Send a Letter or a Note

In most cases, a few lines written inside a thank you card are enough to send to your interviewer the day after a job interview. You should thank the interviewer for his or her time and mention something specific from the interview such as a certain subject you discussed or a factory tour you took. Then you should express your continued interest in the position and add that you hope to “hear from you soon.” A simple “regards,” “sincerely” or ‘yours truly” before signing your name is enough.

In some cases, a letter written on your resume letterhead paper should be added inside the thank you card before you send it. You may want to write a detailed letter if you’ve had previous interviews or have gone through a special lengthy interview process.

Writing a longer letter on professional stationery may help you stand out from the other candidates. Just make sure it’s appropriate to send a thank you letter and don’t babble – two pages maximum is more than enough. All business correspondence should be clear and concise with a polite, respectful tone.

Be Specific and Voice Your Expectations

Remember that the way to start a thank you letter after a job interview is by thanking the person for their time. Don’t summarize the interview, but rather mention something special or interesting that stood out.

For example, if you were asked for your input on something and you feel that went well and could mean you got the job, you could add something like “Thank you for your interest in my thoughts on the XYZ case and how my experience in xyz relates to the job. I’m still very much interested in the position and look forward to having a second interview with you at your convenience.”

You could also let your interviewer know that you are expecting to be responsible for the job duties he or she mentioned. You could write something like this in your thank you letter or card: “Thanks for your detailed description of the job duties. After reflecting on these, I’m still very much interested in the position and I’m hoping I’ll have the opportunity to be hired and show you what I can do.”

Tags: Interview, job, jobs, letter, thank you, Unemployment

You Make Contacting You Convenient for the Company

Your business card should list your different phone numbers with the best times to reach you. Having a website address on your card is great if your website supports the image your business card promotes of you and further sells your skills and abilities.

In presenting multi contact options on your business card, you increase the convenience for hiring companies to get a hold of you. Make sure everything including your contact information is accurate on your business card. Never hand out old cards – keep your information updated.

You Make Yourself Look Like the Professional You Are

Having a business card sets you apart as a professional whether you own a business or not. Whatever your profession, announcing it on a business card with your contact information gets attention and promotes you as a serious expert. Keep the card tasteful and don’t be pretentious.

“Mary Smith, Floral Designer” is fine, but Mary Smith, Award Winning Designer of Floral Fantasies” is way over the top, not to mention ridiculous-sounding. If you have won an award, you can explain that in a separate line under your title such as: “Winner of the Connecticut Floral Association Design Award for 2008.”

If you’re involved in more than one profession, always have a separate business card for each one. “Jim Johnson, Professional Writer and Painter” just comes off as confusing and unfocused rather than professional. A business card that you hand out at a job interview identifies who you are to a potential employer, so be sure this identity is clear and professional-sounding.

You Look both Polished and Prepared

You may be surprised when you get to your job interview. Panel interviews with more than one interviewer are becoming more and more common. If you always carry a stack of your business cards with you, you’ll be able to hand out a card to each interviewer. This is likely to make a positive impression. By simply carrying extra business cards, you can appear both polished and prepared at your job interview.

Another way to be polished and prepared in a businesslike way is to be sure that all of your career communication tools form a cohesive presentation of who you are professionally. The contact information and image presented by your business cards, cover letter and resume should be supported by your voice mail, answering machine and website. Make sure all of your communications details are accurate and relevant.

Tags: Business, Cards, Interview, job, professional

Saying Thank You at the Interview Isn’t Enough

Some job seekers think that if they thank the interviewer for his or her time before leaving the interview, they don’t have to send a thank you card. This kind of thinking can and has seen the job go to the candidate that sent the interviewer a thank you card the day after the interview. It’s not simply a matter of being polite.

While it’s true that thanking the interviewer for his or her time is the main point behind sending a thank you card, it also serves to let the employer know that you’re still interested in the position one or two days later. Of course, you should specifically state in the card that you’re still very interested in the job and hope to hear back from the interviewer at his or her convenience.

