The Importance of Thank-You Notes

Write Thank-You Notes

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Most job-hunters ignore the advice to write thank-you notes after they interview with a company. This advice to write thank-you notes will help to set you apart when it comes down to an employer choosing someone to hire.

Writing a thank-you note will help you to stand out from the other applicants for the position. You should write a thank-you note to everyone you met when you interviewed. 

When you are in the interview, you can ask for their business card so that you have their contact information.

Here's six reasons that should convince you that writing a thank-you note is key: 

1. It shows that you have good people skills and manners.

2. It will help them remember you specifically.

3. If more than the person who initially interviewed you has to decide on whether or not to hire you, that person can show them the thank-you note.

4. If the interview went well, you can say that you look forward to speaking again.

5. If you forgot to tell them anything important in the interview, you can tell them in the thank-you note.

6. If the interview didn't go as well as you wanted or you decided you don't want to work there, the thank-you note can be a goodbye opportunity. You can thank them for taking the time to interview you.

How to Write Your Resume

Writing Your Resume

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Before you begin, think of all the skills and experience you have. Start jotting down ideas on paper. Then create sections for your resume to talk about your experiences and skills.

Volunteer Work

This section is where you put any unpaid volunteer work you have done for the community, an organization, or a church you belong to.

Education

Your highest level of education completed should be listed first. You can include GPA if you want, degree, major, and any achievements.

Experience

List your previous jobs from most recent or present to past jobs. List skills used in each job and tasks accomplished.

Skills

A separate section for skills may be necessary to include any skills you think are relevant to the job you are applying for.

Published or Presented Work

In this section, you can talk about any projects you have completed or anything you have worked on that you believe will make you stand out.


Have someone look over your resume for any grammar errors or format errors before you send it to potential employers. Most employers will not look at a resume with any errors.

Bolles, Richard N. "Chapter 2 Google Is Your New Resume." What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers. 2016 ed. Ten Speed, 2015. 21-43. Print. 

How the Job Market Has Changed Since 2008

What Has Changed in the Job Market Since the 2008 Recession?

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1. Employers Changed, Job-Hunters Didn't

Job-hunters always rely on their resumes, agencies, and ads. On the other hand, employers don't always stay the same. If the times are good, employers will have a harder time filling all the vacancies in their company so they will look at resumes and seek out the job-hunters. When their is a recession, there will no longer be vacancies posted, and job-hunters will have to work harder to find a job.

2. Many Employers are Holding Out for a Mythical Dream Employee

Employers know that there are many people searching for jobs since 2008 so they are able to be selective and find the best employee for the position.

3. The Length of the Average Job-Hunt Has Increased Dramatically

Many more people are having a harder time finding a job. Sometimes it takes over a year to find a position.

4. The Length of Time the Average Job Lasts Has Decreased Dramatically

More people are finding part-time jobs over full-time jobs since 2008. This is because employers are trying to cut costs and hire only when they need to.

5. Finding a Job That Pays a Middle-Class Salary is Getting More and More Difficult

Less people are earning a middle-class income today. Education is increasingly important to secure a job that pays a middle-class salary.

6. Job-Hunting is Increasingly Becoming a Repetitive Activity in the Lives of Many of Us

Everyone should know how to search for a job because jobs don't last as long as they used to.

7. Job-Hunting has Moved More and More Online Since 2008

You can now search for jobs online on job boards, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

8. Increasingly Job-Hunters and Employers Speak Two Different Languages

You have to learn about the employer's customs before you interview. Skills means experience not just what you are good at. 

Bolles, Richard N. "Chapter 1 It's a Whole New World for Job-Hunters." What Color Is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers. 2016 ed. Ten Speed, 2015. 1-13. Print. 

How to Start a New Business on Your Own

Deciding What Type of Business to Start

When deciding what career would be the best fit for you, there are four different brainstorming steps you can follow.

1. Write

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Find out who you are. Start brainstorming ideas about possible business opportunities and jot them down. Write out or update your resume to see if you get any ideas based on your experience or your skills. Do some research about types of jobs online. O*NET (www.onetonline.org) is a great website with information you can discover about careers.

2. Read

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Come up with a few ideas for your new start up business. Then research anything and everything about starting your own business. The internet has many sources that are helpful. 

3. Explore

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A lot of new businesses don't survive in the long run. To make sure your new business takes off, you should interview people who have started their own companies and are successful. Find out the skills and knowledge you will need, and see if those skills match the ones you have. Find out what you need to work on and improve those skills or you can find someone who has the skills needed and hire them to work for you.

4. Get Feedback

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Ask close friends and family what they think of your ideas. Ask someone who knows you well and who will be honest with you.

Then determine if you should move forward with your goal of starting a new business. There's a lot of work in launching your own company, but the payoff and rewards are numerous. All that success will be yours if your company takes off.

Bolles, Richard N. "Chapter 11 How to Start Your Own Business." What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers. 2016 ed. Ten Speed, 2015. 249-262. Print. 

Five Ways to Choose Your Career

Five Ways to Choose the Best Possible Career for You

1.) The Internet

The internet is a great way to search for a new career. O*Net Online is a great source to utilize. Go to www.onetonline.org/find or www.onetonline.org/search to begin to find information about careers.

2.) Tests

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Take tests or assessments to determine what type of career you are best suited for. Find out what skills you have to offer and what jobs best use those skills.

3.) Using the Flower Exercise

The Flower Exercise can be found in the book, "What Color is Your Parachute?" This exercise allows you to explore who you are and find a dream career.

4.) Changing a Career in Two Steps

There are two parts to a job. Job title and the field you are in. The easiest way to change a career is only by changing one of those parts. This allows you to claim prior experience that is relevant to the new job you are seeking. You can of course try to find a completely different job, but it may be a slightly harder process.

5.) Finding Out What the Job-Market Will Need

If the above options for finding a career don't work, then try to find out what the job-market will need in upcoming years. Do a Google search for "hot jobs" or "job projections". Do a little research on what jobs are becoming more relevant in the job market.

Bolles, Richard N. "Chapter 10 The Five Ways to Choose/Change Careers." What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers. 2016 ed. Ten Speed, 2015. 233-244. Print.

Wondering What Employer's Tend to Be Prejudiced About?

Top Employer Prejudices

1. Someone who is out of work for an extended period of time.

Even being out of work for one year can be too long for some employers to consider you for a job position. Not all employers have this prejudice though.

2. Someone's age

The older you are, the harder it is to find a job. Once again, not every employer only hires young and middle aged people. Some will hire older people who can't retire yet.

3. If you are a returning veteran

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Some employers don't hire veterans because they are concerned about the veterans suffering from PTSD. This does not apply to all employers.

4. If you are an ex-offender/ex-convict

A lot of employers don't usually want to hire ex-offenders/ex-convicts. There are books and helpful resources for these people to help them find a job.

5. If you are a former mental or psychiatric patient

Some employers may be concerned about people who have been former patients.

6. Others

Just about everyone faces prejudice of some kind from potential employers.

Bolles, Richard N. "Chapter 9 How to Deal with Any Handicaps You Have." What Color Is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers. 2016 ed. Ten Speed, 2015. 218-223. Print.