Tag Archives: cover letter

THE C-R-C OF JOB SEEKING

Posted on November 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

As you may or may not know there are three key pieces to getting hired in today’s market. Well, really everything you do is an important part of the hiring process, but most employers are going to be looking for the key three. These being, of course, the cover letter, resume, and what cannot be measured tangibly, connections. I know we have posted here many times resume tips and cover letter tips, but it never hurts to refresh the memories. And as the unemployment rate remains higher than anyone would like it to be, we feel as if a fresh reminder can’t hurt.

However instead of just going for pure tips here in this post, we are going to remind you why all three elements are necessary, and very important.

First off, the cover letter.

I find it hard to believe that the cover letter has become a lost art, one in which is rarely used anymore. I can count on one hand the amount of resumes I get per day with a cover letter. Trust me, I do read them. That’s not to say I don’t give equal consideration to a resume without a cover letter, I do. But what if the job includes a necessity for writing skills? You better believe that a cover letter can help in your consideration there. Just like your college essays (remember those?) a cover letter can help differentiate between two very similar candidates. Make sure you write your cover letters. Make sure they are personalized to the hiring manager (researching and finding their name can go a long way in your consideration for the position) who is easy enough to find on most companies websites. Make sure they get the employer to flip the page, or scroll through the e-mail to your resume.

Now everyone’s favorite, the resume.

Resumes are simple in concept but tough to master. It’s hard to make a great resume. So many factors go into the creation of a resume, personalizing it to your liking, getting your objective and work experience in there all while trying to limit it to one page. Remember, most hiring managers use only 6 seconds of their time to peruse a resume. You have to make an impact, and fast. Mix up your verbs. Nobody wants to read a resume that shows how you “managed” 100 times over. Make sure your relevant experience to the position you are applying for is readily accessible. And try to keep it to one page!

Finally, what most people don’t consider but ALWAYS should, connections.

Everyone you have met and you will ever meet is a potential connection. Old boss? Connection. Old Co-worker? Connection. Try not to burn any bridges in life, because you never know who can come in handy in the future. And that’s not saying that you should be “using” people, but if the opportunity presents itself where an old acquaintance can get your foot in the door, you better jam your foot right in there.

There are many professionals out there who will tell you that they have not even had to use a resume or cover letter to obtain a position solely due to connections, and they aren’t lying.

At Crossroads Consulting we strive to be the ultimate connection. With job openings to over 50 positions nationwide we’re here to help you get your foot in the door to that position. Of course, we’ll need to see a resume (and preferably a cover letter as well) we’re here to get Americans back to work. As true patriots we are horrified at the current unemployment rate and are striving to return it to a normal percentage. We understand that times are tough, that you may have even given up on seeking employment these days, but we implore you to get us your resume TODAY so we can start helping.

If you’re not confident in your resume or interviewing skills, we have the ability to help you there as well. Our staff wants to be there from point A to Z in securing you the position as we are here to put the ‘human’ back into ‘human resources’

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News

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YOUR RESUME NEEDS TO BE RIGHT

Posted on July 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

BY: Steven Murray, Special to Out of Our Mind

Simple ways to avoid common resume errors

For job seekers, a good resume is their best bet for getting an interview call. However, many applicants may find preparing a resume a challenging task. It is, in fact, quite easy to unknowingly make mistakes such as typing errors in your resume. Errors in a resume can cost you dearly and, so, it is necessary that you pay attention to all small details and ensure that your resume is error-free and well crafted.

To help you prepare an impeccable resume, we present some common resume blunders and also show how you can avoid them-

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume

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FAST FIVE TIPS ON INTERVIEWING

Posted on July 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

After a long holiday weekend one might find it very hard to remain prudent on their job search. However it is of most importance that you stay keen on your skills and continue to hone your craft. What better way to do that than to sit down to start the week and read these 5 easy tips on interviews. Welcome back to the work week, he’s how we hope to help get you through it…

1. In June we posted here on out of our mind the key phrase: “Know before you go” and it still rings true. Proving to a potential employer your interest in their company through prior knowledge you bring into the interview could make or break your chances at getting a job. Think of it this way, if you were interviewing for a job at Google, how impressed do you think they would be if you could tell them all about their newest social media venture Google+?

