The new year brings new hope for solving those problems that wouldn’t go away when the old year did. For those people looking for a job–or a new job– there’s no time like right now, while unemployment is at its lowest point in 24 years, to renew efforts in that job search.
Accompanying the enthusiasm are the usual questions on how to go about writing cover letters and a resume and what to say and do during interviews. So, here are a few tips to supplement that hope quotient.
– Cover letters: Use them, but don’t waste words. Highlight your accomplishments and show how your experience relates to the position you’re applying for.
– Resume: Don’t throw one together overnight. A good resume takes time and effort to prepare. You may have a good personality and a lot of talent, but if your resume doesn’t impress employers, you won’t get the opportunity to show them how good you are.
Even if you’re dealing with someone you met through networking, you’ll need to present a resume at the interview. Companies can spend millions on advertising to sell their products. Spend some time on selling yourself to them.
Resumes usually follow one of three accepted formats: chronological, functional and a combination of the two. The one you use should be based on your work history, so if you’ve had six jobs in five years, you will want a format that emphasizes your experience and not your employment dates.
There are a number of books on the market with good advice. In “Work Happy, Live Healthy,” author Tom Welch says you’ve got 10 seconds to impress the person screening your resume. If it is not clear, concise (two pages tops) and accurate (no typos or grammatical errors), it will end up in the “circular file.”
Don’t be too general in describing your accomplishments. “Increased sales” doesn’t say anything; “increased sales by $5 million” does. And tell the truth. It’s easy for a human resources person to check much of the information in your resume.
Exaggerating your abilities or otherwise padding the facts may get you the job, but you may not keep it if you can’t live up to your new boss’ expectations.
– Interviews: If you get an interview, dress professionally, be on time and be yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the the company’s turnover rate and its corporate culture. Remember that you are interviewing the company to be sure that you will be as happy with it as it will be with you.
Finally, if you’ve been unemployed for a while, meet with a career counselor, who can help you write your cover letters and resume, guide you through the interviewing process and even critique your clothing and hair.
Don’t take offense at what you might hear, because a career counselor is no good to you if he or she isn’t honest with you.
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Problems on the job? Write to Lindsey Novak, At Work, Financial Department, 4th Floor, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 60611, or, via e-mail: AtWorkbyLN@aol.com. No phone calls, please.
