Having interviewed many job applicants for more than a decade, I have seen my share of the best and the worst.
The best ones are gems that come by once in awhile and HR practitioners like me rejoice when we sense a perfect fit. The worst ones (people with questionable characters) are more difficult to detect because it takes time and a lot of background checking to know the true nature of a person.
Interestingly, majority of job applicants fall in between the best and the worst. These people are essentially good, but they have not yet developed into their full potential nor have they mastered the art of job hunting. Like rough diamonds, all they need is some polishing to shine in the job hunting game.
If you want to increase your employability, here are seven practical tips that you can do to become more marketable and to find a job that is right for you.
1) Upgrade Your Skills
Whether you are a new graduate or a transitioning worker, you need to stay on top of your game by continuously learning and upgrading your skills. To do this, you can make it a point to learn something new every year by reading books, attending seminars or studying online. Develop your communication and people skills, as well as technical or computer know-how. Nowadays, information is very accessible, so there shouldn’t be any excuse for not learning.
2) Get Experience
If you are a new graduate, do not let lack of experience stop you from getting a good job. There are many ways to get experience such as volunteer work, internship or being active in community group activities. If you have work samples or project portfolios, show them. These can get you in the door and could even lead you to a good job.
3) Develop a Pleasant Attitude
Most recruitment officers look for skills and experience when they read through resumes. But when you come face to face with them during an interview, it is your personality that they will respond to. If you are pleasant, positive and generally likeable, you are more likely to impress them. HR practitioners look for people that are easy to work with and manage.
4) Enhance Your Image
From your resume photo to your actual interview, take the time to groom yourself and dress properly. Not only will you impress your recruitment officer but you will also earn his or her respect. Like a precious gem, you need to cut and polish it to be able to present it as a valuable commodity and command a good price. When you look presentable, you will become more marketable.
5) Improve Your Online Presence
Social Networking Sites are becoming very popular and quite a few HR practitioners are beginning to use these resources as a way to do background checks on potential candidates. They may look into your facebook, friendster or multiply accounts, so be sure to keep a decent profile of yourself. Avoid bikini shots and inappropriate words that may destroy your reputation. Meanwhile, if you have a blog, an online resume or website that you are proud of, you can include them as part of your portfolio.
6) Build Your Network of Contacts
In business, the more connections you have, the better your chances of success. The same is true when you are looking for employment, especially in the field of sales and marketing. When you are well-connected and willing to tap your network to succeed in your job, your value as a job candidate instantly increases. So be sure to mention people or groups that you are connected with either socially or professionally, it will definitely increase your employability.
7) Do Your Homework
Employers and HR practitioners love it when you show sincere interest in their company. So before an interview, research about the company and visit their website. Let the interviewer know that you have done so by asking questions or referring to their website. You can even go as far as sharing ideas or projects that you can contribute to help the company succeed. Taking the time to show that you are really interested in working for their company will make them more interested in you.
Many people get frustrated and discouraged in job hunting because they think lack of education or work experience is hindering their chances of getting a job. Although these are important, there are several ways to get educated and gain experience. More importantly, there are other factors that can make you very marketable. So believe that you can be a gem of an employee and start increasing your employability today!
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. They conduct seminars on Corporate Skills Development, HR Management, Job Evaluation, Labor Law and Trainers Training. Together with her team, she has recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com
Showing posts with label Job Search. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Job Search. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Email Bloopers to Avoid When Job Hunting
Have you ever experienced a heart-stopping episode where after typing a critical email message, you click on “send” and suddenly get stricken with the realization that you just sent it to the wrong person?
With billions of emails sent daily all over the world, email bloopers are bound to happen. I’ve had my share of mishaps and have spent sleepless nights over some of them. It happens to most of us and all you can really do after the head-banging is to forgive yourself, learn from the mistake and get better at it.
