Thank You Letters to Build Your Job Search Brand

by K B , updated on November 3, 2020

The competition for good jobs is tough.

And with many excellent applicants competing for a limited number of good jobs it’s important to do everything you can to stand out from your competition.

An easy way to build your brand

An easy way to build your brand in the eyes of your interviewers is to follow up with a simple thank you letter.

Apart from demonstrating your knowledge of workplace etiquette you can use your thank you letter to reinforce your position as the outstanding candidate in less obvious ways. You can use a thank you letter to:

  • Focus the thoughts of the interviewer or panel on you, while they’re deciding on the successful applicant,
  • Highlight the areas in which you can value add to the job and
  • Mention anything you forgot to say at interview.

Your focus in drafting your interview thank you letter should be on reinforcing your message about why you are the best applicant and what you can bring to the organisation.

Interview thank you letters should be succinct and strategically written; three paragraphs are adequate.

Paragraph 1

The first paragraph should be used to thank the interviewer or the panel for their time and for the opportunity to attend the interview.

Paragraph 2

In the next paragraph, you should reiterate the areas in which you could value add to the position, and you could also include any relevant information you forgot to mention at interview.

Paragraph 3

The last paragraph should thank the interviewer or panel once again and indicate that you are looking forward to hearing from them in due course.

What about a panel interview?

While some consultants suggest that you should send a thank you letter to each member of an interview panel, I disagree.

I believe it’s more professional to write directly to the Chair or Head of the panel because that shows that you understand corporate protocol. Also the impact of a thank you letter is lessened if everyone on the panel receives an identical letter.

Should you send an interview thank you letter after second and subsequent interviews?

Yes, the content of your first thank you letter could have been one of the elements that helped to swing opinion in your favour.

Subsequent thank you letters should be tailored to the interviews to which they relate, because each preceding letter is likely to be included in your interview file and will be read by future interviewers and panellists.

It is best to send a thank you letter as soon as you are able after an interview, so that it’s received preferably within 24 hours and definitely within three days of the interview, as the decision making process could be well underway by then.

As a job seeker in today’s tight employment market, can you afford not to use every means at your disposal to differentiate yourself from your competition?

Try sending a thank you letter after your next interview it could make all the difference.

And good job hunting!

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Recruiting with Social Media “Taking Control and Turning it to profit” don’t miss this week’s RCSA breakfasts.

by K B , updated on November 3, 2020

We all know that social media is a necessary tool for recruiters, but how do you take control for maximum return?

This is the theme of this week’s upcoming RSCA breakfast, in Melbourne on the 25/7 and Sydney 26/7 where I am delighted to be joining Hiten Parmar, the National General Manager – Permanent Recruitment, Icon Recruitment, and Jessica Fisher – Partner, FCB Group

We’ll also be covering some horror stories to ensure that people are well equipped to avoid social media nightmares.

Facilitated by Victoria Bethlehem FRCSA, we will discuss:

– How to build candidate pools effectively
– The best approaches for building profiles
– A company profile vs a personal profile
– Who owns the contact database?
– Attracting candidates and clients – how to do it well and what to avoid
– Mistakes in personal branding and tips for success

To find out more about how to book, click here.

I look forward to meeting you all.

 

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Podcast – You’ve heard of Trip Advisor now welcome Job Advisor

by K B , updated on November 3, 2020

Find out what really happens with your employer of choice!

One of the greatest of pleasures I have with managing this blog is that I get to speak with a lot of fascinating people who are doing innovative things to help people looking for a job. Today I’d like to welcome Justin Babet to the Interview IQ microphone.

Justin is the Co-Founder of www.jobadvisor.com.au. If you’re looking for a job, this is a site where you can read online reviews about your potential new employer. If you want to help people find a job you can write a review about your past and current employer.

Without getting too high on my soap box, you should be using sites like these. Justin estimates that 25% of people who begin a role, will not be there in 12 months time, so finding the right job is partly about getting some honest insights into what the company is all about.

Justin and I spoke on a whole host of things around Job Advisor, here are a few highlights:

– How to use the site? Should you just trust glowing or negative reviews on the site?

– What you need to look for in a good employer? (It’s different from what you think)

– Are you asking too much from an employer when you are looking for a job?

– How to ask the questions you need to ask, to find out what really happens with an employer?

– How companies are using this feedback, for better and for worse.

Justin also talks through some exciting plans he has for Job Advisor.

Click this link to listen and download the podcast to find out more about Job Advisor.

