Jun
04
Avoiding simple mistakes
ByWe’ve received cover letters addressed to us with a different agency name in the body portion of the note.
We’ve received resumes that you need the Rosetta Stone to decipher.
We’ve had people follow-up too many times . . . or not at all.
There are lots of new graduates hitting the pavement this summer and lots of mistakes to avoid. Check out this really great summary in The Commercial Appeal of a few key areas to be mindful of when on the job hunt.
Any other mistakes to watch out for?
2 Comments
June 27th, 2012 at 11:24 am
Hi! Great post— short, to the point, and best of all…useful!
As a recent graduate, I was particularly interested in your comment, “We’ve had people follow-up too many times…or not at all.” How many times is too many times? I find that standing out amongst a sea of resumes and cover letters is oftentimes impossible and definitely stressful— especially now that the internet has allowed anyone and everyone to apply.
What are your suggestions to make an aspiring PR rock star like myself stand out against others claiming the same thing?
Thanks! I’m looking forward to your feedback!
Alexandra
June 27th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Hi Alexandra,
First, thank you for your comment. And you asked a great question. Oftentimes candidates can get confused as to the proper protocol on following up. The real answer is, that there is no right answer.
What it comes down to is personal preference. However, your goal should always be to make yourself standout. I’m a big fan of a handwritten note to thank me for an interview (b/c I will remember that). From there I might follow up with an email or two to discuss next steps (I would give the person several days to reply, maybe a week, before sending the second note–we all get A LOT of emails). What you never want to do is stalk a person or start calling multiple people. Hope that helps, but happy to elaborate further if you have more questions.