On Sat, Feb 08, 2003 at 12:28:58PM -0500, Gary L. Nunn wrote: > 1. After an interview (phone or in person) is it appropriate to send a > thank you - either a hand written card or an email. Since I am looking > for jobs in the IT field, I tend to favor email. Some sources say the > "thank you" is virtually mandatory and some sources say that it is > more of an annoyance because they don't want to waste the time to read > them.
I think that if there is no substantial content to the note, it is optional and has little chance of making a difference either way, although it seems to me that it is more likely to help you (if they simply forgot about you) than hurt you (few people get upset about polite irrelevancies). But if you can think of some relevant information or detail to say about why you think hiring you would benefit the company, especially if it was based on something you learned during the interview or that was discussed during the interview, then definitely send a note. (That is partly responsible how I got my current job) As far as type of note, I would only send email if I knew that my email would be read. In my case, I had had prior communication via email, so I did use email for the note. But if you aren't certain that your email will be read (consider email filters), I think a mailed letter has a better chance of being read than an email. > 2. Recently I have been contacting companies to find the name of the > person that will be actually receiving my resume and addressing this > to them directly. The source that gave me this idea says that this > shows initiative. Any thoughts? My strategy has always been to try to contact the person who would actually be the manager or supervisor of the position I was trying to apply for. If you can telephone such a person, and discuss job openings and perhaps put in a few good words for yourself as to how your abilities fit any openings, and then ask about sending your resume and possibily arranging an interview, then, well you have drastically increased your chances over someone who sent their resume to the HR manager and hoped it got read by the right person after that. > 3. This question is one that I am personally on the fence with - > My supervisor at the DoD is really great about supporting people > when they have opportunities to move up and advance in position, job > or salary. He consistently has given glowing references for all of > us. So, I put in my cover letters that my supervisor is aware that I > am seeking other employment and is listed as one of my professional > references. I had a recruiter tell me that this gives a negative > impression - kind of like we are mutually agreeing that I should > leave. I have always thought this would be a positive since they could > always contact my current employer for a reference. Any thoughts on > this specific issue would be appreciated. It is a little unusual (I haven't seen it stated like that on a cover letter). I guess I'm not really sure how most people would react to that. Why not play it safe and prominently list him as a reference with full contact information, but don't mention the part about him being aware. You won't be hiding his awareness, if that is a concern, since anyone who contacts him will probably find out that he is aware. But better they find out in a conversation than on a resume. -- "Erik Reuter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.erikreuter.net/ _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l