Making a second impression

We're frequently asked advice about what's the best format for a thank-you following an interview. Practices and preferences have changed radically over the past few years, and continue to change. How does a candidate know what to do?

There are still three basic choices: the postal business letter; the hand-written thank-you note (either mailed or hand-delivered); or the email. We know employers who have strong preferences toward one method. Sometimes you can make a phone call to someone within the organization and find out (or you can ask your trusted recruiter). 

Many hiring managers prefer the efficiency and immediacy of the email. But be sure you proofread carefully so that you have a 100% error-free communication.

Then there are those who respond better to the hand-written thank-you note. Works well for candidates who have good (or at least passable) handwriting and who have chosen a professional-looking note card or stationary.

If the job involves business writing of any kind (proposals, plans, newsletters, reports, articles, blog posts, etc.), the traditional business letter still can be very impactful and persuasive, especially if you want to stand out from your competition.

And, don't forget to thank everyone you met, not just the hiring manager. Frequently they'll be asked for their opinion about you.

So, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to the thank-you question. What are your thoughts?

Scholars party!

The Ad Club Foundation will honor the 08/09 scholarship recipients at the Ad Club at 1025 Jefferson on Friday, 10.3, at 5 p.m. Congratulations to the 20 local students who are bravely studying to enter the world of advertising!

To learn more about available scholarships, as well as the Ad Club Foundation, visit: http://www.kcadclub.com/

The Lost Art of the Job Description

Okay, so maybe it was never a found art. But it seems like it's harder to find job descriptions that have all of these three key ingredients:

1. What the job actually consists of. What would this person really be doing in an average week/month?

2. How this function fits into the organization. Who are the other members of the team? How does this team interact with other teams or groups to produce products or services? 

3. What the company or organization provides, and for what customer groups or audiences.

What if employers were to incorporate all of these elements into their descriptions? Would it be easier to find qualified candidates? 

We think probably so. But, we're grateful anyway that they need our help. And sometimes we start with an overhaul of the job description.

Yay! Hallmark!

The ONLY KC based company on this year's "100 Best Companies" list by Working Mother magazine! Makes me wish I'd had children.

Venting? Anonymously?

Just saw the jobvent.com site where disgruntled employees can register their complaints and their kudos -- anonymously -- for all the world to see. Oh boy.

Employers are ranked on criteria such as Pay, Respect, Benefits, Work/Life Balance, Career Potential/Growth, etc. A lot of what I read seemed petty and narrowly focused ("...the worst supervisor EVER", "you have to suck up to the right people") but there were legitimate learnings (as the big boys say) for those employers who are taking the long view and truly see their employees as their biggest asset.

From scores of -8222 to positive scores in the hundreds, it's clear that people would rather pan than praise. At least on this site. I was cheered by the review of one of our local financial services employer which said: "Good company for benefits but they have this Kansas City attitude where they only go by the book." With all of today's financial news, may we hear a round of applause?

Hot Job
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