To begin, I would like to thank Lidia Shelley and Hester Lyons for taking time out of their day to come and speak with us regarding professional development. This class was very informative and I feel much more confident that the professional writing will improve after being a part of today's class. One specific point that seemed to resonate throughout the entire class was the idea that each cover letter, resume, and email we send to a perspective employer is a direct reflection upon ourselves.
That being said, I would like to open the blog this week with a couple of questions and I hope to see more questions follow!
For my first question, I would like to touch upon post-interview etiquette. After interviewing, is it recommended to send an email to the interviewer, thanking them for this opportunity? I have been told that this is an execellent way to stand out.
I also thought the conversation about word choice was very interesting. That being said, is it important to avoid certain words in a resume or an interview? (e.g. Instead of saying if I get this job...should we say when?)
Thank you again for joining the Verons today in an effort to help our professional growth. It is truly appreciated!
23 comments:
Thanks to Hester and Lidia for taking time out to share some really valuable insights with us!
Lauren, you listed some really great questions.
My most valuable takeaway from yesterday's session was how important it is to individualize your resume to the prospective employer you are presenting yourself to, and the necessity of moving away from the one size fits all approach.
One question I have is: how much detail do you incorporate into the descriptions of each item on the resume? And format-wise, are bullet points preferable to complete sentences?
Another question I have is about the tone of the cover letter. The sample that was provided struck me as very upbeat rather than serious, and I was wondering if such a tone is generally welcomed by all resume reviewers, or does it depend on the job position I am applying for?
First of all, I would like to thank Hester and Lidia for the experience that they've shared with us on Thursday. During the class, one thought came repeatedly into my mind. "OMG. How many times my resume will be thrown away":).
Thinking about my resume, I am always wondering wether it has everything that I can do in regards to the job that I am applying. If some people have issues with over-exaggerating, I do have the opposite quality. That is why, I feel like CV is much more encompassing for my field that anyone traditional form of resume.
Thanks to our guests, I did understand some of my mistakes in resume writing. However, my another concern is cover letter.
Should we try to be personal and appeal to emotions (just a little bit)? (ex. in cases when you apply to the job that recalls your childhood issues, such as domestic violence, unfair trial, etc.).
What moments should be reintegrated from resume? Should we discuss our education? Should we only talk about our related experience?
Another question is actually practical. When someone applied for any position and did not received any feedback from the hiring manager within a month, should this person follow up??? What is the appropriate time for follow up? Should we follow up?
Thanks again for the wonderful class.
Thank you Hester and Lidia for coming in. I thought I had this resume business under my wing only to find out the common mistakes I had been making. Also, shockingly I have never been asked for a cover letter, so I did not know how to write one until you came in with the template.
Most of the time, the type of jobs I apply to are immigration related which is most of the experience I have on my resume.
Now, however, I am applying for a job that focuses less on legal work and more on advocacy. Is this to say that I should trim down the descriptions of the legal work I have done and make my resume more about advocacy and activism?
I feel like with immigration, both are important, but I do not want my application to suffer because I have "too much".
Last week's session was very informative and useful. I want to thank both Lidia, Hester and professor Rose's parents. It was interesting to learn from the perspective of the individuals that review the resumes. During that afternoon I had an interview and I think it went great. We spent about 5 minutes talking about the acting at my prior institution so it was ironic how we just discussed it in class.
My question is similar to Lauren's when following up after an interview. I emailed the following day stating "it was pleasure.....". Should it be short and simple? What if there are multiple people who conduct the interview, do you email each one individually? If anyone can answer these questions I would appreciate it :))
I want to start by thanking Lidia, Hester and Professor Rose's parents for leading such a great class and taking the time to revise our resumes. Each you, including professor Waterston and Fisher, Brought a different perspective to the class.
I wish we had more time to go over the cover letter. I am glad we still can get some answers through the blog. I would like to know who I should address a cover letter if I don’t know, or can’t find, the name of the hiring manager or HR representative. Is it ok to call the organization and ask?
Thanks to Linda and Hester for leading such a great session last Thursday. I am sure that the information shared during that session was helpful to all of us as new agent of social justice in the workforce.
My compliments goes as well to Prof. Rose's parents. If they will get a chance to read our discussion board, I would like to thank them for their presence and express my gratitude to their participation and support to our discussion.
In regards to the discussion question #1, I think a "thank you email" is not an obligation. However, it might be interpreted as a symbol of respect and professionalism.
Hello everyone,
We had a wonderful time with you all last Thursday and were happy to learn more about you and your accomplishments.
In the next two blog posts (it is too big for one go) I will paste your questions with our answers to each one of them in a different color. The formatting will probably not preserve, but I've tried to make it visibly clear.
Hester and I discussed our answers so this comes from both of us, even though I am the one who took on the task of blogging.
Wishing you many successes to come!
Best,
Lidia
Lauren Giles:
Q. For my first question, I would like to touch upon post-interview etiquette. After interviewing, is it recommended to send an email to the interviewer, thanking them for this opportunity? I have been told that this is an execellent way to stand out.