Sending a Thank You Card Can Make the Difference between Getting the Job and Not Getting It

Think of the situation from the interviewer’s point of view. In most cases, there is only one job, but many qualified applicants. Even after narrowing down the list and weeding out obviously unsuitable candidates the “short list” may not be that short. How does the interviewer choose the best person for the job if several applicants all seem to have the needed qualifications and a likeable, professional attitude?

At this point, the interviewer is likely to consider the applicant that seems the most interested and motivated – the one that goes the extra mile. Sending a thank you card is often the extra mile that gets the job. It makes sense because taking the initiative and being self-motivated are qualities that many employers find desirable in employees.

Sending a thank you card after a job interview also shows the ability to follow up and the willingness to communicate. It also acknowledges the tradition of sending thank you cards as business etiquette. If the company you’re interested in working for seems extremely modern in its culture, simply pick a modern looking card. Then say something specific that you think the interviewer will respond to such as mentioning a particularly interesting detail he or she said to you about the job during the interview.

Sending a Thank You Card Gives You a Chance to Voice Your Expectations

Being sure to follow up the job interview with a thank you card gives you the opportunity to mention your expectations. After thanking the interviewer for his or her time, you can mention that you’re still very interested in the position and hope to hear back from the interviewer at his or her earliest convenience. If you’re sending the card after the first interview, you could express your hopes for a second interview by saying clearly that you hope the interviewer considers you for a second interview.

Being able to voice your expectations politely, yet in a compelling way shows excellent business communication skills. The ability to communicate well in all work situations is absolutely essential in today’s workforce in all industries and professions. Be clear and use plain, yet polite language such as “Thanks again for your time and I hope to hear back from you soon.”

Tags: Interview, jobs, thank you

Why Have a Website for Your Wedding?

When you’re engaged and have the date set for your wedding, consider having a website set up to help plan, organize and communicate your thoughts leading up to the big day. If the wedding is a destination one, the sight could include travel itineraries and weather conditions. Having a wedding website is a great way for your wedding guests from all over to connect and add their comments, share photos and receive your maps or information about the wedding and related events.

A message board or other interactive communication tools such as a blog with comments is a great feature to include on your wedding website, so look for a good web hosting company that offers these types of tools in their hosting plan. What some couples do is to include an extra card inside their wedding invitation that gives the website address so that guests can participate. The design and style of your wedding website should tie in with the décor and tone of the rest of your wedding including the look of your invitations.

Free Versus Paid Web Hosting

Look for a reliable, established web hosting company for your wedding website. If you don’t mind banner and pop up ads on your site, then a free web host could work for you. Otherwise, find a good paid web hosting service. In either case, look for an experienced, trustworthy web hosting company. Remember that you can keep your wedding website to post honeymoon photos and then use it as a family website after that.

You can blog about life as a married couple in a new home or whatever your situation is. A family website is the perfect place to post baby photos and keep family and friends informed of your life after the wedding day. Look for web hosting plans that give you room to keep adding photographs and links to other sites as well as a message board or other space for your family and friends to communicate.

Since you aren’t likely to need too many tools and special features, a free web hosting service could work out well for your wedding website if you’re okay with ads on your site, but still look for value. Back up services are important because if something happens to the host company’s website, they’ll still have your photos and information backed up. Whether you choose paid or free web hosting for your wedding website, look for excellent security to prevent computer hackers. A user name and password to access the pages is available from many web hosting companies.

What Not to Include on Your Wedding Website

Emily Post and other wedding etiquette experts note that while it is certainly acceptable to thank people that helped with your wedding on your website, this doesn’t replace sending out personalized handwritten thank you cards. Send personal, handwritten notes to your attendants and the host of your wedding shower.