2. Another simple one. If you’re on time you’re late, if you’re early you’re on time. It would be in your best interest to get to a job interview at least 15 minutes before it is scheduled. Sitting in the lobby waiting for the interviewer will only give you extra time to prepare for potential questions. It will also show the company that you can be a loyal employee.

3. Dress the part, feel the part. Confidence can show in any manner be it the way you dress or the way you conduct yourself in the interview. Make sure you’re looking sharp.

4. Be prepared. Going back to the “know before you go” saying you should also come to an interview prepared. Just because you have already sent your resume and or cover letter to the company doesn’t mean they always have one handy. Make sure to bring enough copies so you’ll have plenty for anyone who may ask to see a copy at the interview. Also make sure that the resume you bring is as up to date as possible.

5. Know yourself. In short, know who you are, what your skills are, and be sure to be confident and explain yourself thoroughly. How can the interviewer get a grasp of how you can be as an employee if you don’t even know yourself? Make sure you can come up with real-life examples to answer your questions. Talk about a time where you displayed excellent team building skills or took on a role as a leader in a group work environment. Make sure when you leave the room you can walk out with your head held high and that you said everything you wanted to say.

These 5 tips are just a few of what we at Crossroads Consulting can offer you. Along with our resume optimization service and interview preparationwe are updating our current openings every day. Feel free to drop by the website and browse all of our services.

Also make sure to like us on facebook, and follow us on twitter!

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend, and good luck getting back to work!

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume

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PRESENTING YOURSELF

Posted on June 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

When you look in the mirror what do you see?

Do you see a successful; did whatever they could in life, no regrets man or woman staring back at you? Probably, if you’re human.

We grow up our whole lives with our mothers telling us how great we are. With significant others and spouses telling us we’re perfect and we have nothing we need to change about ourselves (most of the time…maybe).

Now if only your mother was the person who was doing the hiring at a firm, you’d get the job 100 times out of 100. Unfortunately (for all of us) this isn’t the case.

The hiring process is all about presentation.

Interning for Crossroads Consultingfor about 2 months now I have seen many resumes come through the job postings I have on the internet. Now I’m no expert as my resume, interview, and cover letter skills all come from a course I took at the University at Buffalo (MGG 300) but I know what is pleasing to the eye.

Flashy fonts, colors other than black, graphics are all unnecessary on a resume. Some of those may even make you come off as unprofessional to employers. If hiring managers had it their way, there would be one absolute set way to present yourself in a resume, unfortunately there isn’t. There are many ways to develop a successful resume, and it’s all about presenting yourself.

If you’ve been keeping up with the blog here on Out of Our Mind, you’ll know that we have blogged before about quick resume tips (see the Three R’s to Resume Writing).

Quick tips won’t solve everything.

What will solve everything is taking the time to let a professional look at your resume. Or if you’re not comfortable with that, hand your resume to a friend and see what they think. Ask them key questions like: How do you think I presented myself here? If you were a hiring manager, would you keep this resume?

Fortunately there are services out there that can help you. At Crossroads Consulting we offer resume optimizationservices that will help you best present your abilities to an employer.

What many lose sight of in their plight to perfect their resume is the fact that it’s not all about the resume. The resume is just the gateway, only used by employers to judge who gets an interview. Why would an employer give an interview to someone who can’t present themselves well?

I wouldn’t.

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume

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INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Posted on June 9, 2011 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

In this blog today, we’ll give you just a preview of what Crossroads Consulting can do you for as part of an interview preparation guideline.

