Seven Tips For A Successful Job Hunt

Phil's Careers Blog Seven Tips for a Successful Job Hunt By Phil Gérard In my experience as a recruiter September is one of the peak months for folks exploring new opportunities. Therefore, I thought it may be a good suggestion to repost an article I wrote for Canadian Fundraising & Philanthropy in regards to the job hunt. For aspiring fundraisers and seasoned ones alike, the job-searching course of could be difficult. Lately, I actually have acquired a number of feedback and questions about job search and interviewing etiquette, which inspired me to function the job hunt in this month’s column, share a number of ideas and clarify some misconceptions (in my view) about etiquette. Apply flawlessly Many purposes are littered with typos, grammatical errors and inconsistencies in style and punctuation. I am an awful editor of my very own writing, and I know that I at all times have to find someone who can learn my paperwork earlier than I hand them in. Have somebody who's used to studying different folks’s materials edit your application carefully. Present your software in the format requested in the posting. Some recruiters choose the quilt letter and résumé in one doc mixed. Others like two separate paperwork. I would advise to not think about your email as the duvet letter. Rather, connect it as a document. In our world of assorted laptop systems and Word variations, it is advisable to show your documents into PDFs earlier than you submit them. Even small things like a missing font in your reader’s computer can interfere with the formatting and appearance of your properly-crafted document. For essentially the most half, a PDF preserves the integrity of your unique document. Submit as soon as There isn't any reason to submit an utility other than via the best channels, even if you know the hiring manager well. It shows respect for the process and for the intelligence of the recruiters. We know an excellent application when we see it, and can direct it via the appropriate channels to the best individual. If you realize the hiring manager well, be happy to tell her or him in a quick e-mail or phone call of your intentions to use, however submit your utility through the same channels as others. “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” I disagree with those who advise candidates to follow up with a cellphone name to ensure the e-mail has been obtained. Email techniques have auto-reply and bounce-again capabilities to provide that info. Yes, you need to show how proactive you're, however there’s a fine line between being proactive and being annoying. I could also be exaggerating a little bit, but what I am getting at is my earlier point about respecting recruiters’ intelligence. If your application carefully aligns with the requirements of the particular position, recruiters will contact you. They do not must be reminded of your application or hear your sales pitch about why you are the perfect candidate. Agreed, a private dialog trumps a chunk of paper â€" however your résumé serves as your private advertising copy, your potential ticket to get within the door. Therefore it must be perfect and inform as much about your qualifications and competencies as potential. Once you're chosen for an interview, you can give your gross sales pitch. If you need to present how proactive you are, a a lot better idea is to contact an HR department or one of many senior managers of an organization and ask for an information interview not related to a specific job competitors. Information interviews are an effective way to indicate curiosity in a company and study extra about it and its tradition. Networking in general is an effective way to get your name and talent noticed by recruiters. Arrive at the good moment It is in fact tempting to indicate up early as a result of being too late could have devastating consequences. However, 15 minutes is simply too early, and doesn’t show respect for the interviewers’ time. You may wish to arrive at the interview location about half an hour earlier than the interview or even forty five minutes to make sure. You by no means know what site visitors is like or your sense for directions, especially when you don’t know the situation very nicely. When you arrive, familiarize your self with the building, the workplace degree and parking. But wait until 5 minutes earlier than your appointment to report back to the entrance desk. Dress for the occasion Dress appropriately for the organization within the interview. Find out as a lot as you can in regards to the organization to find out its culture and style. It’s all the time safer to be over-dressed, because it no less than reveals that you simply perceive the formality and seriousness of an interview state of affairs. Be certain to avoid anything that would distract from you as an individual. Chewing gum is not an excellent idea, for example. Say thanks Some folks prefer thank-you cards, however I find that it is more important to be thanked promptly. A card can get m isplaced in the mail or arrive days after the interview. And once received and browse, it ends up in the recycling bin. An e mail is quick, it doesn’t cost you any cash, and it helps you reply faster than others preferring snail mail. The key is to make your message well timed, clever, thoughtful and appreciative. Keep current Seasoned fundraisers might be out of practice after being in the identical function for a few years. One way to hold present is to fulfill confidentially with an executive recruiter for a general conversation about profession aspirations and upcoming opportunities. Always update your résumé even when you’re not trying to find a job. You can easily neglect the achievements that you've got accomplished, so it’s better to chronicle them along the way to be prepared for the following job hunt. Job looking could be difficult, even frustrating, however with follow and by following some easy rules of etiquette it could possibly truly be enjoyable. And in fact it’s very satisfying when an interview leads to a job offer. First printed in Canadian Fundraising & Philanthropy: /articles/Seven-tips-for-a-successful-job-hunt Post navigation Fill in your particulars beneath or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. (Log Out/ Change) You are commenting using your Google account. (Log Out/ Change) You are commenting utilizing your Twitter account. 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