This last Sunday, I graduated. I said goodbye to my college years and everything that made them as special as they were to me. I said goodbye to professors, friends, suitemates, bad cafeteria food, and even to the sidewalks I’ve stared at morning after morning for the last three years. But before those goodbyes were even over, before I’d returned my gown or finished packing my car or gotten rid of the food in my fridge that I simply couldn’t, in good conscience, drag home with me, I was looking beyond graduation day. I wasn’t looking at graduation as the day when everything ended or everything began; it was just a day. That’s not to say it wasn’t a great day – believe me, I was stoked when I finally received my diploma. But it was a day that I knew would come and go, a day when I knew I’d be asked questions about my future plans, and a day when I knew I’d want to have answers to those questions. While I was preparing my answers, I learned something amazing: I actually have a plan. Sort of.

Just one day after graduation, I see the countless “graduated and unemployed” posts popping up on my newsfeed, and I see these with sympathy – after all, I’m not immune to student loan debt – but I also view them with a certain level of hope. For my part, I don’t know exactly what I want to do. I recognize that I’ve just graduated and that the clock is ticking for me to figure my life out, but, for all intents and purposes, I have figured it out. I have my plan, and even though that involves not having a paying job for a few months while I apply for jobs (yes, that is, in fact, the master plan), travel, and generally try to figure out a little bit more about who and where I want to be now that I’m not “Hope Swedeen, Student at Susquehanna University,” I’m pretty confident that I’ll be fine. I don’t say this because I did things “right” or because the world is just magically at my fingertips. I say this because I haven’t been looking at graduation as the last day or the first day of my two separate lives. I haven’t looked at graduation with sadness or with regrets or with fear. The most I can say for myself is that I was completely ready to not have homework for a little while. But never once did I think, “This is the end” or “This is the beginning” that day. I simply thought, “Keep going.” And that’s what I intend to do.

I’m going to keep going, moving forward with whatever plans I already have or make along the way, and nothing is going to stop me from moving, from changing, from progressing into new stages of my life. Sure, I may be sleeping on my parents’ couch for a few months. I might even be babysitting my brothers and doing chores around the house as though nothing has changed. But at the end of the day, nothing I’m doing is permanent. I hope to keep changing, to keep making plans and pursuing them as fiercely as possible. And right now, the plan is to work on my blog posts, work on my resume, work on expanding my literal horizons, and work on the indent I’m hoping to create in the couch without having to worry about whether I’m forgetting about an assignment. At least for now. (I just graduated. Give me a break).

So for those of you who are nervous about graduating from high school, leaving behind friends or family or lifestyles to pursue the next step, just remember: things aren’t ending; they’re progressing. You’re not leaving people; you’re welcoming new ones. You’re not leaving home; you’re making a home for yourself somewhere else. You’re not starting down a career path; you’re forging your own path. Whatever you end up doing, wherever you end up going after graduation, don’t be afraid, and don’t be sad; just be you, and just keep going. Keep trying to reach your goals, find new dreams if plan A falls through, and be prepared for changes, whether they’re welcome or not. Whatever you do, don’t pay too much attention to the ends and beginnings. Pay attention to this ongoing thing we all call life, and use each day as a means to an end, a building block for all the days after, not an end in itself.

-Hope Swedeen

What are your long-term goals? What are you doing now to reach those goals?

When you walk into an interview, you usually feel about the same way every time – a little excited, but mostly terrified. If you’ve been interviewed more than once, chances are, you’ve been asked different questions during each interview. Some employers will think up insanely difficult questions for their interviewees just to see how they perform under pressure, while others favor questions that will actually help them understand you and your background. No matter the interview, though, there are a few questions you can almost always count on being asked, and you should be prepared with your answers. I’ve had a few interviews now, including for positions on my university’s campus, mock interviews at our career development center and for actual positions in the “real world” (like this blogging position). I was asked each of the questions below in at least three – some of them in all – of my interviews, and I’ve gotten used to the idea that, whether I have a great answer or not, I’m going to be asked these questions.

1.  What goals do you have for your career? / What’s your dream job?

These two questions are very similar and yet very different. Although they both essentially ask “where do you see yourself ending up in the future?” one asks for firm goals that you’re actually trying to achieve, and the other asks for you to use your imagination. When an employer asks you what your career goals are, honesty is the best policy – you don’t need to embellish much here. Even if you don’t know where you want to end up, you can still know what you want to try out in the meantime and why it interests you; in the same way, if you know where you want to end up but haven’t quite figured out how to get there, talk about your ambitions. You never know – maybe your interviewer will have some helpful career advice for you.

As for the second question, if someone asks you about your dream job, it’s completely up to you to figure out how you want to approach it. You can either treat it as if it means the same as the question about your career goals, giving a serious and realistic answer, or you can make it a little more fun. I usually like to go with the latter, telling my interviewer a random dream of mine that might be entirely far-fetched and unattainable. Here, you have to judge why your interviewer is asking you this question. If it’s an entry-level position, they’re probably trying to get a feel for your personality and what you’d be like to work with, but in a higher-paying position, they probably want to hear your legitimate career plans. So think about why your interviewer is asking, and form your answer accordingly.

2.  How would you excel in this position?

Here, you want to focus on the job description that made you apply for the job, as that will show you what skills you’ll be needing. Now is the perfect time to bring up those skills and highlight any personal experiences that may or may not be on your resume that might serve as proof of how well you can put those skills to use.

3.  Describe yourself / Tell me about yourself / Tell me a story

This question comes in tons of different flavors, but they all mean the same thing: “Who the heck are you, and why should I care?” This is your interviewer’s way of saying, “Impress me in thirty seconds or less,” and it’s up to you to think of something that will give your interviewer a sense of who you are without leaving them bored. You of course need to tell them a little background, but because they’ve probably read your resume and have it sitting in front of them, it’s best to give mainly information that they can’t find by looking down.

Talk about something interesting about yourself or what brought you to the company or made you want to apply for the position. You can talk about anything here that you want, and what you choose to say depends entirely on you and how your interviewer phrases the question. If they tell you to describe yourself, you’ll probably want to use adjectives and descriptions that you can back up with personal experiences; for instance, you could talk about how you’re open-minded, and out-of-the-box thinker, and then talk about a project you’ve worked on that demonstrates those qualities. The key here is to talk about something that’s truly important to you – something that has helped shape you or make you who you are. Interviewers can tell when you’re passionate about something, and there’s never a better time to show an interviewer you’re passionate than when you’re describing yourself and your experiences. If they see that what you’ve done in the past has inspired you, they’re more likely to think that you’ll find and provide inspiration in the future.

