To Whom Should I Address My Cover Letter

To Whom Should I Address My Cover LetterTo Whom Should I Address My Cover LetterAs a job seeker, you have the opportunity to step into many roles and use a variety of your skills to secure your next position. You act as a makeshift marketer presenting your personal brand in your cover letter, and you want to ensure you do as much as you can to stand out. When writing your cover letter, it is imperative that you address an individual with a personalized greeting. This is where it comes in handy to use your research skills and put on your professional sleuthing hat. These days, Dear Hiring Manager just wont cut it.Easier said than done when you cant guarantee you know the contact in the company who will view your submission. It could be any of 100 or so recruiters or even the direct hiring manager. How do you know to whom you should direct your greeting? And the better question, how do you find that person?WhoYou may not be certain whether you should address your letter to a recruiter or a hiring manager. Remember that smaller companies may only have one recruiter, while at larger companies there could be hundreds the mglichkeit of you choosing the right one is slim. Fortunately, recruiters also specialize. If you are applying for a marketing position and are able to find out who the marketing recruiter is, that is the perfect persons anthroponym to address in your greeting. The recruiter will usually see your cover letter and can be the make-or-break for whether your letter will ever be placed in front of the hiring managers eyes. However, if you are certain you know who the hiring manager is, there is no harm in choosing this individuals name. Whether recruiter or hiring manager, try to be as specific as possible. If you cant find out who the direct hiring manager is but know the name of the department director, that could be your next choice.Where to Find this InformationWith the Internet, there are many great sources of company information you can peruse to find out who works at the company and what his or her role is. A great starting point is LinkedIn. If you search the name of the company and look at how you are connected, you may get lucky in your results with the hiring manager appearing. Otherwise, if you have an idea of a possible name, you can enter that persons name and the company name in the search people bar or use the advanced filters. Another tactic is the ever-helpful company website that lists the names of the leadership team and sometimes other company employees. You might consider trying to find a press release if your hiring manager is the director of PR or looking in the company blog to see if any employees have authored articles or have been quoted in the news. If all else fails guess. You wont be penalized for writing the wrong name.WhyA small detail can make a large impact. You may wonder why specifying a name is so important anyway? Addressing an individual shows you are detail-oriented and that you put effort into finding out a little more about the company, which indicates you have an interest in the role and company.Who Not to Address It ToTry to avoid using the common phrase Dear Hiring Manager. As a rule of thumb, the wrong name is better than no name or entirely excluding a greeting. In the worst-case scenario, choose an executive or the CEO whose names you can usually find on the company website. Just like with a birthday present, its the thought that counts.

Sitting Down to Get the Job

Sitting Down to Get the JobSitting Down to Get the JobMost of us sit for the majority of our day. The way you should sit during a job bewerbungsgesprch is quite different from how you probably sit at home. In fact, how you sit reveals a lot about your character - and how much you want to get the job.Learn how to sit up straight and convey the best body language so you can have a successful job interview and get the jobStay straight.After greeting your interviewer and taking a chair, be sure to sit up straight. This is the preferred position for both men and women. If you slouch too much, it could appear that youre leid interested in the position or bored. Sitting up straight conveys interest and attentiveness.Dont lean forward.Sure, youre excited about the opportunity to finally land an interview. But leaning forward too much in your seat as youre talking can make you look desperate. If youre tall, leaning in can also be a little intimidating to your interviewer. So unless youre loo king at something that the interviewer is referring to on her desk, try to sit back a bit.Stop shifting.If you start squirming in your seat, youre going to give off nervous energy that the hiring manager will feeland its important that your energy levels match. So whether youre uncomfortable because you were asked a tricky question or if your foot fell asleep, try not to move too much during the interview. Sitting still will help you to look comfortable and professional.Keep it crossed.If youre a man, you should keep both feet planted firmly on the floor facing forward. And if youre a woman, you can cross your legs at the ankles, with your legs angled away from the person interviewing you.Avoid grand gestures.You like to talk with your hands to get your point across. During an interview, its best to refrain from using your hands to tell a story. Keep your hands gently closed together and on your lap. That way, your interviewers focus will be on what youre saying- and not what color nail polish youre wearing.Its important to practice good posture during an interview, whether its in-person or via Skype. Try rehearsing these tips so youre completely prepared for your interview, both mentally and physically.Readers, do you find its difficult to sit through an interview? What have your experiences been? And what practices have used to get the job?

