Career Information Online

I’ve done some interviewing in my previous life, and a question I always asked of our receptionist was “what did you think of the person that just interviewed?”  Were they polite and courteous?  I’m not saying to go overboard when you meet the people at your potential new employer.  What I’m saying is to always be polite and courteous to everyone you meet, whether it is the security guard at the door or the manager’s assistant.  Say please and thank you, and when you are leaving say goodbye.  As my mother would say good manners are important.  Be sure to use them on your interview.  It might be a small thing, but that manager might just ask his or her assistant they’re opinion of you.

A trend that I noticed on several resumes submitted via the internet was no phone number listed on the resume.  I’ve even seen a few resumes that don’t have a physical address.  These candidates thought that they could communicate via email with the potential new employer.  Bad idea.  There’s just something unsettling when you see a resume with only an email address as the contact information.  If you’re in between addresses or cell phones then use a family member’s address and phone number as your contact information, along with your email address.  You can explain to the hiring manager your situation when you get to the interview.  And there are some valid reasons why you might not have a permanent phone number or physical address - maybe you’ve just finished up your college education and are looking for an apartment at the same time you’re seeking employment.  Legitimate reasons for not having a permanent address and/or phone number.  People can become curious, or even suspicious, if you say you don’t have a phone number.  Avoid this pitfall and use the phone number of a family member or trusted friend.  They can change their greeting to state you’ve reached (fill in the blank) phone number and we are unable to take your call right now.  Please leave your name and number and we will return the call.  Just be sure to ask the person if you can use their phone number!

Companies receive lots of responses to jobs they post, be it online or in the newspaper.  It is usually the in-house recruiter or human resources department that is responsible for determining what candidates the hiring managers should meet with during the interview process.  Often the way they accomplish this goal is through the use of a telephone interview.

A telephone interview (also known as a telephone screen) is a brief conversation between you and a representative of the company to determine if there is enough interest in your background and skill set to bring you in for a formal interview.  A telephone interview will usually fall into one of two categories.  It can be an initial screen or it can be a technical screen.

An initial screen is exactly what it sounds like.  You’ll spend a few minutes on the phone with a recruiter or human resources representative who will ask you basic questions about your background, skills, work experience, education, and salary requirements.  This person most likely will not get in-depth into your skill set.  He/she wants to determine if you meet the basic requirements of the position.

A technical screen is a more complex conversation.  You will most likely be speaking with the actual hiring manager or a person in the department that is expert in the skills required to perform the job that is advertised.  You’ll be quizzed on your specific knowledge of a software program, process, procedure, etc.  You still may have to answer basic background questions, but you’ll need to be prepared to answer tough technical questions as well.

If you receive a call from a company asking to set up a telephone interview, ask them what kind of conversation you should be prepared to have.  You might also want to ask how long the conversation will last to allow you to schedule enough time to have a good conversation without being worried about time constraints.  You want to be able to concentrate on the conversation you are having and not nervously looking at your watch hoping the conversation will be over by the end of your lunch hour.

It’s commonplace to have a company request that resumes be forwarded to them via email rather than snail mail.  However, there is a detail that needs to be considered and often is overlooked.  It is your email address.  Some people have “cutesy” email addresss - ilovemydog at something or perhaps it’s even something a little risqué.  Do yourself a favor and get an email address that is more professional.  There are so many places you can go to get a free email address, whether it’s Hotmail, Yahoo or now AOL.  Make it a serious email address - perhaps your first and last name with some numbers, or maybe your first and last name with job search or whatever.  For example:

• JohnDoe12345 at whatever
• john_doe_12345 at whatever
• john_doe_jobsearch at whatever

You get the idea. 

Also, be sure to have the display name on the email be your actual name and not your email address (especially if you ignore the advice about getting a serious address).  When someone from your future employer goes looking for your resume they are going to be looking for something from Jane Smith and not beerismylife!