Best practices around contacting the employer after an interview may vary, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of taking time to say ‘thank you’.

Let’s break the interview series up and talk about how you can approach your prospective employer contacts after the interview(s).

1^st Interview – After your first interview you should send a thank you message immediately. The medium you use can vary, but some suggested formats are:

a.) Short letter – send a thank you letter to the hiring manager who interviewed you and also include a paragraph about why you believe the position is a good match for you. Pick something you know is a ‘hot spot’ for the manager that you know you can provide a solution to. Also, send a separate letter to the human resources professional who interviewed you. This needs to be an original; not a redundant cut-and-paste version of the letter to the hiring manager. People like to be communicated with on an exclusive basis. If the HR professional and hiring manager get together and discover you sent them the exact same letter it will put you in the ‘cheesy’ pile. Not necessarily a turn-down, but definitely not much extra effort merit.

b.) Email message – you can send an email thank you and also share your interest. However, keep in mind that people do not like long drawn out emails. Your email should be short and to the point, without wordy explanations.

c.) Handwritten Note/Card – These can be very effective since most people are used to just getting a quick email. But, be sure the recipient is not someone who travels a lot, or they may not receive it for months. A handwritten note/card has a way of making the receiver feel special. Choose a card that is professional looking & blank inside – no joke cards. Perhaps just something that says “Thank You” on the outside.

2^nd Interview – Great, their really getting interested! If you have not yet sent a short letter format as listed in (a.) above, then this is a good time to do so. Beyond that, other methods can include:

a). For new interviewers – Returning for a second interview often means that you are meeting with a new group of people. Again, immediately after you interview send a ‘thank you’ email to these people indicating that you appreciate their time and are excited about the opportunity.

b). HR or Hiring Manager – if this is your 2^nd meeting in this arena and you’ve already sent the short letter format then an email ‘thank you’ is appropriate here. If you have not sent the letter, do so now. I know that the letter can be difficult to compose, but the employer knows this too and it will show them that you put forth extra effort. Believe me, showing extra effort means a lot during the selection and hiring process.

You may have noticed by now that I have not spent anytime suggesting that you simply “call” the prospective employer. Why? Because there is a difference between written contacts and phone/verbal contacts. Written contacts allow you to express your appreciation and let the employer know how you can be their solution. A phone contact ends up being more of a “hi – have you made a decision yet”? Doing this early on in the interviewing process can be a real turn-off. So, spend time in the extra effort categories and it will pay off.

3^rd Interview – Can you call yet? Yes, you’ve now earned calling privileges. However, do not call immediately after the interview. As usual, send an email thank you to all those who spoke with you right away. Then, target five days – yes, I said 5 days, as your waiting period for the phone call process. When you do call, simply state that you’re just checking in on the process and would be happy to provide any further information they may need and that you are still very interested in the opportunity (or something along that line).

Of course there may be variations on a theme here. You may go for only two interviews and the employer will tell you they will get back to you shortly. Follow through on your written messages. Then mark your five-day period and give them a call as noted above. Employers will not always take you through the process of three separate interviews, but usually always two.

Ok – if you’ve got any questions here just blog me back J

Posted by Robin Ogden – FiredUP Careers

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Have you seen this site yet? Very cool way for employers to post their job openings via podcast so that you can hear the specifics of the job and what it’s like to work for the company. It’s got everything from Property Management to AT&T Technicians, Verizon Wireless Telesales, Human Resources and more.

Managers from the various companies are interviewed about their jobs and then the podcast is placed on the Jobs in Pods site. Once you’ve listened, if you’re interested in the position there are instructions on how to go about applying.

The search feature works like other online job boards where positions are listed in categories such as, Engineering, Accounting, IT, Sales, Work at Home, Real Estate, etc. Also, there are specific State listings.

Take a ‘listen’ and see what you think. Even if you’re not currently looking you may want to bookmark this site and also pass it on to any friends you may know who are looking.

An important thing to keep in mind is that by listening to these managers talk about their positions you can get a good idea of what they need and how to position your messaging for an interview (what strengths to point out, what results you can deliver and what questions you would like to ask them).

All in all a very good idea and useful site - much better than only being able to read a bunch of verbiage.

Posted by Robin Ogden - FiredUP Careers

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Over 1.6 million ‘personal’ records stolen from Monster.com!

It’s a worry that we all have…perhaps maybe one day someone will be able to hack into a very secure database system in which we have provided very sensitive personal information and steal it. And it does happen more often than we want to hear.

