If you are responding to a classified ad, your first step should be to send the information requested in the ad. If the ad doesn't indicate the employer and you mail your materials to a post office box or a box number at the publication, you will have to wait until the prospective employer contacts you.
If the ad gives the company's name, address and the name of an individual to mail your materials to, then:
- Address the cover letter to the individual indicated in the ad. (Double-check the spelling of this person's name!)
- See if you know anyone who works at the company who can mention your name and your interest in the job to the person reviewing applicants and/or the individual you would be working for.
- Several days after you have responded to the ad, call the individual who is reviewing applicants and reiterate your interest. Ask if he or she needs any further information, and indicate that you would like to schedule an interview where you can learn more about the position and discuss your qualifications.
- If an interview is scheduled, ask if it would be possible for you to pick up a formal job description of the position prior to your interview. If you can, you will be better able to match your skills to what the company needs during the interview.
- Get background information on the company and their products/services before you have your interview. The easiest way to do this is to get a copy of their most recent annual report. You can request this directly from the com pany or your local library might have a copy. If the com pany does not issue an annual report, try any sales or in formational literature the company might produce on its products/services.
Before arranging your first interview, know what your former employer will say about you. Don't settle for, "We'll give you a good recommendation." Ask what will be said about you. You have a right to know and you're not being unreasonable to ask. If you learn that you'll get a poor recommendation, negotiate for a better one. For example, if a former employer says he or she will say you were absent more than five percent of the time, ask him or her to add that it was due to an illness in the family, if that was the case. One way or another, it is best to know what a former employer will say about you so you can deal with the recommendation intelligently.
Find out if the people you list as references object to being listed. (Just alerting them to the fact that they might get a call helps them give a good reference.) Also find out how they prefer to be addressed, what their phone numbers and addresses are. Have that information written down so you are ready to give it on an application form. "He's my minister at the All Pray Church and the number's in the phone book" is very little help to a prospective employer.
How to Conduct Yourself During an Interview
The most important thing to remember is that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. With that in mind the following are essential in interviewing:
- Be on time. Allow extra time for parking, heavy traffic or finding an unfamiliar address.
- Dress appropriately for the position. Even if the position requires you to wear a uniform or dress very casually, be sure to wear appropriate attire for the interview.
- Be organized. Bring additional copies of your resume or any other materials that might be appropriate to show your skills.
- Ask basic questions regarding the job. What is the job description for the position? What are the company's expectations of this individual?
- Look the interviewer in the eye when you are talking and listening. Don't look around the room.
- If you like what you hear and think you want the job, say so. Be enthusiastic and tell the interviewer you think you could do an outstanding job for the company and would like to be given that opportunity. Depending on your style and that of the interviewer, some prospective employees have been successful by asking "When do I start?" at the end of an interview.
You can set yourself apart from other applicants by following up after the interview. Most people don't.
Follow up by writing a short note to the persons you inter viewed, thanking them for their time, expressing your continued interest in the position and indicating that you look forward to hearing from them soon.
Be sure and write this note and mail it promptly after your interview (within 24 hours).
