10 Steps to a Successful Interview

• Arrive on time.
• Introduce yourself in a courteous manner.
• Read company materials while you wait.
• Have a firm handshake.
• Listen.
• Use body language to show interest.
• Smile, nod, give nonverbal feedback to the interviewer.
• Ask about the next step in the process.
• Thank the interviewer.
• Write a thank-you letter to anyone you have spoken to.

Facts to Gather Before Interviewing

• Key people in the organization

• Major products or services
• Size in terms of sales and employees
• Locations other than your community
• Organizational structure of the company
• Major competitors
• View of the company by clients, suppliers, and competition
• Latest news reports on the company or on local or national news that affects the company

Interviewers' Favorite Questions...and Answers

By Barbara Mulligan

You’re wearing your best interview suit and facing your best friend, who’s wearing the most inscrutable
hiring-manager face she can muster. You’ve carefully positioned a video camera to record your every move.
All is in place for your mock interview.

“Tell me about yourself,” your friend/interviewer intones, adjusting her glasses and gazing steadily into your
eyes.

What should you tell her? What would you tell a real recruiter or hiring manager?

“Don’t tell me where you were born and raised,” says Jonathan Ferguson, assistant director of career
services at George Washington University and a veteran of countless mock interviews with students. “Don’t
tell me that you were a cheerleader. Focus on your academics and experience. Ask yourself, ‘what are the
top five things I want this person to know about me?’”

Ferguson says that while many recruiters ask questions that are a bit more pointed than “tell me about
yourself,” it’s still likely to come up in many interviews and it’s best for students to prepare for it.
What other kinds of questions do recruiters ask? Following are 10 more, plus ideas for how to answer or the
kinds of competencies the interviewer is seeking, courtesy of Ferguson and three experienced campus
recruiters.

1. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

“I want to hear something related to retail,” says Haley Peoples, college relations manager for JC Penney
Co. Inc. in Dallas, Texas. “I don’t want to hear ‘I want to be an astronaut’ or ‘I want to win the Academy
Award.’”

Peoples says the question is designed to help the interviewer know if the job seeker will be happy in that
position, or if he or she wants to work in it only as long as it takes to find something “better.”

2. How do you make yourself indispensable to a company?

“We are looking for both technical and interpersonal competence,” says Doris J. Smith-Brooks, recruiting
and advertising manager for Boeing Co. in Seattle, Washington.

Smith-Brooks explains that students who have interned or completed cooperative education assignments
generally answer the question best because they know what working for a company entails.

3. What’s your greatest strength?

“Don’t just talk about your strength—relate it to the position,” Ferguson says. “Let them know you are a
qualified candidate.”

4. What’s your greatest weakness?

“Say something along the lines of, ‘I have difficulty with this thing, and these are the strategies I use to get
around it,” Ferguson says. “For example, you could say, ‘I’m not the most organized of individuals, so I
always answer my e-mails and phone calls right away. I’m aware of the problem and I have strategies to
deal with it.”

5. Tell me about a time when your course load was heavy. How did you complete all your work?

“We generally are looking for an answer like, ‘Last semester I was taking 21 credits, so I made sure I had a
day planner and mapped out all my assignments,’” says Felix J. Martinez, senior staff recruiter at Abbott
Laboratories in Abbott Park, Illinois. “We’re looking for a plan-ahead kind of individual, not someone who just
flies by the seat of his pants.”

Martinez says recruiters at Abbott Laboratories use the STAR method of interviewing, which involves getting
the interviewee to describe a situation that includes a task that needed to be accomplished, the action taken
to accomplish the task, and the result of that action.

“We actually tell the candidate, so they’re aware of what we’re looking for,” he says, adding that the
approach can help candidates focus on their answers.

6. Tell me about a time when you had to accomplish a task with someone who was particularly
difficult to get along with.

“I want to hear something that shows the candidate has the ability to be sensitive to the needs of others but
can still influence them,” Peoples says, adding that he’s heard plenty of wrong answers to that question.
“Don’t say ‘I just avoided them’ or ‘They made me cry.’”

7. How do you accept direction and, at the same time, maintain a critical stance regarding your ideas
and values?
Smith-Brooks repeats that internship or co-op experience can give students the experience to answer that
question, pointing out that students with good interpersonal skills honed on the job can understand how to
walk that fine line.

