Reasons to follow up in your job search

Many job seekers miss the one step that can land them an interview and the job they’re applying for. Sure, they send in their resume or application – they may even send the additional information requested – but many of the unemployed simply fail to follow up with the employers to whom they apply.

Why follow up? Here are five good reasons:

1. Consideration

Care to guess how often an online resume or application is not received or mis-routed to the wrong person or department? I didn’t think so! Following up can ensure your resume was received and by the right person so you can be considered for the job you THOUGHT you applied for. If an employer doesn’t have your information, you won’t be considered. It’s that plain and simple!

2. Recognition

Any contact with an employer is a chance to stand out from the rest of the applicants. Following up will allow the employer to place a voice or face with the name. If everything else is equal, the employer will be more likely to call an applicant with whom he or she has interacted in some way than with one he or she has not.

3. Impression

Employers, regardless of industry, are looking for eager, proactive workers who go the extra mile. Follow up is a simple way to show you meet this expectation.

4. Information

Following up by phone or in person may allow you to obtain additional information about the job, employer, or interviewer that may give you an edge in an interview.

5. Interview

If you are able to speak to an employer contact you may be able to ask about when interviews are being scheduled and to ask to schedule an interview while you have him or her on the phone. Again, employers are looking for eager, proactive workers who go the extra mile – be one!

All this seems to make sense, so why don’t more applicants follow up on their resume? Usually it boils down to just one thing: Fear!

It may be fear of rejection. This is often the case; job seekers have to apply for so many jobs to get an interview and finally a job offer, they come to view even non-contact as rejection. Given they are rejected virtually every time they apply for a job, most are not inclined to stick their neck out only to be further rejected. Job search is partially a numbers game: The more you do to work to work toward your goal the better your chances.

Others feel a fear of failure and worry they will not be able to conduct themselves well in a follow up situation. What if they “flub up?” That will surely ruin any chance they might have had to be interviewed and potentially offered a job, they think. Job search is partially a numbers game:  The more you do to work toward your goal the better your chances.

Some job seekers fear that they will look too pushy or bother the employer if they try to follow up. Not so!

If an employer is bothered by follow up calls or visits you will be blocked from doing so. A person following up will find out very quickly they are not able to reach anyone in any positive way that will be helpful. This may feed into those who fear rejection, but shouldn’t bother those fearful of looking pushy! Besides, job search is partially a numbers game: The more you do to work toward your goal the better your chances.

www.careerealism.com

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Avoid Looking Like A Job Hopper On Your Resume

When an employer scans your resume for 20 seconds, what will they see? If you have had a series of jobs lasting 1-2 years, then you may look like a job hopper and these are big red flags on your resume.

Securing a candidate takes time and money for employers, so a candidate that has a record of job hopping does not leave a positive impression and sways employers to move on to consider other candidates instead. Short periods of employment generally indicate that you were terminated due to lack of performance and that is not the impression you want to convey.

If your resume contains several short employment stints, here are ways to avoid looking like a job hopper – especially if your situations involved layoffs, company mergers and temporary assignments.

1. Company Changes

When the reason you leave the job is because of structural changes within a company or the company closes down, these are situations that are not within your control and should not be cause for you to appear like a job hopper on your resume. Whether you were laid off, the company moved out of state, or went out of business, indicate that as a brief note on your resume next to your dates of employment.

Also, for company mergers, rather than relisting each company name and your position, simplify matters by listing the company’s current name and indicating in parenthesis, “formerly [previous name(s)].” An employer reviewing your resume will immediately understand and not assume the worst – that you’ve been job hopping.

2. Consulting And Temporary Assignments

It’s not a surprise to see more of today’s candidates resorting to consulting and temporary assignments. The market for jobs is not where it once used to be. Many in consulting and temporary assignments are offered short-term projects.

One way to handle this is to pull all these experiences together into one pool on your resume. You may indicate on your resume “Consultant” and specify the full length of time you were in the role. Underneath this section, highlight the companies and/or specific experiences and accomplishments in the role. An employer will view all the individual experiences and temporary assignments – and its significance in furthering your career experiences – as a whole.

