February 25th– The #LetteroftheDay is “M” as in Mailing Address
To have or not to have your mailing address on your résumé, that is the question.
It depends on who you ask, the job you are applying to, the employer, and your approach to the job search.
The primary concern about providing your address on your résumé is privacy, discrimination, commute time, and relocation.
At the same time, often ATS systems will require a complete address for consideration along with many countries in Europe that use CV’s, and all federal jobs.
A few questions to ask yourself:
Are you primarily sending your résumé through ATS systems? If so, I would suggest having your address
Do you have privacy concerns? Consider obtaining a P.O. Box in your area and using that instead
Are you applying through third-party job boards? Consider leaving off your exact address and go with only a city and state
February 26th– The #LetteroftheDay is “N” as in Negativity
To be clear, you don’t have to be a negative person in general to come off the wrong way during an interview. Certain questions such as, “Why do you want to leave your current company?” or “What is your weakness?” can lead to rants that don’t present us in the best possible light.
The interview is only one example of how negativity can affect your employability though, your social media posts can say much more about your views of your current employer, your supervisor, or life in general.
Before beginning your job search, review your posts, photos, and comments from your social media sites and remove anything that could present you or your employer in a negative light. It could make a difference.
February 27th– The #LetteroftheDay is “O” as is Objective
Objective on your résumé were once the norm, those days are long gone. Instead of an objective statement, showcase your value with a branded summary statement instead. Give the reader a reason to want to read more
Objective – To obtain a position in customer service.
Branded Summary – Customer Service Representative who has maintained a 95% customer satisfaction rating over the last 3 years
Objective – Experience Account Manager seeking a new opportunity
Branded Summary – Award-winning B2B Account Manager averaging 12% annual growth over the last 5 years
See the difference?
February 28th– The #LetteroftheDay is “P” as in Panel Interview
You’ve prepared for the big day, you’ve done your research on the company, learned about their current market share, you know where the hiring manager obtained their MBA from, you show up for the interview and bam…you sit down at a table staring at not 1, but 4 other people. Gulp! Now what?
A panel interview can be very intimidating as you may feel you are facing a firing squad. However, look at it as an opportunity. Instead of having to go through 4 separate interviews, where you have 4 times as many chances to make a mistake, you only have interview once and all stakeholders are receiving the same information.
The strategies to a successful panel interview don’t differ much from a 1-on-1 interview. Keep in mind to stay actively engaged with all interviewers and not just the leader.
March 1st– The #LetteroftheDay is “Q” as in Qualifications
How important is meeting 10 out of 10 qualifications on a job posting? Not as important as you may think.
According to TalentWorks and their ground-breaking Science of the Job Search series, they analyzed over 6,000 applicants from across 118 industries, data shows you are just as likely to get an interview if you match 50% of the qualifications in the job posting as if you meet 100% of the qualifications. If you are a female, those numbers are even lower, that matching 40% is as good as matching 90%!
Bottomline: Cast a broader net to improve your chances of getting an interview
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