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What do Companies Want in an Employee? Technical Skills or Personal Attributes.

by Richard , updated on November 3, 2020

Ford, Qantas, St George, Telstra, Toyota, Commonwealth Bank, Accor, McDonalds, Coles, Dairy Farmers, Bunnings, Skilled Engineering, Woolworths, National Australia Bank, Prouds, Tandy Electronics.

This list reads like a who’s who of Australian Business.

Collectively they employ a significant proportion of the people that work in what is now the 13th largest economy in the world.

But what do these enterprises collectively believe are the most important attributes of a 21st century worker? Well the list may surprise some of you because it revolves around personal attributes and key skills not technical skills or qualifications:

Personal Attributes

  • Loyalty
  • Commitment
  • Honesty and Integrity
  • Enthusiasm
  • Reliability
  • Personal Presentation
  • Common sense
  • Positive Self Esteem
  • Sense of Humour
  • Balanced Work and Home Life
  • Ability to Deal with Pressure
  • Motivation
  • Adaptability

Skills

  • Communication
  • Team Work
  • Problem-solving
  • Initiative and Enterprise
  • Planning and Organising
  • Self Management
  • Learning
  • Technology skills

Why do Australian enterprises value these skills and attributes above all others? It’s a reflection of the following factors:

  • Ongoing economic globalisation causing constant and rapidly increasing change.
  • The importance of knowledge work and knowledge workers to Australia’s economic success.
  • The need for the Australian community to understand the broad issues underpinning globalisation and the knowledge economy and the need to create a community equipped to understand and participate in ongoing change.
  • That education and training providers will have a key role in equipping the community for this challenge.
  • Enterprises are increasingly seeking a more highly skilled workforce where these generic and transferable
    skills are broadly distributed throughout the organisation.
  • That all young people need a set of personal attributes and skills that will prepare them for both employment and
    further learning.
  • That ongoing employability of individuals depends on them having a set of relevant skills as well as a capacity to learn how to learn.

So now that we know what a worker needs to be more employable, how does an individual go about ‘filling gaps’ in their own personal portfolio?

I’d suggest a great first step is to perform a self-audit. The services of a Career Development Practitioner may be really helpful here. If you’re contemplating professional help you may want to visit the industry body website for The Career Industry Council of Australia

Clearly there’s also a need for education and training bodies to better imbed these personal attributes and skills into course curriculums within the school and higher education systems. Watch their spaces for movement on this.

Should you be interested in further information about Employability Skills I’ve listed some resources here with a brief overview of why I think they may help:

Employability Skills from Framework to Practice

Although this is a resource for trainers there are some very useful and practical activities in here if you want to self-audit your existing skill levels.

Employability Skills for the Future

This government website includes the full Employability Skills report and some interesting case studies.

Employability Skills Brochure

This brochure gives a great overview of the key points including a table formatted summary of the personal attributes and skills.

 

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The 7 Steps to Interview Success!

by Richard , updated on November 3, 2020

Our guest author from last week – Susan Wareham McGrath has written another fantastic blog that naturally leads on from our recent blogs about Career Planning and Sudden Job Loss.

I thought it was sheer lunacy not to post it immediately!

There’s some brilliant advice here on how to achieve Interview Success, so take it away again Susan…..

Taking part in a face-to-face or telephone interview is an exciting but daunting thought for most job seekers.

Attending an interview can be even more stressful for people who are newly arrived in a country, especially if your first language is not your new nation’s first language.

So I’ve compiled a list of seven tried and tested tips to give you the best chance of impressing your interviewer or the interview panel.

1. Be Prepared

  • Aim to arrive at the interview 10 minutes early.
  • Check the location of the interview in advance, if you don’t know the area, make a trial run beforehand to ensure you arrive on time especially if you need to use public transport to get there.
  • Factor in extra time for unexpected traffic or public transport delays. It’s better to get there early than late. Arriving late when it was avoidable creates a negative first impression which you want to avoid at all costs. If you do arrive too early go and get a cup of coffee and use those spare moments to take a deep breath and relax.

2. Research the Organisation

  • As a well-briefed applicant, you’ll show the panel that you’re taking the job seriously and are keen to be part of the organisation.
  • There’s no use researching though unless the interviewer knows you’ve made the effort to do so. So introduce your research into your answers to the interview questions wherever possible.

3. Address the Panel Members by name

  • Take a notepad and write down the name of each interviewer after the introductions (if your nerves mean you’re likely to forget them).
  • Refer to your notes and use their names throughout the interview.
  • If an interviewer introduces themselves with their first and last name, for example “Hi, I’m John Smith”, it’s courteous to call them ‘Mr Smith’ during the interview. If they would like you to call them ‘John’, they will invite you to do so.
  • If however they’re referring to you consistently by your first name, ask if they’d like you to call them by their first names. This is especially the case in Australia where people tend to be less formal (and are often on first name terms) almost immediately upon meeting. Be careful though and let yourself be guided by the interviewers’ own
    behaviour.

