Job Seeker asking for WineTalent's Advice

Recently a job seeker asked my advice on job hunting strategies.  Knowing that these are very common questions, I thought an online response would be fitting.  Here goes:

Good afternoon Amy,

I have been applying for jobs online and have a question for you.  When asked for a cover letter, how much detail is expected? I have been advised to keep it to one page.  I was under the impression the cover letter was to address the requirements in the ad and thus was much more involved. Could you clarify this please?

Also, what is a reasonable time to hear back from one of these ads I submit to? I have noticed there is not often an email address given and thus it is impossible to do any follow up. Is it common for there to be some acknowledgment of your application or only if they are interested?

Thanks for any help you can offer,

Cheers,

Job Seeker

Dear Job Seeker,

While I can only offer my perspective, I'm happy to share my thoughts with you.  Here they are:

Cover letters:  Ok, I've probably admitted to this before, but I don't even read cover letters 95% of the time.   It is often another document to open and can be cumbersome when I'm dealing with a lot of new submittals.  I think a resume should be self-explanatory.  That being said, I do like a succinct email message with a polite greeting, a brief introduction and any pertinent information that may not be included in the resume.   This information could include the reason why you are looking for a new role, why this role appeals to you and also facts such as ability to relocate, availability to interview and/or start a job and the best ways to reach you.  But that's me.  Some people really expect a cover letter.  With that in mind, do write a succinct cover letter that explains why you are interested in the role and that you are qualified for the role.  I also recommend including the pertinent information I outlined above.  I think with many of the larger companies they are stripping your resume from any other documents and putting it into their database.  But it is your call if you continue to include a cover letter or simply move to an email message.

Feedback after submitting your resume:  What is a reasonable time?  I don't know.  Many of the ads you submit your resume to are blind box ads and are posted that way so the company can keep its anonymity and not be deluged with calls from job seekers.  While I may kick myself for saying this, I always encourage you to follow up after submitting a resume--when you can.  So if you do submit your resume to a specific company and can put a call into the hiring manager of the department, or the HR manager, do it.  While I may get 100 resumes for a posting, I hear from about 5% of the applicants.  Sometimes the people who have followed up with me discovered that their resume got routed to my spam folder.  Some of those people have ended up getting hired through WineTalent--so it definitely paid off for them to follow up on their resume submission.  

Acknowledgement of submission:  I do try to let every applicant know I received their resume.  When I have someone check in with me I ask if they got a confirmation.  When they don't, sometimes I have found their resume stuck in the spam folder.  Or they realize they sent it to the wrong email address.  But that's my system.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of job seekers say that they never get any confirmation of their resume being received by other companies.  This is after direct submissions to companies, to blind box ads, and to fellow recruiters.  I empathize with the frustration people feel in this situation.  There really isn't much you can do.  I do anticipate that job seekers will hear from a company if there is interest in them as an employee--otherwise  the whole job posting system isn't working!  But that is not much solace during the job hunt.  

Takeaway:  My advice is to be good at submitting ads to openings, at following up on those submissions when possible, and to find out anything you can about the company and the role if it is of real interest to you. 

Good Luck!  Hopefully this is helpful.  Keep me posted on how the job hunt goes.  You'll be hearing from me when a suitable role comes up--hopefully soon!  

Job Seekers Beware: Identity Theft

When you are looking for a job you are thrilled when someone contacts you and wants to interview you for a position.  And as a potential employee, you often don't know what information you should and shouldn't share with a recruiter or hiring manager.  With unemployment running at a high level, if you are looking for a job you may feel that you need to be as helpful and as easy to deal with as possible in the hopes of landing a job.  This is just the way some identify thieves like it.

In the October 2012 issue of Consumer Reports they profiled "America's Worst Scams".  #14 was about ID thieves posing as recruiters to get job seeker's personal information. The article discussed job seekers who were using online job search applications being approached by a "recruiter" who was looking to fill jobs at companies nearby. The ID theives posed as recruiters and conducted interviews in public places with these people, having them fill out detailed job applications which included name, date of birth, address, and Social Security number.  These job applicants later went to the local company as directed by the recruiter, only to learn that there were no openings and that the recruiters were not associated with the company at all.

We all think we are too smart to fall for a scam, but ID thieves can be pretty clever.  While I am sure the majority of meetings you would have with a recruiter would be above board, I think you should always be cautious about sharing your personal information.

As a job seeker this is the information you should share:
1.  Your name
2.  Your phone number
3.  Your email address
4.  Your home city, state and zip code
5.  Your work experience
6.  Your education level/degree

If you are sending in a resume, you should make sure you have that information included.  Often people put their home address, and while this is the convention, I believe you can keep this off of your resume.  A potential employer can request this of you as needed.

This is information you should never share unless it is a true employment application or offer of employment:
1.  Your Social Security Number

And beware if these questions are asked:
1.  Your mother's maiden name
2.  Your bank account information
3.  The make of your first car
4.  Your first pet's name.
Ok, maybe I am thinking about all the things you may use as your password on those last ones, but do try to keep personal information private so that ID thieves cannot use it.

So, what do you do when that friendly recruiter approaches you for an interview in a public location?  Well, first of all do your homework.  Is she really who she says she is?  Does she have a website?  Did she give you information about the job she is currently hiring for?  Have you ever heard of her before?

If you are feeling confident that this meeting may lead to a job or be good for your job search, plan on meeting her.  Beware if she puts a lengthy job application in front of you that asks for your mother's maiden name, any aliases you have ever used and your Social Security number.  If she shows up and has inconsistencies between what you talked about on the phone and what she is discussing during the meeting, keep your personal information as tightly guarded as possible. 

As a job hunter you want to be easy to interact with.  But don't be taken advantage of by those who prey on people in tough circumstances.  Keep your guard up and try to figure out if it is a real opportunity or a "phishing expedition".

Good luck out there folks!