Category: Strategic Communication

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com]

Another in Monster.com’s “Stand Out from the Crowd series focuses on six important questions. Copyright prevents me from including the entiore article. Do not hesitate to link to http://career-advice.monster.com.

Here is the “tease” from Joe Turner’s in today’s The Philadelphia Inquirer Page D8:

Interviewing can be a gut-wrenching process. Most books on how to interview list hundreds of questions you need to be ready to answer. but few talk about questions you need to ask.

Take more control at your next interview by asking some pointed questions of your own. Here are six must-ask questions and why you should know the answers (the whys are on the link). Also, be sure to check out Numbers 30 and 23 under Handouts on www.larrylitwin.com.

1. What happened to the person who previously did this job? (If a new position: How has this job been performed in the past?)

2. Why did you choose to work here? What keeps you here?

3. What is the first problem the person you hire must attend to?

4. What can you tell me about the individual to whom I would report?

5. What are the company’s five-year sales and profit projections?

6. What’s our next step?

As Turner says, “As a job seeker, the key to a good interview is to find out as much about your potential employer as possible.”

He says that asking these six questions will make you appear more committed as a candidate and give you better insight into both challenges and opportunities that may lie ahead for you.

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com}

Copyright laws prohibit me from using materal in today’s “The Philadelphia Inquirer” from Monster.com. However, I am providing the link. The author, Kim Isaacs, knows her “stuff.”

Go for it.

http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/cover-letter-tips/cover-letters-that-sell/article.aspx

To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com.

[To comment: larry@larrylitwn.com]

Once again, because of copyright laws, we can’t print the entire column on job interviews and “standing out from the crowd.” Here, though is the link from Monster.Com.

http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/interview-preparation/interview-company-research/article.aspx

The highlights are these:

Do your research. How many times have my students heard that phrase?

Some bullet points. For details visit the site:

• The Company’s Mission
• Recent Company Achievements
• Your Interviewers
• What to Wear
• The Industry
• People on the Inside
• Research Yourself (How many times have I urged my students to Google themselves, periodically

[To comment: larry@larrylitwn.com]

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com.]

From the pages of “The Philadelphia Inquirer” comes this tip from “The Inky Tip Jar”:

Internships are excellent opportunities for students, recent graduates and jobseekers looking to test their skills in the real world, gain first-hand experience and insight into a company or career, and netowk with professionals in their field.

Internships vary in length, but most are a three-month (120 hour) commitment and at Rowan University that would be worth three credits.

While many are unpaid — in fact, most — students not only receive academic credit, but can parlay that experience into their first professional job. Some internships come with travel and/or housing stipends and/or job placement following the intership period, according to “The Inquirer.”

Look for internships at www.philly.com/jobs. Enter keyword “internship” in the “Find a New Job” search tool.

If you are a Rowan student, be certain to follow procedures by first visit No. 73 on www.larrylitwin.com>student resources>handouts.

Good luck.

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com.]

[To comment:larry@larrylitwin.com]
also, check out: CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, TheWorkBuzz.com
CareerBuilder recently ran a column on Thank You notes. It appeared in the August 19, 2012 Courier-Post. This blog carries many of Susan Ricker’s suggestions, plus those in “The Public Relations Practitioner’s Book” (from Chapter 15.) Both are must reads.

Susan Ricker’s article begins:  When a job interview is winding down, thanking the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you shouldn’t be your last interaction before the hiring decision is made.

You still have an opportunity to tell the hiring manager that you’re the right person for the position, that you appreciate his/her time and that you’re very interested

in being hired – and it all comes in the form of a thank-you note. It’s a tool job seekers don’t always put much thought into, but it’s one that can make a big impression on potential employers.

Why send a thank-you note?

Beyond the  sentiment of thanking the interviewer, sending a note after an interview gives you another chance to prove you’re right for the position.

“The best thank-you notes forward the discussion you started in the interview,” says Caroline Ceniza-Levine, career expert and co-founder of career-coaching firm SixFigureStart. “Personalize the note around what you specifically discussed. Reiterate the points that landed well during the interview. Add to the points where you felt you didn’t have  a clear enough example.”

How to say “thank you”

In the note, refer to your interview and highlight your interaction with the company. Remember that this is a note

from one person to another – it’s not a mechanical, automated response.

“Make it real and authentic,” says Danielle Beauparlant Moser, career strategist and co-author of “FOCUS: Creating Career & Brand Clarity.”

“A genuinely sincere thank-you for the person’s time comes through in the writing. Don’t go online looking for canned language. lf the person were standing in front of you, what would you say?”

Write a short note that expresses thanks for the interviewer’s time, highlights the best points of the interview

and confirms that you’re still interested in the job and that you look forward to hearing back from the company.

