Slides from Workshop / Seminar during weeks 2 and 3 (depending on which tutorial you are in)

1. Workshop
Employer Engagement
9th / 16th August 2013

2. …Don't you know, it's not easy
When you gotta walk upon that line
That's why - You need
That's why - This is what you need
I'll give you what you need

3. EMAIL ETIQUETTE
Appling for a job

4. Email Communication
• Keep your emails short
and to the point.
• Use short sentences.
• Make sure your
grammar is correct.
• Spelling must be
perfect.
• Use the key words in
the ad.

5. Basic Rules
• Make sure your opening line is intriguing
(because that is what they will see if they have
Outlook Preview switched on)
• Make sure your Subject line sums up the
content in your email
• Make sure that both your first and last name
will be seen in the “from” line
• Include a link to your LinkedIn profile

6. In General
• If someone introduces
you, make sure you cc
them when your start
the correspondence
• Be formal and respectful
• Keep your emails
concise
• Don’t mark your email
“high importance” or
“low importance”

7. • If you are asked a question(s), be
careful to read it carefully, and then
respond directly to all question. If
you don’t know the answer,
acknowledge that in your response.
• If you are responding to an ad,
carefully study the copy in the ad
before responding. Note the key
words. Use those words in your
response.
• Ideally, incorporate key words
relating to a job into your resume to
customize it to the position
Questions

8. Don’t Abbreviate
• Don’t use
abbreviations.
• Don’t use acronyms
• Try to avoid jargon
peculiar to a specific
job
• Don’t use all capital
letters, or all lower
case. Write in lucid
sentences.

9. Respond Fast
• Don’t wait 24 or 48
hours to respond to
a business email. Do
it now.
• Don’t use emoticons
or smiley faces.
• Proof read your
emails before you hit
“send”.

10. Cover Letters/Emails
• Draft your cover email in Word and the copy check it yourself.
• Then get someone else to proof read it.
• Make sure that it says what you want it to.
• Remember that your key proposition is what you can add to their
business, not what they can do for you.

11. DO THE RESEARCH
Applying for a job

12. Know About The Company
• Read their web
site
• Know who
owns the
company
• Read any news
stories about
them

13. Know About The People
• Know who the executives are
• Search for them on LinkedIn
• Read their profiles

14. Know The Customers

15. YOUR RESUME
Communicating your UVP

20. Don’t Put Data In The Header
• Don’t use the header for your name and
address.
• Don’t use tables. Keep formatting technique
simple.
• Automated readers will discard that info and it
will be lost.

21. Spelling And Punctuation
• Spelling, punctuation and grammatical
mistakes tell employers that you don't pay
attention to details.
• Simply running a spell checker over your
resume isn't enough. You could end up with a
sentence like this: "Please find the attached
resume that highlights all my kills.”

22. No Photos In Your CV
• Unless it's specifically
requested, leave out
photos.
• Race, ethnicity, and age
should not be taken into
account and including a
photo can make that
harder for someone
reviewing your
application.

23. No Patterns Or Background Colour
• Submitting a
resume on
coloured paper is
often a red flag to
employers not to
hire you.
• Coloured paper
can make it
difficult to read
the text and is
simply irritating.
Stick with white.

24. Keep It Simple
• Throwing in too much information will confuse
and irritate your reader.
• Not tailoring your resume to fit the position
you're applying for tells the employer you're
lazy and it makes it harder for them to figure
out where to place you.

25. References
• "References available
upon request" won't
cut it..
• Of course you have
references!

26. Descriptive Words
• Using buzzwords like
results-oriented, team
player and motivated could
kill your chances.
• Steer clear of adjectives like
innovative, motivated and
dynamic. They have lost
their impact. Focus on
quantifying the
contributions you have
made instead.

27. Public Not Personal
• Hobbies that are not reflective of an
“achievement oriented” person may make you
appear “different” rather than well-rounded.
• Charities you support or membership in a
professional association are better

28. • Paragraphs with long
sentences are a pain
to read.
• Maximum of 3 to 4
bullets per job that
you have done.
Layout And Design

29. Play It Safe
• Using an
unprofessional email
address is unhelpful.
• Humorous email
addresses might be
fine for personal
correspondence, but
not when applying
for a job.

30. Contact Info
• Don’t forget your
contact information.
• Include phone number
and current address.

31. Triple Check The Copy
• Nothing sends a resume to the shredder faster
than addressing it to the wrong company.
• Make sure you address your CV to the right
company.

32. Accomplishments Not Responsibilities
• Mistaking responsibilities for accomplishments
will greatly reduce the impact of your resume.
• If you want attention, explain how you
brought value to the company you worked for
- not that you did your job.

34. If You Apply But Don’t Hear Back
• Don’t take it personally!
• They are not being rude…
• This is not a failure on your part.
• It is just that they are too busy and perhaps
you just aren’t important enough.

35. REASONS YOU DON’T HEAR BACK
After you apply

36. #1 You aren’t qualified.
• If a job description specifies 3-5 years of
experience and you’re a recent graduate with
one internship, you probably won’t get a call.
• To avoid disappointment – don’t apply for jobs
where you aren’t qualified.
• Paradoxically, bob descriptions are written
with the optimum person in mind with a view
to getting people who aspire to do the job.

37. #2 You Haven’t Keyword-optimized
Your Resume Or Application.
• Job descriptions are ‘salted’ with keywords
specific to a set of skills the company seeks.
• A close read of the job description is a
necessity, and then keyword-optimizing your
CV and your cover email.
• If the job description lists words in a certain
order, use the same order in your resume. (Do
the research!)