8. What are some examples of activities and surroundings that motivate you?

“Most of our technical disciplines are teamwork professions and require getting along with and motivating
other people,” Smith-Brooks says.

9. Tell me how you handled an ethical dilemma.

“Suppose you worked at a bank and a long-time customer wanted a check cashed right away but didn’t have
the fund balance in his account to cover the check,” Martinez says, explaining that if the bank’s policy
prohibited cashing checks in that manner, the teller would have a choice of violating bank policy or alienating
a good customer.

Martinez says the best way to handle such a situation would be to go to a supervisor, explain the situation,
and ask for advice. He adds that students who can’t offer a situation that they handled correctly the first time
can explain how they learned from making mistakes.

“Explain that the next time, this was how you handled it,” he says.

10. Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a problem with no rules or guidelines in place.

“I’m looking for a sense of urgency in initiating action,” Peoples says, explaining that the question probes a
student’s ability to overcome obstacles.

For Peoples, students offering the best answers to the question describe a retail-related problem.

“I’m looking for the right thing in terms of customer service,” he says.

Preemployment Inquiries-Disability

Preemployment Inquiries—Disability

See also information about Handling Illegal Questions

Illegal Questions Legal Questions

Do you have any disabilities?
Do you have a disability that would prevent
you from performing the essential functions
of the job with or with an accommodation?
Please complete the following medical
history as part of the application process.
Have you had any recent or past illness or
operations? If yes, list and give dates.
Are you able to perform the essential
functions of the job?
As part of the hiring process, after a job
offer has been made, you will be required to
under go a medical exam. The results will
remain confidential and will only be used if
emergency medical treatment is necessary

What was the date of your last physical
exam? What medications do you take?
Are you able to sit?
Can you carry objects?
Are you color blind?
What is your corrected vision?
When did you lose your eyesight?
How did you lose your eyesight?
Do you see a psychiatrist for stress?
Are you an alcoholic?
How often do you drink alcoholic
beverages?
What is wrong with your leg?
How often were you sick?
Why do you use a wheelchair and will we Will you need any accommodation to
have to make any accommodations for the participate in the recruiting process?
wheelchair?
Tell me all of your disabilities.
or to assist in the determination of a job
accommodation, if needed.
Can you sit for four hours at a time?
(Assuming this is an essential function of
the job.)
Can you carry three-pound boxes to the
copier? (Assuming this is an essential
function of the job)
Can you distinguish between color bands?
(Assuming this is an essential function of
the job.)
Do you have 20/20 vision? (If this is a job
requirement.)
How well can you handle stress?
Do you drink alcoholic beverages?
How did you break your leg? ( If it is
obvious the person's leg is broken because
the person is wearing a cast)
What was your attendance record?
Can you demonstrate how you would
perform the following job functions?
What are your job skills, educational
background, and prior work experiences?

More Tips for Navigating the Online Application Process

How can you best navigate HR screening programs so you can get to the interview? How
important are key words? As in the traditional application process, employers using online
application processes are looking for students who have the skills, experience, and qualities that
best match the requirements for the job opening.

Mike Mrozowski, recruiting coordinator for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (which
does not use an automated screening process), says that the key to getting to the next step is to
target. To properly target, Mrozowski explains, requires some in-depth knowledge and proper
research techniques. One of the ways to get this type of inside information is to ask.
"Many students no longer attend career fairs because some employers just drive the students to
their web site to apply," Mrozowski says. "I understand their frustration in that part of the process
so we encourage paper resumes and rely heavily on the notes that our recruiters record on the
back of the resume from their brief booth chats. However, astute job seekers can gather some
great information from those employers that don't collect paper resumes."

Mrozowski says that if he were interested in an employer that told him to go online to apply, he
would ask:

• What happens to the resume after I click "send?" Who reviews it and how? What format
will work the best with your current system?
• What skill sets does your company/agency value the most?
• When should I follow up?
• Which department has the current openings?
• Which department is anticipating future openings?

Kelly Wuest, workforce development coordinator at the Community College of Southern Nevada's
West Charleston Campus, has noticed a surge in the elimination of employment offices for major
Las Vegas casinos.

One perfect example," she says, "is Wynn Las Vegas, which opened in April with employees
hired totally from online applications."