Never use your wedding website to replace mailing thank you cards for gifts you received. Your thank you notes for wedding gifts should be short, but sincere and mention the gift. If you received money, you don’t have to specify the exact amount, but do say what you plan on doing with the money. If you purchase your wedding gift thank you cards when you buy the rest of your wedding stationery such as invitations, outer envelopes, reply cards, reply envelopes, place setting cards and paper for hand written notes, you’ll be prepared.

Tags: blog, design, planning, website, wedding

Accentuate Your Strong Points

It’s not just your education, experience and skills that help get you hired, but how you present those skills. Everything on your resume must be the truth and be accurate, but it also needs to be compelling and draw attention. Although having an impressive education or top-notch experience and skills will certainly help you get hired, it’s not always the person with these qualities that ends up getting the job. It’s about how the interviewer sees and processes the information the applicant provides.

If the applicant can present his or her information in a persuasive and professional manner and show how he or she is the right person to fill the job, the interviewer or human resources professional may agree and choose this person for the position. There are different sections in a resume and you should customize yours to showcase the skills and qualifications a particular employer is looking for that you have.

For instance, if the job ad stresses the importance of a degree and you have it, showcase your educational background in the first part of your resume and mention it right at the beginning of your cover letter. In the resume, use eye-catching bullet points about how your educational experiences fit in with the job duties. This way, the reader of your resume can easily scan this relevant information and your resume may make the short pile as a result.

Follow Directions and Get Attention

Following directions is crucial when submitting a resume. Although it’s customary to send both a cover letter and resume when applying for a job, an ad may ask interested applicants to send only one or the other. Those who ignore the request and send both are sure to be out of the running for the short list. Read every word of the job ad painstakingly so that you have a solid understanding of whether you’re a good fit for the position, and if so, exactly how you should apply.

Let your custom resume get attention in a good way. Be sure the design you choose for your letterhead is clean and professional. Make sure the cover letter and resume coordinate in style and tone. Check that your contact information and everything you want to include is accurate and professionally presented. A concise, yet communicative presentation works best. Don’t ramble in your cover letter. Keep focused on persuading the reader why you’re the ideal fit for the position. Then back it up by displaying the facts clearly and professionally in your resume.

Once you’ve created positive attention getting strategies in both your cover letter and custom letterhead resume, be 100% sure that you haven’t detracted from that in any way. In other words, your material should be typo-free, clear, clean, professional, and follow any directions or guidelines set by the organization for which you want to work. Nobody wants to hire a person that can’t follow simple directions!

Until you actually become employed, finding a job is your job. Designing an effective custom business card can help you promote your skills with little effort. Having a professional looking business card is an ideal self-marketing tool as it promotes you to potential employers while also leaving them with your contact information. A tasteful looking business card can also help set you apart from other job applicants.

Put the Back of Your Business Card to Good Use!

A great idea to help promote your skills to potential employers is to use the back of your business card. Keep it professional looking and not overcrowded. It’s best to say something like “Why Hire Susan R. Jones?” and then list your skills and accomplishments in bullets. Remember that when you’re communicating information in bullets, you should write concisely in point form rather than in full sentences.

Using the back of your cards to promote your skills is an excellent idea to make you stand out from other applicants since not everyone does this. It’s best to keep your business card design basic and very professional looking if you’re going to include extra text on the back. You don’t want to look like you’re overdoing your self-promotion. There should still be a comfortable amount of white space on both the front and the back. 

Business cards with text on the back should serve as mini resumes that sum up your skills, education, experience and training. This makes them ideal to leave with potential employers during job interviews. But, you can also carry them to hand out whenever you have a possible job lead as they could get you an interview.

Reflect Your Field and Your Style

Handing out your business card at a job interview to promote your skills and provide a convenient way for the interviewer to contact you shows both initiative and a professional approach on your part. Keep your job title simple and accurate such as “Michael Nelson, Advertising Copywriter” or “Wendy Jackson, Computer Programmer.” The design of your card, including the color, font style, and other details, should reflect your industry. Remember that your business card should reflect your business style and not necessarily your personal style.