4.  How did you hear about this position?

Fortunately, this is an easy question that’s asked pretty frequently, and all you have to do is answer honestly. Think about how you heard about the position – if it’s something that wasn’t that interesting, then add a little more information. If you found the job posting on a website, for instance, that could be a pretty dull answer, so talk about what, specifically, you were looking for when you found the listing, and what you found out about the company after researching that made you think to apply. Overall, though, employers who ask this question are generally just trying to figure out the most effective way to advertise job postings.

5.  What are your strengths?

This question can be as simple or difficult as you make it. If your strengths are highly applicable to the job for which you’re interviewing, then those will be easy answers for you. If, however, you’re applying for a job that’s a little outside of your comfort zone, or you don’t have any experience in the field, then you need to think of skills and attributes that would be helpful in that position. You might find some phrases in the job posting that can help you out, as they usually tell you what skills and characteristics a company is trying to find in an employee. For my part, I’ve mainly applied for positions relating to writing, so naturally, “writing” is one of my biggest strengths that I bring out in an interview. It’s also something that can be seen on my resume, so it’s easy to back up with evidence.

6.  What are your weaknesses?

This question tends to be answered fairly formulaically. In the past, people would say that you should answer with a weakness that could easily be twisted into a strength, such as “I’m obsessive,” which could easily translate to “I’m focused and will work until I get the job done.” This, obviously, isn’t much of a flaw to an employer. Now that enough people have used that not-so-tricky trick, there’s a new method for answering this question: choose and actual flaw. It seems strange to think that you should just openly admit your faults to an employer who you’re hoping will hire you, but what this employer is really looking for is honesty, to see how you perform under pressure, and to get a feel for your personality based on how you answer your questions. For this question, choose a fault that you really do have, but make it something that isn’t detrimental to your ability to do the job for which you’re applying.

I, for example, often say that my greatest weakness is public speaking; it’s entirely true, and it very well might be my greatest weakness in a professional setting, but it’s not something that affects my ability to write. And, if there’s any question of my ability or desire to overcome my weakness, I make this a two-part question, letting my interviewer know how I’m trying to combat my weakness. It would look something like this: “I would say that my greatest weakness is public speaking. I’m absolutely terrified to speak in large groups of people. But I’ve taken a public speaking class, take on leadership roles that force me to speak to groups, and I try to push myself to participate more in classes than I would naturally, and I think I’m growing to be more comfortable speaking to larger and larger groups.” You can see that, although I did tell the interviewer my weakness, I highlighted both why it isn’t such a bad weakness (it only affects my communication with large groups) and what I’m doing to try to make myself stronger than my weakness.

7.  Why are you interested in working for this company? / What do you know about our company?

For this type of question, you’ll really need to have done your research on the company. No matter how they ask, they essentially want to know what about their company is attractive to you, what you think of their mission, whether you hold their same values and ambitions, and where you see yourself fitting into the company. Before your interview, and before you even apply for the job, you need to look the company up online, look at any projects they’re working on, look at their successes and failures, read any articles that may have been published about them, and think about what you can bring to the table that they don’t already have or might not know they need. For me, answering this question is usually easy because I’m the type of person who needs to not only love what I do but the company for whom I’m doing it. When I interviewed with 4T’s, this question was the easiest of all of the questions because I could identify with the company’s mission, I could respect it, and I wanted to be a part of it. If you can express that to an interviewer, you’ll be golden.

8.  Do you have any questions for me?

This is the last question you’ll be asked in an interview, and you can almost guarantee that it will be asked. It gives the employer a chance to take a break from asking you the questions, get to hear some of your thoughts and concerns that have developed throughout the interview, and get a feel for just how invested you are in the company and how much research you’ve done. You should always have questions prepared – at least three – so that you don’t give a simple “nope” at the end of your interview. If you come in with only one question ready, you’ll be lucky if it hasn’t already been answered by the end of the interview, especially if it’s a long interview. For this question, it’s a great idea to base your questions off of the research you do on the company. If you see a project that interests you or that you’d like to be involved in if you were hired there, ask about it – ask anything. You can also ask your interviewer to explain something about the company’s working environment, which will show them that you’re thinking beyond the interview and really trying to make an informed decision about working there – that you want to know them just as much as they want to know you.

9.  Why should we hire you?

This question is, for me, the worst. It could be answered in so many ways, and you might have already answered it a million times, especially if your interviewer has asked you any of the other questions on this list. With this question, you really need to think about what you, as a person and as an employee, could bring to a company; what makes you special, more qualified, more deserving of this job than the other candidates? Your interviewer isn’t just asking why they should hire you. They’re asking why they should hire you above everyone else. At this point, you can use a little repetition from previous answers to drive certain points home; for example, if you really want to stress a point you made during question number two about how you would excel in this position, then do it – just make sure you bring up some new material as well. Again, focus on what makes you different or uniquely qualified. Why are you the absolute best possible candidate? It’s tough, I know, but if there’s any time to brag and put yourself on a pedestal, it’s an interview.

-Hope Swedeen
 
What are the most common questions you’ve had to answer in an interview? What are the toughest questions you’ve been asked?

Auctioneers usually run estate sales, selling all of the contents of a home, though they can also host small auctions if they choose to do so. Auctioneers will often sell personal property such as cars, antiques, and artwork, but they are also often responsible for selling real estate. This can include foreclosed homes, closed business and restaurants, properties of landlords who want to sell a large number of properties at once, and more.

Responsibilities of an auctioneer:

Auctioneers are hired by families or individuals, usually to sell a large number of items that couldn’t easily be sold independently. They sign a contract with their clients that stipulates payment rates, the number of workers the client will provide to prepare for and work on the day of the auction (or the number of workers the auction service will provide if the client chooses not to), and advertising costs. Auctioneers are responsible for advertising auctions as well, which involves creating a sale bill to publicize the highlights, or items that might be of the most interest, and updating the auctioneer service’s website to include information about each new auction and the items to be auctioned off. Essentially, auctioneers should be able to negotiate contracts, having a firm handle on what a client contract should look like and include so that they can agree on the services they will provide and which aspects of the sale will be taken care of by the client.

Once auctioneers have agreed on a contract with a client and advertised the event, they must write the terms and conditions of purchase for the items being sold so that bidders are aware of what a purchase will entail before making a bid. Auctioneers may also need to supply a staff if they agree to do so. This would include a runner, someone to display items during auction; a clerk, someone to record transactions with auction attendees and make sure all bidder numbers and item descriptions are recorded accurately; and a cashier, someone to tally bidders’ bills at the end of auctions and accept payments for items that were bid on. Strong communication skills are needed for an auction to run smoothly, as the clerks need to report accurate bidder and item information, and this must match the bills paid to the cashiers. Auctioneers must also be able to control disputes between bidders, if need be, and communication is key here as well.

​Following an auction, auctioneers keep payments in escrow, meaning they withhold the property sold in the auction until it’s certain that buyers have sufficient funds to cover their purchases and that their checks won’t bounce. An understanding of finances is imperative to be an auctioneer, not only for making sales but also for negotiating contracts and determining how much and at what rate you will be paid for your services.