If that doesn’t fit your situation, just make sure to indicate it was a contract position next to the dates so people will see right away the short tenure was planned.

3. Reformat Dates Of Employment

Rather than listing the specific month and year you were employed with an employer, indicate only the year. It can appear less obvious that you were only on the job for 16 months, and appear more like two years.

4. Demonstrate Contribution And Accomplishments

There is little you can do to change the amount of time you were on certain jobs, but what you can do is divert the focus to your contributions and accomplishments on the job. Even if you were on the job for under a year, highlight significant contributions you made to show outstanding performance on the job.

Employers care about and are impressed by candidates good at what they do and who are effective on the job; even if you only had a short period of time in the role.

Use these tips to make sure you are sending the right message to an employer and avoid being categorized as a job hopper.

www.careerealism.com

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When should you discuss your salary in a job interview?

Revealing your current compensation too soon could undermine your chances for higher pay. Here’s how to negotiate.

1. Don’t send salary requirements with your resume.
2. Don’t write down your pay history on an application.
3. Delay salary discussions until you have a clear understanding of the job.
4. Emphasize what you’ll be bringing to the table.
5. Keep in mind that an offer is not always the last word.

Asking “Is there any flexibility in this offer?” may lead to a juicier deal. It’s more realistic to expect something like “an extra week of paid vacation or a signing bonus” than a big boost in base pay.

http://fortune.com/2011/04/14/when-should-you-discuss-your-salary-in-a-job-interview/

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Hiring Senior Auditor for a leading MNC

Title: Senior Auditor

Department: Internal Audit

Location: Mumbai / Bangalore

Work Time: 1PM to 10 PM (cab service available)

Positions: 5

Salary Range: 12L

The Internal Audit Department is responsible for overseeing the company's Internal Audit program at the direction of the Audit Committee. The Internal audit program is established to ensure that the company has an effective internal controls structure with controls that are properly designed and operating effectively and efficiently.

This position is for an experienced internal audit lead who enjoys hands-on involvement in planning and executing reviews and in developing a durable internal audit methodology suitable to a fast-paced highly demanding environment. This position will report to the Manager, Internal Audit.

Responsibilities:

• Manage independently and perform audits end to end.

• Should be capable of understanding processes and related risks, preparing audit plans and work programs and preparing reports.

• Communicating results verbally and in writing to members of senior management.

• Provide regular updates to senior manager and process owners on status of project.

• Work with various business unit representatives and process owners to review and test internal systems and processes.

• Investigate opportunities for cost savings or process improvements.

• Maintain and update appropriate audit work papers.

• Follow up timely on remediation items.

Key Result Areas:

• Identify any weaknesses in processes and recommend and implement changes to strengthen internal controls.

• Identify areas for process improvement.

• Timely completion of Projects.

• Quality deliverables.

Eligibility to apply:

• A CA, MBA, CPA or Certified Internal Auditor Designation is a plus.
• Experience in the Mortgage Servicing industry is a plus.
• 4-6 years experience, of which at least 3 years should be related to process reviews.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, are required. 

Send resumes to 

t5@provizor.co.in, t9@provizor.co.in

Contact 

Niranjana 8123323444 for more quires. 

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Commonly mispronounced words

Some words in the English language are often mispronounced when spoken. Here are a few commonly mispronounced words with their correct pronunciations and most common mispronunciations.

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10 Reasons Why You Haven’t Heard Back From A Recruiter

1. Executive recruiters work for client companies, not individuals.

Despite how friendly and understanding the recruiter is, he is not an objective player. The recruiter’s time and attention will go to the candidate most likely to close the search.

2. All job criteria is not always listed in the job description.

Job descriptions are typically written by a recruiter, and sometimes miss the mark when it comes to how a company will evaluate the right person for the job. Issues like personality and fit with the company culture are often overlooked in the job description, but become critical in the interview process. This is why recruiters are sometimes caught off guard when they send a candidate with the perfect resume into an interview and she fails to impress the client.

