement will add to their resume.

If included, the objective appears at the top of your resume, right beneath your contact information. An objective will typically address one or more of the following areas:

1. The type of position desired – Are you seeking an internship, a part-time, or a full-time position? Is your goal an entry-level, experienced, or supervisory position?

2. The actual name or title of the position you desire – Are you applying for the Administrative Assistant or the Technical Services Manager opening?

3. Is there a specific environment, industry, or field that you are targeting?

4. Any skills you hope to utilize in a new position

Since the purpose of an objective is to direct employees as to your specific goals within their organization and indicate how you will add value, it may be necessary to tailor your objective to each individual position. Objectives that are vague and non-specific are useless, so if you are not able to identify a specific goal or value in your objective, do not include it on the resume.

Author: Laura Adams

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