How much would you earn?

Most auctioneers charge a commission, which means that they agree in their contracts to receive a set percentage of the sale of items. This percentage varies based on the price and type of item, so a real state property might have a lower commission rate of 5 percent while an auctioneer receives 40 percent on the sale of artwork. Overall, the income of an auctioneer is highly variable based on location and what you’re selling. However, Indeed.com reports that the average annual income for auctioneers in New York City is $63,000.

Requirements to become an auctioneer:

Many auctioneers begin on their career path as runners or clerks. Although in New York State there is no law requiring auctioneers to be licensed, many states do require you to be licensed before you can hold auctions. To earn your license, typically, you can either be an apprentice to a licensed auctioneer, or you can complete courses at a community college to earn your license. There are also accredited auctioneer academies that you can attend for programs (that are only about a week or so in length) to help you learn about becoming an auctioneer, but taking these courses will not earn you your license. If you intend to become an auctioneer in New York, this could be beneficial to you (especially if you decide to not get your licence) so that you can learn the ins and outs of auctioneering before taking on the task of creating your own auction service. There is also typically an auctioneering test that must be taken, which varies by state as with the licenses.

Perhaps the most interesting requirement to become an auctioneer is the ability to chant. This can be learned through an apprenticeship, auctioneer academy programs, and auctioneer classes. But chanting isn't universally used; there are some who never chant during an auction while others only chant, speaking swiftly for upwards of eight hours straight. So while it’s important to learn how to chant to become an auctioneer, it’s not necessary. In the same way, most auctioneers are trained in appraisal so that they can evaluate the worth of items they are selling, but it is by no means a requirement to have a license in appraisal or even be trained. Some auctioneers have hired appraisers to do this work for them instead.
 
-Hope Swedeen

What are your thoughts on pursuing a career in auctioneering? Is this a profession you could see yourself enjoying and profiting from?

      In a previous post, we talked about the do’s and don’ts of interviews from how to dress to what to say, but we didn’t go into too much detail about what you should do after an interview. The steps you take after an interview can actually be as important as, if not more important than the interview itself. Once you’ve gotten through your interview, employers will expect you to know which steps to follow, and if you don’t, any chances you had of getting a job might disappear entirely.
 
Step 1: Think about what went well and what didn’t, and keep applying and interviewing

Was there a question in particular that you weren’t prepared for and could have had a better answer for? Think about what your answer could have been and how you could make that work in the future. Think about what your weaknesses were in the interview – were you jittery and fidgeting? Were you talking too fast? Did you ask enough questions? Don’t forget to think about what you did well so that you can replicate it the next time you have an interview – did you have a really good answer to a question that you think might come up in other interviews? Write all of this down so that you know for future interviews what you need to improve and what you can count on yourself to do well. It will also come in handy for the second step of your post-interview process.

Step 2: Send a thank-you note to each interviewer

You should make sure that you send thank-you notes within 24 hours of having an interview, but don’t send them too soon after. If you wait a few hours, it shows that you’ve processed your interview, evaluated it, and considered which parts were most important to you. Be sure that you get your interviewers’ contact information and preferred method of contact so that you know whether you should send an email, a printed letter, or even a hand-written note, and where to send it. If you’re unsure of how to ask for contact information and they don’t bring it up, simply let them know that you’d like to follow up, and ask, “I appreciate your taking the time to meet with me. How should I send a thank-you note?”

When you start writing your thank-you note, think carefully about what you should include. You should be sure to reference things specifically talked about in the interview so that they know you were invested in the conversation, and you might consider adding a few talking points that you didn’t get to in the interview and wanted to. This shows that you know more than you had time or opportunity to talk about in your first conversation, and it might prompt them to give you a second interview to talk with you about the points you bring up.

If there was a question that you weren’t satisfied with your answer to, answer it again and stress why you feel it’s an important question. Or, if there’s a question that you found particularly interesting but might not have had time to think carefully about during the interview, answer it again with added analysis. This shows that you valued the conversation in your interview and that you have the ability and desire to delve deeper into topics in which your interviewer is interested. Also, if you blank on a question during your interview, the follow-up is a great time to give an answer. People understand that it’s difficult to think on the spot, and if you already missed one opportunity to answer a question, why miss another great one?

Consider attaching one or two work samples that you didn’t have a chance to talk about or share to stress your ability to do well in a field. If you don’t have work samples, talk about something related to whatever job you’re applying for – a book you read, an article, an event, etc. The goal is to show them that you’re a candidate who will be able to do the job well and that you’re not just interested in the job – you’re dedicated to it.

All of this said, at no point in your thank-you letter or in any form of follow-up should you act like you already have the job. Confidence in your abilities is encouraged, but if you’re cocky about your eligibility for and entitlement to a position, your interviewer is probably going to be more annoyed than impressed. So even if you think you landed the job, be gracious and humble rather than cocky and overly assertive.

Step 3: Tell references that they might be contacted

If you haven’t already told your references that a perspective employer might be contacting them soon, do so after the interview so that they know to be on the lookout for a phone call. Even if they aren’t contacted, it’s better to keep in touch with your references so that they can stay aware of what you’re doing and remember why they agreed to be your references. Even though they might be your only references, they very well could be references for a number of people, so make sure that you are someone they can remember and will want to continue being a reference for.

Step 4: Use your network

Starting out, you might not have many people in your professional network, but if you know someone who knows your interviewer or someone high up in the company, or if you know someone who works for the company, ask them to put in a good word for you. LinkedIn is a great place to start, as you can reach out to employees at companies to which you plan to apply to ask them questions in advance, building a relationship with them before you apply, get an interview, or go to an interview. If you know someone at a company with whom you keep in regular contact, you might have a better chance of getting a job there. So look up a company that you hope to work for on LinkedIn, find an employee with a job title that interests you, and strike up a conversation about what they do, what their company does, and what they like about their work place. You might find that they’re just as interested in getting you hired as you are in being hired.

Step 5: Follow the timeline your interviewer gives you for following up

If they tell you they’ll let you know in a week, wait a week before sending any questions about the status of your application. If you don’t know how long you should be waiting because you forgot to ask in the interview, ask when you should expect to hear back in the thank you email you send.
If you do call them once your waiting time is up and they haven’t called you, don’t be too persistent. Call once or twice afterward and leave messages with whomever answers, but after that, if they’re not calling you back, they’re probably not interested.

Step 6: If you get a second interview, bring new information and conversation to the table

Don’t go into the second interview expecting interviewers to ask the same questions or even to be interviewed by the same people as the first time. Think of new conversation topics or ways to expand on things you already talked about. Do more research into the company so that you have specific questions to ask and talking points to address to show that you’ve done more homework between your two interviews and are still 100 percent invested in getting the job.