To steal a saying from the local weather and traffic channel: “know before you go” is a key phrase to remember when you have an interview scheduled. You’ve finally been set up with the employer of the job you have been eyeing on Crossroads Consulting’s job openings listand you are ready to go. Your resume and cover letters are set, your suit is ironed, you look good and feel good. But a sinking feeling comes over you, what exactly are you going to be asked in this interview? Who is going to be interviewing you? Do you know anything about the company you’re interviewing for? Again, “know before you go.”

My brother always tells me that one of the most underrated computer skills out there is the ability to use Google. Let’s say for arguments sake that you were in fact interviewing for a position at Google. What can you learn from a simple Google query about your potential interview? In short, it’s everything.

All readily available to you on the internet are the names of the founders of Google, the head of HR, and even the Google ethics code. All major things you can learn about the organization that can be used in an interview. So when the interviewer sits you down and asks why you chose to apply to Google you can reply with facts like…

· CNN money rated Google the #4 best company to work for in 2011

· I agree with many of the ethics codes and conducts outlined in the ethics policy

· I’ve been following Google’s growth for many years and am intrigued at their entrance to social media with Google buzz, Google wave, and the new Google +1 button.

These three random facts, all from the internet out of 100s available to you will help you set yourself aside from the competition on game day. When the interviewer looks back on the candidates he or she met that day they’ll remember the name (insert your name here) and how they knew so much about the company. The fact that you took the time to research the company can go a long way in showing you’re interest in working there in the future.

If you liked what you read here, please make sure to come on over to our website and see all the services we offer including interview preparation.

Also make sure to follow us on twitter, like us on facebook, and connect on LinkedIn.

But especially don’t forget to “Know before you go.”

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Posted in Crossroads Consulting, LLC, Hiring Company News, Interviewing, Job Seeker News, Resume, Social Media

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UNEMPLOYMENT TIME IS NOT VACATION TIME

Posted on June 8, 2011 | Leave a comment

BY: Adam Gavriel

While managing the Crossroads Consulting twitter @EmploymentDepotI came across a tweet that really engaged my interest as it read along the lines of: “Use your time unemployed to better yourself and discover new interests. Knowledge is power” forgive me as I seem to have trouble finding it now and don’t remember it word for word.

It got me thinking. Knowing now that roughly 70% of Americans know someone who is currently out of work and looking for it, while many of that same 70% know someone who has given up on the hopes of finding a new job. This is the kind of tweet that should reach millions and hopefully change the perspective they may have on their current life predicament.

Unfortunately (for the sake of this blog) I cannot relate to the many Americans out there today out of work, at the young age of 21 I’ve been lucky enough to come across steady part-time jobs as I need them while never having the burden of looking for full time work. I can however understand that time unemployed can be a very frustrating time. Bills piling up with no income to pay them off with, feeling like there is no end in sight. Feeling stuck in employment purgatory as a cartoon I saw today explains…

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As part of putting the “human” back in human resources as our mission, Crossroads Consulting has tweeted and blogged many things to help you get out of the rut you may find yourself in.

Blogs on resume, cover letter, and interview tips are out there everywhere (including here on out of our mind) to help set you aside from the competition. If it helps your field, maybe try learning a new skill to put on your resume. Work with computers? Try learning Flash, HTML, C++ or other types of programming tools that you can put on a resume in a field highlighted with the title “Computer Skills” to gain an employer’s attention.

It may not be the free time you WANT but it’s the free time you HAVE to do what YOU want to do with it. Why not spend it making yourself appear better? Crossroads Consulting can help you on this path. With upwards of 50 job openings on the website, resume optimization services and interview preparation Crossroads Consulting is here to get you back into that 9-5 grind you hate while you’re in but crave when it’s gone.