As an HR practitioner, I receive hundreds of emails from job applicants every month. Although I appreciate the interest in my company, I am dismayed with the fact that majority of job applicants commit email blunders that become huge barriers in their job hunting endeavors.
See, the first step in the Job Application Process is sending out your resume. As we all know, email is the easiest way to do this. But if you do not do this properly, you may never get to the next point.
So let me share with you a few email do’s and don’ts that I hope will help you increase your chances of getting that much-awaited call-in for an interview.
Focus Your Search
Some applicants email blast their resume to hundreds of companies all at once. You might think that this will save you time but it actually is a waste of time. As an HR practitioner, I immediately delete an emailed resume that has several other companies’ email addresses in the “To” or “Cc” fields because I know that the applicant is not really interested in my company and does not know proper email etiquette---a critical skill that we look for in our employees. So instead of a machine gun approach to job hunting, it is better to focus your time and effort in applying to select companies that you are really interested in or are suitable for. Be sure that only one email address appears in the recipient box.
Write an Email Message
Out of every hundred applicant emails that I receive, only five have a message or application letter. Most applicants simply attach their resume without even a message or any indication of what position they are applying for. This is very confusing for HR practitioners who have several job vacancies to fill. If you want to stand out from the rest of the applicants, take the time to write a simple and grammatically-correct application letter. If you feel you are not good in writing, find someone who can help you.
Polish Your Resume
A resume is a document that shows your education, skills and experience. It is “YOU” on paper, so prepare it well. For me, the number 1 crime in resume-writing is grammatical errors. Since this is a critical document that can make or break the starting point of your career, I believe that you should invest the time and effort to write your resume well. If you are not good with grammar, find someone who can help you write or check your resume. The second crime is terrible photos. Some applicants attach mug shot photos of themselves wearing sloppy-looking T-shirts. When job hunting, you want to impress recruitment officers not scare them away. So invest in a good quality photo of yourself.
Send the Correct File Format
Attaching a file copy of your resume is acceptable for most HR practitioners. However, it becomes problematic when the applicant uses a software program that is unfamiliar, inaccessible or incompatible to the company’s computer system. For example, if you have Windows Vista and use a higher version of Microsoft word, the file format that you will most likely send out is .docx or .xlsx. Majority of office computers have not upgraded to Vista, so save your document using a lower but more widely used version such as files with a .doc format. If your resume can’t be opened, it won’t be read by the recruitment officer.
Add a Special Touch
The best and most memorable online application that I have ever received in my lifetime was from a third year IT student named Jana. She sent me a well-written email informing me that her school has a practicum program and she would like to apply as an OJT for a period of 3 months in my company. Since she was from the province, she emailed me her resume and a letter of authorization from her school and arranged for a scheduled interview. On top of that, she sent me a link to her simple but decent online resume website and that impressed the heck out of me. Now you might say, “Oh but she has an IT background that’s why she was able to do that”. I beg to differ. You don’t need to be an IT expert to create your own website as there are a lot of free sites that can help you with that. What made her great as a job seeker is not her skill in IT, rather, it is the time and effort that she spent in representing herself well. I hired her on the spot and she didn’t disappoint.
Email Etiquette
A lot of job seekers think that the main reason why they have difficulty in finding work is because they do not have connections, they lack experience or they are not a four-year degree college graduate. Valid though these reasons may be, I think the problem is more basic than that. Many job seekers have a difficult time finding a job simply because they bungle up the first step in the process. This can easily be remedied with the basic email etiquette know-how that I shared above. Be polite, be presentable and be accessible. It only takes a little extra effort to increase your chances of getting your dream job, so invest in it and don’t let these excuses hold you back. Good luck with your job hunt!
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. They conduct seminars on HR Management, Job Evaluation, Labor Law and Trainers Training. Together with her team, she has recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about the HR seminars they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com
With billions of emails sent daily all over the world, email bloopers are bound to happen. I’ve had my share of mishaps and have spent sleepless nights over some of them. It happens to most of us and all you can really do after the head-banging is to forgive yourself, learn from the mistake and get better at it.
