Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

I have always hated that interview question.  I hate it so much, that I won't even ask it.

Throughout my entire career, I have never had a good answer for it.  Truthfully, I have never had a career plan (what kind of Career Advisor admits to this?)  In high school I would say that my plan was to marry rich, during undergrad I always planned on going to grad school (which I didn't do because I didn't want to pay for it), after that I would look for jobs that interested me (how I ended up in staffing and recruitment is beyond me).  Since I didn't marry rich, or go to grad school I've been winging it for the past 20 years.  I'm able to identify and use my transferable skills, I have enhanced my education with further accreditations, and I work hard.  But if you ask me where do I want to be in 5 years?  I still don't have an answer.

So why would any recruiter or hiring manager expect any different?

Working with undergrads for the past year has been very refreshing.  It's really great to see the optimism of youth.  So many of our students have definite plans - and I applaud them for it.  But I'm a realist.  I also let them know to be okay if their plans change.  Our definition of success changes as our circumstances change, and that's okay.

What if your 5 year plan includes graduating, completing your CPA designation, and making partner?  Then, during those 5 years, you fall in love, get married and have twins?  I guarantee, whether you are the mom or the dad, you will re-evaluate that 5 year plan.  Maybe you will be even more determined to achieve your goal, maybe you will change the goal completely.

My point, if I have one, is that if you are a recruiter- please stop asking this question.  If you are a candidate, have an answer ready for it, but know that it's 100% okay to change your plans.

Steps to Create A Cover Letter That Will Get Noticed

I come from the world of high volume recruiting.  I'm not going to lie to you, in that type of role, a recruiter barely glances at your cover letter.  I used to scan the letter quickly looking for typos or anything that caught my eye.

Knowing this, do you really want to spend the time writing one?  Let me get back to you on that.

Currently, in my role as a Career Advisor, we counsel our students to not only write a cover letter, but to customise it specifically for each role.  That doesn't mean merely changing the company name and address either (although it's astounding how many applicants forget this important step).  If we know that many recruiters barely glance at the letter, why do we tell our students to write one?  Because a well written letter will get noticed and read.

Are you starting your letter like this:

"To Whom it May Concern,

I saw with great interest your job posting in the local paper.  I know that I would be a perfect fit for your company.  Please see my attached resume for full qualifications."

Yawn.  When you get several hundred applications, and 99% of them read like this, it's no wonder the cover letter doesn't get read. I'm bored already.  What you need to do to get noticed is to be noticeable!

Let's say that you see a job posting for an accounting company.  You hear that they are a great company to work for and you really want to apply.  What can you do to get noticed?

Step 1:

Find out who to address your letter to.  This is a small step, but taking those few moments to do a bit of research will already make you stand out.  Use LinkedIn, the company website, or even call the receptionist and ask.

"Dear Ms. Smith" is a lot more professional than "To Whom it May Concern"

Step 2:

Print out - yes print out the job posting.  There are 2 reasons for this.  1 - you can highlight the key areas to include in your letter, and 2 - you will have a record of the posting to help you to prepare for your interview later. 

Step 3:

Research the company.  Why do you want to work for this company?  What is it about them that makes you a good fit for their culture?  Know what they do, who the key players are, and who they look for in an employee.

Step 4:

Start composing.  Your letter should start with an attention grabbing first sentence.  Immediately, if you are different from the rest of the applicants, you will stand out.

Other Tips:

• Look on line for any friends, former classmates or college alumni who may work (or who have worked) for the company.  Reach out to them for any tips and advice on the company and how to apply.  You never know, they may have an employee referral program in place.
• Be aware of applicant tracking systems (ATS).  These are programs that search for keywords in your application package.  You can find the keywords in the job posting and can include them in your resume and cover letter.
• Some ATS will only allow you to upload 1 file.  Be sure to save your cover letter in the same document as your resume.
• If you can, upload a Pdf instead of a Word document.  Often the formatting gets screwed up and using a Pdf will protect that.
• Keep your audience in mind.  What can you do for them?
• Be aware of "I" statements.  "I have 5 years of experience in accounts payable" "I have a BCom from the local university"  So what?  What does your education and experience mean to me?  Focus on your achievements and recognition.  
• Proofread!  Have a friend proofread your letter for typos and for flow.  In a hurry?  Read your letter out loud.
• Keep it short!  No more than 1 page.  Ideally a short intro, 1 or 2 paragraphs on why you are the best candidate, and then a closing sentence or two.