Unless you’re a children’s entertainer, your business card is not the place for too much color or graphics such as puppies or butterflies. If a colored business card works for your industry, this may be a good idea. Otherwise, stick to a pale neutral color with easy to read black ink. Pale green could work well for an environmental specialist, while a pale blue business card may be appropriate for a life guard or swimming instructor. Remember though, that usually a business card should look more professional than artistic, and it should co-ordinate well with the design of your letterhead resume, website and cover letter.

You Can Get the Right Attention with Professional Design

Custom letterhead in a clear, professional design gets the attention of job interviewers and human resources workers alike. Getting this attention is important because the typical resume reader spends less than a minute on each resume – sometimes only a few seconds.

Use printed originals not photocopies. A clean, tasteful custom letterhead design on 8 ½ x 11 quality heavier weight paper is an excellent way to show prospective employers that you’re professional. Don’t be overly ornate in your lettering or go overboard in terms of creativity. A resume and cover letter are supposed to convey your background and skills concisely. Custom letterhead design for job seeking is not the place to show off your art skills – unless you’re applying for jobs in a creative field. Even then, being too creative may end up costing you in having your letterhead and resume discarded if the interviewer is expecting the traditional black on white in standard font.

Times New Roman is the best font style to use on resume letterhead in most cases, although Arial and Tahoma are commonly accepted in companies with a more modern business culture. Tasteful borders that separate the different sections of your resume can help make the page easy to read. Using bulleted points to sum things up rather than full sentences is also a good idea. Some capitalization, bolding and italicizing can make certain parts of your resume stand out well, but don’t overuse these techniques or the result may be a confusing, difficult to read resume.

The most important thing you can do before deciding on a design for your custom letterhead for job seeking, is to check whether the companies you’re applying to have submission guidelines for resumes. Check with the human resources department or the company website. It’s controversial whether custom letterhead should be used on a cover letter or not. Some HR advisors agree with it, while others say the cover letter page should not contain any letterhead. Remember, fitting in with the specific company you want to be hired by is the best thing to do in order to have a good chance of getting hired. 

You Can Find the Perfect Paper for Your Field and Industry

Generally, you should use bright white quality paper of a nice, heavy weight for your custom letterhead resume. You could also use off white or even light grey or light tan. A light neutral still looks professional, yet stands out from the majority of resumes which will be on white or off white paper. However, you are taking a risk if the resume reader is expecting white or off white paper. Know what is preferable in your location, industry, field and specific company since standing out in the wrong way may get your resume get tossed out.

If you’re in a creative field, submitting a resume and cover letter on letterhead paper in a pale shade such as green or blue may work, but again it’s best to make your decision about this very carefully. If you do decide on a full color or 4/0 professional letterhead approach for you business keep it businesslike. Refrain from looking gimmicky such as having each letter in your name a different color. Use a professional printer and choose a clean, classy letterhead on quality weight paper for your resume.

Here are some ideas for paper to use for your letterhead resume and cover letter:

70 pound opaque – This smooth, high quality offset stock paper is used in communications media such as magazines and books. It is great looking and feels heavy in the hand. This is the ideal choice when you want the back of your resume and cover letter to have a smooth look without the print from the front showing through.

24 pound laid – When you want a personalized look that is a little creative, yet also completely professional and acceptable everywhere, this paper features a subtle finish that looks similar to that of hand-made papers. This is a great choice for both cover letters and resumes and it presents as unpretentious and unique.

24 pound linen classic – This is an all purpose business paper most likely very familiar to the readers of your cover letters and resumes. The linen-like texture adds a touch of elegance. This classic paper is used daily in many businesses for corporate reports, legal briefs and business letterheads. You’ll make a professional impression when you use this for both cover letters and resumes. This or the 70 lb. opaque is especially suitable for more conservative career fields such as healthcare and law. 

You Have Only Seconds to Make a Good Impression on Paper

It’s estimated that the average human resources professional spends between 15 and 45 seconds reading a resume and cover letter. This means you have to instantly create a good impression by promoting yourself well on paper.

