Let’s Talk Cover Letters

In the old days when resumes were mailed using the US Postal Service, the cover letter was ubiquitous and almost always started with some variation of, “enclosed please find my resume for…” Since that time, cover letters have evolved; here’s how:

  • Not every application requires a cover letter. If a job posting asks for a cover letter, then you certainly need one. Most federal applications do not require cover letters; they are typically optional. Unless required, I do not generally recommend adding a cover letter to a federal application. Cover letters are much more standard in the private sector.
  • If you do decide to prepare a cover letter, make sure the formatting, including font, margins, and any design elements, match your resume. Your documents should look like one cohesive package. This helps reinforce your brand.
  • Your cover letter should be more than just forwarding your resume. Make your opening paragraph attention getting—and use the key words of the job posting to the extent possible. Share you can add value to the organization—rather than what you want / need.
  • Include real relevant achievements. What have you done that makes you a good fit for the job? Be specific and include measurable accomplishments that relate to what the job is asking for.
  • Address your cover letter to a real person—no “To Whom it may Concern.” With all the online tools available, there is no excuse for not using an individual’s name—and be sure to spell it correctly! Don’t forget to change the name and company for different positions.
  • Keep your cover letter to one page, use personal pronouns, and include a “call to action.” Tell the reader what you want them to do—invite you for an interview? Something else? Here are 1 ideas, “I appreciate your time and consideration; please contact me at 123-456-7890 or name@mail.com to discuss what I can do for your organization.” OR “I look forward to an opportunity to meet with you to discuss…”
  • Ask a third party to review your letter before sending; you do not want your letter to include typos or other mistakes.

Again, while not all job applications require the use of a cover letter, if you do prepare one, make it worth the reader’s time!

Rules of the Road for Good Virtual Meeting Behavior

Many of us are spending hours on virtual meetings. And some of the behaviors witnessed during those virtual events are laughable—and do nothing for our professional credibility. Whether it is hearing toilet flushing during meetings or simply hearing dogs bark or children (or partners!) scream, a few common sense rules for good behavior are worth remembering:

  1. Wear clothes This includes bottoms as well as tops. Being dressed is not just good for our moods, it shows respect for others. Don’t forget your personal grooming as well. We all need haircuts but that’s no reason to look like you just got out of bed; you can brush your hair—or at least tie it back!
  2. Identify yourself when you sign-on. Everyone can hear the “ping;” be sure to say your name when you sign on or put your name in the chat box.
  3. Don’t eat while you’re on a meeting. If you wouldn’t eat during a meeting in the office, you shouldn’t eat during a virtual meeting either. And the noise that eating can generate may cause the camera to switch to you. Having a bottle of water or coffee is fine. Again, treat your virtual meeting like one you would hold in your office.
  4. Look behind you; no one wants to see your unmade bed, your bathroom, or 30 year band posters.
  5. Minimize distractions from pets, partners, and children. This is often easier said than done. And of course, some workplaces and work meetings are more formal than others. Be cognizant of who is on the call and the purpose of the meeting.
  6. Learn how to use the mute button! Mute yourself if you are not talking. That will not only help with call quality but also eliminate background noise. If you’re typing during the meeting, without the mute button, you’ll be heard. Many organizations want participation through the chat feature (or by “raising your hand” first). The leader of the meeting should make expectations clear at the beginning of the meeting. If they don’t, you may want to ask.
  7. Remember that communication is not instantaneous. Most virtual systems have a slight delay before someone can be heard. Or someone may be trying to unmute themselves. Take that into account and try not to interrupt while others are speaking.
  8. Be on time and pay attention. It is disrespectful to be late for virtual meetings. Make eye contact – with the camera, not the screen. And if your mind starts to wander, or you start to multitask, it will be clear to everyone watching.

Being able to work remotely is an advantage but they are not an excuse to ignore common courtesies. Be respectful of your colleagues’ time and professionalism. Following these simple rules will help ensure that we can continue to leverage their advantages going forward.

Virtual Interviews—10 Ideas to Ace Them!

While the government and many companies are still hiring, the chance to have an in-person interview is slim at the moment. We all need to be prepared to ace our virtual ones! Here are 10 tips to do so:

