The Art of Handshakes!!

Recently, the topic of handshakes has come up in recent conversations both at work and outside of work so I thought I would provide my two cents on this topic.

First, I will share a story that happened to me at job fair a few months ago....I received the "bone crusher" (see below) handshake by an individual that not only made me wince, but when they went in for the second squeeze, I actually said "Ouch!" I tried so hard to be quiet, but the grip was so powerful and painful that I could not help but to react. The person did apologize and we tried to move away from the awkwardness, but it was just embarrassing on both sides. As an experienced professional, I tried to not let it create a bias, and moved on. That said, this can be very challenging to do, so you always want to be aware of your shake/grip!

If your grip is too hard, weak or "limp", and yes - sweaty- it will leave an impression on most recruiters and that impression could turn out to be a negative one. The reason why is simple. It is another way to gauge you as a person and your confidence level. It is crazy, I know, but think about it the next time you are in a position where you are thrust a hand to shake or you reach out to shake with another individual. You may not realize it, but you are starting to sum up that person based on that specific experience.

So, just a few tips:
1. Confidence is key and it extends throughout your body. Don't be afraid to firmly shake.
2. If you tend to get sweaty (it happens) then discretely dry your hands or wipe them off if possible.
3. Grip the hand - don't grab just the fingertips or part of the hand - nobody likes this one (the Fingertip Holder)
4. Squeeze firmly, not hard or too gentle.
5. If someone has a prosthetic arm/hand, partial arm/hand, or none at all, then take their lead; If there is no lead then don't be afraid to still "shake."
6. And last, but not list least - avoid placing both hands on the other person's one hand (The Glove). That is not necessary.

So now that you are ready - practice makes perfect! Try out your "shake" on a few friends or colleagues and get their feedback.

 

The Art of a Thank You Note or Email - What is the protocol?

What is the protocol of a thank you note or email?  Tough question, but I can tell you this, be sure to send one regardless which vehicle you chose - email or snail mail!!  

First, make sure it is timely:

• Thank you emails should be sent within the week of an interview. The latest is the following week, but I mean by Monday or Tuesday.
• If you are a late, my suggestion is to send a hand written card
• Thank you emails or notes should be sent after in person interviews unless you are having a phone informational with a recruiter or hiring manager.  Also, if you have a phone interview it is also appropriate to send a thank you. Just remember what you wrote as you need to differentiate for your in person interview thank you email or note. 

Email or snail mail?

• If you are going to send an email - send it within 24 hours to 48 hours from the day of the meeting; Feeling super excited about the job, then send it right away. 
• Thank you cards sent by snail mail should be sent that week so they will arrive either that same week or the following week.

What to include in the thank you?

• The thank you does not need to be long. A few paragraphs, thanking the person or interview team is great. If you met with different staff all day - try to differentiate your thank you to each person.
• Met with a team of people (all at once) - it is okay to address it to all, but keep in mind they all may not be in the same work space; In this case it may be best to send an email
• Include something from your conversations that you appreciated them spending extra time on or answering a question(s) that you had
• If you feel you did not excel in a particular skill set that you did not portray well in the interview, bring it up in the end with a positive example of your work experience. 
• Make sure to SPELL CHECK and read what you write. You do not want a typo to ruin your changes of being the top candidate. I have seen it happen when typo's ruin a candidate's chances as it reflects your attention to detail, grammar,  and professionalism. Proofread is the best advice I can give you and have an extra set of eyes review it.

How should I research if I should send an email or thank you note?

• Again emails are great. If a job will be filled quickly or you know you are one of the last candidates interviewed, send an email.
• Pay attention to how the company communicates with you - over the phone, very formal - not much communication via technology - then a handwritten note may be best; If they communicate via email for everything, then an email may be best  
• A handwritten thank you card can show a part of your personality in certain industries, so take some time to research the company. I have received hand made thank you cards when I interviewed curators, or candidates that have book binding, paper skills.  Just make sure your handwriting is legible. 

It's your call how you send your thank you note! It is nice to receive them in general and not all candidates regardless if it is an interview or informational send them. If you take the time to send a THANK YOU it gives you a bit of leg up if you are neck and neck with another candidate!

Resume Tips!

Can't say these tips enough:

• Add dates of employment and do not leave them off your resume even if there are gaps in your employment
• Use bullets to describe your work responsibilities, task/duties
• Use present tense for current positions and past tense for prior positions
• Keep the resume format simple - do not add pictures, personal information or try to add color. Many employers have recruitment systems that "parce"out the information so the plainer the better
• Do not use abbreviations/acronyms - spell them out the first time and then place the acronyms in other sections of your resume if needed

Hope these tips help you out! Some may seem obvious, but I see these common mistakes daily so make sure you don't fall into any of these traps.

The Power of Networking!