Step 7: If you get turned down, don’t take it too hard

If you got every job you interviewed for, the work place wouldn’t exactly be competitive, so you should expect to be told “no” at least a few times in your interviewing process. When you are turned down for a position, it’s important to remain gracious, thanking the interviewer for the opportunity and highlighting things you liked about the prospect of working for their company. You never know when they might need someone like you for a different job, and they just might be calling you next time.

Step 8: Stay in contact

If the employer does have another opening in the future, they’ll be more likely to offer you another interview if you’ve maintained interest and kept in contact. The more dedicated they see you are to working with their company, the more likely they are to think you should be working there. So, while you’re applying to other jobs and keeping your options open, don’t lose hope that you might, one day, end up where you want to be even if it didn’t work out the first time. That said, don’t try to connect on LinkedIn right away. Wait until you’ve found out whether you’ve been given the position, and if you haven’t, then add the interviewer(s) on LinkedIn. If you do it before you find out, it might make an interviewer uncomfortable when reviewing your application because you’re already in their “network” but aren’t getting the job.
 
- Hope Swedeen
 
What are some things that you’ve found go over well in an interview? Have you used social media to keep in touch or make connections with employees at a company at which you’re interested in working?

      When you finally decide which path to take in life, it’s daunting to know that it may or may not be the “right” one for you. It might even be difficult to imagine that you’ll be doing one thing for the rest of your life. But what you need to remember when choosing your career path is that your future is open-ended; it’s not set in stone. Even though you might have been told for years that you will be or should be one thing, you have the ability to determine that for yourself. No one knows your strengths or your passions or your ambitions better than you, and no one but you can use any of these to propel you forward. At the end of the day, it’s up to you – not anyone else – to determine how far you go and how many of your dreams you try to achieve. It’s up to you to set your own goals and be your own compass, and if you head in the wrong direction once or twice or ten times, the good news is that there is an infinite number of possibilities, and it is never a bad thing to change direction.

      I’ve always been told that “I can be whatever I want to be.” I thought this was true for a while, and I honestly could never understand why. I couldn’t fathom why I would somehow be able to accomplish something when it’s obvious that not everyone has been given an equal opportunity to succeed or even figure out what they want to be. But I’ve since realized that what people mean when they say that – whether they know it or not – is that I can be whatever I work to be. If I set my mind and ambitions to reach a goal, I can achieve it. Anyone can. That’s the idea, anyway, and it’s an idea that’s kept me sane throughout college. It’s allowed me to struggle through challenges and change my goals without feeling like I’m making inalterable decisions that will make or break my entire professional life. I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t matter much who I have been or what I have wanted in the past. What I want now and what I want in the future may be two entirely different things, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t pursue them.

      When I first came to college, my mind wasn’t quite set on my career path. Although I thought I’d like journalism because of my love of writing, I’d never had any experience in it, and I chose my school based on that fact; we have very flexible programs that would allow me to change majors easily, if need be. I thought about creative writing at one point, I almost picked up a Spanish minor, and I even considered advertising for some reason that I’ve since forgotten. After a few weeks and months of consideration, I came to the conclusion that journalism really was what I wanted to do. I wanted to write, and I wanted to be involved in news. It was an obvious choice. However, that obvious choice may not be my final choice.

       This year, and perhaps part of last year, I’ve been realizing how much I do and do not like journalistic writing. On the one hand, it’s an amazing choice that allows me to do so many things that I enjoy: writing and meeting new people and having a genuine impact on the lives of others at times. On the other, it isn’t something that allows me to directly help anyone or express my views, and I’m finding more and more that I want to be an advocate of ideas not a surrogate for them. I can’t keep myself from openly sharing my opinions, but that is exactly what a journalist is meant to do – keep opinions as private as possible. So I’ve had to consider, in my senior year of college, the notion that journalism might not be for me after all. I had to think of alternatives and consider what my goals are and how I can accomplish them. So this semester – a matter of weeks ago, actually – I decided that I was interested in finding out more about law school. I’d never given it a serious thought before, but I’ve been thinking about where a journalism degree can take me and where it can’t. So I read up on the LSAT and law school and the career options available to law school graduates, and even journalism majors with law degrees, and I decided to take a practice LSAT just to see how hard I would have to work to actually achieve this new goal. After seeing my score and seeing how achievable a goal this might be, I took off with the idea. I ordered test prep books and made a 16-week study schedule, and I’m taking the LSATs in June.

      Now, you may be wondering “what does this have to do with me?” That’s a fair question. So far, I haven’t had a career. However, what I want students to take away from this is that while the decisions you make and the careers you pursue definitely impact your future, they do not have to be permanent choices. Nothing you have done or will do needs to impact what you may one day hope to do. If you’re afraid of making a choice now or of setting goals that may be unattainable, don’t be. Be proud of yourself for having dreams, and go after them using any means possible. If you’re worried about those dreams changing, just remember that they probably will. Most people today do change their jobs, if not their careers, a number of times before finding that elusive “perfect fit.” But if you never try to reach your first goal because you’re not sure if it’s right – if you hold back because you don’t think it’s attainable – that in itself is a decision that will shape your future.
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      Whether you choose to pursue your dreams is up to you, but whether life moves on without you is not. All we can do is aim high with every intention of succeeding, and if we choose a new target half way, it’s not a failure or a sign of misdirection. We’re just human, and we change. But the good news is that everyone expects us to. We are expected to be different from who we are in high school, and we are expected to be different from who we are after we go to college or take our first job or go through any number of changes in our lives. So figure out what you love to do and go after it as fiercely as possible, but don’t be afraid to pursue something new. Be more afraid of inaction than action, and be confident that while you’re trying to find something you love, you’re moving closer and closer to actually finding it.
 
-Hope Swedeen
 
What are your career goals, and how do you intend to pursue them? Are you struggling to find one "thing" to do?

1. Make sure you’re ready to be 100% professional on Twitter

When you first start using social sites for professional interests, it can be difficult to adjust to new ways of using social media. Suddenly it’s not about socializing. It’s about networking. Make sure that you’re ready to be completely professional before setting up your Twitter profile so that you can stop yourself from posting anything that is in conflict with the professional image you’re trying to put forward.

2. Make yourself and your tweets findable

Even though you’re always told to hide your social media and make everything private online, don’t protect your tweets. You should be as visible as possible so that you can network effectively and expose your professional interests to as many people as possible. However, in order to feel comfortable leaving your tweets unprotected and viewable by anyone, you need to be sure that your profile really is 100% professional, as I said in step 1 so that you aren’t showcasing anything you wouldn’t want to come up in a job interview or even keep you from getting an interview.

3. Keep your profile picture professional

Just as on LinkedIn, you should use a photo that clearly shows people what you look like and that you have a) taken the time to have your photo taken and b) dressed professionally so that you would be taken seriously. If you look like you want to be taken seriously, you have a much better chance of people actually taking you seriously.

