Some additional Tips from Your Advance Team

We have just listed a few general items that many people seem to forget as they get buried in the depths of their résumé.

• Include your current employment status: where, when, what. (Where you are employed, how long have you been there, what you do.)

• Include your educational degrees: where and what.

• Write your resume in reverse-chronological order, listing your most recent position first. Most employers prefer chronological resumes to other types of resumes.

• Make the actual sections of your resume (Employment, Education, Technical Skills) easily distinguishable. A hard-to-read resume will often take a back seat to a well-designed resume...regardless of the actual skills of the individuals described by each document.

• Place your name and contact information where they will be clearly visible.

Interviewing Tips

• Learn interviewer's full name, the correct pronunciation and his or her title

• Don't answer questions with a simple "yes" or "no." Explain whenever possible. Describe those things about yourself which relate to the situation.

• Never make unnecessary derogatory remarks about your present or former employers.

• ASK questions. A lack of questions may be mistaken as a lack of interest.

Follow-up Tips
A follow-up letter to the interviewer is an important step in the interviewing process, one that candidates often forget to take. Sending such a letter is not only proper interviewing etiquette, but it also makes you stand out from the other candidates competing for the position. Write your follow-up letter as soon as possible after the interview.

• Your thank-you letter should be typed in a business letter format. Address the letter to the person with whom you interviewed. Include the interviewer's name, title, organization, and complete mailing address.

• Express appreciation for the opportunities to interview, tour the facilities, meet other employees, etc.

• Mention the Step of your interview and the position for which you interviewed.

• Express continued interest in the position and the company. 

• Re-emphasize your most important skills and qualifications and how you expect to contribute to the organization.

• Include any information you forgot to mention in the interview, if necessary (be brief though).

• Close your letter with a comment about future contact with the employer.