Including Communication Skills on Your Resume

Including Communication Skills on Your ResumeIncluding Communication Skills on Your ResumeCommunication skills are one of the most valuable abilities that employers look for as they are central to many professionals and play an important role in most. However, when youre job hunting simply being a good communicator isnt enough. You need toshow communication skills on your resume in orderto demonstrate your abilities to prospective employers.Should you put communication skills on your resume? Yes, whatever industry you work in it is important to communicate effectively other people, whether it be colleagues, superiors, clients, or customers. Many professions involve a list of communication skills including sending emails and speaking on the phone. Even job hunting itself requires effective communication.Anyone can easily include communication skills keywords on their resume such as team player, attentive listener, confident speaker, and excellent communicator. However, this is unlikel y to convinceemployers as it is easy to claim to have these skills.Instead, it is better to demonstrate communication skills on your resume by highlighting the requirements of past jobs or times when youve excelledin a situation. Using a resume builder to include communication skills is the most time-effective way. Create your resume now How to Emphasize Communication Skills on Your ResumeLike your other abilities on your resume, your best communication skills should be demonstrated through your professional history. There are some basic communication skills which are important for most positions though some jobs require some specific abilities. Jobs requiring strong communication skills include teachers, managers, nurses, waitresses, psychologists, and salespeople.The first step is to read carefully through each job description and highlight the required communicationresume skills. You will need to write a resume which is a little different for each job application.Think about wh at you have achieved and how your communication skills have contributed to your success. Then you will be able to actually demonstrate your abilities by includingcommunication skills examplesrather than just claiming to have them.For example, including in your career accomplishments that you gave presentations, gave training sessions, worked as part of a team, resolved customer complaints, or lead a project, shows that you have key transferable skills. Find the resume format which highlights your strengths the best.Top 15 Communication Skills for Workplace SuccessIf you can clearly show that you have strong communication skills on your resume you will increase your chances of getting a first interview as they are some of the best skills to put on a resume.Think about each pointfrom the followingcommunication skills listand think of examples when you have demonstrated them.1. WritingWriting is a daily part of many jobs and it is an important part of communication. Most office jobs an d call center jobs involve writing emails and written communication with colleagues. What have you written? Who was it to? What did it achieve? Include this in your resume.2. MentoringProviding one-to-one guidance shows that you have a range of key interpersonal skills such as listening, empathy, and giving advice and feedback.You can use a bullet point on your resume to highlight the progress of the individual.3. NegotiatingAside from the obvious financial benefits, good negotiators offer companies the ability to persuade other people. This involves getting points across clearly as well as reading other people (non-verbal communication). You can include this in a job description, or in an achievements section on your resume.4. Oral communicationOral communication skills are important in most jobs and are essential in customer service, sales, PR, and any role which involves speaking on the phone. If verbal communication has featured in your past job roles you should highlight this a s it shows that you have strong resume social skills.5. TrainingGiving training sessions demands a number of communication skills. You have to be able to engage an audience to keep their attention. It shows that you are comfortable with public speaking and are able to communicate ideas and concepts to others.6. TeamworkBeing an effective team member involves being able to communicate and share ideas with your colleagues. You need to have good listening and verbal skills to cooperate with others. If you have worked as you should include it as one of your resume communication skills.7. PresentationsGiving presentations shows that you can engage with large audiences. It shows that you have a range of skills including oral communication. It is an impressive communication resume skillas elend everyone is comfortable with public speaking and it is important in many jobs.8. EmpathyCommunicators who are able to empathize with others both understand how someone is feeling and the reason for their communication, as well as how to communicate back. Empathy not only helps you to read the room in team meetings, but it helps you gain perspective and understanding which helps when communicating.9. ListeningIf you can listen to someone and take in everything they are saying, you can communicate back well. Communicating with people is not solely about talking. In fact, a lot of the time it is about listening. This applies to both employees and bosses. Communication is a two-way street and everyone should be open to listening.10. Sense of HumorArguably listing this on your resume is slightly daring but it depends entirely on the type of job. Communicating with a sense of humor can be a good way of making things lighthearted and more positive or fun. However, part of this communication skill is knowing when using humor in conversation is appropriate. 11. CompassionIf you are not able to communicate compassionately, people can take offense when delicate topics are communicated in an insensitive manner. Its important to take everyones feeling into account when presenting ideas, implementing changes, and talking directly to others.12. PatienceNot everything always works out as planned. Patience is a communication skill that helps us to communicate calmly and with poise. If you are able to be patient, whether waiting for others to respond to you or for someone to finish speaking, your communication will improve significantly. This characteristic enables you to stay calm and preserved, which also stops your brain from jarring. Patience will let you generate your thoughts productively and communicate coherently.13. PositivityIf you communicate in a positive way, your energy will bounce off and have a positive effect on others. Positivity is also a good communication skill that helps to persuade others. It works as a persuasion tool and can help others to look on the bright side of the point you are making.14. ConfidenceCommunicating with confidence will ensure t hat you are taken seriously (depending on the point that youre making) and help to make others listen, as well. If you communicate your idea half-heartedly, others might not listen or take your idea on board. Believe in yourself, be confident and your communication will instantly improve. 