A. HL: First, make sure that everything in your email to them is spelled correctly. And yes, if you are fortunate to get an interview, thank them for taking the time to meet with you and tell them that you are enthusiastic about what you learned about the position.
Q. I also thought the conversation about word choice was very interesting. That being said, is it important to avoid certain words in a resume or an interview? (e.g. Instead of saying if I get this job...should we say when?)
A. HL: It probably depends on who the interviewer is; some people prefer a bit of humility: “if I were to be offered this position” and maybe there are a few who wouldn’t see saying “when” as being overly (and therefore inappropriately) confident.
Gina Moreno:
Q. How much detail do you incorporate into the descriptions of each item on the resume? And format-wise, are bullet points preferable to complete sentences?
A. LS: As much detail as you feel relevant to the position you are applying to, but not too short (one bullet point) and not too long (10 bullet points). Around 4-5 I would say is best. HL: You should have a few generic resumes: one for research, one for direct service, and one perhaps for administrative. The real tailoring comes from the cover letter which speaks to the particular requirements of the posting.
Q. Another question I have is about the tone of the cover letter. The sample that was provided struck me as very upbeat rather than serious, and I was wondering if such a tone is generally welcomed by all resume reviewers, or does it depend on the job position I am applying for?
A. LS: Upbeat and serious tones do not necessarily contradict each other, so it can be both (and might be even desirable to be both). Think that you want to be formal, concise, clear and explicit. But you don’t want to be too dry to generic in your answers. Something in your cover letter must attract the reader and make you stand out from the rest.
Marina Kumskova:
Q. Should we try to be personal and appeal to emotions (just a little bit)? (ex. in cases when you apply to the job that recalls your childhood issues, such as domestic violence, unfair trial, etc.).
A. HL: I have found that it is preferable not to mention personal issues in a cover letter, but if you feel compelled to mention them because you think it brings value, it should not be emotional; it should refer to how your personal experience informs your perspective towards the work. Again, it depends on the requirements of the job. Sometimes, postings will specifically state they prefer someone with previous criminal justice involvement, for example.
Q. What moments should be reintegrated from resume? Should we discuss our education? Should we only talk about our related experience?
A. LS: If your resume is more about the “whole you” the cover letter is about “the part of you” that is the most interesting/appealing/valuable to the employer. Emphasize whatever skill, knowledge or experience you have that will be indispensable to the job.
Q. Another question is actually practical. When someone applied for any position and did not received any feedback from the hiring manager within a month, should this person follow up??? What is the appropriate time for follow up? Should we follow up?
A. LS: Unless you are selected for an interview you will not hear back from an employer. When employers have hundreds of resume to review they contact only those whom they wish to interview and no one else. You should follow up only if the employer contacted you specifically and you never heard back.
Danyeli Rodriguez:
Q. Now, however, I am applying for a job that focuses less on legal work and more on advocacy. Is this to say that I should trim down the descriptions of the legal work I have done and make my resume more about advocacy and activism?
I feel like with immigration, both are important, but I do not want my application to suffer because I have "too much".
A. HL: the resume we saw last week looked like a straight path to law school with a very definite focus; it was great. You are correct that you should tailor a resume that reflects more advocacy experience, while still making your legal work a part of it. Don’t drop it by any means.
Brenda Gonzalez:
Q. My question is similar to Lauren's when following up after an interview. I emailed the following day stating "it was pleasure.....". Should it be short and simple? What if there are multiple people who conduct the interview, do you email each one individually? If anyone can answer these questions I would appreciate it :))
A. LS: Congratulations on your interview, hopefully you get an offer! At the interview try to gather everyone’s business cards. You can email a thank you note to everyone who gave you a card; they will know to expect it. Definitely email the main interviewers even if he/she/they didn’t give you a card.
Short and simple is good, but not too generic. If there was high point during the interview, emphasize it (e.g. “I am glad you mentioned X at the interview [...] I have similarly done Y […] I am looking forward to bringing my experience in Z it to the position”).
HL: If you don’t have everyone’s email address, you can even say something like: “please extend my thanks to_____________ for taking the time to meet with me as well.”
Arturo Ureña Tejeda:
Q. I would like to know who I should address a cover letter if I don’t know, or can’t find, the name of the hiring manager or HR representative. Is it ok to call the organization and ask?
A. LS: “Dear Hiring Manager “ or “To Whom It May Concern”. Never call an organization to ask that question. As a general rule, unless they have asked you to call or to return a missed call, do not call them.
HL: Also, if you do know the name of the person but you are at all unsure about what gender they are, say: “Dear Hester Lyons” for example. You can go the extra mile and look up the person on the company website and there may be a reference to “he or she” in the position description and you can go by that. It also shows that you took the time to look. I don’t like it when I’m referred to as Mr. Lyons or Hestor. It means the person didn’t take the time to be sure.
Dear Lidia!!!!
I greatly appreciate your time and your support. Thanks for answering all these questions in details. It means a lot to all of us.
Dear Hester and Lidia: I'd like to echo Marina's thanks for coming to our class, and for following up by answering student questions on the blog. Your knowledge and insight on these matters are very much appreciated!
Yes, to echo again, thank you Hester and Lidia-- my resume has never looked better!
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