This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
LaShun writes:
It seems every piece of advice about cover letters says to call the company you want to work for to get a SPECIFIC NAME of the person who has the authority to call you for an interview. But what if the company refuses to give that information? Most of the companies I call say just send a resume to the HR department at an email address or fax number but won’t give a name. And when I do get a specific name, I’m sure I’m not the only one who called. What else can I do?
I empathize with all the job-seekers who are finding it harder and harder to get the name of the hiring manager — which is what all job experts recommend you do. Unfortunately, companies seem to be making it harder and harder for job-seekers to identify and follow-up with the hiring manager.
You have several options for getting the name (and correct spelling) of the hiring manager. You could call the human resources office, but remember that office’s role is one of screening. So, I would avoid HR altogether and simply call the main switchboard and ask the receptionist for the name of the department manager for the position you are seeking. Receptionists are wonderful sources of information — so cultivate them! You could also default to writing to the division or company president and hope your application trickles down to the hiring manager, but more often than not, if it does trickle down, it goes to HR. The final possibility is another important use of your network; contact all the people in your network and see if anyone works or knows someone who works for the company — and then ask that person to use internal channels to get you the name of the hiring manager.
One final comment about the many employers who state in job ads: “no phone calls.” This comment refers to applying by phone — but should not stop any job-seeker who has submitted an application from following-up to check on the status of his/her application.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Greg writes:
I am in the process of locating a position after being employed for nine years with one employer. I have my resume completed, but I need to know what information to include on my references for the interviews.
References are a funny thing. Most employers ask for them, but depending upon the position, only a small percentage of employers really bother to call all the people on a job-seeker’s reference list.
Here are a couple of tips regarding reference lists:
- Never put references on your resume. Make a list on a separate sheet of paper that matches your resume (and cover letter).
- Never include references with your resume and cover letter, unless specifically asked by the potential employer.
- Choose people who know you professionally and can speak well of your skills, abilities, and accomplishments. Always list your strongest reference first.
- Make sure you ask people if they mind serving as a reference for you — and then contact them again when you think they may be contacted by a potential employer.
- Try to use people who know you professionally, but if you are a recent college graduate or someone returning to the workforce, you can list a personal (character) reference.
- Make sure you completely identify each reference, including name, title, company, address, phone number, e-mail address.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
LaShun writes:
It seems every piece of advice about cover letters says to call the company you want to work for to get a SPECIFIC NAME of the person who has the authority to call you for an interview. But what if the company refuses to give that information? Most of the companies I call say just send a resume to the HR department at an email address or fax number but won’t give a name. And when I do get a specific name, I’m sure I’m not the only one who called. What else can I do?
I empathize with all the job-seekers who are finding it harder and harder to get the name of the hiring manager — which is what all job experts recommend you do. Unfortunately, companies seem to be making it harder and harder for job-seekers to identify and follow-up with the hiring manager.
You have several options for getting the name (and correct spelling) of the hiring manager. You could call the human resources office, but remember that office’s role is one of screening. So, I would avoid HR altogether and simply call the main switchboard and ask the receptionist for the name of the department manager for the position you are seeking. Receptionists are wonderful sources of information — so cultivate them! You could also default to writing to the division or company president and hope your application trickles down to the hiring manager, but more often than not, if it does trickle down, it goes to HR. The final possibility is another important use of your network; contact all the people in your network and see if anyone works or knows someone who works for the company — and then ask that person to use internal channels to get you the name of the hiring manager.
One final comment about the many employers who state in job ads: “no phone calls.” This comment refers to applying by phone — but should not stop any job-seeker who has submitted an application from following-up to check on the status of his/her application.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
This posting is a guest entry from the Career Doctor, Randall S. Hansen, PhD:
Greg writes:
I am in the process of locating a position after being employed for nine years with one employer. I have my resume completed, but I need to know what information to include on my references for the interviews.
References are a funny thing. Most employers ask for them, but depending upon the position, only a small percentage of employers really bother to call all the people on a job-seeker’s reference list.
Here are a couple of tips regarding reference lists:
- Never put references on your resume. Make a list on a separate sheet of paper that matches your resume (and cover letter).
- Never include references with your resume and cover letter, unless specifically asked by the potential employer.
- Choose people who know you professionally and can speak well of your skills, abilities, and accomplishments. Always list your strongest reference first.
- Make sure you ask people if they mind serving as a reference for you — and then contact them again when you think they may be contacted by a potential employer.
- Try to use people who know you professionally, but if you are a recent college graduate or someone returning to the workforce, you can list a personal (character) reference.
- Make sure you completely identify each reference, including name, title, company, address, phone number, e-mail address.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume does not list phone number, only an e-mail address, or has inappropriate e-mail address.
In the age of electronic submission, many candidates seem to think decision-makers will want to
communicate by e-mail only, but a phone number on your resume is an absolute must. Be sure to
include a daytime phone number as that’s when recruiters are most likely to call you. The recruiting
process often moves too rapidly for e-mail; recruiters prefer to call — and expect you either to answer
or call back without delay. Without a phone number, “I can’t call you,” said recruiter Alice Hanson, “and
most jobs I have on my desk need to be filed in 24-48 hours. I find a good candidate and can’t connect — it
drives me wild.” If employers can’t reach you very quickly, they’ll move on to the next person. They still
want to see e-mail addresses listed as an alternate contact method, however, and recruiters note a
surprising number of candidates who fail to provide sufficient contact information.
Your e-mail address must be professional. “I don’t want to know if you are ‘sokkerguy’ or ‘kittylover’ says Joe Briand, partner at The Clarion Group, Placerville, CA. “Use Yahoo or Gmail and get a professional-sounding address for your job search.” See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves 1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document? Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
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