While employer requirements may vary, here are some tips Wuest has for students:

• Be specific about employment history in the application—Students need to fill in school

time in the employment section. Employers are looking for a complete work history,
including gaps in employment.
• Use appropriate key words—Key words are extremely important and will help students
get past the computer to a live person.
• Don't depend on employers looking at a paper resume—"I've had major [employers]
admit that some managers only view the online application," Wuest notes.
• Use your resume to highlight areas not covered in the online application—For instance,
some [employers] fail to ask about language skills, technical skills, volunteer work, and
professional organization involvement.
• Go to career services to apply online—If students experience difficulty, career counselors
are available to guide them through the system. "I have called HR managers about
problems with system navigation," Wuest says. "They are happy to help me."

Cover Letters
back to handouts menu The preliminary application for a
professional position generally consists
of two documents: a cover letter and a
resume. This handout describes the
cover letter; the resume is described in
a separate Writing Center handout.

While the resume is a somewhat generic

advertisement for yourself, the cover letter
allows you to tailor your application to each
specific job. Although the thrust of your various
letters may remain the same, with the assorted
text-processing options available at RPI—
options that include find-and-replace and
merging capabilities—there is really no reason
to have a single, generic cover letter.
Overview
Effective cover letters are constructed with
close attention to

• Purpose
• Audience
• Content
• Format
• Examples: cover letter 1,
cover letter 2

Purpose
Your cover letter and resume usually provide all
the information which a prospective employer
will use to decide whether or not you will reach
the next phase in the application process: the
interview.

While your goal is an interview and, ultimately,

a job offer, the more immediate purpose of your
cover letter in some cases may simply be to
gain an attentive audience for your resume.

Audience
A cover letter provides, in a very real sense, an
opportunity to let your prospective employer
hear your voice. It reflects your personality, your
attention to detail, your communication skills,
your enthusiasm, your intellect, and your
specific interest in the company to which you
are sending the letter.

Therefore, c over letters should be tailored to

each specific company you are applying to. You
should conduct enough research to know the
interests, needs, values, and goals of each
 Letter Writing Guide

The Career Center

The Florida State University

Objective

You will be able to write appropriate letters pertaining to your job campaign.

Activities

The following activities will enable you to meet the objective.

1. 1. Develop an organizational system.
2. 2. Study letter-writing suggestions.
3. 3. Choose a format and review sample letters.
4. 4. Write a letter which matches your goals.
5. 5. Ask someone you trust to proofread and critique your letter - The Career
Center can help.

I. Develop An Organizational System

Before you begin sending any letters, it is important that you devise some way of
keeping track of when and what you have sent. For instance, if you send a letter to
Ms. X asking for an interview and offer to call her during the week of June 6th, you
need to have that date on record so you can be sure to meet that commitment.
Also, if you are sending out 40 letters to various employers, it can be critical to know
what you have said in a particular letter to be able to follow it up with accuracy.
Listed below are two formats for organizing your letter campaign.

A. Create a chart with columns for the prospective employer’s name, the person
contacted, the date sent, any commitments you made in the letter and follow-up.
Make another chart showing the response you received from each letter with column
headings, such as prospective employer’s name, person who replied, date of reply,
and action taken. Keep these charts up to date and hold on to letters you receive.

B. Make copies of all the letters that you send out and file them in a folder. Keep
another file folder for the letters you receive which call for further action to be taken
on your part and a separate file folder for your rejection letters. This method can be
especially helpful because you have reference to all your letters for use when
composing other letters. Also, you can look back over the letters you have sent and
see which ones were the most effective in generating interviews.

II. General Suggestions For Letters

Do

• • follow rules of layout and format of a standard business letter

• • slant letter toward what you can offer employers, not what you think they
should be offering you
• • address, whenever possible, to an individual, along with his/her correct
title
• • spell, punctuate, and paragraph correctly
 • • write in your own words and in conversational language
• • hand-sign, rather than type your signature
• • print your letters on good quality paper
• • be brief, concise and to the point
• • close with a direct request for some sort of action (i.e., interview
appointment)
• • take advantage of any link to the employer that can put your foot in the
door or give you an edge over the competition (for example, mentioning the
name of someone you know in the organization)

Don’t

• • use stiff language or phrasing

• • be gimmicky in an attempt to be original or clever
• • load with constant use of the word “I”
• • be lofty in tone or indicate you will do the employer a great service by
“considering” a position
• • be excessively emphatic about your reliability, capacity for hard work or
intelligence. This kind of self-appraisal is usually best understated. The
appearance and tone of your letter and resume can say more about you than
you can gracefully say about yourself.

