Job
Inquiry Letter and Interview
Some organizations require you to
fill out and submit an application form before considering you for a position.
It is a standardized data sheet
that simplifies comparison of applicant’s qualifications. To request such a
form, send a job-enquiry letter. You can also go to the organization and pick
up the form.
Organizations use this form for information about your qualification so
try to be accurate when filing it out. Your care in filling out
application form suggests to the employer that you will be thorough and careful
in your work. When writing a job-Inquiry letter, plan for direct requests: main
idea, necessary details, and specific request.
Application Follow-Ups
Even if you’ve received a letter
acknowledging your application and saying that it will be kept on file, don’t hesitate to send a follow-up letter
three months later to show that you are still interested. Look at the
following.
Three
months have elapsed since I applied to you for an accountant position, but I
want to let you know that I am still very interested in joining your company.
Please keep my application in your active file, and let me know when a position opens for a capable accountant.
Please keep my application in your active file, and let me know when a position opens for a capable accountant.
Unless you state otherwise, the human resources office is likely to assume that you’ve already found a job and are no longer
interested in the organization. Moreover, requirements change. A follow-up
letter can demonstrate that you’re sincerely interested in working for the organization, that
you’re persistent in pursuing your goals, and that you’re upgrading your skills to make yourself
a better employee. And it might just get you an interview.
If your application letter and resume fail to bring a response
within a month or so, follow up
with a second letter to keep your file active. This follow-up letter
also gives you a chance to update your
original application with any
recent job-related information.
Since applying to you on May 3 for an executive secretary
position, I have completed a course in office management at ABC College. I
received straight A’s in the course. Now, I am a proficient user of MS Word,
including macros and other complex functions.
Please
keep my application in your active file, and let me know when you need a
skilled executive secretary.
Understanding the Interview Process
It is very important to understand the interviewing process
as well as the hiring practices of the big and small organizations. For this
purpose study the following.
Big Companies
|
Small Companies
|
|
Number and type of applicants sought
|
Consistently hire thousands of new employees each year;
have relatively specific hiring criteria, depending on the position; tend to
be highly selective.
|
Hiring requirement fluctuate, often looking for
flexibility, versatility; often somewhat more open-minded.
|
Person or department in charge of recruiting
|
Handled by human resource or personnel department
|
In really small companies, the founder/top manager makes
all hiring decisions.
|
General recruiting and interviewing style
|
Governed by formal policies and procedures; typically
involves series of several interviews; approach is generally systematic, well
planned, and well financed.
|
Conducted informally on an as-needed basis without a
standard procedure; hiring decision may be made after first interview or may
drag on for several months.
|
Where/how they advertise
|
Use national and local newspapers, trade journals, campus
placement offices, word of mouth, online job banks, company websites.
|
Rely heavily on word of mouth and local newspapers
|
Use of employment agencies, search firms
|
Roughly 60 percent use employment agencies; whereas 40
percent use executive search firms.
|
Agency use varies widely among small companies; cost may
be a factor.
|
Responsiveness to unsolicited resumes
|
Received hundreds of unsolicited resumes, which typically
get less attention than resumes obtained through departments’ own planned
recruiting program; most companies will scan unsolicited resumes into a
database if they maintain one; best to send resume directly to line manager
or potential co-worker in department where you want to work.
|
Receive relatively few unsolicited resumes, so they pay
close attention to them; however, given limited hiring needs, chances are
slim that your resume will arrive when company has a corresponding opening.
|
Reliance on campus recruiting
|
On campus recruiting programs, relatively small in number
|
The smaller the company, the less likely it is to recruit
in this manner.
|
Best way for candidate to approach company
|
Use campus placement office to schedule interviews with
companies that recruit on your campus. If company does not recruit on your
campus, call the person in charge of college recruiting, explain your
situation, and ask for advice on best way to get an interview.
|
Check with campus placement office; try to make direct
personal contact with owner/manager or department head; get names and
addresses from chamber of commerce, business directories, send resume and
application letter.
|
Understanding the Interview Process
An employment interview is a formal meeting in which both employer
and applicant ask questions and exchange information to learn more about each
other.
Dual purpose
1. The organization’s main objective is to find the best
person.
2. The applicant’s main objective is to find the job best
suited to his or her goals and capabilities.
Organizations hiring hundreds of
new employees every year take a more systematic approach to the recruiting and
interviewing process. Adjust your job search according to the company’s size
and hiring practices. Start seeking jobs well in advance of the date you want
to start work. Begin job search as much as nine months before. During downturns
in the economy, early planning is even more crucial.
