Fewer Americans filed applications for unemployment benefits last week than at any time since before the last recession, indicating bigger gains in hiring will soon follow.

Jobless claims decreased by 32,000 to 300,000 in the week ended April 5, the least since May 2007, seven months before the worst economic slump in the post-World War II era began, a Labor Department report showed today in Washington. Another report showed rising gasoline prices were hurting consumer sentiment.

A drop in firings signal employers are optimistic sales will pick up following a weather-related slowdown at the start of the year, which will pave the way for bigger increases in employment as demand rebounds. More jobs and growing incomes would help lift confidence and provide a spark for consumer spending, which makes up the largest part of the economy.

“I’m pretty optimistic about the labor market,” said Thomas Simons, a money market economist at Jefferies LLC in New York, whose forecast for 310,000 claims was the lowest in the Bloomberg survey. “Slack in the labor force should start to be absorbed more quickly, and that should put some upward on wages as well.”

Article link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-10/jobless-claims-in-u-s-decline-to-lowest-level-since-may-2007.html

People who have been out of work for an extended period, once hired, tend to be just as productive on the job as those with more typical work histories, according to an analysis of almost 20,000 employees.

The research, provided to Bloomberg News by San Francisco-based Evolv Inc., shows no statistically significant difference in measures of job performance between two pools of entry-level call center agents: those who hadn’t held a single full-time job in at least five years before they applied for the position, and the rest. Evolv, which helps large companies assess and manage hourly workers, analyzed data collected from six employers in about 90 locations in the U.S.

The findings buttress President Barack Obama’s call to American businesses to give the long-term unemployed “a fair shot” amid growing evidence that employers have preferred to hire candidates without prolonged jobless spells. Some 3.7 million workers have been out of work for 27 weeks or more as of March, according to Labor Department data released today.

“We have statistical proof that hiring somebody among the long-term unemployed is equal to somebody who is not long-term unemployed,” said Max Simkoff, chief executive officer and co-founder of Evolv.

Job seekers wait in line at a job fair on March 28, 2014 in Washington, DC.

Evolv tracked four measures of job performance, each collected every day of the worker’s tenure. The variables included the average time it took for the agent to complete a transaction, customer satisfaction ratings, supervisor evaluations, and the percentage of the workday spent at his or her desk.

No Worse

About 14 percent of the employees in the sample reported having had no full-time job for the five years leading up to the time they applied for the position. After excluding people who had been in school for the year up to the time they applied for the job, Evolv’s analysts found that the long-term unemployed still performed no worse than those without an extended jobless spell.

The findings are encouraging news for Federal Reserve policy makers, provided that recruiters heed Evolv’s findings. The U.S. central bank has deployed record stimulus to bring down unemployment, even as some critics have warned that further accommodation won’t help because a prolonged period of high joblessness has made some workers permanently unemployable.

“The concern is that the long-term unemployed may remain on the sidelines, ultimately dropping out of the workforce,” Fed Chair Janet Yellen said March 31 in her first speech as the head of the central bank as she highlighted the plight of struggling Americans. “But the data suggest that the long-term unemployed look basically the same as other unemployed people in terms of their occupations, educational attainment, and other characteristics.”

Qualified Candidates

For employers, Evolv’s results suggest that they’re missing out on qualified candidates, Simkoff said. In one experiment, researchers at the University of Toronto, the University of Chicago and McGill University submitted about 12,000 fake resumes to apply for about 3,000 jobs. At eight months of unemployment, callbacks were about 45 percent lower than at one month of unemployment, the study showed.

Among those struggling to find work is Vincent Ramsey, 56, who lost his security job at Villanova University in Pennsylvania in May 2012 and has been looking since. He said he’s applied for about 30 positions a week mostly in areas in which he’s had experience, such as customer service and childcare.

‘Positive Traits’

“With all the positive traits that I have, somebody’s still finding fault with me,” said Ramsey, referring to his punctuality and work ethic as well as the breadth of his work record. “I don’t understand it. Wherever you put me at any job, I connect with people. I’ve done this successfully everywhere.”

More than 300 companies including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and automaker Ford Motor Co. signed a White House pledge to develop initiatives for hiring and recruiting job-seekers who have been out of work for an extended period.

“It’s a cruel Catch-22 — the longer you’re unemployed, the more unemployable you may seem,” Obama said Jan. 31. “They just need a chance.”