15. Open-MindednessCommunicating with an open mind is the best way to propose ideas, receive feedback or engage in discussions. Sometimes when we plan our suggestions and proposals, we imagine our responses. It is better to approach any communicative situation with an open mind as we dont always receive these expected responses. Being open-minded also helps us to take on other suggestions and try new things.Including Communication Skills on Your ResumeCommunication skills are one of the most valuable abilities that employers look for as they are central to many professionals and play an important role in most. However, when youre job hunting simply being a good communicator isnt enough. You need to show communication skills on your resume in orderto demonstrate your abilities to prospective employers.Should you put communication skills on your resume? Yes, whatever industry you work in it is important to communicate effectively other people, whether it be colleagues, superiors, clients, or customers. Many professions involve a list of communication skills including sending emails and speaking on the phone. Even job hunting itself requires effective communication.Anyone can easily include communication skills keywords on their resume such as team player, attentive listener, confident speaker, and excellent communicator. However, this is unlikely to convinceemployers as it is easy to claim to have these skills.Instead, it is better to demonstrate communication skills on your resume by highlighting the requirements of past jobs or times when youve excelledin a situation. Using a resume builder to include communication skills is the most time-effective way. Create your resume now How to Emphasize Communication Skills on Your ResumeLike your other abilities on your resume, your best communication skills should be demonstrated through your professional history. There are some basic communication skills which are important for most positions though some jobs require some specific abilities. Jobs requiring strong communication skills include teachers, managers, nurses, waitresses, psychologists, and salespeople.The first step is to read carefully through each job description and highlight the required communicationresume skills. You will need to write a resume which is a little different for each job application.Think about what you have achieved and how your communication skills have contributed to your success. Then you will be able to actually demonstrate your abilities by includingcommunication skills examplesrather than just claiming to have them.For example, including in your career accomplishments that you gave presentations, gave training sessions, wor ked as part of a team, resolved customer complaints, or lead a project, shows that you have key transferable skills. Find the resume format which highlights your strengths the best.Top 15 Communication Skills for Workplace SuccessIf you can clearly show that you have strong communication skills on your resume you will increase your chances of getting a first interview as they are some of the best skills to put on a resume.Think about each pointfrom the followingcommunication skills listand think of examples when you have demonstrated them.1. WritingWriting is a daily part of many jobs and it is an important part of communication. Most office jobs and call center jobs involve writing emails and written communication with colleagues. What have you written? Who was it to? What did it achieve? Include this in your resume.2. MentoringProviding one-to-one guidance shows that you have a range of key interpersonal skills such as listening, empathy, and giving advice and feedback.You can use a bullet point on your resume to highlight the progress of the individual.3. NegotiatingAside from the obvious financial benefits, good negotiators offer companies the ability to persuade other people. This involves getting points across clearly as well as reading other people (non-verbal communication). You can include this in a job description, or in an achievements section on your resume.4. Oral communicationOral communication skills are important in most jobs and are essential in customer service, sales, PR, and any role which involves speaking on the phone. If verbal communication has featured in your past job roles you should highlight this as it shows that you have strong resume social skills.5. TrainingGiving training sessions demands a number of communication skills. You have to be able to engage an audience to keep their attention. It shows that you are comfortable with public speaking and are able to communicate ideas and concepts to others.6. TeamworkBeing an effective team member involves being able to communicate and share ideas with your colleagues. You need to have good listening and verbal skills to cooperate with others. If you have worked as you should include it as one of your resume communication skills.7. PresentationsGiving presentations shows that you can engage with large audiences. It shows that you have a range of skills including oral communication. It is an impressive communication resume skillas not everyone is comfortable with public speaking and it is important in many jobs.8. EmpathyCommunicators who are able to empathize with others both understand how someone is feeling and the reason for their communication, as well as how to communicate back. Empathy not only helps you to read the room in team meetings, but it helps you gain perspective and understanding which helps when communicating.9. ListeningIf you can listen to someone and take in everything they are saying, you can communicate back well. Communicating with people is not solely about talking. In fact, a lot of the time it is about listening. This applies to both employees and bosses. Communication is a two-way street and everyone should be open to listening.10. Sense of HumorArguably listing this on your resume is slightly daring but it depends entirely on the type of job. Communicating with a sense of humor can be a good way of making things lighthearted and more positive or fun. However, part of this communication skill is knowing when using humor in conversation is appropriate. 11. CompassionIf you are not able to communicate compassionately, people can take offense when delicate topics are communicated in an insensitive manner. Its important to take everyones feeling into account when presenting ideas, implementing changes, and talking directly to others.12. PatienceNot everything always works out as planned. Patience is a communication skill that helps us to communicate calmly and with poise. If you are able to be patient, whether waiting for others to respond to you or for someone to finish speaking, your communication will improve significantly. This characteristic enables you to stay calm and preserved, which also stops your brain from jarring. Patience will let you generate your thoughts productively and communicate coherently.13. PositivityIf you communicate in a positive way, your energy will bounce off and have a positive effect on others. Positivity is also a good communication skill that helps to persuade others. It works as a persuasion tool and can help others to look on the bright side of the point you are making.14. ConfidenceCommunicating with confidence will ensure that you are taken seriously (depending on the point that youre making) and help to make others listen, as well. If you communicate your idea half-heartedly, others might not listen or take your idea on board. Believe in yourself, be confident and your communication will instantly improve. 15. Open-MindednessCommunicating with an open mind i s the best way to propose ideas, receive feedback or engage in discussions. Sometimes when we plan our suggestions and proposals, we imagine our responses. It is better to approach any communicative situation with an open mind as we dont always receive these expected responses. Being open-minded also helps us to take on other suggestions and try new things.