As an HR practitioner, I receive hundreds of emails from job applicants every month. Although I appreciate the interest in my company, I am dismayed with the fact that majority of job applicants commit email blunders that become huge barriers in their job hunting endeavors.
See, the first step in the Job Application Process is sending out your resume. As we all know, email is the easiest way to do this. But if you do not do this properly, you may never get to the next point.
So let me share with you a few email do’s and don’ts that I hope will help you increase your chances of getting that much-awaited call-in for an interview.
Focus Your Search
Some applicants email blast their resume to hundreds of companies all at once. You might think that this will save you time but it actually is a waste of time. As an HR practitioner, I immediately delete an emailed resume that has several other companies’ email addresses in the “To” or “Cc” fields because I know that the applicant is not really interested in my company and does not know proper email etiquette---a critical skill that we look for in our employees. So instead of a machine gun approach to job hunting, it is better to focus your time and effort in applying to select companies that you are really interested in or are suitable for. Be sure that only one email address appears in the recipient box.
Write an Email Message
Out of every hundred applicant emails that I receive, only five have a message or application letter. Most applicants simply attach their resume without even a message or any indication of what position they are applying for. This is very confusing for HR practitioners who have several job vacancies to fill. If you want to stand out from the rest of the applicants, take the time to write a simple and grammatically-correct application letter. If you feel you are not good in writing, find someone who can help you.
Polish Your Resume
A resume is a document that shows your education, skills and experience. It is “YOU” on paper, so prepare it well. For me, the number 1 crime in resume-writing is grammatical errors. Since this is a critical document that can make or break the starting point of your career, I believe that you should invest the time and effort to write your resume well. If you are not good with grammar, find someone who can help you write or check your resume. The second crime is terrible photos. Some applicants attach mug shot photos of themselves wearing sloppy-looking T-shirts. When job hunting, you want to impress recruitment officers not scare them away. So invest in a good quality photo of yourself.
Send the Correct File Format
Attaching a file copy of your resume is acceptable for most HR practitioners. However, it becomes problematic when the applicant uses a software program that is unfamiliar, inaccessible or incompatible to the company’s computer system. For example, if you have Windows Vista and use a higher version of Microsoft word, the file format that you will most likely send out is .docx or .xlsx. Majority of office computers have not upgraded to Vista, so save your document using a lower but more widely used version such as files with a .doc format. If your resume can’t be opened, it won’t be read by the recruitment officer.
Add a Special Touch
The best and most memorable online application that I have ever received in my lifetime was from a third year IT student named Jana. She sent me a well-written email informing me that her school has a practicum program and she would like to apply as an OJT for a period of 3 months in my company. Since she was from the province, she emailed me her resume and a letter of authorization from her school and arranged for a scheduled interview. On top of that, she sent me a link to her simple but decent online resume website and that impressed the heck out of me. Now you might say, “Oh but she has an IT background that’s why she was able to do that”. I beg to differ. You don’t need to be an IT expert to create your own website as there are a lot of free sites that can help you with that. What made her great as a job seeker is not her skill in IT, rather, it is the time and effort that she spent in representing herself well. I hired her on the spot and she didn’t disappoint.
Email Etiquette
A lot of job seekers think that the main reason why they have difficulty in finding work is because they do not have connections, they lack experience or they are not a four-year degree college graduate. Valid though these reasons may be, I think the problem is more basic than that. Many job seekers have a difficult time finding a job simply because they bungle up the first step in the process. This can easily be remedied with the basic email etiquette know-how that I shared above. Be polite, be presentable and be accessible. It only takes a little extra effort to increase your chances of getting your dream job, so invest in it and don’t let these excuses hold you back. Good luck with your job hunt!
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. They conduct seminars on HR Management, Job Evaluation, Labor Law and Trainers Training. Together with her team, she has recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about the HR seminars they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
