Lifehacker has a hilarious post called “How To Avoid Writing An Awful Cover Letter.” It has some fabulously bad examples from real, and really terrible, cover letters. (via adventuresinunemployment)
“ I don’t just think outside the box, I stand on top of it. I aim to appease my employer. If he/she isn’t satisfied with my work, I will sweat blood and tears until I get them the result that they are enamored with. If my employer wants me to be knowledgeable of a certain person, place or thing; I will research that particular subject until I know everything that Google, Lycos, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves and Encyclopedia Britannica has to say about them/it…
via Zeldman, who says it best - what a way to go. Photos sent out to the entire company detailing her reason for leaving.
Understand Company Financials
I recently read Alexandra Levit’s post Interviewing? Choose a Strong Company about looking into company financials when looking for companies to work at. I don’t think enough interviewees think about this:
If a company of interest is public, monitor its stock price, forecasts, executive turnover, and paperwork submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). You can also do a Google search for recent financial news, and read the releases on the company’s investor relations website.
Don’t know what to look for? Visit Fred Wilson’s A VC blog and checkout his “MBA Mondays” posts. While some of the topics may be above your head you need to make sure you have a firm understanding of how the company makes money, where they are growing, and how they create value in the marketplace.
If you’re looking to work in a specific industry it is absolutely crucial to know which companies are innovating and thriving and which ones are seeing their margins shrink are competition increases.
Advice on Closing the Deal in a Job Interview
Alexandra Levit offers some advice on closing they deal towards the end of an interview:
- Express enthusiasm about the position and appreciation for the time they’ve given you and the opportunity to interview.
- Reiterate the problems they’re looking for the new hire to solve, and summarize exactly what you’ll do to address them.
- Ask thoughtful and pertinent questions about the organization and the position to show that you are concerned about fit as much as they are.
- Ask about next steps and when you should expect to hear from them regarding a decision. Inquire if they would mind if you followed up.
- When leaving, drop in something personal the interviewer has shared with you over the course of the process. For example, if he mentioned his 9 year-old daughter, tell him you hope his daughter enjoys her summer.
One thing that really impresses employers, in my opinion, are thoughtful questions that don’t stroke your ego. Ask a great question without coming off as an ass.
“ Reading those little “DO these Four Things Right Now and You’ll Land Your Dream Job” articles were a punch in the face. I envisioned some salaried person who had never been in a job search in their life writing that crappy fiction. None of it applied to me but I saw it all over the main websites.
“ Hire for attitude, not academic qualifications.
Says Sir Richard Branson
Weird and Wacky Job Interviews: Bad Hiring and Bad Psychology→
“Although the job interview is the most frequently used method for hiring employees, it is very often misused because many interviewers insist on using wacky methods and asking weird questions. The irony is that many of these interviewers firmly believe that their hiring methods work, but psychological research suggests otherwise.”
Comes with a few examples of really bad questions.
When Terrible Things Happen To Interns→
Susan Adams, from Forbes.com, shares stories from Forbes interns and brings up issues from internships (whether work or social) that many interns may face. She also talks about issues within the Forbes internship programs and offers some advice to those hating/regretting their internships:
- Stay positive and do good work, because you’re working for a recommendation
- Network, make friends, and meet as many people in the organization as you can
It’s a nice, honest, piece on internships.
“ I don’t think I fully understood the severity of the situation I had graduated into… I am absolutely certain that my job hunt will eventually pay off.
Scott Nicholson, unemployed ‘08 college graduate, via The New York Times. The millennials - my generation - are at a 14 percent unemployment rate right now. It’s a scary place, but with optimism like Scott’s, I do believe we’ll fight through it. (via natalieavon)
Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom: How to Communicate Across Generations→
Really good overview on the different generations of workers and their (general) viewpoint.
“ They keep telling me “You’re overqualified. You’re under-qualified. We want someone who’s had this exact experience before. We want someone long term. We think you’ll take a better job when one comes along. This doesn’t seem like something you want to make a career out of. This is an entry level position, you have too much experience. If I hire you for this position, I’d have to promote you in a couple of months and I can’t do that. These fellowships are for people who are still in Grad/Law school. I’m sorry I’ve wasted your time. We can’t afford to hire a J.D. You don’t have the right transactional law experience. You’re incapable. You’re too capable.” Etc. Ad nauseum.
The Keys to Unlocking Your Most Successful Career→
I’m glad to see “pay it forward” is one of the five tips.
Helping others during the job search is underrated. With the competition out there to find a job you’re being programmed to close off opportunities to other people. If you see an opportunity that would be perfect for a friend, share it. Even if you found something you want for yourself, give the info to some other people you know would also be interested.
Most importantly, when you do get hired, go out of your way to suggest people you know that are qualified and will do well. I know many people are worried about giving someone’s resume in because of how it may reflect on them. Don’t over think it. Be generous with your recommendations and let HR and the hiring managers decide if they want the person or not.
Ben Casnocha: The Blog: How to Get Hired→
From mlarson, Ben Casnocha infers two myths from Derek Sivers’ How to Get Hired (posted earlier):
The first is that we all have one or two things we are destined to do. In fact, I think you can become good (and thus) really interested in a range of things. The second is that the way to find what you “really want to do” is through inspection and reflection. In fact, introspection seems never to bear the fruit you’re promised; personal discoveries and self-knowledge seem sooner found via experiments and activity.
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About This Blog
The blog for funnelthru.com - a job board dedicated to honest entry level jobs. We discuss interview tips, hiring trends, videos we love, and anything else we think you might find useful or fun.
