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Getting Hired for Dummies
Posted in: Blog by Michael Pett on May 26, 2010
As Erika mentioned in her recent post, last week we were busy conducting interviews for our summer internship positions. And although we’ve hired nine kick-ass interns that I can’t wait to work alongside, there were a couple applicants who clearly didn’t have a clue what they were doing. So instead of a Thumbs Up & Thumbs Down section this week, I have a list of My Top 5 Dos & Don’ts when applying for a job with Empowerment Squared or any other company. Enjoy!
Do…
1. Personally address your cover letter to the hiring manager. Call me egotistical, but I’d much rather see “Dear Mr. Michael Pett” than “Dear Sir/Madam” or “Dear Hiring Manager.” Obviously, this isn’t always possible since not every job posting provides the name of the hiring manager. But when it does, make sure to use it. Like myself, I’m betting that deep down inside, most hiring managers are little egotistical.
2. Proofread your cover letter and resume before submitting them! Seriously. It’s amazing how many stupid grammatical errors and spelling mistakes I found. We’re talking about there instead of their, two instead of too, and incorrect punctuation all over the place! All of your English teachers would be ashamed.
3. Dress fashionably for your interview. Is it fair that how you look may determine whether or not you get hired? Probably not. Is that real life? Most definitely. So hit up your nearest mall, pick-up a killer outfit and dress to impress!
4. Arrive to your interview on time. Actually, scratch that. I strongly suggest that you arrive early. Better safe than sorry, right? If you miss your interview time, you’re probably shit outta luck. But if you’re a couple minutes early, well, you can calm your nerves and mentally prepare for your interview like you should.
5. Check out Water Cooler Gossip, a blog written by my friend Gabi Pirraglia that provides a student perspective on career services and opportunities for undergraduates. She knows what she’s talking about and has a lot of great advice for anyone looking to start or advance their career.
Don’t…
1. Apply for every single position that we’re hiring for. Although you were probably going for keen and interested, you came across as desperate and indecisive. Next time choose one or two positions that really interest you and just apply for those ones. It will allow you to spend more time personalizing your cover letters and you’ll seem more engaged with those positions. Speaking of cover letters…
2. Use a generic cover letter that appears to be personalized but really just had the position title and our organization’s name added to it. Seriously, I’m not stupid. And to be honest, using a generic letter is a little insulting. It makes you look lazy and tells me that you don’t care enough about our organization to explain why specifically you want to work for us.
3. Forget to change the salutations of your cover letter from the last time you used it. As if using a generic cover letter wasn’t bad enough. However, this is pretty much rock bottom. Don’t expect me to read a cover letter that is addressed to. Pauline. Actually, don’t expect any hiring manager to read your cover letter…not even the kind people at Burger King. Fast food chains may not demand much of their employees, but they at least require you to be moderately detail-oriented!
4. Show up to an interview and not know a single thing about our organization. No matter the position, I guarantee that every hiring manager will ask what you know about their company. And since you know that, this question should be freebie–like in elementary school when you’d get a point on a test just for writing your name on it. So do your homework and take advantage of these easy marks! The information is on our website. All you have to do is read it and regurgitate.
5. Be afraid to be yourself in the interview. Applications show if you have the qualifications to work for us. Interviews show if you have the personality to work with us. So if you’re given an interview, don’t waste it by rehashing your resume! I personally start all my interviews by asking: “Tell me about yourself. What should I know about you that I didn’t already find out from your resume and cover letter?” This is a gift. I proactively give you a chance to help me connect with you as a person. The key word being person, not paper. I’m looking to hear about what gets you up in the morning, what you’re passionate about, what you enjoy to do in your free time, what you like to read, etc. I’m not looking to hear you orally summarize your resume.
Well, those are My Top 5 Dos and Don’ts. Have some advice of your own? Leave a comment and share your wisdom!
Comments
What a great ruesroce this text is.
Comment by Misty on July 7, 2011 at 12:20 am