Published by Bloomberg

Article link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-04/long-term-unemployed-make-for-just-as-strong-hires-study.html

Just over half of U.S. businesses that pay the minimum wage would hire fewer workers if the federal standard is raised to $10.10 per hour, according to a survey by a large staffing firm to be released Wednesday. But the same poll found a majority of those companies would not cut their current workforce.

About two-thirds of employers paying the minimum wage said they would raise prices for goods or services in response to an increase, the survey by Express Employment Professionals found. About 54% of minimum-wage employers would reduce hiring if the federally mandated rate increased by $2.85 per hour. A smaller share—38% — said they would lay off employees if the wage increase favored by President Barack Obama becomes law.

The poll, designed to gauge businesses’ reaction to the wage increase, marks the latest effort by businesses and groups on both sides of the issue to shape a heated debate about whether increasing pay for workers at the bottom will help or hurt the U.S. economy.

A report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, released last month, found a jump to $10.10 per hour would cost the U.S. about 500,000 jobs by the second half of 2016. But the study said the increase would also lift 900,000 Americans out of poverty by boosting incomes for the working poor. The CBO study reviewed the work of a range of economists.

The staffing firm’s survey of about 1,200 companies, conducted last month, found that a wage increase would alter hiring plans for a sizable share of all employers including those that don’t have minimum-wage workers. Among all businesses polled, 19% said they would let employees go as a result of the wage increase and 39% said future hiring would be reduced.

“The response shows that some businesses will certainly lose employees and many will not be hiring as much, if the minimum wage goes up,” Express chief executive Bob Funk said in an interview. “In a time of weak job growth like we’ve had recently, this is not the right time for a wage hike.”

Though Mr. Funk said he thinks a minimum-wage increase would hurt the overall economy, he said his firm could actually benefit because it would take a share of the higher wages paid to the workers it places. Wednesday’s survey from Express is not the company’s first report to challenge a key piece of the president’s agenda. Last year, the company published a paper arguing the Affordable Care Act would reduce job creation and erode the number of people working in full-time jobs.

The Oklahoma City firm, which caters to mostly small- and medium-sized businesses, said increasing the minimum wage would put upward pressure on labor costs for all employers because workers who earn close to $10 per hour also would seek raises if the bottom level was increased by almost 40%.

Results of the Express survey are roughly in line with other polls measuring business reaction to a minimum wage increase.

A Duke University/CFO Magazine survey of chief financial officers, released last week, found that 47% of retail firms and about a third of service and manufacturing companies would reduce jobs if the minimum wage rose to $10 per hour.

A survey from Wells Fargo and Gallup released in November found that 28% of small-business owners said they would reduce their current workforce in response to a minimum wage increase to $9 per hour.

President Obama called on Congress more than a year ago to raise the minimum wage to $9 per hour. Earlier this year, as part of a strategy to combat income inequality, he embraced legislation introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) and Rep. George Miller (D. Calif.) to increase the minimum wage in stages to $10.10 an hour and index it to inflation afterward.

Published by The Wall Street Journal

Article Link: http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2014/03/19/minimum-wage-increase-could-slow-future-hiring-employment-survey-shows/

According to a news release by the American Staffing Association temporary help was up by 9.6% in March.

Seasonally adjusted employment data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that temporary help services employment added 28,500 new jobs in March (up 1.0% from February). “Employment growth in temporary help services had averaged 20,000 per month in the prior 12 months,” said BLS Commissioner Erica L. Groshen.

In a year-to-year comparison, staffing firms employed 9.6% more temporary workers in March than in the same month a year ago, according to BLS. That was the strongest year-to-year growth since the summer of 2012.

Nonseasonally adjusted BLS data, which estimate the actual number of jobs in the economy, indicated that staffing employment increased by 59,300 in March (up 2.2% from February). On a year-to-year basis, there were 10.0% more staffing employees in March than in the same month last year.

“Staffing and recruiting companies are helping businesses strategically expand their labor forces in this period of continued moderate economic growth,” says Richard Wahlquist, president and chief executive officer of the American Staffing Association. “Staffing and recruiting firms place talent across the full spectrum of occupations. Now’s a good time for job seekers to contact local recruiters to determine what skills-sets are currently in demand in their area.”

Total U.S. nonfarm payroll employment increased by 192,000 jobs in March, BLS reported. Monthly job gains averaged 183,000 in the prior 12 months. The March unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.7%.

BLS also released preliminary February employment data for search and placement services: seasonally adjusted at 307,300, an increase of 2,000 (0.6%) from January.