4. Use your bio to explain your professional goals

Although you only get 160 characters in your bio, try your best to write who you are and what kind of work you want to be doing in your professional life. When you follow anyone or post anything that piques someone’s interest, they’ll want to get an idea of who you are, and your bio is the perfect place for an introduction. Consider this your “pitch.” You’re selling yourself with your bio, so take it seriously and consider how you want to introduce yourself to professionals carefully.

5. Choose a name and username that make sense

You should try to make yourself findable by anyone who knows you already, so make your name whatever it is that people call you. If you go by a nickname even in your professional life, consider using that. However, if only your friends and family call you something that you won’t be called at work, use your full name. Your username doesn’t affect how easily you can be found, but it should be something professional that relates to your name, goals, or professional career so that, again, people take you seriously.

6. Tweet about topics relevant to your industry

Don’t tweet just to say that you’re on Twitter. Everything you post will contribute to the way people see you, or your professional image, so you should always keep your posts as professional and related to your industry as possible. What you post will be a factor in determining who follows you, so make sure your content is relevant, relatable, and worth being viewed by professionals with whom you want to network.

7. Use hashtags

This may be a no-brainer because it’s Twitter, but make sure you use hashtags to make your posts easier to find, easier for people to connect with and relate to, and easier to be evaluated for worth. If you’re using hashtags that are highly relevant to your field, then your post will be more likely to be considered relevant to the people in that field.

8. Quality of connections is more important than quantity

Don’t follow people simply to strengthen your numbers or get more followers. Instead, follow people who post content that genuinely interests you or people who you recognize as professionals in your field of interest. There is nothing wrong with following small numbers of people as long as they are people who will be useful in networking and learning about your industry. You don’t only have to follow people in your industry, but they should make up the large majority, at least at first, so that people can see you’re serious about the image you’re putting forward and your intent to break into whatever field you’re pursing.

9. Gain followers through interaction

It does look better the more followers you have, so you should be trying to get other professionals to follow you after you’ve followed them. However, they won’t automatically follow you just because you’ve followed them. Post tweets that are informed and related to your industry. Make sure that your profile displays you as a person who should be followed because of your commitment to learning and talking about your professional field. You should also feel comfortable commenting on others’ tweets or retweeting to show that you are engaged in conversations and value what others have to say.

10. Use Twitter to network

​Rather than sitting back and just tweeting in hopes of receiving followers and starting conversations, search for people with whom you’re interested in connecting, and start talking. Message anyone you’d like and just start a conversation about something related to your field. Tell them about yourself, and ask questions about the industry, who they are, and their career. Begin a dialogue that will help you learn more about not only the industry but the person with whom you’re networking, and make it clear that you’re interested in learning from them, not just in getting another follower. Just as I said in my post about learning how to network, make sure that you make your conversation more about them than yourself.
 
-Hope Swedeen
 
How can you make sure your Twitter is as professional as possible? What are some ways that you have used or might use Twitter in a professional setting?

As a college student, I’ve been told countless times that I need to be constantly networking. When I first heard of networking, I was already in my first year if college, and I was already expected to know quite a bit more than I did about how and when to network. I didn’t even know what the word meant at the time, and I definitely didn’t know that it was supposed to help me get a job.

When I began doing what I thought was networking, I didn’t see the point. I thought it was just me talking to as many people as humanly possible and talking about myself so that they or someone they knew would offer me a job. I didn’t realize how far this was from the truth until I encountered people who actually knew how to effectively network in a way that didn’t seem like they were pitching their abilities to every person with a job they met.

I’ve come to learn that there’s much more to networking than talking about myself, and it’s not a one-way street. Really, it’s just beginning and continuing dialogue with people in order to benefit yourself and them in any way possible. It’s the assumption that the more people you know, the more you can do. If you think of yourself and every person you meet as a door, it makes sense that the more you open, the more you’ll find, and those doors usually lead to even more doors within. So start opening your own doors. Start networking.

1.  Talk to your guidance counselor

The first place you should always start when looking for advice related to careers is your guidance counselor. Not only are they great resources for helping you find a career path and a way to pursue that path, but they’re also capable of connecting you with others who might be able to help you pursue your dreams. Talk to them about what you want to do after high school, and they might have contacts who could help you on your way.

2.  Talk to alums

Alums are a great pool of people to connect with because they already have a connection to you. They’ll be likely to want to help you because they’ve been in your shoes and can probably identify strongly with the obstacles you’ve faced while in school. Ask your guidance counselor if there are any alums working in the field you’re hoping to pursue, and start a conversation via email, LinkedIn, or even Facebook or Twitter.

3.  Use social media
​
Even though you’ve probably only used social media for “social” activities so far, you should start converting your profiles from social to professional outlets. You can connect with virtually anyone on social media, and that includes people who are doing jobs that you want to do and looking for people like you to help or hire. These days, everyone is contacted via social media with professional questions and requests, so don’t feel like you can’t strike up a conversation of Facebook or ask a question on Twitter. This is more and more acceptable as long as you present yourself in a professional manner and you’ve cleaned up your profiles. LinkedIn is the best way to initiate communication with professionals because it is a social network specifically designed for professionals, so I would suggest using it if you’re comfortable. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account yet, it might be worth making one, if only for the purpose of networking because it allows you to search for companies, people, groups and causes and start a conversation on a platform that is designed and intended for networking.

4.  Talk to teachers

If there are teachers with whom you’ve spent a lot of time throughout high school, make sure they know what your career plans and goals are. They might be able to help you or know someone who can, and they’ll be likely to search for someone, consulting their own network of professional connections, if you have a close relationship with them.

5.  Talk to your parents and their friends

Talking to your parents about their own jobs, especially if they relate to your own career plans, can be exceptionally helpful. Parents tend to meet a ton of people in their everyday lives whether it’s at work or the grocery store, and the number of people they have access to might surprise you. They might have a friend who could help you or they might know someone who they could befriend to help you make them an acquaintance of your own. I see this happen all the time with my parents, including a few days ago when my dad told me he’d met a famous author while working on a contracting job. It wouldn’t seem like a general contractor would run into many authors, but it happened, and it happens frequently (even if the person isn’t famous, your parents could easily run into someone who works for a company you’re hoping to find a job at).

6.  Follow up with every new contact

Once you start talking to someone, don’t stop. If you meet someone and have a great conversation, it will mean nothing if you don’t follow up with them afterward. Send them a short message on any social media platform and let them know you’re grateful for their time and support. You might even have a question or two that you didn’t think to ask before, and this is a great time to ask. Asking questions is also an easy way to continue talking to a person and reminding them that you’re there every few months so that they don’t forget who you are and that they might be able to help you someday.

