We recently met with Career Coach, Graham Caulfield, to bounce some questions off of him about job searching. Caulfield has worked for companies including Zig Ziglar, Honeywell, Telstra, NEC and Philips in sales and marketing and finds great satisfaction in helping people to obtain their Dream Jobs.

HDJ-What kinds of services does a career coach offer?

Graham- Just a few of the benefits you could experience by working with a career coach include:

1. Expediting the process of determining your new career direction.
2. Helping you with a systematic approach to finding your career fit.
3. Giving you feedback and guidance from someone who has helped hundreds make career changes.

In this economy, old ways of job searching will delay your employment. Responding to Newspaper and Internet ads as your only means of searching will almost guarantee extended unemployment. But a skilled career coach can help you to develop targeted job search tools (like your professional resume), hone your skills for marketing yourself to employers, and design a strategic game plan for finding your next job.

HDJ- How else can these services help someone who is job searching?

Graham- They offer jobseekers the chance to learn how to use all of the tools at their disposal. It provides them with an understanding of how to use their time and resources to the greatest advantage. Career coaches help by listening, providing feedback, and asking powerful questions to improve the job seeker’s ability to market and sell themselves in the job market.

They can coach you on how to answer interview questions most strategically. It’s not always the most qualified person who gets the position-sometimes the person who communicates the most persuasively will get the job.

HDJ- What strategies might benefit someone searching for a job in the healthcare field?

Graham- A good career coach is going help a job seeker identify their unique selling points. With so many applicants in the Healthcare industry having similar qualifications, it is important to communicate exactly what it is that “sets you apart”. It’s not enough to assume that it’s obvious or that everyone will recognize your talents.

HDJ- Do you recommend networking? Why or why not?

Graham- Yes, absolutely. It’s not who you know, but who knows you. Job seekers should become a member of a networking group or two to meet new people and establish a presence in a supportive environment. Sharing ideas leads to exposure and opportunities for everyone.

Usually networking contacts won’t be potential employers. They will be people who know about potential employment. If one discovers that a contact is a potential employer, they should take off their networking hat and pursue employment.

Effective networking also includes being involved on social and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter.

HDJ- What is a common job searching mistake that you see?

Graham-That’s any easy one! People don’t read the advertisement and job description carefully. Read it 324 times, then read it again. Also, analyze and use those key words from the ad and job description to ensure that your résumé matches the employer requirements.

HDJ- Thank you Graham! Follow Graham on Twitter.

Recently we were pleased to meet with Paul Knoch, an HR administrator with 17 years of experience in the industry.  Paul told us about the challenges and fun parts of his job, as well as how the economy is affecting current employees and applicants.

HDJ- What draws you to a candidate in an interview?

Paul- First impressions do count. I look for a confident demeanor as well as the usual first impression things like how they are dressed, if they are on time, etc.

HDJ- What makes the caution flag fly for you?

Paul- If someone appears really nervous (some nervous is normal) or if they interrupt. I had an applicant interrupt me many times on the phone and when she talked with the department manager, she did the same thing. When we didn’t hire her, she asked why. I told her why. By the way, she was interviewing for a customer service position.

In addition, someone who is trying too hard, who is overly friendly or tries to oversell themselves doesn’t work for me. Being too forward, taking a phone call during the interview (that has happened) or appearing distracted are also red flags. In a competitive market, those behaviors will quickly put someone to the bottom of the list.

HDJ- Do you have a lot of applicants right now?

Paul- It has doubled or tripled from a year or two ago. Also our turnover has decreased. So it makes it tough with not as many positions open.

HDJ- How have things changed?

Paul- One change I have seen is that people are less likely to quit a job even if they aren’t totally satisfied with it. With fewer jobs available, I think employees aren’t confident that they will find a better job so they are more willing to try to make things work where they are at.

Another change is that it’s an employer’s market right now with all the massive applicants available. Five or six years ago it was the opposite and employers were throwing perks out to entice employees to come on board.