Monster.com’s job board information theft is a prime example. If you are listed on Monster.com you will want to keep a close eye on any emails coming to you from them to ensure they are not fraudulent messages from thieves who want to get even more information from you.

Stealing personal information is disgusting enough, but put the added ingredient that most people on Monster.com are in search of gainful employment and that they are extremely vulnerable to messages coming in to them regarding employment opportunities; it’s a bit like someone needing food and offering them a dish of poison pasta! Very creepy…

It’s nearly impossible in today’s thriving Internet world to avoid providing your personal information to various sources. There are ways that you can be smart in providing this information. This article in About.com is worth reading to ensure you are up to date on the latest ways to protect your personal information.

Monster.com has also provided a copy of the fraudulent email that users are receiving from the thieves. Review it and stay alert.

Posted by Robin Ogden – FiredUP Careers

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Hi All - Posting this position for a colleague of mine who is working to fill an opening in one of her client companies. Her contact information is at the bottom of the posting. Good luck, and remember to dust off your 30-second introduction and brush up on your interview skills!

Position: Client Relations Consultant - looking for a professional with excellent customer service/sales and marketing experience in the email marketing arena.

Location: San Francisco
Status: Direct Hire

Primary Responsibilities
•Team Lead - Function as the lead of the client services team
reporting to Manager of Client Services
•Client Ownership - Own PSO relationships for project and
retainer-based clients
•Strategic Thinker - Push the envelope of ground-breaking strategies
for designing and executing successful email programs
•Industry Expertise - Work side-by-side with email industry thought
leaders and marketing strategists
•Project Management - Manage timesheet tracking, project budgets,
document/file repositories, project plans, document templates, issue
tracking, status reporting, meeting schedules, ROI reporting
•Team Leader - Inspire your team (Account Executives, Campaign
Specialist, Tech Consultants and Tech Specials) to execute programs
that track and measure results and deliver tangible ROI
•Manage Up-sells - Build collaborative client relationships and
account size based on trust and tangible results
•Scope Programs - Scope programs and manage resources across multiple
internal teams (i.e. creative, IT, product development)
•Process Development - Collaborate with management to improve internal
processes, business practices, and proprietary industry best practices
•MarComm - Drive the marketing copy and creative team to ensure
quality programs exceed industry standards
Qualifications
•Positive personality - A strong work ethic, a winning attitude and a
sense of humor who enjoys adding value to a strong organization
•Domain Expertise - 3-5+ years in one of more of the following: email,
software consulting, integrated marketing, direct marketing,
interactive agency
•Client Facing - Significant client-facing responsibilities
•Technical Basics - Basic knowledge of one or more web technologies
and Internet environments including: email software, ecommerce, web
analytics, affiliate programs, web services, API integration methods,
and application service providers
•Industry Expertise - Strong understanding of one or more industry
segments a bonus (i.e. financial services, retail, ecommerce, travel,
B2B technology)
•Consultative Selling Skills - Proven track record of identifying
sales opportunities within existing accounts AND ability to create and
give winning presentations (Sales support IS available through a
separate internal team.)
•Project Management - Manage
multi-phase/ multi-dimensional/multi-resource projects while
maintaining high customer satisfaction
•Communication Skills - Ability to translate information (including
project requirements and project goals) to both technical and
non-technical team personnel
•Customer-centric - Client focus with an obsession for achieving
targeted, measurable results
•Strategic Consultant - Strategic and analytical insight to identify
and solve client’s business, marketing and technology problems
•Preference given to candidates with internet technology and financial
services background

For immediate consideration, please email your resume and salary
requirements to:kdoss@keyplacements .com or fax to (510) 791-6106

Posted by Robin Ogden - FiredUP Careers

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Is your ‘to do’ list killing you?

Need someone to help you with tasks that you’re buried up to your eyebrows in – that never ending, haunting ‘to do’ list?? Or, perhaps you’re in between jobs, not sure what you want to do, trying to get some marketable skills? A colleague sent this site over to me and I wanted to pass it on to you because it is just “neat”. Check out – DoMyStuff.com – I love their tagline “outsource your life”.

People can post any task/job they want to have done and then you can bid on the job. What I think is so cool about this is the way a new idea can just blossom. According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, one of the founders of the business said that it all came out of a joke. Talking about how he would like to outsource ‘finding a girlfriend’ along with someone to do the laundry, clean the garage, etc. All of the sudden he thought “what a good idea” let’s do it. Now that’s an entrepreneur!

It is just amazing what our brains can do if we don’t shut them down with our clever negative chatterbox.

