Wiser Worker Blog

Ok, because of your awesome resume and cover letter, you have gone on an interview. I suppose your think that is the end of it, right?  Wrong!  Now you have to write a thank you letter.

Send the thank you letter within 24 hours of the interview, whenever possible.  They should be typed unless you have been corresponding via email the whole time.  Getting a business card will help you remember who you interviewed with and their title.

Be concise.  Use the same paper that your cover letter and resume were printed on. 

Address any unresolved issues that came up during the interview.  If questions came up during the interview or if more information was requested, the thank you letter is the perfect place to include that information.

Include something specific about your interview.  This will help the interviewer remember you and help you stand out from the pack.

Emphasize your strengths one more time.  Let the interviewer know that after meeting with them, you are more confident that your skills are a match for their organization.

Most importantly, thank them for their time.  Everyone’s time is valuable.  A simple acknowledgement will let them know you respect that.

Last, but definitely not least, proofread your document before sending it out.  Do not give the hiring manager an easy reason to eliminate you from consideration.

Now that you know how to write your resume, (Thanks Amy!), it is time to focus on the cover letter.  It is just as important as your resume.  Think of your cover letter as a bridge between your resume and the job you are applying for.

Do your research

Before writing your cover letter, research the company you are applying to.  Find out who the hiring manager is by calling the company.  Also, find out some information to use in your letter. For example, is company XYZ a leader in their particular industry?

Read the job description very carefully.  By doing so, you will be able to figure out the important skill / qualifications of the position.

Write the cover letter

Now that the research is done, it is time to start writing the cover letter.  Your first sentence should stand out and grab the reader’s attention.  The rest of the paragraph is the “why you are applying” paragraph.

The next 1 -2 paragraph(s) are the “what can you do for the company” paragraphs.  Highlight a couple of your skills that strongly match the qualifications in the job description.  Remember to keep the focus on how you can help the company.

The last paragraph is the “summary” paragraph.  Thank the hiring manager for their time.  Let them know you are available for interviews and that your resume is enclosed.  Indicate know you will follow up with them.

Finally, here are a few more tips for writing a good cover letter.

·         Proofread, Proofread, Proofread. Spell check your document and have a friend read it.  There cannot be any mistakes or typos.

·         Be concise. Don’t use two words when one will work. Make every word in your letter work for you.

·         Be upbeat and positive in your letter. Sound excited about the prospect of working for this company, all the way though the letter.

·         Do NOT write a generic cover letter.  It shows a lack of interest on your part.

Do you have other suggestions for writing a resume or cover letter?  If so, we would love to hear about it.

So how long have you had to wait to hear from various and sundry employers regarding jobs that you have applied for?  Two days?  Two weeks? Two months?!

You are not alone.

It definitely is a Hurry-Up-And-Wait game in the job search world.

What the game board looks like:

The employer advertises that there is a job opening in their business. You put your game piece into place and start your moves around the board.  You get the application, fill it in, write a cover letter, and take them back to the business or send them in, submit a resume if requested, contact your references to let them know they may be called by this employer….and wait.  And wait.  And WAIT!

By this time your game piece has already moved six or seven times on the board.  If you are a lucky player, you were able to jump two or three spaces ahead for various reasons.  You may have landed on the

“If you had a resume already prepared, move ahead three spaces.”

Or you may get to move ahead two places and jump five other applicants if

“You personally know the employer or one of your references knows the employer”.

Other extra moves may come if you land on the space that that says,

“Timing is everything. You turned in your application early so move ahead three spaces.”

Your goal is to get around the board as quickly as possible, and not have to go back any spaces because you forgot to sign the application, or you didn’t fill in every box on the application, you wore sweat pants and a T-shirt, or shorts and flip-flops when you took your application back.  There are so many things that one can do to have to move backwards on the Hurry Up and Wait game board.  But the clever, motivated and patient job search players have the advantage, they are always moving forward – not back.

Two moves that can help reduce the anxiety:

1. Ask the employer at the beginning of the process when they expect to make a decision of who gets interviewed
2. Call after a week if you have not heard anything and ask if there has been a decision made on when the employer will be interviewing applicants.

Of course the player/applicant would not ask if they specifically have been chosen to be interviewed - just when.

Patience is very important

Employers are very busy and things do come up that interfere with the interview process.  For every job that is advertised, unless it is a highly technical job, there are 30-60 applicants.  It takes time to review each application, to read each resume, to check references (some employers check references BEFORE they decide to interview which is why you never want to say “references upon request”), to find a time to interview 5-10 people and double check with their current employees to see if they want to move up or across and take the job.  Just remember that for the employer it is also a Hurry Up And Wait process. They are not being rude. It is not personal.  Just do your part and play your game well. Make the smart moves.  And then of course…wait.

This guest post was written by Ginger Campbell. She has worked for the AARP Foundation for 32 years and was a Project Director for the Senior Employment program that helped over 5,500 mature job seekers in Humboldt and Sonoma Counties in. Northern CA. She is now the National Program Coordinator/WorkSearch SCSEP.