November 30, 2011
Your interviewer knows what she’s doing. No one reads cover letters. Don’t bother job searching around the holidays.
Wrong!
There are a bunch of myths out there about job searching, and over at U.S. News & World Report, I’ve written about 10 of them. You can read it here.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I have the impression that connections can help make sure a letter/resume is looked if a lot of applications are received, but not so much about actually getting a job.
I like your point about how not all interviewers know what they are doing. These last few weeks I’ve been conducting the first interviews of my life (alumni interviews for my alma mater) and I am painfully aware of the steep learning curve involved in becoming a good interviewer. I have tried to adopt your interview tips for this application, too, even though it’s a little different from a regular job interview.
I like your “mythbusters” posts. The “no one reads cover letters” point definitely resonated with me. A good cover letter has helped me get jobs in the past and, when hiring, I ALWAYS read the letter. It gives insight into a candidate’s personality in ways the resume doesn’t.
#7 : as a corollary, in case you ask for a higher than their ‘limit’ but if you seem like a good fit, would the company try to negotiate? or would they walk away? Or wait untill the company gives a number?
It depends on how far apart you are. If you’re really far apart, that’s probably the end of that. But if you’re within a reasonable amount, they’ll usually negotiate.
Anonymous–The only honest answers to questions like yours are Yes, No & Maybe. Employers/recruiters/hiring managers are just people. As diverse a group of interesting, nice, weird, creative, creepy etc. people that you encounter in the rest of your life, well those people are employers/recruiters/hiring managers. If you have read this blog for any length of time, you have seen plenty of examples of bizarre behavior in the questions.
Job seekers need to get over the notion that there are very many hard and fast answers in this process. There is a lot of play it by ear. A simple example: ‘How long do I have to accept or reject a job offer?’ You can find a general rule of thumb, but the question remains, does that general rule apply in your specific situation. You’re the one who has been involved in the process up to that point. You should have an idea of the employer’s urgency to fill the position by that point, and you should act accordingly. As I said in the response below, Pay Attention.
Re:
2. A cover letter is especially important when it may not be obvious from the resume that the candidate is quakified. You want to avoid the ‘Why is he applying for this job?’ reaction. You have to make the connection for them.
3. I once received a call 11 months after submitting a resume at a job fair.
5. Amen.
6. Just make sure that the one thing that will trip the trigger of the reviewer isn’t buried at the bottom of page 2; they may never get there.
7. When I was District Manager for 5 stores in a small retail chain, no one gave me any training or guidance in screening or interviewing. It was all seat of the pants. Generally, I was more nervous than the candidates.
9. Pay attention, follow directions don’t be a stalker. In the interview it is imperative that you determine and agree on appropriate follow up. When they say ‘We hope to have a decision by next Wednesday’, you say ‘If I haven’t heard from you by Friday, is it OK if I call, or would you prefer an e-mail?’
I think it never occurs to candidates that the interviewer might be nervous, but plenty of them are!
Not that this is a competition but your list is way better than Forbes’s list. I disagreed with 4/10 of their list. I mean, seriously, one of their items focused on physical characteristics being more important than skills which some hiring managers may choose to hire based on, but the recommendation was to consider plastic surgery or some such. ??
Wow. I’ve seen Penelope Trunk recommend that too. Horrifying.