Over the holidays, I have been listening to friends and family talk about how they have found new opportunities through the power of networking. I thought that this would be a good tip to share  as it a powerful tool for specifically for job seekers. Networking is tough, but it does work if you are looking for a new job, a way to market yourself or a business or just looking for advice. A few tips are:

• Join LinkedIn if you are not on it yet. This a social networking tool that is for professionals to stay connected to co-workers, colleagues that you may meet at conferences, meetings, etc. and to have conversations about the working world. 
• You do not have to be super active on this site for this tool to work for you.  It is a bit cumbersome to set up the profile so I recommend that you set up your profile when you have a good amount of time and are not rushed.
• Connect to people you have worked with in the past, present and future - don't be afraid to connect people who you may think may not remember you. 
• Ask questions to recruiters that are on LinkedIn at the company's you are interested in working for.
• Join groups that are specific for your industry. Recruiters will often post to these groups as it is free for us to do that!
• You do not need to post a picture - it is totally up to you if you want to do this or not! 
• Follow Twitter feeds that are for companies you are interested or people that you may know "tweet" - Twitter is instant and there are many feeds for specific industries. 
• Library Jobs: http://twitter.com/#!/ALA_JobLIST
• http://twitter.com/#!/webbyslist - aggregates job board postings into a long list 

Quick tip about cover letters!

So over the past few weeks, I have noticed a common theme with applications, in particular - cover letters. What is lacking is why the candidate is interested in the job and I hear the same theme from my hiring managers and fellow co-workers of them stating - nobody puts this in their cover letters! Always state what interests you in the position, department and company.  State this in the third or fourth paragraph of your cover letter. It will help increase your chances to be picked out of the hundreds of applicants for the jobs you are applying too! I hope this helps and please email me any questions!

Help A Recruiter By Doing The Following Things!

I read on a daily basis probably about anywhere from a few applications (cover letter and resume, profile information) to over a 100. So while I understand that applying for a job is cumbersome, so is trying to understand an application. Here are a few tips that I am advising and asking for you to please take the time to do the following when you are preparing your resume and/or cover letter for a job:

1. Spell out acronyms - never assume that the person reading your resume understands or knows that abbreviation, shorthand, etc.
• This includes degrees too and make sure to get your degree name right (especially important for niche industries)
• If you state a future year, please put the month and year as it is hard to tell if you will meet the basic requirement sooner than later or not for a while.  If you don't have anything you may not be selected to interview. 
• All you need to put is:
• Expected graduation date: June 2011
2. Make sure to list out your job duties on your resume underneath the employment section. I have seen a lot of applicants recently mention a job or school in their cover letter, but it is not on their resume. If you speak to it in your cover letter - make sure it is on your resume for consistency and so the reader of your application can learn more about what you mention in your resume.
3. Spell check, spell check - I can't say it enough!!
4. Make sure you list all the programs that you have working knowledge of and that are listed on the job description. Even some that you may think are "no brainers", etc. So many people fail to do this and hiring managers may not select you because of this. 

I hope these tips help! This information is based on reviewing applications and working with hiring mangers so the tips may help your application get noticed and get that first call for a position! 

A few tips for Phone Interviews

1. If you receive an unexpected call from a recruiter or hiring manager and are not able to speak to them, then ask them to call you back or if you may call them back. It is better to do that, then to risk not being able to focus or not hearing them correctly, etc.

• If you are in a noisy place and do take the call, make sure the recruiter or hiring manager is able to hear you correctly.
• Today most recruiters will send an email to schedule a call, but it is important to always be at your best if you answer that unknown number as first impressions really do last! 

2. When writing or scheduling a phone call, always write very professionally. This is important as you are displaying your writing skills. If the tone of the email you receive is causal or has mistakes in it, you still want your email to be professional. 

• This is a common mistake that applicants fall into as a fyi. Many applicants do not spell check, write in shorthand or write as if they are "texting".   

3. When speaking on the phone with a recruiter or hiring manager - stand up. This helps to project your voice and helps you to sound enthusiastic. Make sure that you end your statements with a smile as that will help too! It is important to sound excited about the position over the phone! 

• Remember that recruiters/hiring managers want to speak with applicants that sound like they are interested in their position/company. 

4. Be ready for basic interview questions: 

• Why are you interested in this position or why did you apply?
• What is your salary range?
• What do you know about our company or this position?
• Have the website to the company open and the position description in front of you
• Where are you currently working?
• If you are not working currently, speak to what you have been doing during your unemployment (taking classes, staying involved in the industry/reading, volunteering, interning, etc.)
• How will this position help you with your career goals?
• What is your availability to come in for a interview?
• Have your schedule at your fingertips so you are prepared to be available! 

5. Salary expectations will be asked about 90% of the time. This is a tricky question, I know this, but at the same time it is extremely important for recruiters to be able to know if you are within the range of the position. 

• Do your research! Go to the company website and see if job grades or ranges are available. This is often located in the employment section of a employer's website.
• Ask what the range of the position is and if no response is given, then use your research to target the mid range, then go slightly below and above the mid range with a range of figures.
• Give a broad range if you do not have a target salary in mind.
• If you know a salary range that you have in mind and will not go lower then state your range. 
• Target a bit above what you want, but do not go too high if you have not done your research.
• There is no easy way to get around this except to state you are open to a discussion if you are offered the position.