III. Choice Of Cover Letter Format

Although there are a variety of styles, formats and content elements, there are two
basic formats which may aid you in writing your individualized letter of application.

Shotgun Letter

Used to broadcast your availability to many employers in your field without

composing a separate letter for each one. Although it is not usually used to pursue a
specific job lead, it is wise to personalize it.

Examples: “I am writing to present you with my qualifications for a position as a

Guidance Counselor at....” or “I am very aware of the changing role of the nurse in
today’s (hospital, clinic, etc.).” By inserting the appropriate word or phrase, you can
tailor each correspondence with much less effort than individually composed letters.

Rifle Approach

Used to investigate a specific job lead. You may be answering an ad or following up

on a suggestion offered by the Career Center, a relative, friend, etc. Since the
nature of the opening is known to you, you would construct your letter to show how
your abilities can be applied to meet the employer’s needs. You also can make
reference to specific information you discovered through conversations or by doing
research about the organization.

Examples: “My academic background, together with my work experience, has

prepared me to function especially well as a Marketing Specialist for IBM.” Or “I am
impressed by your continual growth through grant funded activities.”

See the sample cover letter outline later in this Guide.

 IV. Other Types of Letters

Inquiry Letter

After preparing a list of organizations which complement the position you are
seeking, as well as your interest and training, a letter of inquiry in which you
approach the employer requesting employment information is the next step. It is
important to research the organization as much as possible to lend credibility and
insight to your contact letter.
Format Suggestions

• • Determine and state your exact interest in the employer and explain why
they, in turn, should be interested in you. The more you know about the
organization, the easier it will be for you to tailor your letter to their needs
and interests.
• • Emphasize your positive assets and skills. Be as specific as possible
about the type of position you are seeking and tie this to your knowledge of
the organization and its business.
• • Identify a specific person within the organization to whom to send your
letter. As a general rule, in larger organizations, send the letter to the
Personnel or Human Resources Department - the Manager of Employment,
Recruitment or Personnel. Also, directing your letter to the key executive or
manager in
• • the department to which you are applying is advisable. If the contact
person's name is not available, address your letter: "Dear Madam or Sir" or
"Dear Selection Committee Chair."
• • State when you would be available to meet for an interview and include a
phone number and/or e-mail where you can most easily be reached.

Response Letter To Help Wanted

• • Thoroughly read and reread an advertisement to aid you in determining

what the potential employer is looking for. Try to speak to the “needs” of the
organization evidenced through the ad - some reading between the lines may
be necessary so that you can tailor your response.
• • Answer the ad as soon as possible after it appears. However, make sure
that you allow yourself enough time to prepare adequately.
• • Be as innovative as possible to aid your letter in standing out amidst the
wave of response letters the organization is sure to receive.
• • Follow the advertisement’s instructions carefully regarding where the
response should be directed and what to include (i.e., resume, statement of
geographic preference, etc.). Answer all questions, with the exception of
responding to a request for salary requirements. In this case, it is advisable
to avoid a direct answer and simply indicate that it is open or negotiable.
• • Be brief! Letters should be individualized, concise and factual.
• • Always consider the reaction of the employer by putting yourself in
his/her place. Try to determine what accomplishments and skills would be
most attractive to a particular employer.
• • Be straightforward, professional and businesslike - remember you are
selling yourself. As with the resume, stick to the facts.
 • • Remember that the primary purpose of the letter is to get you in the door
for the interview - make sure the letter has impact.

Interview Appreciation Letter

Interviews should always be followed up with a thank-you letter expressing

appreciation for the interviewer’s time. Not only is this an accepted courtesy, your
letter can also serve to refresh your session in the mind of the interviewer. When an
on-site visit to the employer is involved, the appreciation letter may accompany your
expense account for the visit.

Format Suggestions

• • Express appreciation for the interviewer’s consideration and arrangement

of meeting.
• • State the date of the interview and name of the employer.
• • Reiterate your interest in the employer by mentioning new points or
assets you may have failed or forgotten to address in the original interview.
• • Ask any questions you may have which were not answered in the original
interview.
• • Express your anticipation to receive word regarding their decision.

Letter Of Acknowledgement

Once you have received an offer from an employer or institution, it is important to

respond as soon as possible. While an immediate “yes” or “no” is not essential,
acknowledgement of the offer is expected.