For examples on how to write a "hook" in your cover letter, check out the articles on Careerealism.

Get Your Résumé in the "Yes" Pile

I counsel university students every day on how to improve their résumé.  By far the biggest comment that I hear from them is "who cares what my résumé looks like, isn't it the content that counts?"

Unfortunately that isn't the case.  Many recruiters see hundreds of applications and résumés on a weekly basis.  A good recruiter is able to quickly scan each one in a matter of 10 seconds(or less) and can determine based on that initial scan if your résumé goes into the "yes" or "no" pile.

What can you do to make your résumé stand out?

First - make it easy to read.  No matter how amazing you may be, if you have a résumé that is cluttered or too "wordy", I'm going to look at it and toss it.  Read every word of a 2 page résumé?  Ain't nobody got time for that!

But there are a few things that you can do that will make your résumé easy to read:

• Use a standard format with the dates separated from the rest of the text so they stand out.
• Tell me what you accomplished rather than what you were "responsible for"
• Use bullet points!
• When you can, use numbers and symbols, these will draw the reader's eyes into your résumé during a quick scan.  E.g. Instead of: Consistently achieved sales targets try instead: Met and surpassed sales goals achieving 150% of monthly targets

One other thing; are you a whizz at word processing? I didn't think so, in fact, I know so.  When I receive a résumé in a .doc format, I click on the "paragraph" button specifically to see if you know how to format.  Usually, you don't.  To avoid this, always submit your application using a .pdf file.

Spelling counts too!

You can thank my grade 3 English teacher, but I am a stickler for proper spelling.  I have seen many applications get tossed because of 1 spelling error.  Use spell check and have a friend proofread your résumé before you send it in.

This is one of my favourite misspellings:
Strong attntion to details

Why So Down on Recruiters?

Recruiters it seems are getting a bad rap.  I can't read an HR/employment blog anymore without coming across at least one negative remark about recruiters.  I don't know where this is coming from.

Sure, like in any industry, there are good and bad recruiters.  So let me break down what it is that a recruiter actually does.

First of all, it needs to be said, that a Recruiter is not there to find you a job.  There, I said it.  Whew!  That feels better.  This is a huge misconception and I think the source of all of the negativity about Recruiters.

A Recruiter, whether corporate or agency, exists to fill vacant positions.  They get paid to source and screen candidates.  They are not paid by the candidates, this would be illegal - at least in Canada.  If you do not have the skills required for the position(s) that they are looking to fill, you will not be getting a call.  It's as plain as that.

A good recruiter is someone who builds strong networks that they then turn to when sourcing.  A good recruiter does not simply throw resumes at a position in the hopes that one candidate will fit the bill.  A good recruiter find her candidates via referral and direct sourcing.  If a recruiter is doing her job properly, it may only take one or two candidates to fill a role.

I know that it can be upsetting to invest an hour of your time speaking or meeting with a recruiter and not get a job.  But you know what?  That's life.  Currently in the USA there are 4 - 6 qualified candidates (not applicants) for each available position.  The odds are not in your favour.  In Calgary (where I live) we are in a labour crunch, but you know what?  Employers are not going to hire you just to fill a seat if you don't meet their needs.

When you meet with a recruiter, use the time to your advantage.  Treat it as good experience.  You should take that time to ask the recruiter for advice on how to improve your job search.  Ultimately it is  you and your skills and abilities, that will get you a job.  A recruiter may be able to get you in the door, but can't get you a job!