Strategies for Career Success Newsletter - May 2006

Editor's Note

Welcome to Strategies for Career Success, a monthly newsletter published by Pathways Career Success Strategies.

This month's newsletter includes the third installment in a series of articles on business etiquette. This month's feature article is on job search etiquette.

Enjoy!

Joan Runnheim

Top 7 Job Search Etiquette Tips

1. Make sure your answering machine greeting is professional.
2. Don't use one resume to fit all positions. Update your resume making sure it is targeted for each specific position.
3. Address your cover letter to a specific person when possible. Otherwise address it to the Hiring Manager or Director of Human Resources.
4. Ask permission to use someone as a reference. Let them know when and from whom they may receive a call.
5. Prep your references as to what position you are seeking and which skills they may want to highlight.
6. Ask who you will be interviewing with so you can prepare a short list of skills and accomplishments to cover with each person during the interview. Also prepare questions you hope they don't ask and come up with responses to each of them before the interview.
7. Ask each interviewer for a business card and follow up with a thank you card or letter to each person.

Check out our website for other articles on etiquette and other topics.

This month's we are featuring an excellent career change book entitled, Working Identity by Herminia Ibarra.

Based on her in-depth research of how people from all professional walks of life make career transitions, Ibarra outlines a three-part process of career change: experimenting with new professional activities, connecting with new social networks, and working and re-working the story we tell ourselves and others about who we are. According to Ibarra, "Working Identity helps us along the crooked journey of finding out what we want to do and who we want to become."

Check out our website for this book in our selection of hand-picked career and job search related books. Other topics include interviewing and salary negotiation.

Do you have a job or career-related issue to deal with or do you just need a question answered, a few resources to help you get unstuck, or a suggestion or two? Maybe you think you have the answer, but want someone else to look at the situation and provide some ideas, support, pros and cons. That's when to use this service. Click here for more information.

If you find yourself feeling stressed out in current career or your job search, check out StressPest^™.com.   Using emails, interactive activities, coaching, and informative articles, they give you daily access to a program that lets you move at your own pace through the challenges in your life. StressPest^™.com is offering subscribers of Strategies for Career Success a discount on their six-month subscription. Use discount code SP16 and receive 18% off the regular subscription price. To learn more, go to: www.stresspest.com.

Please feel free to forward this issue to friends and associates. Anyone can subscribe for free at www.pathwayscareer.com

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To contact us:
Joan Runnheim

Pathways Career Success Strategies

joan@pathwayscareer.com

Hudson, WI 54016

(715) 549-6432