HDJ- Have you seen many people apply from out of state?

Paul- Currently, fifty percent of applicants come from out of state. With our organization, people commonly come because they want to find meaning in their job. It’s not about money. It’s about being part of an organization that they care about and support.

HDJ-Has the recession made your job harder in any way?

Paul- The recession has been tough on all of us I think. I really feel for the people who call and share their life situation, hoping for a job even when we don’t have openings. It’s heartbreaking. I think most people who call are realistic and know we can’t create a position but they are trying to make contacts. One thing I have done is refer some to other organizations that might have openings through a network of emails.

HDJ- That’s certainly above and beyond. What’s difficult about your job?

P- Probably the most difficult part is walking the line between what state and federal laws require and what feels appropriate and compassionate in a situation. They don’t always line up. Sometimes I have to treat people based on HR laws and what I want to do is feel compassion and help people. Also, sometimes ADA and FMLA conflict each other. For instance, privacy laws say you can’t access people’s medical records. And yet, in a situation like FMLA, medical records are needed.

I have done things that I think are right and they may not necessarily be “HR-approved”. Sometimes you have to be courageous. It might mean talking to an employee about a situation instead of letting them go. It might mean that there is a grey area and I have to determine what is best, compassionate and within regulations all at the same time.

HDJ- What do you enjoy about your job in Human Resources?

Paul- I work with great people. There is a lot of variety and fun in my job. I interact, lead staff events, provide training, connect with them on social sites and more. Even the challenging part of confronting someone is good because I can help someone learn and grow and develop as worker-especially the younger people. To some small degree, I am helping with that.

Jobs are a big part of our life. But job satisfaction is less than fifty percent. And a lot of times it stems from how the employee is treated versus what they are being paid. So it’s very rewarding when things that I have intentionally done create a positive impact.

HDJ- This is great information, Paul. Thanks for your time!

by Liat Nachman

When you are seeking employment with a new company, you should always include a resume cover letter with your resume. The purpose of the cover letter is to introduce your resume to the employer and to declare your interest in a position with the company. It is the first thing that a prospective employer looks at when evaluating you for a position with the company.
As such it is as important, if not more important than your resume and the interview itself. This is because if your cover letter isn’t good, the employer will never see your resume and you will never get an interview.

The following is what you should include in your cover letter:
1. Elaborate on your employment objective – In your resume, there is a section at the beginning where you put what your employment objective is. In your resume cover letter this is where you have the opportunity to elaborate more on your employment objective. The objective should be clear and concise and should make a prospective employer interested in bringing you in for an interview.
2. How you found the job and what you know about the company – When beginning your resume cover letter, you should talk about how you found the job. If you found it on a web site, list the name and the URL of the web site. If you really want to impress a prospective employer list some information about the company that attracts you to the company. This will show the prospective employer that you did your homework and you really want to work there, which is always a good thing.
3. Be concise and to the point – The cover letter is not the time to write your life story. Make sure you avoid rambling and keep your letter clear and to the point. Generally speaking, if your cover letter is more than a page long, it is way too long. Your goal is to get them just enough information so that they will want to call you in for an interview. They will find out everything they need to know to make a hiring decision at the interview, not just from reading the cover letter.
4. Include your qualifications – The resume cover letter should expand on your qualifications. It should highlight the key points of the resume that makes you uniquely qualified for the position. This is why you should always use a specific cover letter for a specific position. One of the worst things you can do is have a standard cover letter that you use for each and every position you apply for. Employers will pick up on this and you won’t get called in for an interview.
5. Finally, you won’t believe how many people forget this in their resume cover letter. You need to include several ways to contact you. You should include your phone number, your email address and your address. With your email address, you should have a professional email address. If your only email address is youngthughustler@yahoo.com, sign up for another free email address that is more professional.

These guidelines will help you get more interviews.

About the Author

For more information and tips on writing resume cover letters effectively, visit ProResumeSecrets.

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