4. Ensure your Clothing Style Reflects what is Appropriate for the Job and the Organisation

  • If you’re not sure what to wear to your interview (and you’re not comfortable calling the organisation to check), it’s best to dress too formally than too casually.
  • If you’re being interviewed for a corporate or professional role; or in a conservative business environment, it’s best for men to wear a suit and for women to wear a jacket and skirt or dress trousers.
  • For other roles in Australia it’s appropriate to wear smart casual business attire to interviews.
  • Make sure that your grooming is immaculate even if you’re applying for a role that doesn’t require customer or client contact.
  • If you’re a smoker, don’t smoke within half an hour of the interview. If you walk into an interview with the smell of cigarettes on your breath or your clothing, it could leave a bad impression.  To be sure, it’s a good idea to take a couple of breath mints just before going into the interview.
  • Wear an outfit that you’re comfortable in so you’re not distracted by your clothing during the interview.

5. Answer the Questions Comprehensively

  • Take a moment to consider each question that’s put to you. Stay calm, organise your thoughts and give a focused answer. It’s perfectly acceptable (and often preferable) for there to be a pause before you answer a question. It gives the interviewers a positive impression that you’re a calm, thoughtful and well considered person.
  • Wherever possible in your responses relate your experience to the duties of the role you’re applying for.
  • Answer questions comprehensively but resist the impulse to keep talking after you’ve addressed each part of the question.

6. Watch your Body Language

  • When you’re introduced to the interviewer or panel, make sure your handshake is firm and confident. A weak handshake is as bad as one that it so strong it crushes the recipient’s hand. Neither will impress your interviewer.
  • Make eye contact with the interviewer throughout the interview (but not so much that it would make them feel uncomfortable).
  • If you’re participating in a panel interview, each interviewer will ask you one or more questions in turn. Respond primarily to the interviewer who asked the question, but include the others in your response by making eye contact
    with each of them as you respond.

7. Thank the Interviewers

  • At the conclusion of the interview, thank the interviewers for the opportunity and follow up by sending a brief thank you note within three working days of the interview.

I hope these seven simple steps lead to success for you at interview.

After you give them a try we’d love to hear if you think they made a difference.

Need to get ahead of the pack for your next interview?

Get our free e-book The 7 Deadly Sins to Avoid at Job Interview!

Deborah Barit wrote this book. She is one of Australia’s leading interview coaches.

To get your free e-book and some of our best interview tips direct to your inbox, simply click on this link.

Here’s what happy readers said about the e-book and interview tips:

“Deborah Barit is a very smart lady…She is good at figuring out what an employer is looking for. It’s like she has ESP ,with her help in preparing, I found no surprises in a recent interview and I was prepared for every question….” Cathy, Leichhardt, NSW

“Because I read so many of your posts, I feel as if you were my personal employment coach. I start my new position in two weeks. I had so many obstacles to overcome and each day you posted a solution to my dilemma and how to improve my search. Thank you so much for your input and PLEASE continue to do what you do!”

Click here to get access to the e-book.

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5 Career Resolutions to Banish Your Workplace Woes

by K B , updated on November 3, 2020

It’s great to be able to welcome one of InterviewIQ’s guest authors – Susan Wareham McGrath back with a very timely blog about refocussing our careers. There’s some really great advice.

Take it away Susan…..

The new financial year is a great time to take stock of your career. So if you’re suffering from workplace woes or just feel like you’re treading water, here are five resolutions to help make your career work for you this year!

1. Give your Career a Health Check

Just as you need to look after your own health, you need to look after your career’s health to make it work for you. The start of the year is a great time to review your progress towards your career goals and make plans for the rest of the year.

Consider setting aside some time to think about:

  • where you are now,
  • where you would like to be,
  • what you need to do to get there and

write a simple career management plan to help you keep on track over the next twelve months.

Remember to include SMART goals and milestones (ie Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-bound), and don’t be afraid to change the plan as your circumstances change. Just like strategic plans, career management plans should be living documents with built-in flexibility to be adaptable to changing circumstances.

2. Update your Resume

Have you ever missed out on a job opportunity because you didn’t have a current resume at the ready? Don’t let that happen again, spend some time this weekend getting your resume up to date!