Format Suggestions

• • Acknowledge receipt of the offer.

• • Express your appreciation for the offer.
• • Notify the employer of the date by which you expect to make your
decision.

Letter of Acceptance

Once you have decided to accept the offer, the employer should be notified
immediately. It is not necessary to wait until the expiration date of the offer before
contacting the recruiter and hiring officer of the organization selected. Employers
will appreciate your promptness as it will allow them to assess the status of their
personnel selection process.
Format Suggestions

• • Acknowledge the letter, verbal offer or telephone call of dated offer.

• • Be as specific as possible, mentioning starting salary and supervisor’s
name. Be sure to list and detail all items (benefits, performance reviews,
moving expenses, etc.) agreed to in the offer.
• • State when you will be able to report to work. Acknowledge if initiation is
contingent on any events, such as award of a degree, passing of physical
examination, certification, etc.
 • • Express appreciation to contact person and anyone else who has been
particularly helpful.
• • Ask if any other information is required or if additional details should be
attended to prior to reporting.

Letter of Declination

As a matter of courtesy, a letter of declination is due to those organizations whose

offers you are rejecting. Despite the negative nature of the correspondence, it is
vital that other employers know your decisions. Such a letter often follows a
telephone call - making your decision a matter of record and avoiding any confusion
arising from verbal communication.
Format Suggestions

• • Express appreciation for the offer.

• • Mention name of potential supervisor.
• • State the exact position for which you were being considered.
• • Decline graciously.
• • Briefly explain reason for choice, sticking to the facts.
• • No profuse apology necessary - re-express appreciation.

Sample Cover Letter Outline

Your Present Address

City, State, Zip Code
Date Of Writing

Ms. Jane Blank

Title
Organization
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Ms. Blank:

1st Paragraph • Tell why you are writing; name the position, field, or general career
area about which you are asking. Tell how you heard of the opening or organization.

2nd Paragraph • Mention one or two of your qualifications you think would be of
greatest interest to the organization, slanting your remarks to their point of view.
Tell why you are particularly interested in the employer, location, or type of work. If
you have had related experience or specialized training, be sure to point it out. Refer
the reader to the enclosed application form, resume or the fact that the XYZ Career
Placement Office has or will send full credentials to provide additional information
concerning your background and interests.

3rd Paragraph • Close by making a request for an opportunity to visit the employer.
Indicate that you will follow up with a phone call about the possibility of a meeting.
If, instead of wanting an interview, your request is for further information concerning
openings, it would be polite to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Make
sure your closing is not vague, but makes a specific action from the reader likely.
Thank the employer for his/her consideration of your application materials.
Sincerely,

(Your Handwritten Signature)

Type Your Name

VI. Additional Resources

For further assistance in the development of your letter(s), the following resources
are available.

1. 1. Sections I, IV and V in The Career Center Library contain books, chapters

or partial units on letter preparation. Check Career Key for specific resources.
2. 2. Attend one of the combination letter/resume writing workshops held in
The Career Center periodically during the semester. A schedule of these
workshops is available on the Career Center Web site: http://www.career.fsu.edu.
3. 3. Review “Sample Letters” in notebooks on the Ready Reference Desk
shelves in The Career Center Library, Room A4101UC.
4. 4. Read Planning Job Choices, particularly the letter strategy and sample
section.
5. 5. Have your letter(s) critiqued by a Career Advisor.

What do employers really want in a resume?

by Wendy S. Enelow of The Advantage, Inc. used with permission

At the September 1994 Professional Association of Resume Writers' Annual Convention in St.
Louis, Missouri, the group hosted four Human Resource executives for a panel discussion
entitled "What Do Employers Really Want in Resume?" Panelists included Kathy Soonlau,
Human Resource Manager of Weyerhauser Company; Gaya Cross, Employment Analyst with
Mercantile Bank; Doreen Neiseslan, Human Resource Associate with Homedco, Inc.; and
Michael Herring, Executive Vice President of The Impact Group, an HR consulting firm.

In a question and answer forum, the panelists presented valuable information regarding resume
review and their specific hiring processes. This information that everyone who is actively job
searching should consider and put to use in planning their employment campaign.