38. #3 Your Resume Isn’t Formatted
Properly.
• Distinctive formatting will set your resume
apart, but if its too different automated
programs won’t be able to interpret.
• Be consistent in formatting – use separate
lines for former employer, job title, and years
worked.

39. #4 Your Resume Is Substantially
Different From Your Online Profile.
• It‘s important to make sure your LinkedIn
profile matches what’s on your CV.
• Jobs worked, employers, years on the job and
other details must be congruent.
• Always tell the truth.
• LinkedIn will help your keyword optimization

40. #5 You Weren’t Fast Enough To Apply
• Looking for a job is a job.
• Do your research – look for companies you want to
work for, where you feel that you will fit with the
culture.
• Getting your application and CV in early really
matters.
• Don’t be afraid to call after a few days to make sure
that they received your CV and your cover email.
• Check whether the job listing has changed.
Companies sometimes change a job description after
initial posting

41. AUTOMATION IN HR
Computer tools work for them as well as for you.

42. Automation

44. SOME THINGS NOT TO DO
Going to an interview

45. Don’t Arrive Too Early
• 5 minutes early is more than enough.
• That doesn't mean you should be
late, however.

46. Don’t Bring A Takeaway Drink
• Don't bring a
cup of takeaway
coffee to the
interview.

47. Don’t Fidget
• Don't touch your face or twirl your hair during
the interview.

48. Don’t Wait
• Don’t wait more than 24 hours after the
interview to write a ‘thank you’ note.
• Be short and sweet, but specific.

49. Don’t Say You Don’t Have Time…
• If you are asked to
take a test after the
meeting, take it.
• No matter what else
you have to do, if you
say no or
prevaricate, you will
have lost the job.

50. Don’t Talk About Family
• Don't talk about how
successful your
brother, mother, father
is.
• Its not relevant to the
here and now of you
and the job in question.

51. Grooming
• Don't arrive with wet hair.
• Don’t arrive in an unironed shirt.
• Don’t arrive without a printed copy of your CV
and a portfolio of any relevant work that will
show what you are capable of
• Don’t have bad breath

52. Don’t Be Lost
• Don’t say "I still haven’t figured out what I
want to do yet.”
• You may not have figured out what you want
to do, but if you want the job, then this is
exactly what you want to do at this precise
moment in time.

53. Don’t Flatter
• Don't tell the person
who is interviewing
you how great their
company is.
• How could you know
until you have worked
there?

54. Don’t Be Obvious
• When you are asked what websites and
publications you read, don’t say the obvious.
• Be creative.
• Think out of the box.

55. Don’t Ask The Hours
• It makes it sound like you'll be clocking in and
out.
• There's a better way of putting it: "What's a
typical day like at this company?”

56. Don’t Criticize
• Don’t criticize the other candidates
• Don’t be negative about past employers

57. Don’t Miss The Target
• If you’re interviewing for an job at a
newspaper, don’t talk about your lifelong goal
to be a dress designer or a sportsman.
• Don’t talk about how traditional media is
dying…

58. Don’t Go Without Doing Research
• Spend time looking around the company website.
• Interviewers will ask you what your impressions
are of the company and will expect you to have
some knowledge.

59. Don’t Say You Have No Questions
• You have to at least ask ONE
question, and it should be
reasonably specific
• It should be about the
business, and not about the
social activities of the
employees…
• And don’t ask personal
questions of the interviewer…
• And don’t ask about career
advancement within the
company. That is a given…

60. AT THE INTERVIEW
Going to the interview

61. Eye Contact
• How do you get the balance
between looking shifty and
looking like you’re about to
challenge your interviewer to a
duel?
• “If you have an interview with
somebody for 40 minutes, and
you leave and don’t know what
colour their eyes are, you haven’t
maintained good eye contact. You
want to really look at them and
connect, but you’re also going to
look away some of the time.”

62. Eye Rolling
• Eye contact can be good or bad,
depending on how long you
maintain it, but rolling your eyes
is never a good idea.
• Sometimes people roll their eyes
when they disagree with
someone or when they think the
other person has said something
stupid. Become cognizant of
what you’re doing so that you
don’t offend your interviewer.

63. Posture
• During an interview, sit
up straight.
• By doing this, you show
that you’re interested in
the conversation you’re
having with your
prospective employer.

64. Handshake
• Your handshake can either leave an employer
with a good or bad impression of you,
depending on how you do it. “You don’t want
to break bones, but a firm shake conveys a
more positive attitude than a limp wrist,”

65. Tapping
• You may not do it on purpose, but if you’re
tapping your fingers or toes during your
interview, a potential employer may get the
impression that you’re agitated or that you
have something better to do.

66. Your Voice
• The way you say things will tell a
potential employer a lot about you.
• If the tone or pitch of your voice is
flat, your interviewer will believe
that you’re not really interested in
the job – no matter what words you
use to convey otherwise.
• Also, using words such as “like,”
“um” and “ah” – will tell an
interviewer that you’re not
confident or did not adequately
prepare for the interview.

67. Becoming Self Aware
• Videotape yourself.
• If you videotape
yourself during a mock
job interview, it will
become clear to you
what nonverbal ticks
that you have.

68. Peer Review
• Work with a friend.
• By having mock interviews with a friend, you
will have feedback from someone you trust
who can tell you what kind of impression that
you’re giving off – and what nonverbal cues
may turn a hiring manager off.

69. Get Feedback
• Call the one that got away.
• Call people you interviewed with even when
you didn’t land the job. That person will have
insight into your performance and by making
calls of this kind you will conquer all fears .
• Remember its not personal. Its just business.