3. The average executive search takes 5-6 months to complete.

If you are one of the first candidates interviewed, you may be in for a long wait as the recruiter searches the market for top candidates.

4. Only 2/3 of most executive searches are ever completed.

The reasons for searches remaining incomplete can include lack of internal agreement about the role, reorganization, or the surfacing of an internal candidate.

5. Recruiters regularly practice “keeping candidates warm.”

That is, keeping 2nd and 3rd choice candidates in play while the client company negotiates an offer with its first choice. If this is the case, most recruiters will not tell you what is actually happening with the search. Your waiting time can drag on for over a month while negotiations are resolved. Still, it can be worth the wait if you ultimately get the job.

6. Relationships matter.

If you have relationships within the hiring company who can put in a good word for you, use them. Hiring managers are risk averse and are not always trained at assessing candidates. For this reason, people frequently rely on referrals they can trust.

7. Your reputation follows you.

It is not uncommon for a recruiter to make a few calls to former co-workers to get some background on you without asking for your permission. Make sure you know your reputation in the marketplace.

8. All contact with an executive recruiter is documented.

Recruiting firms maintain huge, confidential databases that track each conversation with you. If you tell someone from the one office your current salary and career goals, his fellow recruiters else where will also know immediately. Be diplomatic and strategic with your communications with recruiters.

9. Executive recruiters are not therapists or coaches.

When you speak with a recruiter about your career, you should not have any expectations of confidentiality unless you have a longstanding relationship with them and have built a basis for this trust.

10. Recruiters are busy.

A typical recruiter will work on as many as 7-10 searches at once, interacting with hundreds of potential candidates. Consequently, they may not be able to take the time to communicate with you despite having the best intentions. Do not take it personally if your recruiter does not call you back. Continue to check in every few weeks until you get a response.

11. How you are introduced to a recruiter matters.

Recruiters will track who referred you, although they may not divulge this information to you. If you were referred by a trusted source, they will be much more likely to contact you about future opportunities. 

www.careerealism.com

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10 Essential Email Etiquette Tips

1. KEEP IT BRIEF

No one likes to read on and on to get to the point. State your message concisely and simply. If you have a question, get to it quickly.

2. USE THE SUBJECT LINE

Alert your recipient to what your email is about or you risk being ignored or relegated to the read-later (or never) list. Avoid using alert words, like Urgent, unless the matter really requires urgent attention or you become the boy who cried wolf.

3. KEEP THEM FEW AND TARGETED

If you blanket someone’s inbox, you’ll soon be ignored. Save up several little matters to send in one email.

On the other hand, if you have a matter that needs immediate attention, don’t bury it inside a laundry list of insignificant issues.

4. BE PUNCTILIOUS, NOT SLAPDASH

Edit your emails as if they were formal letters. Omit slang and overly familiar language.

5. WATCH THE PUNCTUATION

Don’t use all caps for emphasis. Use 12 point type and proper punctuation, meaning capitalize the first letter of each sentence and use a period at the end. Then, proofread. (And please don’t use a ridiculous font.)

6. CONSIDER YOUR CCS AND BCCS

Don’t copy people on your email unless they need to see the message. And don’t forget to use the BCC field, particularly for emails sent to large groups. People don’t want their emails shared so widely.

Hide the recipients’ addresses in the Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) Field.

7. THINK BEFORE HITTING ‘REPLY ALL’

Sometimes people are copied on emails out of courtesy, but individual replies don’t need to be copied to everyone. It’s a rookie mistake.

8. OMIT ANY SILLINESS: NO EMOTICONS!

If you’re trying to be funny, stop; business emails are not the place for this. Your recipients, frankly, may be in no mood for lightness and mirth.

9. WATCH YOUR TONE

Without the benefit of facial expressions or body language, words are easily misinterpreted. So, keep your sentences simple and declarative. Keep the message focused and don’t go off on tangents.

10. INDICATE WHAT LINKS ARE

Never add a link without indicating what it is — not in an age of uber vigilance over suspicious links that threaten to take us to where thieves lay in wait to steal our identities.

Not only should you not send an unidentified link — never open one either.

www.careerealism.com

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