  1. Make sure you have a camera. Even though the process itself is virtual, most employers will want to see you “face-to-face.” To accommodate this expectation, you should have a camera. The camera should be set a eye height (you may need to put your laptop on some books to raise it to the appropriate height) and your light should be on your face and not behind you.
  2. Make sure your cellphone is charged; or even better, use a landline for maximum sound quality. Or, if the interview is taking place on the computer, you should use a microphone to make sure you can be heard.
  3. Know how to use the technology ahead of time. What platform will the interviewer be using? Be sure to ask and plan accordingly. Download the technology before the interview. It’s never a bad idea to practice. While most of the common platforms work in a similar way, there are some subtle differences.
  4. Clean up the area where you will be interviewed; clear your desk / table and look at what’s behind you to make sure the image is clean and professional. If necessary; hang up a sheet behind you to cover things you do not want the interviews to see.
  5. Prepare. Just because the interview is virtual doesn’t mean you should “wing it.” You should prepare for your virtual interview the same way you should prepare for an in-person one; do your research on the organization, have your stories ready, and be ready with questions to ask the interviewers. And, you may even want to prepare more—you won’t have the advantage of establishing that face-to-face connection.
  6. Put your interview clothes on—even pants. Not only do cameras stray sometimes, you may move around. You don’t want to be caught in your sweatpants (or worse).
  7. A glass of water is OK, food is not.
  8. Minimize distractions. Close the door, banish your pets and children. Turn off any other phones, alerts, etc.
  9. Pay attention to your body language during the interview. You should sit up, and be slightly forward. Try not to play with your hair, twist your rings, or engage in other distracting behaviors. Maintain eye contact (well, camera contact!) and smile.
  10. Follow-up. After the interview, be sure to send a thank you email to your interviews; keep it short, thank him / her for their time, and add any point you want to emphasize or that you forgot.

While a virtual interview may feel different than what you’re used to, by following these tips, you can set yourself up to ace the interview!

How do YOU Look on Camera? Tips for Video/Web Conferences

While we’re telecommuting and social distancing, we’re all doing more videoconferencing now. This can be challenging as many of us have seen as members of the media—and the rest of us—are doing more of it. Here are some things you can do to up your game while videoconferencing.

  • Check out your space. Find a private place for the call or use headphones. Talk to anyone who lives with you to let them know you’ll be on a call. Turn off distractions. Consider creating a virtual background if your space is messy—many videoconferencing applications allow this.
  • Aim your camera at your face and look at the webcam (it should be at eye height). When you look into the camera, it appears to the other participants that you are looking at them directly. Don’t forget to check the lighting—natural light is best. If the light source is behind you, you may appear as a dark silhouette on the screen. Position a lamp or other light source in front of you. Sit a bit forward, not back. You want the closet thing to the camera to be your face, not your stomach!
  • Check the tech. Test your setup before the video conference starts. Make sure you have Internet connectivity and that your webcam and microphone are working. You may also have to download the software if it is the first time you are using the application. Consider using a USB-connected headset for an interview instead of using the computer’s speakers. Headsets are inexpensive and can provide a much clearer experience. And, if possible, use a wired Internet connection (plug directly into the Ethernet port) instead of using a wireless connection. If you’re also using your phone to call in, use a landline if at all possible. If using a cell phone, make sure the phone is charged (or plugged in) and has a strong cell signal in the area you are taking the call. If you are using a cordless phone, make sure the battery is charged. If you are using a laptop for the session, plug it in so you have plenty of “juice” (battery life) for the call. You do not want to have to dig for a cord to keep the computer from shutting down.
  • Keep your clothing color choice in mind. Check how the colors of your clothing appear on camera. Just like TV news anchors avoid some colors — and most small patterns, pick colors that will show up well on video. Jewel tones or pastel colors work best. Do not wear white or black. Dress from head-to-toe. You may think you do not need to wear pants since the other people on the conference call are only going to see the top half of your outfit. But you should always expect the unexpected. You never know when you might need to stand up. Pajama pants or shorts with a dress shirt, tie, and jacket just do not work.
  • Take care of the personal; use the restroom, grab a glass of water
  • Be focused; this includes being on time. Turn off notifications on your computer and close your other software programs. You do not want to be distracted by beeps every time you receive an email. It is easy to tell on a video if you are not paying attention, so keep your focus on the conference. Participate, but don’t be too quick to answer. With video, there is sometimes a delay or interference, so make sure you pause before answering a question to avoid overtalking the other participants. When talking, keep your answers brief and to the point. One of the biggest mistakes you can make on a video conference is not knowing when to stop talking.

When you’re not talking, be aware of your facial expression. Most of the time, when we are listening to someone else, we have a blank expression on our face. But on a video conference, a blank expression comes across as a frown. Keep a slight smile on your face.

Advancing Your Career: Accepting Feedback

All of us need feedback to be our best selves. And of course, we need a clear goal to strive towards. This article is about asking and accepting feedback; we’ll tackle setting goal setting at a later time.

