Signs of the Times:  March, 2001
By Darlene Davis

What is the Best Way to Approach Recruiters by E-mail?

Yahoo shares three sensible tips:

1. Scan all documents for viruses.  Most companies scan incoming e-mail.  If a virus is detected, the e-mail is deleted and no one is going to see your resume.

2. Put your name in the filename of your resume document.  For example, use “AlanJones.doc” instead of “resume.doc.”  Recruiters and managers receive numerous resume each day name “resume.doc” or “myresume.doc.”

3. Send your resume as an attachment.  It’s becoming the standard and an e-mailed resume in Word can easily be circulated to the various hiring managers.  Moreover, resumes that are sent as an attachment keep their aesthetic formatting.

What Do Bosses Want in Employees?

“Interpersonal skills topped the list…” according to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.  Bosses want people who can:

• Communicate
• Motivate themselves
• Work in teams
• Succeed academically
• Interact well with others
• Be flexible
• Use technical skills
• Be honest
• Work hard, analyze, and solve problems

Some things Never Change.

“How long will it take to get another job?  That depends on how active your network is…if you’ve been a mole for the past five years it will take months”

                         - Kenney’s Career Strategist

 “76% of HR professionals report that typographical or grammatical errors found in cover letters and resumes cause them to remove the applicant from the pool of candidates.”

 “96% of HR professionals rated the quality of resumes and cover letters they receive as ‘good’ or ‘fair’.  Only 2% reported them to be ‘excellent.’” – SHRM Survey