5 Steps to Writing a Winning Thank-You Note

5 Steps to Writing a Winning Thank-You Note5 Steps to Writing a Winning Thank-You NoteYoure fresh out of the interview- feeling good about your presentation, answers, and connection with the interviewer. You feel like you absolutely NAILED it. Youre confident youre going to get a callback- 100 percent confident.But then a week passes and you dont hear anything. And then aleidher week. Whoosh A month has gone by. Nothing. Not a word. You call to check in, but the position has already been filled you didnt get the job.What. The. HECK?Where did you go wrong?Well, you can nail an interview, but if you dont do one important step afterward, you could very well sabotage yourself. That important step you missed? Writing a thank-you musiknote.You might think a thank-you note is a minor part of the job search process, an unnecessary courtesy even, but thats where youd be wrong. And because you forgot to send one to your interviewer(s), you passed up one final opportunity to stand out among you r competition.Okay, so now that you know how important it is to write a thank-you note after your interview, you might ask, Great. Now, how do I write a thank-you note that will grab my interviewers attention?Great question. Here are the steps to writing a winning thank-you noteStep 1. Thank them for their time.This might sound a wee bit obvious, but some people might be so caught up in trying to sell themselves in the thank-you letter that they forget to actually THANK the interviewer(s) for his/her time Right off the bat, give them a big ol thank you.Step 2. Show them you connected with them.Let them know how much youd like to work there. Tell them exactly what you loved about the position and/or company culture. Show them that you connected with them. Bonus If you met someone who youd be working closely with, mention their name in the note.Step 3. Show enthusiasm for the position.Emphasize how excited you are to be considered for the position and tell them why you feel its a grea t opportunity. ThenStep 4. Reinforce your top qualifications.After thanking the interviewer(s) for his/her time, BRIEFLY reinforce your qualifications.Accentuate three of your top qualifications as discussed during the interview, wrote Rosa Elizabeth Vargas in her article, What to Say in Your Thank You Card Besides Thank You. Now you have more information than you did prior to the interview- put it to work for you Connect your qualifications with employer needs expressed during the interview.Keep this brief, though. If you sell yourself too hard, it can work against you.Step 5. Keep it short.Remember, youre not writing a novel here. Youre writing a note. Keep it short and sweet.Writing a winning thank-you note is something you should do after every interview- regardless of how you feel it went. Not only is it polite, but it is a great tool to stand out. OH And make sure to send your email within 24 hoursReaders, do you send a thank-you note or email after an interview? Why or why no t? Share with us belowAriella Coombs is the managing editor ofCAREEREALISM. Shes a wicked career nerd, and loves finding ways to make career more fun. Follow her on TwitterAriellaCoombs

7 Professional Networking Tips and Tricks to Know

7 Professional Networking Tips and Tricks to Know7 Professional Networking Tips and Tricks to Know7 Professional Networking Tips and Tricks for a Successful Job SearchGetting a job today requires consistent, effective networking.When searching for a job, you may have heard the following statement Its not what you know, its who you know. The second part of that statement is especially true.Of course, you do need a solid set of skills to successfully perform a specific role, so what you know is always an important factor in getting hired. What remains true is that who you know can be the dynamic that gets you in the door all other things being equal.For example, getting a recommendation or even a mention from someone who already works at a company where you want to work is often the deciding factor that makes you the choice over another, equally-qualified candidate.So, how do you get that who you know factor in your eckball? Networking.Whether you like meeting people face to face or p refer to connect electronically, there are a variety of networking tips and tricks that will help make your job search successful. Here are seven successful networking tips that could make all the difference.1. Identify what networking style works best for youThis networking tip is first because it truly is the key to success. There is no one size fits all when it comes to networking, says TopResumes career advice expert, Amanda Augustine. Different people are successful using different networking tactics.Introverts do not connect with people the same way extroverts do, so they shouldnt try to match an extroverts networking style. Its important to be comfortable and confident in how you reach out to others so you always put that best foot forward.Thisshort quiz from TopResume can reveal what networking style best fits your personality, which could make the difference in your overall success.2. Know the rules of professional networkingRecently, a TopResume contributor shared the two sacred rules everyone must follow when networkingNever openly ask for an interview. Instead, ask questions to find whether the company, its culture, and its employees are a fit for you. Let people know you want to learn from their experience in your field.Never ask for a job. As you talk with both old and new connections, simply let them know youre in the market for a certain role and would appreciate if they let you know about any potential opportunities.3. Use social media effectivelyTodays variety of social media platforms have something to offer every type of job seeker. Here are some ways to effectively network on two of the best social sites, LinkedIn and Twitter.LinkedIn LinkedIn should always be your abfluging point, no matter what part of the job search youre wrapped up in, says Anthony Gaenzle, another writer for TopResume. You can search by various factors including company or job title, and then reach out to professionals at those companies to connect with them. Dont sen d a resume until youre asked, states Gaenzle, but do keep digging to learn whether the company and job are a good fit. Often, the conversation can lead to an interview.Twitter Research your target companies on Twitter, suggests Gaenzle, and follow any handles they have that are dedicated to recruiting so you can see when jobs are posted. Connect with recruiters or relevant hiring managers by liking, retweeting, or engaging with what they post. After two or three interactions, reach out directly to compliment their posts and then start to build a rapport about working with them. When appropriate, send them back to your LinkedIn profile for more details.RelatedSocial Networking How to Connect With Potential Employers Online4. Practice networking in your workplaceYour co-workers may have much to offer to your career from right within your own company, and its perfectly allowable for you to network with them.Whether youve been at your current job for two months or two years, networking with fellow employees can help you grow in your current role or provide information that can help you step into a new one. The right mentor can make you aware of new opportunities that might not be posted at large.5. Offer to helpWherever or however you do it, networking isnt meant to be one-sided. It should provide value for both parties at some point. Look for ways to help your network, and theyll readily want to help you in return.One option is to volunteer. Work for a non-profit group that resonates with you and youll likely make strong, lasting connections with other volunteers. Another route is to find skill-based volunteer (SBV) opportunities that let you use your professional skills in your volunteer efforts.In all situations, remember to both pay it back and pay it forward when someone has helped you.6. Be consistentSometimes it isnt about how you network, its simply about doing it regularly. Be willing to get out of your comfort zone and put yourself out there to connect w ith others, formally and informally, on a regular basis. Studies have proven youll be more successful if you do.7. Follow upIts a simple task, yet many professionals neglect this critical step in the networking process, states Augustine.As soon as possible after meeting someone new (either verbunden or in person) send a LinkedIn connection request and include a personalized message asking to stay in touch. Then be sure to reach out every so often with comments about posts, to share valuable career information, or simply to see how they are.Networking is one of the most important job-search techniques you should have in your toolbox, with a wide variety of methods to fit every personality and situation. The only two hard requirements are a willingness to stretch beyond your comfort zone and the intention to pay it forward by helping others when you can.Your skills will get you started, but the connections you make through networking can help ensure a long and thriving career in whate ver profession you pursue.Click on the following link for more networking advice.Your resume should be just as strong as your networking skills. Is yours? Submit for a free resume critique and well tell you.Recommended ReadingThe Importance of Networking (and How to Do It Well)10 Networking Mistakes That Make You Look UnprofessionalAsk Amanda How Do I Ask My Network for Help?