Apparently this little site is gaining popularity quickly – over 25,000 users so far and it’s free (always nice…). Here’s a link to the SF Chronicle article, definitely worth a read.

The only other site that I can think of that is near DoMyStuff.com is Elance, where you can also post jobs and bid on jobs. Although, Elance has a heavier focus on technical outsourcing like website design, engineering, programming, etc. I have personally used Elance and give high marks to the ease of use, quality of people bidding, as well as the individual we selected for our job. A first class experience all around.

So, if you’ve got ‘stuff’ that’s bogging you down put a posting on DoMyStuff.com and get on with your life. Like they say, it can’t always just be for the rich and famous (right?).

Posted by Robin Ogden – FiredUP Careers

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I was reminded today while visiting Erica Nelson’s website that gratitude is an important way to attract abundance into our life. It dawned on me while reading through some of her material that we often make a list of things we are grateful for like our children, friends, homes, garden, pets, etc., but it isn’t very often that I’ve heard people say (or write down) that they are grateful for their careers. Perhaps because often we feel or believe that our careers are just something we ‘have to have’ in order to survive in life. That may be true, after all without your career how could you be grateful for many of the material things in your life? More than likely your salary is paying for many of the things you are grateful for.

Erica has a specific journaling exercise on her site – basically making two lists; one is the list of current things you are grateful for and the other is a list of things you would like to bring into your life in the future. Once you’ve prepared your list you read them and focus on them each day for several minutes.

So, I’m thinkin’…UtOH! my sister would say What if we broke our first list into something a bit more focused surrounding the things we are grateful for in our career and made our second list the things we would like to have happen in our career - specifically? I’m not saying to get rid of all the other things you’re grateful for – leave them on your lists too. But, instead of just writing down that you are grateful for your ‘career’, perhaps you might write things like the following:

I am grateful for my career (now let’s get more specific…)

I am grateful that I have an office

I am grateful for the insurance benefits my employer provides

I am grateful for the training programs provided to me

I am grateful to have a boss who is a terrific mentor

I am grateful to work with fun, smart people

I am grateful to learn something new each day at work

I am grateful for the promotional opportunities presented to me

I am grateful that I am a well-respected team member

Then perhaps the second list (things you want from your career that you are supposed to write as if you already have – according to the Law of Attraction):

I am grateful for my six-figure salary

I am grateful for my office with a view

I am grateful that my company paid for my Masters Degree

I am grateful that I manage my department

I am grateful that I my ideas are wanted and supported

I am grateful that I have a personal assistant

I am grateful that I am the CEO!

Ok – I think you get the idea. These are just examples and you may have more or less on your list. My point is that if you can get more specific about what you want, then you will begin to think about ways to make it happen for you in your career.

For more instructions on creating your list visit Erica’s website.

Posted by Robin Ogden – FiredUP Careers

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Video resumes are becoming more and more popular among active, as well as passive, job seekers. I believe that people who take the time to create a video resume truly do want to project the best of themselves to their viewers. But, this can be difficult if you’re creating a ‘do-it-yourself’ video, since we probably are not our own best critics when it comes to the video content.

So, what can you do to ensure that your video resume stands out as both professional and dynamic? I think the best way to provide you with some of that information is to critique one for you – you watch…I’ll critique.

Located on Career TV is the ‘example’ video resume of David Tall (click over and view - it’s not long - and then note below some of the ways I believe David’s video would better serve his purpose by making a few changes).

Background: The background in the video is distracting. It even looks as if there is an empty bottle on the fence railing behind him (beer, soda…?). He is obviously outside in a backyard that is not well manicured. He would have been better off in doors in an office setting.

Appearance: I think David would be better served for the profession he wants to maintain if he would button up his shirt and even wear a tie. He’s wearing a button shirt and sport coat and could make this look more professional. He looks as if he is off work and is just too casual to come across as a serious property manager.

Eye contact: David does not look into the camera – a very important component of your video resume is to look directly into the camera. Eyes should not be looking sideways, down or over the camera.

Attributes: I’m not hearing why David believes he is outstanding at what he does? What really makes him stand out from the pack in his profession? I did here something about selling during a down period, but not enough emphasis was placed here – that would be a ‘big’ plus in his field and he should expand on it more. Let’s hear more about innovative solutions David has provided in his profession and what results he has accomplished. This would help sell his knowledge and skill set.

Verbal Presentation: A plus is that David comes across natural. With a better developed script about his strengths and accomplishments and what he will bring to an employer (vs. just a resume reading which the employer can get from his paper resume) David could have a much better impact with his video.