7.  Put yourself out there

If it’s nerve-racking to think about introducing yourself to complete strangers on a daily basis, you’re not alone. It can be awkward at first, but the more you do it, the easier it will be, and the more confidence you’ll gain in your ability to begin and continue a conversation.

8.  Be yourself, and be genuine

When you’re meeting someone for the first time, don’t feel like you have to play yourself up. Just talk like you would to anyone else, and don’t feel like one conversation will make or break your entire professional life. Each person you add to your network is interested in understanding you, as a person, and your personality more than your accomplishments because your personality will be what they remember most. They won’t remember that you’ve logged 50 community service hours or had an awesome job last summer, but they’ll remember who you are and what you’re like.

9.  Articulate a clear goal or ambition. But don’t pitch yourself

The biggest mistake to be made while networking is using a pitch. Most of the time, unless you’re at a career fair or somewhere where people are actually looking to hire you, people just want to have a normal conversation. They want to know more about who you are, and they want you to ask about them as well. If you start a conversation with, “Hi, these are my career goals, and this is why I’m awesome,” that conversation will, of course, go nowhere. Instead, just start with a simple hello. Tell the person your name, and tell them why you’re excited to meet them. Make it about them, and they’ll be more inclined to make it about you.

10.  Don’t skip the small talk

Even though it might seem like there’s no point to a conversation that includes mostly small talk, there is a point. Small talk gives people an indication of whether you’re friendly, positive, genuine, and likeable, and they have to know whether they like you before they know whether they want to help you professionally. So don’t feel like you’re wasting time by talking about everything but the reason you wanted to meet them. If they have to end the conversation before you’ve asked any relevant questions or gained any new information, just tell them you had some questions for them and that you’d like to keep in touch. Offer your email address and ask for theirs, and don’t be worried about how much time you spent on seemingly useless talk. If you get a contact, it’s not a waste.
 
-Hope Swedeen
 
What are some things you can do to make networking easier and less stressful? Where do you network most frequently?

I’ve known so many people who go through elementary and middle school, and even part of high school, dreaming of being a writer. It’s a great dream, and it makes sense that so many would have it. We all read, we all stare at pages of books, inspired and captivated by stories that someone else has written, and some of us think, “I want to write like this. I can write like this.”

This is a mentality that I discovered I had in about fourth grade. I remember reading a series that I was more impressed with than most any other books I’d read up until that point. I had read a lot by then already, and at a fairly high level, but this was one of the series that I enjoyed not because it was challenging but because it was just good. It made me see a new way of writing that told a complete tale with detailed characters with back stories and entire worlds crafted around the characters’ lives. It was an adventure book that ultimately led to my love of writing, and I never stopped loving it. However, I did stop thinking I could just do it.

For so long, I wanted to write a book. There were some other professions thrown into the mix here and there (fashion designer, baker, jewelry maker), but, all the time, I wanted to be writing. It wasn’t until I got to high school and had to start thinking about my future that I realized, or thought I realized, that writing wasn’t a possibility for me. I was told all the time that, even if I was good, it’s hard to be good enough in the real world. That’s true, of course, but no one ever told me how to be good enough. I was told, “You’re great at writing, but being a writer isn’t realistic.”

Well, here I am. Writing. Sure, it’s not a novel. It’s not even short stories. But I’m writing, and about things that matter to me. If your dream is to be a writer, it is going to be difficult. Just calling yourself a writer and writing for a few minutes every day isn’t going to cut it, but it is a start. It helps to have faith in your own abilities and the desire to cultivate them further. You’ll be told the truth in high school; it is extremely difficult – nearly impossible – to leave high school and become a successful writer immediately if you’re writing what you love. It’s simply not a practical career, to begin with, at least. However, there are so many outlets for writing that people don’t consider when they’re thinking about pursuing it as a career.

If you’re truly passionate about writing, you can be successful by finding ways to market your skills, even if you’re using them for something unrelated to book-writing. That said, don’t stop writing that novel or short story you’ve always dreamed about; you can make a living by writing without giving up on your dreams. Below are some tips for starting out on your writing path. You also might want to take a look at a list of advice from Stephen King, who talks about what he thinks all writers need to do to succeed.

1.  Start a personal blog

This will give you something to write as often as you’d like, whether it’s a monthly, weekly, or daily blog, and you’ll have an outlet for your thoughts and ideas. Sometimes just writing something down that’s been in your head for a while can help you figure out what you want to do with that thought or what you can turn it into. Sometimes I start writing a blog post about education, and it sparks a thought about a plotline idea for a story. Everything you write can influence you, and if you do it regularly, you’ll be more likely to uncover an idea worth working with sooner rather than later.

2.  Write blogs professionally

Writing a blog for a company or even writing posts here and there as a freelance blog writer for companies will give you great experience and exposure, and they will be outlets for you to publish ideas and maybe get feedback from readers. It can be difficult to land a job as a blog writer if you don’t have writing experience, so having a personal blog already in the works with some posts that you could share as proof of your proficiency and experience will help immensely with this.

3.  Become a freelance writer

Whether it’s for a blog that asks for freelance work, magazines, newspapers, or a website looking for content, take writing jobs whenever you can. You’ll be able to test your limits and be paid to provide content that will help you get more and better freelancing and full-time writing gigs down the road. Freelancers writing for company publications need to have their own ideas before they can publish, as you’ll be sending letters with your ideas to the editors of the publications. However, you can also be a freelancing who writes content for a blog or website that asks for specific topics to be covered. The problem you might face with freelancing is that people do look for experience to determine whether they want someone to write for them. Again, having that personal blog will help, and, eventually, someone will say yes to you, and you’ll be able to use that to market yourself for your next writing job alongside your personal blog.

4.  Get experience in the real world

Writing isn’t just about the technical aspects of how you tell a story or even the details of your story. Both of these things are meaningless if you don’t have a strong message at the heart of your story. Before you can begin writing anything, you need to know what you want to tell readers and why you feel compelled to tell them. If you don’t know that yet, then figure it out. Travel, do things you’re not used to doing, get a job doing something that lets you see a new side of things or a new way of life. Throw yourself into the world to see what it’s really like for different people and in different areas to get an idea of what kind of world you want to write about and what kind of message you feel you need to send.

5.  Writing might not be your only career

Many writers, especially starting out, have another career or job outside of writing or that revolves around writing things other than books or stories. There’s nothing wrong with pursuing your dream to write, but even writing a blog or freelancing probably won’t earn you enough money to be your only source of income. There’s nothing wrong with having other jobs while you’re writing, and, these days, when you can type up a blog post in a relatively short amount of time, you’ll have time to have a well-paying job and write. Whatever you do, though, don’t stop writing. Never forget that writing is your primary objective, and the other jobs are just allowing you to continue doing what you love while still having a solid income.