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To Cover Letter Or Not To Cover Letter…

Posted on January 30, 2010 | Leave a comment

Here at Crossroads Consulting, we get approached by job seekers for advice daily…In fact, it’s almost hourly sometimes.  Lately, given the horrific situation out there in the job market, the question has been raised enough times that it warrants us sharing some thoughts with you from OUT OF OUR MIND…

The question concerns the usage of cover letters. What should be in them? Should you use them at all for that matter?

Let’s answer the second one first. Our opinion is it depends upon the level of the job and the company that you’re sending them to. If you’re an executive applying for a C-level position you will most certainly need one. Conversely if you’re at a lower level of authority or just starting your career it will really depend upon the company. When you call to get a name, there is no harm in asking. Also, if you read the ads THOROUGHLY they almost always indicate if they want one or not. If they do, then by all means send one. If they don’t generally it’s a judgment call and we generally lean towards not sending them.

But now, let’s talk in terms of a good cover letter, there are some essentials.

For example: Here’s a basic screw-up that we see constantly.

Make sure the Cover Letter (CL) is addressed to the right person! The one that the job that the letter speaks of… We’d also REALLY recommend that you should have the right name of the company to…but we’re kind of picky that you. You know how it is. 

Don’t be lazy. If you want your resume to stick out from the bunch start with a CL that’s personally written, not addressed “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam” or any innocuous non-descript title. Do some research and find out who it is going to. If you’re applying to a large company, the odds are pretty high that it’s going to the Human Resources department.  How hard is it to use Google or even Spoke or pick your favorite search engine and look it up or get the phone number of the company to call there and get it?

Here’s another tip. If you’re sending a CL to a Recruiter, don’t use the phrase, “Working at (or with) your company.” Say stuff like “Working with your client…or with your client company.” The idea in these things is not to put yourself out there to look stupid and get ruled out before you even get to your resume.

Next Up, try and make it more than just a letter written telling people how great you are and how hard you’re going to work and that you can’t wait to lick the garbage out of the pails for them. People aren’t that stupid and they know you’re kissing their asses. Speaking from my own experience both as an eternal job seeker when we were in radio and standup comedy, more people get turned off by it than excited by it.

Keep the message, short, sweet and to the point.

Nobody has the time or the inclination to spend twenty minutes dissecting you CL to try and make sense of it. Just say what you need to and move on.

We can help you by writing these things for you in addition to fixing up your resume. However for that there is a charge of $100 unless it needs a lot of work and then it would be more.

But here’s a freebie that if you use it right will help you, cost you nothing and help you land your next job.

Dear (Name of person making the initial decision to interview. Usually HR, but could also be the Hiring Manager, make sure you know which they are and the correct spelling of their name)

Please consider my letter and resume as an application for the (The title of the position exactly as it appears in the ad) with (The full name of the company).

While your job description had a good amount of information in it, even a well written one does not encompass all the things that you and your company are looking for from of a potential applicant. , Additionally, just as the job description doesn’t have everything about the job, the same can be said for resumes, including mine which you will find attached here.

Based upon the available information you provided at (Name of the place where you saw it…and make sure you have that right) and from what I’ve read, I believe that I have more than enough of the necessary elements you’ve stated in the ad that you require to garner your consideration and an interview for the opportunity to join (The full name of the company).

Please understand that like your job description is just an overview of your company, the same can be said for a resume. To me a resume is just a piece of paper showing you a summary of dates, employers and descriptions of responsibilities. It doesn’t reveal to the reader the depth of the person who I am.

I could make all sorts of claims and it wouldn’t sound any different than any of the other applications that I’m certain that you are receiving…but sitting down and talking together in an interview would.

Please contact me to schedule an appointment.  I would welcome the chance to get to know you and (The full name of the company) better to see if there is a mutually beneficial fit.

I look forward to hearing from you with a positive reply.

Cordially,

If you have any further questions for us, feel free to submit them to AskMitch@crossroadsconsulting.com. We’re anxious to answer your questions and make this a forum to help people in these trying times.

To submit your resume to us, send it in MS Word format and just follow this link

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