Job Seeking Tips

Fortune's Tips on Finding a Job

Dana Wilkie — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:48:48 -0400

A scheduled daily pep talk. Regular meetings with out-of-work neighbors. Relentless research. Even a food diary. These are some of the tools that one out-of-work executive recently used while searching for his next job, which he found two-and-a-half months after losing his post with his former employer. The cover story in Fortune Magazine's April 13 issue -- "How to Find a Job" -- includes everything from the practical to the inspirational to find a job at a time when the unemployment rate is at its highest in a quarter century. Read the full story at http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune.

Show Your Stuff: Portfolios and Samples in the Digital Age

Dana Wilkie — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:47:45 -0500

You've landed an interview and you're prepared to talk about your strengths and successes. But what should you take with you to the meeting? In today's high-tech workplace, how do you showcase samples of your work? What is appropriate to leave behind with, or send as a follow-up to, a potential employer?

With the increase in digital communication and archiving, fewer people are relying on hard copies, making it important to rethink your portfolio and samples strategy. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Portfolio or No Portfolio?

Managing Phone Interviews

Dana Wilkie — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:45:36 -0500

You've refined your resume, you've researched your target industry and you're being considered for your dream job. You've polished your shoes and found the perfect interview suit. You're ready to make a good impression in your interview. But are you ready for that interview to be over the phone instead of in person?

Increasingly, organizations are saving time by putting off face-to-face interviews and instead relying on phone interviews, in lieu of an initial meeting.

Remember that as you seek a communications position, your phone interview will be more than just an interview - it will be an audition of sorts, providing a way for you to showcase your communications skills when it comes to dealing with reporters or senior executives. So take your phone interview seriously, devoting forethought and planning to make it a success.

Make Yourself Memorable: Send a Thank-You Note

Dana Wilkie — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:44:17 -0500

You've just finished a successful interview. You were prepared and had current news on your prospective company to discuss. Your key skills seem a perfect fit for the position. The interview was comfortable and interesting.

Now what do you do?

If you want to be sure your prospective employer remembers the interview in the positive way you do, send a thank-you note within a day or two.

A thank-you note puts you at the top of the interviewer's mind a few days after your interview, after he or she has likely met with other candidates. It reminds the interviewer how well your interview went and the pertinent topics you discussed.

A great thank-you note should:

Job Hunting Tips From Recruiters

Dana Wilkie — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:42:14 -0500

A successful job search is built on three basic components: focus, definition and persistence.

To succeed, you must narrow the search to a specific type of job, define skills and accomplishments that set you apart from the pack, and keep at it until landing the job you want.

"Candidates must distinguish themselves from the mass of similarly qualified people," says Ted Warren, president of Strategic Resources in Bellevue, Wash. "Working with a recruiter, the candidate must identify and quantify accomplishments. It's not enough to say you were vice president of sales and marketing for XYZ Corp.--you've got to tell the prospective employer what you've accomplished, how you accomplished it and what you can do for them. Be prepared to back things up with facts and figures."