Some tips for a competitive resume:

  • make it achievement focused, rather than a list of duties taken directly from
    your job description,
  • consider carefully whether including a career objective is adding value, even resume writing professionals disagree on this issue,
  • try and keep it to 3 or 4 pages (remember your resume’s purpose is to get you an interview not to get you the job – keep it short and simple – leave the detail for the interview) ,
  • use keywords liberally throughout your resume,
  • keep the format clean, simple and professional (no funny or suggestive email
    addresses please!) and
  • proofread and check it carefully (get someone else to check it as well).

Also remember that resumes need to be targeted to specific jobs so always review your resume from the employer’s perspective before submitting it. Ensure its content is specific to the job in question. Recent research indicates that employers take less than 20 seconds to decide whether a resume is worth consideration so it’s important that you showcase your suitability for the role from the start.

3. Review your Social Media Profiles

Be very careful how you present yourself on social media. It can be your best friend or your worst foe in terms of career branding as increasing numbers of employers’ check candidates’ social media profiles when considering their employment application.

How would your social media profiles shape up against employer scrutiny?

When you’re engaged in a job search it’s well worth looking through the eyes of a prospective employer at the image you present to the online world.

Does your Facebook page contain content that might work against you in a job search?  If so, you could consider making it private.

On this note you may want to look at InterviewIQ’s previous blog Facebook Twitter Candidate Checks…..should we….. just because we can?

Is your LinkedIn profile up to date and keyword rich so it comes up in searches for people in your industry? Have you used LinkedIn to connect strategically, join groups and to build up your profile as an expert in your field?

Do you have an online resume?

If not, it’s never too late to start, even spending a little time on developing a professional social media profile will provide you with a very positive return.

4. Access the Hidden Job Market

It’s been estimated that up to 85% of Australian jobs are not advertised publicly; constituting Australia’s ‘hidden job market’. And these jobs come with an added bonus. Industry estimates indicate that only 5% to 10% of candidates know of them, so there is much less competition for them, a real bonus for savvy jobseekers!

So how do you break into the hidden job market?

There are a number of strategies you can use.

One of the most effective strategies is networking, making connections with people who can advise you of potential or current job opportunities, or who can introduce you to people who are aware of those opportunities. Personal and online networking are both very effective ways of gaining leads and introductions. In the online space, LinkedIn in particular is a great networking resource for people who are looking for a new job especially when you approach your LinkedIn job search campaign in a focused and strategic way.

You can also take your networking a step further by strategically volunteering with companies or within industries relevant to your career ambitions. The recent InterviewIQ blog An Update on Volunteering your way into a New Job may provide some useful insight.

A second strategy to break into the hidden job market is to undertake industry research to identify organisations you would like to work for. Then either cold call the HR department or if you find cold calling daunting, introduce yourself in writing, advising you’ll follow up with a phone call. Prepare what you’re going to say in advance, ensuring you highlight the ways in which you can add value to the organisation. Follow up by sending a short letter or email to the person you spoke to, thanking them for their time and reiterating your interest in working for the organisation, a small gesture that has a lot of impact!

Registering with recruitment agencies is another effective strategy to access the hidden job market. Not only do professional recruitment consultants often know of jobs that aren’t advertised elsewhere, but they are skilled at promoting their candidates and can give you invaluable advice about presentation, branding and interview skills to assist you through the job application process.

5. Define and Promote your Personal Brand

In career terms, your personal brand is the way you present yourself and the unique value that you add to everyone you come into contact with who has the potential to positively impact your career. This includes work colleagues, your employer, clients, recruiters, professional networks, friends and people you meet through your professional social media networks.

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression

So it’s important that you promote your personal brand professionally from the start. When you’re applying for a job, you start building your brand with your resume and application letter. Your performance at interview is also part of your branding: whether you dress appropriately, your body language, your confidence and mannerisms.

As an employee, it’s critical that you project a strong and positive brand that clearly and consistently indicates your value to an employer in the ways they need the most. This will ensure you stand out from the crowd and have a head start in the competition to move up the career ladder.

In your drive to move your career forward though it’s important not to forget that ‘value congruence is an important part of branding.’ Essentially this means that it’s important that you don’t force yourself to apply for a position that offends your values, or in an organisation that clashes with your ethics. It won’t work and you’ll feel fake. You’ll make yourself unhappy and your brand will eventually fall apart.

So there you have them your career management plan, a targeted, updated resume , a great social media presence, the hidden job market and personal branding – five career tools you can use this year to banish your workplace woes for good!

On a final note I’d suggest it’s smart to reassess your new career management plan each year…..so diarise it!

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