Standing out from the pack and making a positive impression with the viewer can be a difficult proposition to manage in a one-minute window, especially with a ‘do-it-yourself’ video.

So, I hope this critique will provide you with some helpful tips if you plan to create your own video resume.

Posted by Robin Ogden - FiredUP Careers

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My years of recruiting in the high tech industry have given me many opinions on resumes and cover letters. Bottom line regarding a cover letter – always send a cover letter with your resume. Why put in the extra effort you may ask?

First off, that’s one answer right there – extra effort. Spending time to develop a targeted cover letter tells the employer you are interested in “them” specifically, which stands out far above those who spew their resume out to every employer on the planet, never mind putting zero attention into targeting the position they are seeking. I can’t tell you how many hours of yawning I’ve spent looking at resumes that seem to be tossed at a job like a dart to a dartboard.

Secondly, a well-crafted cover letter will allow you to quickly address the employer’s “pain” and tell them why you are their solution. In a quick paragraph you can tell them how you meet their “must have” experience requirements.

I strongly suggest you skip the boring intro. paragraph and start out with why you are the best candidate. Recruiters don’t need to know that you are aware the hiring market is tough, or that we are in an age of advanced technology… I’m sure you get my point here. Tell them how you will solve a need they have.

Third, and don’t forget this one, most of the time your resume goes first to the Human Resources recruiter who then makes a decision on which resumes go to the hiring manager. The hiring manager usually does not have the time to sift through several hundred resumes, so they count on the HR department to do the first scan. You may believe that your cover letter will not get any attention, but I can tell you that even if it gets a brief scan to begin with, once you are in the ‘possibility pool’ and closer to becoming a candidate your letter will standout.

I could go on and on about why you should send a cover letter, but if the few reasons I’ve given here aren’t clicking with you (aka: ah ha)then you probably won’t take the time to send one anyway. And that is just it…time, it does take time to design and write each cover letter, but it is time well spent when it comes to showing an employer you are truly interested in them – and the employer is always looking at “what’s in it for them”.

And this brings me to my last point, which is: Be sure your cover letter is designed for each employer you send your resume to. The only thing worse than not sending a cover letter is sending a “one size fits all” to every employer. You’ll get no cover letter credit for that stunt. Not only will it waste the reviewer’s time with useless babble, it sends the message that you don’t go the extra mile, an important attribute every employer is looking for.

Posted by Robin Ogden - FiredUP Careers

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I am a huge advocate of targeting resumes for specific positions. Generic resumes are gone with the wind. Targeting is the only way to grab a recruiter/employer and keep them reading – “what’s in it for them” if they decide to bring you in for an interview. The only problem is with so many options for online resume posting, most of the time you have no idea how to really target, let alone knowing where your resume flies off too.

So, when I tripped across this site – Resume Spider, I was pleasantly surprised at their focus on ‘targeting’, so that your resume goes where you want and is seen by people who are looking for someone in your profession, with your specific experience. Obviously a huge plus!

They indicate that they distribute your resume into the hands of ‘decision makers’ and work with many large corporate recruiting systems (i.e., Cisco, eBay, Dell, MasterCard, Verizon, Allstate, Microsoft – just to name a few).

So what? (You may ask…)

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times – the #1 absolute, best way to get visibility with your resume is to ‘target’ your profession, the company’s position/needs and industry. Resumes that are not designed around the targeting philosophy will more than likely end up in the circular file (or internet heaven - RIP).

If you’re just looking for a pat on the back, and ‘job well done’ for sending out a pack of resumes each week – then a generic model will suffice. But, if you mean business with your job search you’ll target your resume (as well as your cover letter).

Posted by Robin Ogden - FiredUP Careers

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Think you may want to be an Alpaca Farmer? How about an Auctioneer? Perhaps a Chocolatier? (mmmm….) You’ve got to check out this cool site!

How many of you would love to be able to try out a new profession without jumping off the deep end to do it (ie; quiting your current career, packing your bags and drawing out all your savings!)? What if you’ve just graduated from college and aren’t sure what in the world you want to devote the better part of your life too, not to mention that your parents are driving your c-r-a-z-y just to try something – anything. (Hey – Mom & Dad, there’s even a ‘gift’ option on this site…hint, hint.)

Vocation Vacations is a great idea – what fun to be able to “test drive” a vocation with no strings attached. There are loads of testimonials for you to review.

Check it out, maybe you really are just one step way from your dream career.

Hmmm – wonder how I would do as a Voice-Over Actress…

Posted by Robin Ogden - FiredUP Careers

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