6.  Attend writing workshops

There are writing workshops for all kinds of writers based on genre or age or both, and joining a group that meets regularly or sharing your ideas in a workshop that’s only happening once is a great way to give your ideas some exposure and get feedback from people who are going through the same struggles that you are.

If you’re seriously considering pursuing writing as a career but you’re not sure how to do that, talk to someone about it. Talk to a teacher or guidance counselor about what you want to do, but do it in a way that shows you know how difficult it will be. Most people will tell you it’s impractical, so you have to make them see why it is a viable option for you. Once you know what you want, make sure other people know too so that they can help you get there in any way possible. Whatever you do, believe in yourself, and give yourself every opportunity to succeed. If you think you can, the people around you will be liable to think so too.

-Hope Swedeen

How do you plan to pursue a career in writing?

As the calendar year comes to and end and schools prepare for winter break, teachers are throwing around that word that no student likes to hear; “test.” We all dread them, whether we think we’ll pass or not, but during the weeks before winter break, we are not only responsible for preparing for tests, we are also expected to keep up with every-day classwork. If you’re like me and countless other students all over, it can be challenging to balance study and homework time, especially when you try to factor in free time as well (which is important, by the way).

If you’re someone who never seems to have enough hours in a day to finish what needs to be done, consider evaluating how you manage your time. You might not manage your time at all, which isn’t uncommon, and this could mean that you simply need to work on planning ahead more often. If you’re someone who makes lists and tries to think ahead, you still might be struggling to follow through on your plans. Whatever the case, it’s always a good idea to evaluate your time management techniques once in a while to see how you can improve them or what you can do to make them more effective.

1.  Find out where you are wasting time

Everyone wastes time, but it’s important to be aware of when you’re doing it so that you can monitor the amount of time you spend distracted from getting things done. If you can figure out what your main distractions are or make a list of some things that you need to prioritize less when you have a lot of work to do, this will help you focus on what’s most important to accomplish.

2.  Create a daily and weekly schedule

If you have a syllabus for your class or you know when you have tests and assignments due, make up a schedule for each week, breaking down assignments by due dates or dates to be completed. If you have sports or clubs, factor those in too. You want to write down as much of your weekly schedule as possible so that you can get a good estimate of how much time you’ll have leftover for work, studying, free time, and anything else each day.

Calendars come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re made specifically for different types of software. If you’re looking for a free calendar for iOS devices, Sunrise Calendar can be used on an iPhone or iPad, and iStudiez can be used on an iOS device, including a computer. It can also be used on windows computers, but you’ll have to pay $9.99 for it. If you’re looking for something for a windows pc, you’ll probably get the best result by using a calendar in your email. Windows Live, for Microsoft Outlook, and Google mail offer calendars that are easy to use, and, as they’re linked to your email, you’ll be able to access them on your phone as well. If you don’t see yourself using any of the options I’ve listed, shop around online for other calendars. There are tons of platforms to use that aren’t listed here.

3.  Create a to-do list and add it to your schedule

In addition to any assignments you might have or anything happening routinely, keep a general to-do list of non-school-related things so that you don’t forget anything you’re supposed to be doing and so that you can factor everything you plan on doing into your weekly and daily schedules. A great platform for creating organized lists is Trello, which allows you to create lists and add or move around items. It can be used interactively with multiple people, so if you have a group project or a study group, you could easily make task lists, tag people on lists and list items, and communicate with comments on tasks. You can create any type of list you want, so if you have a “To-do” list and a “completed” list, you can move items around as you finish them. You’ll also need to sign up using an email, so if you have your calendar linked to the same email, you can get all of your notifications in the same place.

4.  Say “no” to time commitments that you can’t fit in

Unfortunately, there is seldom a time when we can do everything that we want in a given day. Particularly during tests time, you’ll probably find yourself pressed for time with more commitments and plans than you can keep. To avoid the stress of trying to come through on everything, say “no” to some things in advance. Having a schedule will help you with this, as you’ll be able to look at your to-do list for each day and figure out how much time you’ll actually have for extra things. If you find your day is filled, including the free time you’ve set aside, don’t add on more to your day. Just say “no,” and you won’t have to feel bad for either backing out or ignoring your work to do it later.

5.  Figure out what time of day you’re most productive

You’ll want to schedule homework and studying into your schedule at a time when you feel you can accomplish the most. If you work best at night, schedule a few hours spread out in the evenings. If you’re more of a morning person, set aside your morning hours for work instead.

6.  Know your work/study habits.

Just like understanding when in the day you’re most productive, you should get to know your study/work habits so that you can use them to your advantage rather than trying to work against them. If you’re someone who needs a week to work on a lengthy assignment, give yourself a week. If you work better under pressure, spend your week focusing on smaller assignments closer to their due dates and tackle bigger projects as they come. Think about what sort of atmosphere you work best in, and try to find a space like it. You might prefer somewhere quiet, which could lead you to work in your room, but that also might lead to easy distractions or even falling asleep (guilty).

7.  Set Time limits

If you leave yourself with four hours to do work one evening, don’t just add a block of time to your schedule that says “do work.” Make sure that you specify how much time you’ll be spending on each assignment you plan to work on. You could give yourself 30 minutes for math homework and then another 30 minutes to study for a math test, for example. Make sure that you follow your time limits fairly closely so that you don’t burn out doing one thing for too long or end up not having time to do everything that needs to get done.

8.  Be realistic – some things take longer than others

If you have to write a two-page English paper and do five simple math equations, the paper will most likely take you longer. Don’t leave yourself 30 minutes for each task, as you probably won’t be able to finish them both within the same amount of time, and the paper will probably take you about two hours. Instead, think about how long each assignment should reasonably take you, including how long you need to study for each subject you might have a test in, and plan your schedule accordingly.

9.  Set goals

Even if you’ve made a schedule, it helps to have goals in addition to deadlines. If you want to finish an assignment by a date earlier than when it’s due, that can be a goal to work toward. If you set aside a certain amount of time to complete tasks, aim to fit in one other task if you find you have the time. Anything that will help you feel more accomplished and positive will only help you keep working hard.

10.  Don’t think about your entire to-do list. Just focus on the task at hand.

Even though you might have 15 things to do in a week, don’t think of them as a bundled package. If you think of them as individual assignments rather than as clumps of homework each day, you’ll feel much less intimidated by it all. Focus on one thing at a time, slowly chipping away at the larger to-do list, and make sure you’re always thinking “one down!” rather than “14 to go.”

11.  Complete assignments in order of importance

While you have to finish everything at some point, it helps to give yourself some kind of order to begin with. Decide on an order of importance for assignments based on due dates/times, difficulty, or any other criteria, and complete work in that order. This way, you have a plan to stick to and can transition between assignments quickly without too much distraction. That being said…

12.  Give yourself a break between tasks

Switching from one thing to the next right away can be exhausting and easily make you fed up with doing work. Instead, take small breaks when you finish assignments, but don’t let yourself get so distracted that you realize you’re still on Facebook 30 minutes later. The length of time you spend on each task should impact the length of your break, so the longer something takes you, the longer you can justify taking some time to relax. If you’ve just finished 15 minutes’ worth of math homework, you probably don’t need to take a 30-minute break before moving on. As a rule, I allot 10 minutes of break time for every hour spent on an assignment. Try to avoid social media while you’re taking these breaks, though, as you’ll probably find yourself taking a longer break than you might have initially intended.