Resume Helps Contractor Become Full-time Employee

Resume Helps Contractor Become Full-time EmployeeResume Helps Contractor Become Full-time EmployeeCertified professional resume writer minimizes project-based work and highlights stability and accolades in order to help contractor find full-time work.Would you like resume advice from the experts? TheLadders.com Resume Service is zu siche to help. Contact our experts directly, or if youre feeling lucky, send us your resume for entry in our Does My Resume Stink contest. Each month one winner will receive a full resume rewrite for free. Now onto this months transformation.Melissa Mooney needed a strategy for how to move from extended contract and project work to a full-time job. Most immediately, she had some serious concerns about how to position her resume.Since 2000, she had successfully worked as an employee at a company that placed her on long-term assignments where she would work onsite at client offices. The work had been project based, with an average assignment length of four m onths.Our master plan welches to highlight Melissas skills and de-emphasize the fact that her work had been project based. The strategy would have been the same if she had been an independent contractor.While the name of her actual employer was included on her original resume as a provider of business services, we minimized this mention on her new resume. The only indication that this was onsite project work with clients was the phrase Handle client assignments with average length of four months. It was bedrngnis positioned next to the job title like Contract Internal Auditor would be. Instead, it was subtle, and also gave an opportunity to notlagee that she had experience learning new operating and financial-reporting systems very quickly.Show the scope of work.Melissa had a lot of expertise to showcase. She recovered $8.5M through contract reviews and was involved with a complex, general -ledger reconciliation for 10 facilities. She even organized and completed a three-year bank r econciliation. So I highlighted Audit, Finance and Client Relations on her new resume as general categories of high-level work that she could do well, showing accomplishments and scope of work.In a similar situation? The process of writing a resume that positively highlights work done on a contract or project basis includes1. Remove older or other information that is not relevant.I removed information that was not pertinent to her job search. The original resume went back 38 years, to 1971. The five oldest jobs took up more than one full page, and they were too old to include. By removing those jobs, there was now room to focus on more current work and keep the resume at two pages.The new resume begins with her work for her latest employer, which spanned 24 years it showed a nice progression of job titles and duties, with career stability from 1985 2000. But the section for those 15 years of work was very short and highlighted her work as an employee.2. Use a visual format that is easy to read.The original resume was hard to read with dense text, 2-1/2 pages in length, poor use of white space, and too many bullets. A new format was created with a more executive look that was easier to read.3. Identify and organize information that gives credibility.The technology skills were organized into sections, with financial applications first because they were most relevant. The work as an adjunct professor in money and banking gave credibility. The professional associations indicated that she was involved with her professional peers.4. Develop a writing strategy.Determine why the contract and/or project work is advantageous, not a detriment.I wanted the reader to focus on what Melissa had done, not how she was paid. I showed that her professional background was actually broader from doing project work, giving her an opportunity to learn from a wider variety of situations.5. Present the project work as if it were done as an employee.While still discretely showing that either you were self-employed as a consultant or doing contract work through a third party, feature the work first. This writing will allow you to focus on what you have to offer your next employer. Go back and look at the first page of the resume. It is actually written the same as if Melissa had been an employee all those years.The headline positioned Melissa as a financial executive with specific experience in manufacturing, professional services, and internal audit. I did not say she was a consultant.Once all those basic changes were made, we had a new resume that gently managed her past nine years of project work. The heart of the strategy was to focus on accomplishments and general areas of expertise. This entire section was presented on one page.Melissa had some very clear accomplishments shed brought to the service of the company. Those accomplishments included reducing costs increasing revenue and identifying lack of internal controls, flawed contracts and internal proces ses, including collusion among senior financial executives. The header for this section indicated that these were just representative accomplishments. This section was front and center to highlight the importance of the information. If she could do this type of high-level work for a past employer, she could do it for the next one. All of these accomplishments were representative of what other companies might need.