Bypassing Human Resources: We've all heard the adage that the best thing you can do in your
job search is bypass "HR" and get your resume directly to a decision maker (e.g., VP of Sales &
Marketing, VP of Finance, CEO). Well, the adage is true. All panelists confirmed that although
they are not pleased when a job search candidate goes direct to the hiring authority, if that senior
manager wants to hire a specific individual, they generally get the position. The panelists'
concerns, aside from that individual's attempt to bypass their authority, were primarily related to
reference checks. If a senior manager selected a candidate and then references were verified
after the individual was offered the position, there was the potential that references would not be
positive and the offer would have to be reneged. From a personal observation, I believe that the
HR executives were insulated by being kept "out of the loop." The end result, however, was an
offer!
Cover Letters (and Salary Requirements): Each panelist confirmed that cover letters (even
handwritten, if a must) were essential. Letters are expected for all positions. Of particular note
during the cover letter conversation was reference to salary requirements. What do HR
executives think when salary requirements are requested in an advertisement but are not
provided in the cover letter. Unanimously, the panelist agreed that if the candidate appeared
qualified for the position, they would offer the opportunity for an interview, despite the fact that
salary requirements were not included. This is a critical point. Often it is difficult to determine what
a specific position will pay. Although you may be interested, you are concerned that your recent
salary may be too high or too low for consideration for the advertised position. We now know that
it is either acceptable to either (1) not include the salary requirement, or (2) state the salary
requirements arenegotiable.

Latest Trend in Resume Scanning: We all hear that the latest trend in the HR field is resume
scanning. However, only one of the four companies represented by the panelist (Mercantile Bank)
has begun to utilize this technology, and only on a limited basis. In addition to scanning each
resume, they also maintain a paper copy to supplement the scanning system which still is fraught
with problems. To enhance the "scan-ability" of your resume, Gay Cross of Mercantile,
recommends the following:

• Do not use line or borders

• Do not use bold print, italics, or underlining
• Use Large and clear typestyle
• Leave large margins all the way around the resume
• Do not use any color paper other than white or very light ivory.
• Be sure to center your name, address and phone at the top.

Ms. Cross shared scanned copies of several resumes. You would be amazed at the poor quality
of many of the resumes if the above criteria were not followed precisely. More than half of the
resumes, once scanned, were impossible to read. Should you send two copies of your resume?
One for scanning and a more attractive one for the print file? Ms. Cross says no. The HR
department is already overwhelmed with paperwork. She recommends only forwarding the copy
that will be scanned. As a job seeker, you may want to call a company and see if they scan their
resumes. If so, forward a copy that will easily scan. If not, forward a more attractive copy of your
resume. We all know that "Image" is a major contributor to your job search success.

Age as a Consideration in the Employment Process: Each panelist agreed that age was not a
primary concern in evaluating the qualifications of a job candidate. As the initial stage of the
employment review process, experience was the number one consideration. (NOTE: Many in
attendance questioned this statement and asked several repeated questions regarding age as a
factor in determining the list of best qualified candidates. However, the panelists consistently
commented that they did not use age to disqualify. We all know stringent regulations regarding
age discrimination.)

Resume Preparation: The panelists stated repeatedly that the resume is a critical tool in
evaluating each potential candidate's qualification. They search for key words and phrases, they
review accomplishments, and are critical in assessing the quality of the written document.
Remember, the first contact you have with potential employers is via paper. That paper must be
perfect in its visual presentation and quality of the written word.

Why say.. "Responsible for administering all financial and administration functions for a
large manufacturer. In addition, supervise MIS, human resources, safety and public
relations. "When you could say..."Senior Executive with full responsibility for the strategic
planning, development and management of the entire corporate finance and
administrative function for a $28 million manufacturer. Hold concurrent executive
 responsibility for leading the corporation's MIS, human resources, safety and public
relations affairs."

Why say..."Formed a human resources department for a new corporation in the high-tech
industry. "When you could say..."Recruited to launch the start-up of a complete Human
Resource organization for a newly incorporated high-tech venture. Given full autonomy
for establishing policies and procedures, defining staffing and management requirements,
developing a comprehensive benefits program, and building the entire HR infrastructure."

Marketing is the key to effective job searching. It is critical that you be aggressive and bold in your
resume. Following are some new words and phrases...some fresh ideas..that you can integrate
into your resume and cover letter. Although each word/phrase is used in one specific example,
you can easily use these words to describe a variety of positions, achievements and professional
activities.