A resume package that includes a cover letter and resume with custom letterhead makes you stand out as a unique, yet professional individual. Everything in the resume package must promote you in the best light as the ideal fit for the job. All of the information you include must be accurate and honest. How you display and promote that information can impress your potential employer and get your resume in the short stack rather than in the discard pile.

Custom letterhead should express your best business personality. It should grab the attention of a human resources professional due to a tasteful design that meets the conventions of the company and the field or industry in general. The paper should be of a quality look and weight. The letterhead design should be clean and tasteful with the right amount of white space around it. The cover letter and resume should be in the same style and tone and be completely typo-free with excellent writing and grammar throughout.

You need a professional resume package that suits your career type and level. A recent college graduate looking for an entry level career job is going to need a completely different resume than an experienced mid-level manager or executive. The college grad would emphasize his or her education, while the management professional would promote his or her experience to potential employers. And a parent re-entering the workforce would need a different style of resume than someone changing careers.

You Can Adapt Your Basic Resume Package to Fit Each Job

Once you have a resume and cover letter designed to match your particular career situation and field, you can and should adjust your written communications to each job you apply for. This is easy to accomplish if you have a good, professional resume package to start with and you have a good basic understanding of what the company you hope to work for is looking for in a successful applicant. Address each requirement the organization asks for and use direct quotes. 

For example, if the job ad you’re replying to with your cover letter and resume specifies they prefer the applicant to have “public relations experience and an ability to work creatively on deadline” be specific about how you fit this requirement. You could say something like “My 12 years of public relations experience has definitely seen me “work creatively on deadline” on a consistent basis. As you can see by my client references on my accompanying resume, clients are impressed by my work and I’ve even beat deadlines many times. I’m committed to providing excellent customer service as well as top quality work to clients.”

Organize a Timeline

It’s no secret that job interviews can be stressful. One simple thing that can ease the pressure and help you be a success at the interview, is to prepare a written plan. List everything you need to do to prepare for and bring to the interview and then add the time or date to have this completed by. Start your master list at least a week or several days before the interview.

For example, have your suit cleaned and pressed days before the interview rather than one day before. Store it in a closet along with your polished shoes, tasteful jewelry and the other items you’ll wear to the interview. Having your entire outfit ready days ahead can give you a great sense of relief and is one less thing to worry about in relation to your job interview.

Make sure you also have a tasteful bag and, depending on your climate, an umbrella in case of rain. Pack extra letterhead resumes in case you have more than one interviewer and also bring a stack of your business cards. Have transportation fare or gas in your car the day before the interview. Purchase thank you cards so you’ll be ready to follow up the day after your interview.

Practice Makes Perfect

If you’re nervous about what questions may be asked of you in the job interview, read books on the subject. It may help you to think about what questions will be asked and prepare responses to them. Having a friend or family member pretend to be the interviewer may also help you practice. Make sure you’re able to maintain comfortable eye contact and sit up straight without fidgeting. Also be sure to remind yourself not to babble during the interview, but rather listen carefully to the questions the interviewer asks you and answer them thoughtfully. You’ll need to promote yourself as the best fit for the job.

If you’re not sure how long it will take to get to the interview location, you may want to do a practice run. Get there early on the day of the job interview and wait in a nearby café until about five or ten minutes before your set interview time. You may also want to check out your parking options ahead of time if you’ll be driving and the bus stop location if you’ll be taking public transportation to the interview

Dress to Impress

Don’t just concentrate on having your job interview outfit cleaned and pressed in time. Give some thought to what you should wear. In most cases a business suit and dress shirt are appropriate. Try the outfit on and make sure it’s flattering on you and suitable for an office. If your job interview is for a position other than an office job, you may want to wear something less dressy such as a nice pair of pants and a dress shirt. No matter how casual the job, never wear jeans, dirty clothes, flip flops, revealing items or ripped clothes.