Article link: http://www.americanstaffing.net/newsroom/newsreleases/april_04_14.cfm

Earlier this year Staff Source transitioned from paper checks to pay cards. This was a big adjustment since the process has always been for employees to pick up their checks from the Staff Source office every Friday for the past 15 years. With the help of Global Cash Card now all of Staff Source’s employees have a pay card to which their money is loaded onto each week. Global made this an easy transition for Staff Source as well as other companies, see press release below.

Global Cash Card Named Winner in Eighth Annual Paybefore Awards

Michael Purcell, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer of Global Cash Card, congratulates Bobby Nguyen, Application Development Manager, who spearheaded the Expense Manager development.

Irvine, CA March 5, 2014 – Paybefore has selected Global Cash Card’s Expense Manager as a 2014 Paybefore Awards winner in the Judges’ Choice category. For eight years, Paybefore Awards has conferred the most prestigious recognition of excellence in the worldwide prepaid, mobile and emerging payments industry. The awards are presented annually by Paybefore, whose publications are the leading source of industry information for alternative payments executives.

“Expense Manager is another milestone in our continuing effort to provide innovative functionality to our cardholders and clients” said Richard Elliot, Chief Technology Officer of Global Cash Card. “Throughout the development of our proprietary card platform, our goal has always been to create features that enhance and compliment the day to day lives of our users. We are thrilled and honored to receive this award”.

Expense Manager was selected by a panel of five industry experts who served as judges for this year’s competition, which—once again—included a record number of entries from around the world.

“An industry is only as good as its innovators. This year’s Paybefore Awards have demonstrated that prepaid, emerging and mobile payments companies always find new ways to address consumer, government and business needs,” said Loraine DeBonis, Paybefore editor-in-chief and chair of the judging panel. “We are proud to recognize Global Cash Card’s contributions to advancing the industry.”

“The companies and programs recognized in the 2014 Paybefore Awards are great of examples of what can be accomplished when innovators apply thoughtfulness and payments technology to address real-world needs,” added Marilyn Bochicchio, Paybefore’s CEO.

The Global Cash Card Expense Manager is a set of proprietary online tools that allow cardholders to organize, categorize and budget their expenses through an easy to use interface. These tools also include customizable graphs and reports that give each cardholder a complete financial picture of their income and expenses.

About Global Cash Card: Global Cash Card™ is the proven specialist in customized paycard solutions that are simple to implement and easy to use.  The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of World Processing, Ltd, a leader in electronic financial transaction technology.  Headquartered in Irvine, CA, Global Cash Card is a direct processor that offers a 100% paperless solution through Visa Prepaid and Debit MasterCard card programs.  The company develops and owns the proprietary software, which enables the products and services it offers.

The cutting edge platform provides a multi-channel solution, including payroll, travel, gift, branded and customized card programs.  Global Cash Card’s innovative technology continues to improve, offering more value and greater flexibility to meet the particular requirements of its customers.  Visit us at www.globalcashcard.com.

What is an elevator pitch?

Before I can tell you how to create an elevator pitch, let’s define what it is. An elevator pitch is the brief 30-60 second time frame that you may have with a person to summarize what you can do or what you have to offer to an organization. The name reflects the idea that it should be possible to deliver the summary in the time span of an elevator ride. If the elevator pitch is successful your conversation will go beyond the “elevator ride”.

Step 1: Prepare your pitch ahead of time.

You should always be ready to give an elevator pitch at the drop of a hat. You never know when you might bump into someone that you want to give your pitch to. Jot down some things following the steps below and practice it out loud over and over again until you are comfortable saying it. Of course you will need to tailor your pitch to each person but these steps should help you form the outline.

Step 2: Start your pitch with what you’re interested in doing.

Be passionate. This entices them by hearing that you are excited about what you love to do. Even if what you want to do isn’t something they can offer, they will respond to the enthusiasm and point you in the right direction.

Step 3: Tailor it to them, not you.

People are interested in what’s in it for them. Try to relate to them and focus your message on their needs.

Example: “I have over 10 years of experience in human resources, helping many companies find the right candidates for their companies.”

Step 4: State what you want to happen next.

Remember you only have a short amount of time and you need to get to the point of how you can follow up with your conversation. Ask for their business card so you can control the follow ups and if they don’t have one get their name, number and email address. A good way to stay in touch is to send a LinkedIn invite to connect.