1. High-profile executive management position leading the complete corporate marketing

and advertising organization.
2. Accepted high-visibility public relations assignment working with the executive
management team to launch the company's introduction into the European marketplace.
3. High-Caliber presentation, negotiation and closing skill.
4. Catalyst for change, reengineering and performance improvement.
5. Experienced change agent successful in retraining all clinical care personnel to meet the
challenges of health care initiatives in the year 2000.
6. Launched a series of organizational development initiatives in cooperation with new
strategic plans for productivity/quality improvement.
7. Positioned corporation for fast-track growth throughout emerging markets.
8. Pioneered the introduction of a series of leading edge video teleconferencing
technologies.
9. Transitioned business from start-up through accelerated growth to its current position as
the #1 corporation in the hazardous materials remediation industry.
10. Created a dynamic sales culture to support the introduction of a new product portfolio.
11. Orchestrated a complete redesign of the MIS organization, introduced sophisticated
technologies, and exceeded internal production objectives by 38%.
12. Redesigned corporate infrastructure to streamline/consolidate accounting, finance, and
MIS functions.
13. Proactive in leading the corporation's strategic planning and product development
initiatives.
14. Spearheaded the development of a new transportation and distribution operation.
15. Improved customer perceived satisfaction through retraining all front line personnel.
16. Led the sale/marketing of a complete portfolio of edutainment products. (Latest buzz
word for educational entertainment technology)
17. Drove revenues form $100,000 to $1.2 million within one year.
18. Realigned health care benefits programs to expand coverage while reducing expenses to
the corporation.
19. Accepted equity participation with start-up corporation providing international trade
financing for development nations.
20. Fast-track promotion through a series of increasingly responsible administrative
management positions.
21. Successful in leading corporations through critical start-up, turnaround and fast-track
growth.
22. Provided vision and direction to reposition corporation and capitalize upon changes in
technology and market demand.
23. Selected from a competitive group of more than 200 professional candidates for the
number two position with the XYZ Corporation.
Your resume is your personal advertisement. And, just as with any other advertisement, it is
largely focused on your ability to "market", your qualifications and position yourself competitively
against the competition. We all hear the statistics; we all know the vast number of professionals
vying for the same positions. What can you do to distinguish yourself from the crowd and win in
the job search game? To an increasingly large extent, it is your ability to market yourself. To
present your qualifications, experience and achievements in a manner that is sharp, focused,
upscale and aggressive. Be aggressive, be bold, but be honest.

How Do You Handle a Salary History Request?

By Sally Kearsley

When an employer requests a salary history to be submitted with a resume, many job seekers find
themselves at a loss. If you’re a student and your employment “history” is primarily part-time, co-op,
internship or volunteer positions, the problem is compounded—obviously, you want to make considerably
more in your full-time job! No job seeker wants to price him- or herself out of a job, but most do not want to
give the employer the opening to offer less than the going rate for the position.

Your response to a request for a salary history is best handled in your cover letter. Respond to the question
well toward the end of the letter, after you’ve highlighted your skills, experience, and interest in the position,
which are far more important to your consideration as a candidate.

Here are some tips.

Do…

• Respond to the question positively without stating specific amounts. (Examples: “I’m earning
in the low 30s.” “As a student, my jobs to this point have been geared toward gaining experience
and making money to cover my educational costs.”)
• Mention your desired salary, either saying that salary is negotiable depending upon the position
or giving a $3-5,000 range (if you know the market value for the position and for someone with your
skills and background). You may also use terms like “competitive” or “open” if you are responding to
this question on an application form.
• Know your salary requirements as well as what you hope to make. You shouldn’t mention these
in your response to the salary history question, but you need to give this some thought for when
you get to the negotiating stage.
• Be prepared to respond to a request for previous salaries in an interview. It can be handled
by responding without stating specific amounts (see tip #1). Avoid specific amounts if at all
possible.
• Prepare a list of your positions (in reverse chronological order) for your own reference and just in
case an employer in which you are very interested is absolutely adamant. (This will not happen
often!) The list should include name of each company or organization, your position title, your
compensation, and a brief synopsis of your position.

Don't...

• Include your salary history on your resume. What you did in a job is much more important than
what you were paid.
• Lie about your previous pay rate. Employers can often verify your salary history through your
reference checks.

If it is any consolation, this is a difficult question for all job searchers to handle, not just new college grads!
The key is to shift the focus, politely but firmly, from what you made in the past to what you expect to make
in the future.