“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This cliché is never more important than when you are heading to a job interview.
When you are invited to an interview you need to consider that your first impression is going to weight heavily on the person who is interviewing you. If you make a great first impression then you can bet the interviewer is going to use the meeting to try and justify why you should be working for their company. Likewise, of you make a poor first impression you should know that in the back of their mind they are looking for reasons why they shouldn’t hire you.
There comes a time when many of us evaluate the past and look forward to a better future. For some, that means the question arises as to whether they should make a career change and start looking for a new job.
Should you move to greener pastures with a new employer? After all when you consider how many hours we spend working, life is too short to settle in a position where you are just not happy. On the other hand, changing jobs is risky as you really don’t know what you would be getting into. The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t, so to speak. (more…)
Many companies and HR departments are now using software to scan the resumes they receive. Therefore, you need to make sure that your resume includes the words that the scanners are looking for. Otherwise you may be passed over in the prescreening process, even if you are the ideal candidate.
Recently a member of our LinkedIn Group posted a video that sparked a discussion about the most important questions asked in an interview are the ones the candidate asks. Nothing could be more true then when you are applying for a sales position.
So what questions should you ask at the end of your interview? (more…)
I am often asked how to properly address the cover letter when submitting a resume for a job application. When a specific name is not specified in the job advertisement, the key is to remain gender neutral.
Although it may seem unbelievable in this day and age, but I still regularly receive resumes addressed to only “Dear Sir”. A mistake such as this, one that shows a lack of respect and that the candidate is quick to assume as opposed to verify the details, irks some recruiters enough that they simply delete the application without ever reading the resume. (more…)
If you are going through a job search, it is almost inevitable that you will be asked “What are your salary expectations?”
There are varying schools of thought on how to answer this question. Most of what you will find on the internet is based on the “he who speaks first loses theory”. When asked, you should not answer at all but instead, wait for the employer to give you a figure first. Career expert Penelope Trunk has some excellent answers on how to answer the salary question without actually answering.
As a sales manager however, when I would ask that question of a candidate, it always drove me crazy when someone wouldn’t answer. (more…)
My mentor once told me, “when you are good in sales, you are never unemployed.” The longer I am in the field, the more I realize how true that is. Professional sales people are always in demand in the employment marketplace, however if you are looking for the right sales job, you still need to know where to look. (more…)
In her book Resume Magic, Susan Britton Whitcomb reported the results of a survey she conducted of HR managers from some of the Top 100 Companies to Work for in America, inquiring as to their preferred length of resumes. The results were as follows:
12 percent of respondents felt resumes should be “one-page, never longer;”
67 percent felt resumes should be “kept to one or two pages;”
21 percent responded “as long as needed to convey the applicant’s qualifications.”
Have you ever received a letter that had your name spelled wrong? It doesn’t give the best first impression, does it?
Not long ago I received a resume cover letter addressed to “Sunsan”. Let me assure you that addressing your resume or cover letter to the wrong person or misspelling the company or contact name is pretty much guaranteed to have your resume filed in the round filing cabinet otherwise known as the garbage can!
Today most resumes are submitted by email, therefore you must create and submit it using a file format that the employer’s computer can read. Sometimes this is specified in the job ad itself. If so, use the file format that’s been requested.
If the file format is not specified in the ad, then use Microsoft Word .doc or Adobe .pdf formats as these are very common and very easily read file formats. If you do not have the software to create these types of files, you can download free software from http://www.openoffice.org/ to do so.
Another option is to convert your resume to rich text .rtf format using the “Save As” command in your word processing software. Every word processing program can create a document this way. More importantly, virtually every potential employer will be able to open and read this file format.
Remember, your resume cannot get you the interview if the potential employer can’t open it.
To download a free copy of our white paper How To Write An Effective B2B Sales Resume, visit our Sales Download Centre.
Do you need some sales career advice? Are you looking to make a career change but you are unsure in which direction you should head? Do you need some honest feedback on your resume? For less than an average dinner out, you can consult with the B2B Sales Coach every day and receive the personal direction you need.
Studies show 25% of sales reps produce 90 to 95% of all sales. Clearly, most sales people are not selling up to their potential and not making the incomes they could. B2B Sales Connections wants to change that.
A Sales Compass is a blog where business to business sales professionals can network. Here you will find motivation, share sales tips, and improve your sales and sales management skills. Together, we can all unlock our sales potential.
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