Example: “I’d love to schedule a time to learn more about your company and what you do. Do you have a business card with you?”

Being out of work is difficult, and sending out resume filled with employment gaps can present a huge hurdle to ending that unemployment.

However, human resources professionals say having employment gaps on your resume doesn’t necessarily mean your resume will be passed over.

“It does not automatically send up a major red flag, especially these days,” said Tonya Fight, human resources specialist at Advocate South Suburban Hospital. “Unfortunately, over the last few years, the economy has taken a toll. There are many more people recently who have been laid off or downsized because of the economy, so gaps are increasingly more common.”

Explaining those gaps to a potential employer is still often necessary, however.

“I would say there are no hard and fast rules for this issue,” Joe Frank, communications director with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. “If you do have an employment gap, especially of 6 months or more, you need to be prepared to address concerns and answer questions in a positive way.”

Here are some expert tips on how to best weather the storm and come out on the other end employed.

Be prepared to explain.

For Fight, it’s less about the length of the gap than the reason for it. That’s why she recommends being prepared to explain anything more than a small period of unemployment.

“If there is a gap of more than a few months, there really needs to be some reason or explanation that is communicated to the recruiter,” she said.

Applicants should attempt to account in their resume any significant gap, she said.

Read full article: Employment Gaps

The retail-worker strikes that swept the nation in 2013 did not move Congress to raise the minimum wage, but a growing number of states are taking action.

The minimum wage will rise in 13 states this week, and as many as 11 states and Washington, D.C., are expected to consider increases in 2014, according to the National Employment Law Project. Approval is likely in more than half of the 11, says NELP policy analyst Jack Temple.

The trend reflects growing concerns about the disproportionate spread of low-wage jobs in the U.S. economy, creating millions of financially strained workers and putting too little money in consumers’ pockets to spur faster economic growth.

On Jan. 1, state minimum wages will be higher than the federal requirement of $7.25 an hour in 21 states, up from 18 two years ago. Temple expects another nine states to drift above the federal minimum by the end of 2014, marking the first time minimum pay in most states will be above the federal level.

“2014 is poised to be a turning point,” Temple says. “States are seeing the unemployment rate is going down but job growth is disproportionately concentrated in low-wage industries. (They’re) frustrated that Congress is dragging its feet.”

Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island legislatures voted to raise the minimum hourly wage by as much as $1, to $8 to $8.70, by Wednesday. In California, a $1 increase to $9 is scheduled July 1. Smaller automatic increases tied to inflation will take effect in nine other states: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

Full story available here: raising minimum wage

We appreciate the creativity and effort that was put into these awesome holiday cards. Thanks to all who participated and happy holidays!

The winner for Contract Services Group is this jolly creative card made by Jason LeGrand.

 

The winner for Hospitality Services Group is this colorful festive card made by Elainea Gholston.

 

17 Tips to Write a Cover Letter that Will Get You Noticed!

Below is a list of 17 Tips to create a perfect cover letter to get an interview.

 

Tip 1: Get into the Right Mindset – What is the Purpose of a Cover Letter?

It’s not just a structure you need to follow, like an “ABC” formula—it’s a mindset you need to get into, and I’m going to help you get into that mindset and show you how to put everything together. When we’re done today, you’re going to be able to write a great cover letter, comfortably and confidently.

On the surface, cover letters seem simple. But once you actually get into writing one, you start to understand that it’s deceptive. Your cover letter does need to be simple and quick, but when you really start to think about how this is probably your very first introduction to whoever it is that needs to give you a chance at a job, and it’s vitally important that you impress them—that you make them want to read your resume, and then call you for an interview—that’s when it starts to twist you up a little. And if it isn’t twisting you up at least a little bit, and then you just don’t understand how important this little introduction is.

 

Tip 2: Sell, Sell, Sell Yourself to a Hiring Manager, Recruiter or Human Resources

Let’s start off by setting up the playing field here. Overall, your job search is a sales process. You, the candidate, are the product you’re trying to sell to the hiring manager. You want him to buy your product, which means to hire you. In this analogy, the resume is your marketing brochure that tells the buyer about the product. So what’s the cover letter? It’s your “commercial” or your initial ad that’s going to get the attention of the buyer and make him want to read the marketing brochure. Your cover letter is a “teaser” for your resume. It’s the sign that says “look here!” It’s supposed to be brief but also grab attention and puts your resume in context. It’s the first impression of you for this person, and first impressions last. It demonstrates your professionalism, your personality, and your communication skills, right off the bat.

