Writing Samples - Human Resource Management
I'll Take Anything
Aug 11 2009
Amy Rauch Neilson, Efinancialcareers.com Contributor
You may feel desperate. In fact, you may very well be desperate. But blurt out, "I'll take anything!" at a job interview, and you may blow your chances of being offered a job. "I've seen a lot of desperate people and they are very scary," says Cathy Fyock, director of recruiting for consultant Resources Global Professionals, headquartered in Irvine, Calif. "When an interviewer hears those three words, it's a total red flag. It's the worst thing an applicant can say because it implies that anything will do for the time being - and that they'll be looking for what they really need in the meantime."
The Basics of Cover Letters
Jul 16 2009
Amy Rauch Neilson, Efinancialcareers.com Contributor
When you think "first impression," an image of you, confidently shaking the hiring manager's hand, might come to mind. But a hiring manager has a very different picture - that of a mile-high stack of paper. In order to show off that slick new suit and those freshly-shined shoes, your cover letter needs to rise to the top of the heap. "Hiring managers do indeed look at cover letters," says Sandy Allgeier, a former corporate HR executive and author of The Personal Credibility Factor. "I'm looking to see if the cover letter speaks to organization."
Beat the Resume-Screen Algorithm
Aug 19 2009
Amy Rauch Neilson, Efinancialcareers.com Contributor
It's one thing to learn the employer offered someone else the job you were hot for. It's another to learn you never even made the cut...because a purveyor of "artificial intelligence" screened out your resume. In a world where seas of resumes are initially sorted by screening software, it's still possible to outsmart the machine on your way to the top of the heap. It just means a little more...well, thinking, on your part.
'Thank You' Is Still In Vogue
July 8 2009
Amy Rauch Neilson, Efinancialcareers.com Contributor
You might have hated it when your mother told you to say thank you, but the truth is it's good advice - even today, and especially during a job search. Not only are thank you notes an essential part of the process, but overlooking them could end up costing you the job.
What Do Interviewing Managers Think?
Jun 29 2009
Amy Rauch Neilson, Efinancialcareers.com Contributor
It's interview day. You're dressed to the nines and you've followed every tidbit of advice you could glean from business magazines and your peers. You walk into the conference room and, even though the air conditioning is cranked, you're sweating. If you only knew what the interviewer was thinking.
Making Even the Best Excuses Won't Cut It
Jun 11 2009
Amy Rauch Neilson, Efinancialcareers.com Contributor
You blow a deadline on a big project. But you can't help that you came down with the flu the day before. You run out of gas on the way to a client meeting. But it wasn't your fault. You just didn't have time to stop at the gas station and you were sure you had enough to make it. You miss the due date to turn in your expense report. It totally slipped your mind. But geez, can't Accounting cut you a little slack again?
Do It All, Suffer the Consequences
Jun 4 2009
Amy Rauch Neilson, Efinancialcareers.com Contributor
You have redefined "Take One for the Team" to mean "Take 'Em All for the Team." In fact, if your life story was a made-for-TV movie, you'd be the one knocking down all of your teammates so that you could catch the ball and run it into the end zone - every single time. Impressive? Not really.
Don't Be Late. It Matters.
May 28 2009
Amy Rauch Neilson, Efinancialcareers.com Contributor
It's a typical day-in-the-life. You drop off the kids at school while you're answering a text message from a client and leaving a voicemail for your boss. And that's before you hit the drive-thru for your morning coffee.
Survival Hint: Meet Your Deadlines
Apr 21 2009
Amy Rauch Neilson, Efinancialcareers.com Contributor
If you've spent a sleepless night or two worrying about your job and what - if anything -you can do to hang on to it, you're not alone. So, what might give you the edge? A dedicated following on Twitter? Bringing doughnuts to staff meetings?