SHPE - Fall 2008 - (Page 44)

CAREERS & EMPLOYMENT Google yourself to make sure you and the interviewers are on the same page. If they are savvy, they are checking you out, too! Be Proactive in Getting the Interview How many times have you found an appealing job opportunity online, crafted a well written cover letter and sent it along with your résumé? After a month with no response, you figure that the company probably chose someone else and do not pursue the opportunity any further. The following four steps are a more proactive approach toward maximizing your success in landing the interview. 1. Contact the hiring manager before sending your résumé. Unless the posting specifically reads “no phone calls,” make every attempt to contact the hiring manager before you send your résumé. Typically, you do not know the person’s name, but with some investigation, you can find out who that is. If you don’t get to speak with the hiring manager, seek out the recruiter or human resource contact in charge of hiring for the position. When calling the manager or contact person, be brief and enthusiastic about how you can positively contribute to the team. Use your “Elevator Pitch” (see sidebar at right) to relate your qualifications and how you can benefit the employer. Keep the focus on the employer, not you. 2. Quickly follow up with your résumé and cover letter. Conclude your letter by saying, “I will follow up with you in a few days to discuss the possibility of an interview. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at ” If you say you will follow up, 44 make sure you do. It is best to keep a log so that in three to five business days you can follow up. 3. Be consistent in follow up with all contacts. Using your contact log, take notes as you follow up by phone or e-mail. For example, you can say, “Hi, my name is and I submitted my résumé for your opening. I’m extremely interested in this opportunity, and I just wanted to touch base with you on how I can benefit your operation.” Then mention an example. If follow up is done via e-mail, it should be brief and look like this: Dear Name (or “Hiring Manager” if name is unknown): I recently applied for your opening, and I just wanted to follow up to make sure my résumé was received. My strong background in , and appears to be an excellent match to the qualifications you are seeking, and I am very interested in your opportunity. I realize you may not yet be at the interview stage, but I am available to answer any preliminary questions you may have. I can be reached at Thank you for your time and kind consideration. 4. Pests not welcome. Always be polite, professional and respectful, even if several weeks have passed since your initial contact. Other purposes for following up could be to find out if a timeline has been established for interviews or to leave an alternate contact number if you will be traveling. Be careful not to cross the line between being persistent and becoming a pest, exercising restraint after your third or fourth follow-up contact. Don’t give up hope if your follow-up efforts don’t yield immediate results. Depending on the employer, industry, specific job and number of responses, the time between the application closing date and the day interview invitations are issued can be as long as several months. With the SHPE Conference just a few months away, why not start your company research, refresh your elevator pitch, practice with classmates and prepare to make a lasting first impression with your employer of choice? Look for further practical interviewing advice in future issues of SHPE magazine. ■ Editor’s note: Fran Correa is a career consultant and CEO of Prosperity Network, a career consulting firm which offers services in all aspects of the job search process. She is a graduate of Harvard Business School. The author can be contacted at francorrea@juno.com. SHPE ❘ Fall 2008 Elevator Pitch The elevator pitch is a one- or two-minute presentation of you and your skills. Hypothetically, it is information you could share to make a good impression during a brief elevator ride with someone. This basic technique is used in sales, and when done properly, it can provide new opportunities for you. Marky Stein, author of “Fearless Interviewing,” suggests preparing a script from which to read before making the call. “The script itself has to have a hook, something extremely enticing to the hiring manager about your accomplishments, your years of experience, the successes that you’ve had and, in some cases, your education,” Stein says. Her advice is very specific: “A necessary element of the script is the key phrase: ‘When can I come in for an interview?’ These words are so simple that you may feel foolish saying them at first, but they get results. Modifying the phrase to, ‘Can I come in for an interview?’ won’t be as effective. In fact, I would venture to say that the results have been unsuccessful.” Writing your script will be the first step toward success with the cold call. This will require you to evaluate how you want to focus your statement. Think about what you have to offer. Why would this employer be interested in you? Research the company and learn about its current projects and business deals. How can you use this information to sell yourself? • Begin with a greeting. Sounding enthusiastic, but not phony. • Introduce yourself by explaining your specialty and your experience in the field. • Highlight two or three of your key strengths that are relevant to the company’s needs. Example: “In addition to having a 3.0 GPA in mechanical engineering, I’ve had summer internships with aerospace and automotive companies. I’ve also held leadership roles in my SHPE chapter for the past two years.” Or, “During my senior project, I designed and developed a solar powered motor that was 5 percent more efficient and 10 percent more cost effective than other student models.” • Ask the magic question, “When can I come in for an interview?” Once your pitch is set, you’ve practiced it many times and feel comfortable sharing it with others, you are ready to make the next step. One key to success is proving that you have something they need, that you have the solution to their problem, and that you can help them. As you pick up the phone, be confident that YOU are the solution to a potential employer’s problem. Not everyone will be interested in what you’re selling, so you can expect some level of rejection – two out of every three calls will not lead to new prospects – but success is the result of perseverance.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SHPE - Fall 2008

SHPE - Fall 2008 Contents President's Letter From the Vice President Calendar of Events National Board of Directors The Great '08: Chapter Leaders Learn to Spread 'SHPE Fever' Browser National Retreat Provides a Redefinition An Engineer and a Politician Capitalizing on Engineering Talent Grupos de Afinidad A Focused Approach to Getting the Job You Really Want SHPE Conference 2008 IPC Update Programs & Services Keeping Warm with 'Yuper' Familia Spirit Promise of Spring Recruit, Engage and Retain Regional Student Representatives Regional Roundup Advertisers Index

SHPE - Fall 2008

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