 

Tip 3: Don’t Make Your Cover Letter Generic… Target the Position You Are Applying For

The most common mistakes job seekers make when they write cover letters is that they make them too generic, they make them too long, and they put no effort into making them easy to read. Maybe they even go find a basic cover letter template online and just change out the names of the job title and company. The result is a letter that doesn’t make the reader want to dig a little deeper and read your resume, and doesn’t show good communication skills on your part. All that goes against everything I just told you is the goal of a good cover letter. So, you want to make sure that each cover letter you write is targeted to that job, at that company, to that hiring manager; that it gets your point across quickly; and that it’s very easy to skim and still get the most important facts from it. You want to be direct and get to the point quickly while being polite, friendly, and professional.

 

Tip 4: Make the Letter Addressed to Someone not Something

First, always make sure your letter is addressed to an actual person. Never “to whom it may concern,” or to a title like “Marketing Manager at ABC Corporation.” Make the effort to find out the actual name, with the right spelling, of the person who’s going to be reading it.

 

Tip 5: Write the Cover Letter to the Job, NOT Your Resume

With your first sentence or two, put the whole thing in context. What job are you interested in? Make that very clear. Remember, each cover letter you write is going to be written for that particular job. You’re writing to an actual person. Talk to that person. You want to be direct and aggressive with your language, but also use your own voice. That’s what puts your personality into it and resonates with the person reading it. And think about the person you’re sending this to. Is it a recruiter? Is it a hiring manager? Put yourself in their shoes. What pain are they experiencing right now? What problems are they having because that job is currently unfilled?

 

Tip 6: Address Their Problems and Your Solutions

Address that, and then show how you’re the solution to those problems. Your cover letter should always be focused on how you can help the employer. What’s in it for them? What are you bringing to the table? That’s your attention-grabbing opening. Think headline, almost. Or if someone they know has recommended that you contact this person, say that right up front.

 

Tip 7: Support Your Solutions

Then, in the body of the letter, you can go into a few details that support what you just told the reader. But don’t just copy and paste items from your resume. Don’t tell them what they’re going to be able to read on the next page. There are several different options you can go with.

 

Tip 8: Steal Their Job Description and Requirements

If you have a job description you’re working from, use the requirements they’re asking for. List a few of them, and note how you fit. For instance, if they’re looking for someone who “will drive the growth of XYZ division,” you say, “At ABC Company, I led my team to a 25% increase in revenue.” Or whatever it is. You’re answering their need. And as much as humanly possible, do it with numbers. If you don’t have a specific job description you’re applying for, feel free to just pull the stats that sell you. Put yourself in their shoes, figure out what they need, and show them why they should be interested in talking to you about meeting that need. Why are you good at what you do? And where’s your proof?

 

Tip 9: Quantify, Qualify & Measure

Numbers are what really get the attention of most hiring managers. For them, that proves that you’re not just all talk. You can back that up with measurable results. That’s either dollars, numbers, or percentages. Some way you can offer an objective measure of your achievement, in whatever form that takes for your industry. Hopefully, that’s a main focus of your resume. For your cover letter, you’re going to just sprinkle in a few of the more impressive figures to grab attention.

 

Tip 10: Don’t Copy and Paste from Your Resume into Your Cover Letter

Again, you don’t want to just restate what’s in your resume. Your cover letter should complement your resume. You can direct the hiring manager’s attention to the parts of your resume he would be most interested in, or you can add some details that don’t really “go” in your resume but that might be beneficial for the employer to know. Overall, you’re answering the question, “Why should I talk to you about this job?” Don’t copy and paste from your resume into your cover letter.

 

Tip 11: Use Bullet Points!

The easiest way for the reader to understand and focus on what you’re trying to say in the body of your letter is with bullet points. I love bullet points. They are easier to read than paragraphs and they naturally draw the eye down the list. They are bite-sized nuggets of information that are very easy to skim, take in, and digest. You have a much better chance of having your cover letter read if you incorporate bullet points into it.

 

Tip 12: Close with a Call To Action

Now: your closing. Sum up why they should see you, and let them know when you intend to follow up with a phone call. You can say something like: “I am very excited about the potential for this company and this position, and know that my skills in x, y, and z will advance your goals for this division. I look forward to discussing it with you, and I will call within a few days to set up a time to meet. Thank you for your consideration.” Basically, close with a call to action. What does that mean? You want to set up the next step in your closing statement. Is it a phone call, is it a meeting? Here is another example: “I look forward to speaking with you soon. The best number to reach me is 555-5555. Thank you for your time and consideration of my resume for XYZ position.” Make sure there is a next step or call to action.