Email vs. handwritten “thank you”

As CareerBuilder says in its blog, a common question is whether you should send an email or mailed letter. Either way, you’re taking the time to follow up with the interviewer, which is a positive gesture. When deciding which format to use, consider the personality of the company and the amount of time between your interview and the hiring decision.

“If you’re sending.an email, the night of (the interview) or the next day is usually a good time,” says Elizabeth Kazda,

recruiter al biotechnology company Amyris Inc. “If you’re sending a thank-you note through the mail, remember it takes a few days, so your best bet is to mail it the night of the interview.”

Also show that you understand the company’s culture .lf you’re applying to an Internet company, a thank-you email may be most appropriate, However, if you’re being considered for a senior position at a law firm, a handwritten

note may be more suitable.

Other times to say “thank you”

lf you’re not currently looking for a job, you’re at the beginning of your career or you’re simply trying to extend

your network, sending a thank-you note after an interaction builds relationships and makes you memorable.

“In a meeting last week with a group of employers, one commented on how impressed she was to receive thank-you notes from students after a networking event,” says Lynne Sarikas, director of Northeastern University’s MBA Career Center in Boston. “Every employer in the room agreed that the notes make a very positive impression and help the students stand out from the competition.”

Thanks, but no thanks 

You may decide that the company or the position isn’t the right fit for you. Don’t be too quick to cut ties. Sending

a note can still be appropriate.

“Even if don’t want the Job, do write a thank-you note anyway,” says Corinne Gregory, author of “It’s Not

Who You Know, It’s How You Treat Them.”

“Thank the interviewer for his/her time, mention the company positively (and) compliment them on their process or mission. You never know if or when you will cross paths with either the organization or the individual again, so leave a positive last impression.

In today’s Internet age, you never really leave anybody in your professional life behind, so maintaining good relationships can lead to job opportunities in the future.

[To comment: larry@larrylitwin.com]

Check out: Susan Ricker — and her blog: TheWorkBuzz.com
        

[To comment:larry@larrylitwin.com]

Was surfing the Web this a.m. and ran into this incredible advice from Rowan University public relations graduate and Gold Medallion recipient Kim Ciesla, now with Anne Klein Communications Group. Heed Kimmie’s advice. It will serve you well. Let’s call this a “long” retweet.

(Originally written Tuesday, October 13, 2009)

Before you get there:

1. Know the dress code: There’s nothing more embarrassing than showing up in tights when the company’s policy is no tights. And showing up business casual when the dress is really more corporate business attire? Not fun. So do your homework–send your supervisor a quick email asking for a copy of the dress code.

2. Be prepared for research: A lot of interns are required to do research. If you work for an agency, your first day will probably be ALL research so you can familiarize yourself with company clients.

3. Realize that what you give, is what you’ll get: If you work hard, arrive on time (or early) and work diligently, your hard work will be rewarded.

While you’re there:

4. Ask for feedback: Why? Because it shows you care about your job performance. Also, your ability to handle constructive criticism will be noticed and could get you better projects or opportunities in the future.

5. Be proactive: Instead of tweeting all day when you have nothing to do, ask for something to do. Don’t be afraid to ask for projects you’d like to work on. Most of the time your boss will be willing to give you the experience you ask for.

6. Get to the point: When asked to do research for your boss, highlight main points, email articles–anything to make their job easier. Brief them on the most important things they wanted first, then accompany the research with additional info if requested, or in an email so they can refer back to it.

7. Keep a record: Of what you do, the number of hours you intern, etc. It will help when you notice on your Field Experience syllabus that you were supposed to have a log of what you’ve done! It will also give you something to refer back to when updating your resume.

8. Make a contact list: Take note of the people you work around, even if you only meet them once or twice. Get their emails, phone numbers, their twitter name…anything. Stay in contact. You never know when their expertise could come in handy.

9. Keep track of the computer programs you use: Companies find it valuable when interns and potential employees don’t have to be trained in certain areas. Almost everyone is proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint by now. So skip it on your resume. Instead, incorporate the unique programs you’ve learned along the way.

10. Use tools to your advantage: The tools you use on a daily basis at your internship could make your life a lot easier in the long run. Create media lists. Utilize the PR Newswire, etc.

11. Ask questions: It shows your paying attention and that you care about doing the task at hand correctly.

12. Take notes: So you don’t ask the same questions twice!

When you leave:

13. Know your limits: If you’re a blogger, are you allowed to blog about the internship? What are your limitations? What’s confidential information? You wouldn’t want to leak something or put something out on the World Wide Web for everyone to see if it’s not supposed to leave the office.

14. Take advantage of outside opportunities: Trade shows, samplings, corporate events. All these things will help you to become well rounded and experienced. And, it will give you a chance to get out of the office setting for a bit

[To comment:larry@larrylitwin.com]