13.  Don’t procrastinate – start working immediately

It’s easy to get caught up in setting up your work, getting on a computer, or any other pre-homework rituals you might have. Instead of procrastinating, get started on your work as soon as you decide to begin, and don’t let yourself get distracted before you even accomplish anything.

14.  Always take some work with you

If you’re leaving home for a few hours, take some work with you to do if you find you’re not doing anything else. If you’re on a bus or train, you can easily pull out a book or flashcards.

15.  Make time to sleep

Although you need to finish your work, you should always make time to sleep well each night. If you’re tired at school or when you’re supposed to be doing work, you’ll likely be much less productive than if you’ve had a good night’s rest, so don’t forget to add sleeping to your daily schedule in ample supply.

-Hope Swedeen

Do you keep track of your daily and weekly tasks? What calendars or platforms do you use to stay organized and ensure that you're using your time efficiently?

In past blog posts, we’ve talked about tips for creating a LinkedIn profile, building a résumé, and preparing for an interview, but there’s a critical piece of applying for a job that everyone should be familiar and comfortable with. Writing a cover letter can be tricky, and there are some jobs that will require more inventive ways of introducing yourself to prospective employers, but for most jobs, employers will expect you to be able to write a cover letter that simply highlight who you are and why they should hire you. It’s sort of a preface to your résumé that gives you the chance to be more personal in how you present yourself and your accomplishments compared to your résumé. Below, I’ve listed 8 tips for writing a cover letter, and I’ve included an outline for your reference if you’re looking for a more visual explanation.

When writing a cover letter…

1.  Include the job title and keywords from the job description

When you’re applying for a job and you’re asked to submit a cover letter, it’s crucial that you take a good look at the job posting to see exactly what the employer is looking for. Make sure that you can offer what the job entails, and use keywords from the ad in your cover letter, just like your résumé, to make it stand out. Always be sure to include the position for which you’re applying as well so that the employer can easily see why they’re receiving your letter.

2.  Make it known how you became interested in the company

It doesn’t have to take up too much time or space, but if you can, let the employer know what made you apply for a job at this company. List what about the company appeals to you, how you first found it, and what you think makes the company different from others like it. Don’t confuse this with explaining why you want the job; employers want to know why you like their company, not why you need a job.

3.  Cut the formalities and give it some personality

This is a letter for a job, yes, but that doesn’t mean that you need to be overly formal when addressing whoever will be reading your letter. This is the first time you’ll be introducing yourself to a perspective employer, and you should make it count. Try to convey a bit of your personality, if possible, rather than writing a cookie cutter letter that just lists your qualifications. You want to tell employers who you are while you’re telling them what you can do because they’re not just looking for an employee – they’re looking for someone who believes in their mission and will become an integral part of their team.

4.  Don’t include everything that’s on your résumé

It’s easy to get carried away on a cover letter and say everything you feel an employer needs to know before hiring you. Don’t forget that you haven’t gotten the interview yet – this is a time to display your most valuable and marketable qualities based on the position you’re applying for. Be specific about what you can bring to the job, but don’t focus so much on how you built those skills – that’s what you’ll be focusing on when you get the interview.

5.  If you’re short on experience, focus on skills

It’s great to talk about examples of your accomplishments and your experience working in a field related to the job you’re applying for, and you should list any pertinent experiences in your cover letter if you feel that they are your best shot at getting an employer to give you an interview. However, you might not have a long list of experiences to showcase what you’ve done and what you’re capable of doing. The important thing to remember is that employers aren’t really looking for experiences; they’re looking for skills, and if you can show that you know what they want and you think you’ve got it, make it known. Don’t be shy about stressing your capabilities, especially if they’re in the job description that you’re applying for.

6.  Only stress the skills you do have

It’s easy to start criticizing yourself while writing a cover letter, and you might find that you’re talking about the skills listed on a job description that you don’t have. Instead of focusing on what you can’t offer, focus on what you can. Really try to paint as positive an image of yourself as possible.

7.  Brag, brag, brag. And then keep bragging

As I said in my previous post about writing personal essays, you need to be able to talk about your accomplishments without feeling like you’re bragging too much or you’re going to put someone off by talking about how many great things you’ve done. Just remember that whoever is reading this letter is looking to hire you, and the more honest and overt you are about your abilities, the more likely you are to stand out and be chosen for an interview. They’re pressed for time, and they want your letter to tell them, as quickly as possible, exactly why they should give you their time. That being said, don’t use this as a time to stress what makes you a great person or better than other people – Just talk about your most important qualifications in the most positive way you can.

8.  Edit, revise, and shorten

You might end up with a page and a half of content by the time that you’ve finished writing your letter and including everything that you think is important. If that’s the case, start cutting. Your cover letter should never (or rarely ever) be more than one page, and that’s with room for the entire heading and signature (I’ll explain further below).

Formatting:

There are countless ways to write and format a cover letter, but this is what I would recommend when applying for most jobs unless they’re unconventional and require something more creative.

Example cover letter format:

Date

Employer name
Employer job title
Company name
Address

Dear Employer Name,

List a small amount of background information about yourself, how you came to apply at the company, and why you’re drawn to this position. If you have a lot of skills and/or experiences to list, you might want to summarize them in a general way here as a form of introduction for the body section of your letter. For example, you could say, ‘I have a variety of experiences related to this position that have prepared me for (insert specific aspects of job description).’

In the body section, you’ll want to write all of your experiences and skills in a broad but detailed way. You want to talk about what you’ve achieved, but you don’t want to go into all of the details that you list on your résumé like job titles or dates of employment.

If you have a lot to say, and it won’t all fit into the first two paragraphs, you can write a third paragraph that further demonstrates your capabilities, but be weary of this, as it takes up more space, and you’ll be more likely to include unnecessary details if you give yourself more letter space to fill up.

Your final paragraph should invite the employer to contact you to ask for any materials or information that they might wish to see or know before inviting you for an interview. You might also mention that you’ve attached your résumé and any other pertinent information or documents. End your letter with a cordial “I look forward to hearing from you,” or something similar, to make it clear that you’re the one who will be lucky to hear from them, not the other way around.

Sincerely,

Your Name

For examples of finished cover letters, look at Quint Careers, or find industry-based samples at Resume Genius.

-Hope Swedeen

What can you do to make your cover letter even more effective? What are some dos and don’ts that you follow when writing a cover letter?