 

Tip 13: Be Yourself, Let Your Personality Shine

That’s just an example. Whatever you say throughout your cover letter should be in your own words. You want it to be direct and aggressive and to the point, but you also want your own personality to shine through. That’s one reason you don’t want to use a cover letter template you can find online. That’s not your personality, that’s someone else’s. The other reason you don’t want to use a template is exactly because everyone else is doing it. You want your cover letter to stand out, and be unique. It’s going to stand out by acting as a selling document that grabs attention, and it’s going to be unique because you’ve written it yourself, using the words you would use if you were talking to the reader.

 

Tip 14: Spell-Check then Proofread Again and Again

OK. End the letter with “Sincerely,” then your name, and you’re done. Use an easy-to-read font, like Times New Roman, Ariel, or Helvetica. Make sure there are no errors in it. Proofread it, proofread it again, and then get someone else to proofread it. Spell-check doesn’t catch everything, so you need an actual person to go over it.

 

Tip 15: Never Attach Your Cover Letter

Once you’ve put all your blood and sweat into crafting the perfect cover letter, how do you make sure it actually gets read by the person you’re sending it to? If you’re mailing it, just print it on the same paper you’ve used for your resume and send it. You’re good to go. If you’re emailing your resume to a recruiter, Human Resources department, or hiring manager—never, never, never send your cover letter as an attachment. All of the work you just poured into your letter will go straight down the drain, because they’ll almost certainly never open it. You want to make it very, very easy for the reader to get the information he or she needs. You might think, “Well, how easy is it to click and open just one attachment?” But you’ve got to put yourself in the shoes of your reader. How many people are applying for that position? How many resumes and applications do they handle for all the positions they’re trying to fill? It could easily be hundreds. It is for me, on a weekly basis. That one little extra click starts to add up fast when you have to do it hundreds of times. So, when I get a cover letter that’s been sent as an attachment, I just don’t even open it. That’s just the cold, hard truth. And to be completely honest with you, it sometimes even edges toward annoyance that this person is trying to make my life more complicated with this extra, unnecessary step. I’m not saying that’s an attractive quality, I’m just telling you that’s why you’ve got to sort of put yourself in the position of the person who’s reading your email. Make life easy for them. But the way to get around that is very simple: just write your cover letter in the body of your email. Your email is your cover letter. I always read an email. Or at least skim it before I open the resume that’s attached. So that’s the ideal place for you to write whatever it is you need to say to me before I read your resume. Don’t let your cover letter and resume end up in the trash with everyone else’s.

 

Tip 16: Overcoming Follow-Up Issues

Now, what do you do if you’ve sent your resume with your cover letter and they don’t respond? You’ve called like you said you would, and couldn’t get through, or had to leave a message and they didn’t call you back. Wait a few weeks, write a new one, and send it again. If you can include some new piece of information you’ve learned about the company or the larger industry, or some new accomplishment of yours, or some conference you’ve attended that pertains to that position, all the better. Now, most folks would be a little afraid to take that step. The thinking is that “if they didn’t call me for an interview right away, they must not be interested in me.” Well, maybe. But maybe they just weren’t interested right now. What happens when right after they delete your resume, their best person comes in and turns in his two weeks’ notice? Now they need someone. You’ve got to remember, that recruiter or that hiring manager is a busy person, with a lot going on, with a whole lot of factors at play here. You don’t know what’s going on with them at any given moment. In August they might not be interested, but by September or even October, that might change. If you think that’s weird, just remember: the job search is a sales process. Advertisements don’t just run one time. They show up over and over again. That doesn’t mean you should email them every day, because then you’re definitely becoming a pest, or even stalker-ish. But reasonably periodic contacts that include something new and fresh won’t hurt.

 

Tip 17: Get Ready to Sell, even if YOU are NOT a Salesperson

So, keep in mind that the job search is a sales process, and your cover letter is the “ad” that’s going to encourage the reader to look at your resume. It should first grab the reader’s attention, highlight a few of your most relevant accomplishments and skills in the body of the letter using bullet points, and briefly close with a promise to make contact. Make it interesting and easy for the reader to get the information about why he should call you for the job, and you’ll have a great cover letter.

Text by Career Confidential