Learning to accept feedback is hard; many of us are skeptical that the feedback we receive is correct or have difficulty understanding it. That being said, real feedback is invaluable; here are some ideas on how to solicit and use feedback:

  • Recognize that receiving asking for and receiving feedback requires trust; and trust does not come quickly. Before asking for feedback, make sure you have a real relationship with the people you are asking. And the people you ask are willing to be honest with you and not just tell you what you want to hear.
  • Ask for feedback from supervisors, peers, subordinates, and customers. We tend to interact with people at different levels differently. For maximum effectiveness, try to solicit feedback from those people who might see you from different perspectives.
  • Thank people for taking the time to provide you with feedback. Even if you think the feedback is off-base or not helpful, you should thank people anyway. And find a way to let them know that you took their feedback seriously.
  • Listen, write the feedback down and look for themes. Practice active listening and really pay attention to what people are telling you. Write down what people say (not while you’re sitting in front them). If you hear the same feedback from multiple sources, believe it—even if you disagree.
  • Develop a plan to follow up and track your progress. Set personal goals for improvement and establish measures so you can track progress. As an example, if the feedback you receive is that you need to broaden your contacts, be specific in your plan: “meet one new person each week and invite them to coffee,” rather than, “be friendlier.”
  • Follow up. Don’t expect immediate change. Give yourself a couple of months of practicing new behaviors and then go back to the people who originally provided you with the feedback to see if they can see a difference.

None of us are perfect and all of us can use improvement. By sincerely soliciting and integrating the feedback you receive, you can help push your career forward and meet your potential.

Networking 101

We have all heard that networking is key in getting a job. But what is a network? How do I identify who’s in it? And how do you actually do it?

  • What is a network? According to thebalancecareers.com, a career network is a group of personal contacts who can assist you in job search, learn about specific jobs /careers, and help you achieve your career goals.
  • Who is in your network? I suggest that you already have a network; you just have to realize it. Your network can include friends, relatives, parents of children’s friends, parents and relatives of your friends, club members, cousins, neighbors, current and previous co-workers and managers, suppliers, professional association contacts, your community contacts (civic leaders, clergy, etc.), and your doctor, financial advisor, or attorney. The above is just a starting point—your network is everywhere you are!
  • What’s next? Make a list of people and their contact information. If you think your list isn’t long enough, you can expand it in a number of ways:
  • Attend networking events (for example, those hosted by your professional organization, Chamber of Commerce, and tips groups). Attend association meetings and take advantage of educational opportunities.
  • Work as a volunteer. For example, in your industry association, the Membership Committee is a great place to start. The Program Committee (that plans events) or the Finance Committee (that helps line up sponsors) can also be good choices. Getting involved in any organization is beneficial. Volunteering is one of the best ways to network your way to new contacts.
  • Participate in an online community. This can be a social networking site like Facebook or LinkedIn, an alumni site (like Classmates.com), or your trade association’s website (which might have an elist or message board to connect members).
  • Contact your alumni groups. Your college or university should have an alumni association (often with a directory of members) that can be useful. You can mine the directory for contacts in your field, even if they didn’t graduate in the same year as you. Your alma mater connects you.
  • Read your local business journal to find out about growing companies. Pay particular attention to the “People” section (the section that highlights promotions and new hires at companies) and see if there are any contacts you can make. Record the names and contact information and get to work!
  • How to network. While you can reach out to everyone in your network to let them know you’re looking for ideas, information, advice, and referrals, it is more effective to take a targeted approach. For example, if you see an advertised opening for a position, go through your network and see who might be able to provide you with access to the hiring manager (or someone else who works at the company), information about that specific company (or the company’s position in the industry), or information about the specific position you’re seeking. You can use your network contact to make an introduction to a hiring manager — either asking them to pass along your résumé to that individual, introducing you directly, or allowing you to use their name when making an initial contact.

Don’t forget about using social media to reach out. LinkedIn is particularly effective in helping you take your existing contacts and leverage them into even more networking opportunities. You can see how you’re connected to a company or another individual using LinkedIn.  Use social media to arrange in-person get-togethers. For example, if you make a new contact on LinkedIn, if they are local, arrange to meet them in person. Technology makes networking easier, but face-to-face interaction is still the best way to network.

  • Don’t wait until you need a network! If you wait until you need to leverage your network to start one, you’re behind. Here are some keys to using networking effectively; 
    • You should constantly be building — and strengthening — your connections with your network. One of the easiest ways to do this is using LinkedIn. One of the most effective ways to improve your network, however, is through personal contact. Do something to build your network each and every day, whether that’s sending an email to someone you haven’t talked to in a while, or identifying someone new you want to meet.
    • Ask for help. Most people will be happy to help you — but you need to ask!
    • Be specific in what you’re asking for. A specific request for assistance (“Does anyone know someone who works in the accounting department at Company or Agency X?”) is more likely to be fulfilled than a general request (“I need a new job! Help!”)
    • Prepare for networking. Have business cards made that are strictly for networking. You can have cards made very inexpensively.
    • Follow-up. If a networking contact gives you advice, a lead, or information, follow up on that information — and then also get back to that person to let them know how it went.
    • “Give to Get.” By helping people who ask you for assistance, your network will be stronger when you need it.